Have you ever witnessed your cat’s affinity for milk? Most felines love drinking milk while some others don’t like milk. Few cats don’t drink milk as they’re lactose intolerant. But, what about feeding cheese to your cat? Can Cats Eat Cheese?
Is your kitty sniffing around the cheese slice? You may be wondering whether you can give a cheesy treat to your furry feline friend or not. Well, the answer is a ‘Yes’. Your cat can take cheese but the portion should be small.
As there are a wide variety of cheese types available in the market, you may be confused about the right type of cheese to feed your cat. When you are trying to introduce a new food to your cat, you must ensure its health and safety first.
In this article, we have come up with an in-depth guide about feeding cheese to cats, feeding frequency, types of cheese, benefits, and downsides of giving cheese to cats, and more. Have a glimpse!
Contents
- Can Cats Eat Cheese?
- Does Cats Like Eating Cheese?
- How Much Cheese Can Cats Eat?
- How Frequently Can Cats Have Cheese?
- Which Types Of Cheese Are Better And Safer For Cats To Eat?
- What Types Of Cheese Should Cats Avoid Eating?
- How Can I Add Cheese To My Cat Diet?
- How Much Quantity Of Cheese Is Too Much For My Cat?
- Can Cats Eat Non-Diary Cheese?
- What Happens If My Cat Eat Too Much Cheese?
- When Should My Cat Avoid Eating Cheese Completely?
- Can Kittens Eat Cheese?
- Benefits of Cat’s Eating Cheese
- Side Effects of Eating Cheese in Cats
- Should I Take My Cat To Vet If It Eats Cheese?
- Final Words
Can Cats Eat Cheese?
Cheese is the most common food item in many households. As mentioned earlier, some or the other cats may be lactose intolerant as their digestive systems can’t produce adequate enzymes to digest cow milk. Does this sensitivity and lactose intolerance extend to cheese?
Can Cats Have Cheese? In general, cheese is a safe food item for cats. However, there could be some potential issues depending on the type of cheese fed to the cat. Before sharing a chunk of cheese with your furry friend, you need to consider a few things.
Though eating cheese isn’t toxic to cats, one should feed cheese to cats only in moderate amounts and small portions. Overfeeding human food to your cat may lead to serious health issues. Occasionally, you can give cheese to your feline friend.
Does Cats Like Eating Cheese?
Do Cats Like Cheese? Yes, cats like cheese for the same reason humans do. Cheese is a delicious food item that appeals to everyone just by looking at its creaminess. Though cats don’t have the taste buds that tell the sweet taste, cats do like cheese for its creamy texture.
Cats are carnivores and they tend to eat meat quite often. Moreover, their taste buds can accept meaty flavors. Cats are often tempted by high fat and as a result, cats love the taste of cheese.
How Much Cheese Can Cats Eat?
Wondering how much cheese can cats eat? Cats can eat cheese but only in moderation and with some exceptions. Speaking about the amount of cheese to be given to your cat, just give a small piece of cheese occasionally.
To tell you precisely, you can give cheese which is the size of a dice. In some cases, the pet parents use a small piece of cheese to hide a pill in it. Using the dime-sized cheese piece is completely fine to give medication to your cat.
How Frequently Can Cats Have Cheese?
Cheese is a dairy product that comprises lactose but not as high as in actual milk. Though cats can’t digest cheese, they will be able to eat cheese in small amounts. Otherwise, you can simply use cheese to hide medications.
The most important thing is that cheese is a high-calorie food. So, giving cheese in small amounts will fulfill your cat’s calorie needs for the whole day. Giving cheese to your cat daily will end up your cat’s obesity issues. So, considering this, you should think about whether to feed cheese to your cat or not.
To evade your cat’s stomach getting upset, feed cheese to your cat in moderate amounts only on rare occasions. Also, make sure you speak with your vet to ensure the safety of your cat before introducing a new food to your cat. It would be better to offer cheese only once or twice a week as a cheesy treat to your feline friend.
