When banana bread is your favourite snack, do you think can cats eat banana bread? As a responsible owner, you might be concerned about what your feline can eat and what can’t? Let’s break it down.
Yes, can cats eat banana bread in moderation? Although moderate banana bread is safe for cats, it is not recommended. Banana is not toxic to cats. But banana bread contains other ingredients like wheat, eggs, sugar and butter. These are difficult for cat’s digestive system and can cause diabetes, obesity and other health issues. This guide will discuss banana bread’s benefits and health risks for cats.
The potential health risks of banana bread for cats
Banana is a safe fruit for cats, but the other ingredients of banana bread are harmful to cats. Here are the common ingredients of banana bread. Also, you will know the bad impact of each ingredient.
Banana: there has a large amount of bananas in banana bread. It contains many nutrients like potassium, minerals, manganese, vitamin B6, sugar, carbohydrate and high fiber. If your cat takes bananas regularly, it can get obese, diabetic or stomach upset.
Wheat:
Wheat is a filler ingredient in banana bread. It is not suggested for cats at all. Good to know that wheat can change the level of PH. You can make banana bread with wheat, grains, and oats. Yet it is not recommended. You will notice Distress, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal troubles in cats when it takes excess wheat-based corn.
Flour and baking powder:
Flour and baking powder is not toxic for the cat. So, a furry feline can take these in moderation. But raw flour and baking soda are quite harmful. A cat can feel stomach pain, vomiting or diarrhea when taking raw flour. Besides, this ingredient has no notable nutrient for cats. So, it is not recommended.
Sugar:
Sugar is a directly harmful ingredient for your cats. Sugar can cause diabetes, weight gain and other health issues. And there has much amount of sugar in banana bread. So, it is recommended to avoid banana bread for cats.
Eggs:
Eggs are healthy food for a cat. A lot of amino acids have in eggs. And eggs are used in bread for a fluffy and soft texture. But raw eggs are dangerous.
Butter:
Butter is used to increase the taste of banana bread. But it contains lactose that is intolerable to cats. As we described before, can cats drink almond milk? Yes, the cat can because cats have allergic to milk-based food like butter. Moreover, banana has a lot of fat that increase weight.
Salt:
A moderate amount of salt is not harmful to the cat. However, excess salt can make your cat sick from vomiting, huge urination and diarrhea. Besides, taking added salt can cause convulsions and even death.
Nutritional Value of Banana Bread
Here is the chart of the nutrients value of 100-gram banana bread
| Potassium | 134 mg |
| Sodium | 302 mg |
| Calcium | 21 mg |
| Magnesium | 14 mg |
| Carbohydrate | 54.6 mg |
| Protein | 4.3 g |
| Fiber | 1.1 g |
| Vitamin A | 493 IU |
| Ascorbic acid | 1.7 mg |
| Folic acid | 22 µg |
| Cholesterol | 43 mg |
Health benefits of banana for cats
Banana has some health benefits for a cat. Here is the list of some ingredients that would be helpful for cat health.
Potassium Chloride:
Potassium is a mineral that improves adult cats’ cat hearts and kidneys. There has 358 mg of potassium in each 100-gm banana. Besides, potassium-rich bananas developed hypokalemia in cats.
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine):
Banana contains vitaminB6. Cats leave vitamin B6 in the urine all day long. So, it is important to fill the lacking of vitamin B6 in cats. Similarly, Vitamin B6 improves the kidney and other body functions of a cat.
Manganese Oxide:
Manganese oxide helps to produce collagen in the body. And collagen improves the skin. However, cats rarely suffer from a lack of manganese in their body.
Vitamin C (Ascorbic Acid):
Vitamin C prevents cell oxidation that happens during the ageing process. But this vitamin is not required for cats.
FAQs:
- Can Cats Develop Allergies Towards Banana Bread?
An allergic reaction has been seen in some cats towards banana bread. Due to the milk-based butter ingredients, banana bread can cause allergic reactions. So, don’t consult with a vet if you notice anything wrong. If your cat suffers from an allergy after eating banana bread, you might see the below symptoms.
- Itching on skin
- Scratching on the body
- Difficult to breathe
- Rashes on the cat’s skin
- Watery or liquid eyes
- Nasal discharge
- Drooling
- Is Banana Bread Safe for Kittens?
Banana bread is not toxic to kittens, but it is not good for kittens. Due to having high fiber, fat and sugar, banana bread is not recommended for kittens.
- Can Cats Eat Banana Peel?
Banana peel is tough to chew. Even sometimes, cats can try to swallow without proper chewing. As a result, it can cause choking hazards. Besides, banana peel can cause intestinal blockage that can lead to death. So, keep away your cat from eating the banana peel.
- Is banana poisonous to cats?
No, banana is never poisonous to cats. Due to not having essential nutrients for cats, banana is not recommended for cats. However, you can feed your cat banana in moderation. It is good to avoid banana-based bread, cake, chips, or other foods.
Pizza is not toxic, so that cats can take the pizza. But pizza contains a lot of seasonings and toppings that are harmful to cat health. So, don’t provide pizza to your feline friend.
Closing thoughts:
So, if you ask, can cats eat banana bread? The answer would be yes. But when you ask should a cat eat banana bread, the answer would be no. Only banana is ok for cats in moderation. But banana-based food like chips, bread and cake is not good. There have several ingredients in banana bread that is risky for cats. So, we think it is best to avoid banana bread for a cat.