Which Types Of Cheese Are Better And Safer For Cats To Eat?
There are a wide variety of cheese types available in the market. Wondering what cheese can you feed your cat? Certain cheese types are ‘OK’ to feed your cat so that you can add them to your cat’s diet.
Specific types of cheese have lower levels of lactose so that it becomes easy for your cat to digest. If you’re planning to share a little amount of cheese with your feline friend and figure out the type of cheese that your cat isn’t allergic to, here are some types of cheese that are better to feed your cat.
Cheese is rich in protein and comprises small amounts of nutrients. Ensure that the cheese you feed your cat will not make up more than 10 percent of its diet. Before feeding cheese to your cat, consult your vet first. Let’s go through the plain cheese varieties without having any additives that can be fed to your cat.
1. Cheddar Cheese
Cheddar Cheese is one of the noteworthy cheese varieties that can be fed to your cat. Cheddar Cheese is a semi-hard cheese that comprises lower lactose compared to other cheese types. Hence, it would be easy to digest for your cats.
Cheddar Cheese can be used to hide medication that’s usually given to cats. Because cheddar cheese can be molded easily around the tablets. Though cheddar cheese doesn’t contain much lactose, you shouldn’t give it in large amounts to your cat.
2. Swiss Cheese
Swiss Cheese is another better variety of cheese which is low in sodium and fat. Hence, it could be a noteworthy choice for your cats as it doesn’t make your cat fat. Swiss cheese is a delicious cheese adored by sandwich lovers.
Mostly, swiss cheese is considered the healthiest cheese for humans as it is rich in protein and has less fat and sodium content. Swiss Cheese contains less lactose and hence, it’s suitable for your cat’s occasional cheesy treat.
3. Gouda Cheese
Gouda Cheese is the best cheese type that contains less lactose. It is one of the acceptable cheeses that can be fed to your cat. Gouda Cheese molds don’t cause much digestive problem in your cat if given on an occasional basis.
4. Provolone Cheese
Provolone is a type of cheese made using cow milk. Provolone is one of the significant cheese varieties that has lower lactose content. Hence, it is the best cheese type that’s suitable for cats to feed in small amounts.
5. Parmesan Cheese
Parmesan is another better cheese variety that has lower lactose content. Parmesan cheese can be given to your cat only in small quantities as it is high in salt content.
6. Feta / Goat Cheese
Goat Cheese is one of the easily digestible cheese varieties that can be given to your cat. Goat Cheese is made out of goat milk and it is known as Feta. Goat Cheese comprises Galactose instead of Lactose which can be seen generally in cheeses made out of cow milk.
In addition, goat cheese is lower in fat compared to the remaining cheese varieties. However, Goat Cheese will be high in fat content and low in vitamin D compared to other types of cheese. Feta is easy to digest for cats.
Though Goat Cheese is low in Lactose, it should be given in lower amounts as it is high in salt and saturated fat. Through this cheese type, cats can get all the necessary nutrients they get usually by eating meat.
7. Ricotta
Ricotta Cheese can be fed to cats but still you should give it in moderate amounts. This type of cheese has a thick texture and in terms of taste, it is mild. As a result, cats will enjoy eating Ricotta Cheese. However, this cheese variety should be your last preference.
8. Red Leicester
Cats usually love the creamy texture of cheese. Red Leicester is a type of hard cheese that has a creamy texture. This variety of cheese comprises a high-fat content. Hence, Red Leicester should be given in less quantities to evade digestion problems in cats.
What Types Of Cheese Should Cats Avoid Eating?
Till now, you have seen the cheese varieties that can be fed to cats occasionally. Now, let’s see the type of cheese that you cannot give your cat for feeding. Based on the ingredients mixed in the cheese and the type of cheese, you can consider whether to feed it to your cat or not.
The more the softer cheese, the more harmful it becomes and such cheeses are more tend to be high in lactose. Keep your cat away from a certain variety of cheese even in moderate amounts. We have gathered the list of cheese varieties that must be avoided to give to your feline friend.
1. Cream Cheese
Can Cats Eat Cream Cheese? No, cats should not be fed cream cheese. Cream Cheese is one of the cheese varieties that you can find at the top of the list of cheeses to be avoided.
Cream Cheese comprises more lactose compared to other varieties. If you feed this cheese to your cat, it will lead to serious complications in your cat such as vomiting, hair loss, itchy skin, and diarrhea.
2. Camembert Cheese
Camembert is often made of raw milk. As a result, it enhances the risk of pathogens comprising listeria and salmonella. It is harmful to provide Camembert to your cat.
3. Blue Cheese
Blue Cheese is another avoidable cheese variety for your cats. Molding makes the cheese blue. Blue Cheese comprising Stilton is prepared with cultures of the mold Penicillium. This type of cheese is toxic to your cat.
4. Mozzarella Cheese
Mozzarella is a soft cheese variety that is mixed with hard provolone. Mozzarella has high lactose content whether it is taken in raw form or cooked form. As a result, Mozzarella could upset your cat’s sensitive stomach.
5. Cottage Cheese
Can Cats Eat Cottage Cheese? Cottage Cheese is extremely high in lactose quite similar to cream cheese. If you feed cottage cheese to your cat, it may cause gastrointestinal problems in your feline. Though the texture of this cheese may be tempting, it will be better to avoid feeding your cats.
6. Brie Cheese
Brie is a soft cheese that contains higher amounts of lactose and fat. Hence, it is not an ideal option to feed your feline friend. Brie is made of raw milk that consists of Listeria and Salmonella. These are the harmful pathogens that cause serious illness when fed to cats.
7. Other Cheeses
The types of cheese that are mixed with garlic and onions aren’t good for your cat. Cheese mixed with onions and garlic could be toxic to your cats. Apart from the aforementioned cheese varieties, some other cheese types that shouldn’t be fed to cats include the following:
- American Cheese
- Smoked Cheese
- Vegan Cheese
- High Salted Cheese
How Can I Add Cheese To My Cat Diet?
If your cat likes to have cheese then, you need to understand how to add cheese to your cat’s diet. Just take a portion of cheese and cut it into small pieces so that your cat can quickly have tiny bites. This helps your cat to chew and swallow the bite-sized cheese pieces easily.
Before feeding cheese to your cat, make sure to check the label on the cheese package. Check the number of calories present in the cheese package. Make sure that the package doesn’t contain more than 10% of your feline friend’s daily calorie consumption. Depending on the age, weight, and nutritional requirements of your cat, your veterinarian will help you assess the amount of cheese to be fed to your cat.
Check for any potentially harmful ingredients present in the cheese like garlic and onions before giving it to your cat. If you feed cheese to your cat for the first time, you need to give it only in small amounts.
Further, you need to monitor your cat’s reaction to the food. If your cat doesn’t show any symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, gas, low appetite, etc., then it is understandable that your cat’s body is adjusted to the new good in its diet. From then on, you can feed cheese to your cat occasionally whenever you wish to give a cheesy treat to your furry friend.
How Much Quantity Of Cheese Is Too Much For My Cat?
If your cat is an average size then, you should feed only a dime-sized cheese piece. To give your cat a cheesy treat then, this much cheese will be enough. To get medication into your cat, you can use a tiny piece of cheese to hide a pill in it.
Even if you should give a pill to your cat every day, you can use a little piece of cheese daily until and unless you don’t find any health issues in your cat. Hence, a small piece of cheese is enough and if it exceeds, it could make your cat’s body toxic.
Can Cats Eat Non-Diary Cheese?
No, cats should not eat non-dairy cheese. Whether your cat is lactose-intolerant or not, your feline friends shouldn’t have non-dairy cheese. The reason is that the non-dairy cheese is high in fat and salt content. If you feed non-dairy cheese to your cat, it impacts the growth and development of the cat.
What Happens If My Cat Eat Too Much Cheese?
Is Cheese Good For Cats? If your cat has eaten too much cheese, you need not fret quite yet. Try to monitor your cat for specific signs like limited appetite, gastrointestinal problems, etc. In general, few cats can digest cheese even if taken in more amounts.
Some other cats may suffer from various health issues like gastric distress, vomiting, diarrhea, etc. If the symptoms resolve by themselves then, you need not panic. Otherwise, you should take your cat to the vet.
Tell your vet about the type of cheese you fed your cat so that he/she will understand the cause of the problem. Considering the health problem, your vet will provide the necessary treatment
When Should My Cat Avoid Eating Cheese Completely?
If your cat is lactose intolerant or has a milk allergy then, your cat should avoid eating cheese. When you give a small amount of cheese to such cats, it causes severe health problems in their digestive system. In such cats, you must completely avoid feeding cheese.
Can Kittens Eat Cheese?
In general adult or aged cats are lactose intolerant. On the other hand, young cats or kittens may not be lactose intolerant. Kittens are habituated to drinking their mother’s milk daily.
The reason is that a kitten’s body usually produces an enzyme called lactase that aids in easily digesting the lactose present in the mother cat’s milk. Once your kittens begin weaning, the production of lactase enzyme will gradually slow down.
Though the kittens are used to dairy [i.e., mother’s milk], it isn’t the same in the case of other dairy products. Kittens are very small and their digestive system will be very sensitive.
It takes so much time for the kittens to get adapted to the environment situations and food habits. Hence, you shouldn’t give cheese to your kittens until they get a little bit older.
Benefits of Cat’s Eating Cheese
Some of the key benefits of feeding cheese to cats include the following:
- Cheese is rich in protein and calcium. Your feline friend will be attracted to cheese as it is high in protein content.
- Another benefit of feeding cheese to cats is that it contains low carbohydrates. If you are seeking to give a low-carb treat to your furry friend then, cheese is the right option.
- One of the significant advantages of feeding cheese to cats is to hide pills in cheese and give them to the cats.
- If your cat is healthy then, a tiny piece of cheese will give a happy treat to the cat.
Side Effects of Eating Cheese in Cats
Is Cheese Bad for Cats? There are various side effects of feeding cheese to specific cats in certain situations. While Cats can eat cheese, it doesn’t indicate that you should let them consume cheese every day. Here are some of the side effects or disadvantages of eating cheese in cats. Check it out!
- Cheese doesn’t have any nutritional benefits and your cat doesn’t get his required nutrients by eating cheese. Cheese should be given to the cat occasionally and in limited amounts.
- Obesity is another downside of feeding cheese to cats. When you provide cheese to your cat frequently, it makes your cat increase more weight. The reason is that cheese has a high-fat content.
- For cats suffering from some chronic diseases such as heart disease, allergies, dairy products, etc., you shouldn’t feed cheese. As cheese comprises high fat, salt, and lactose, your cat can’t tolerate them.
- Cats who are lactose intolerant can’t digest dairy products like cheese.
- As a cat’s stomach is sensitive to lactose, feeding cheese could lead to various health issues such as gas problems, abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, etc.
Should I Take My Cat To Vet If It Eats Cheese?
If your cat ate some cheese without your knowledge, you need not worry. If your cat is very healthy and eats only a little amount of cheese then, it’s not a worrisome situation.
Before looking at it as a concern, you need to monitor your cat’s condition after eating cheese. If you notice that your cat is feeling distressed and suffering from gastrointestinal upset then, you should take your cat to the vet.
If your cat has a low appetite and notice other symptoms like diarrhea and vomiting then, contact your vet immediately. If your cat is suffering from some underlying health issue like liver disease, diabetes, pancreatitis, Inflammatory bowel disease, and more, it’s better to call your veterinarian.
Final Words
Well, this is everything you need to know whether your cat can eat cheese or not. We hope this article regarding ‘Can Cats Eat Cheese’ has given adequate information. To summarize this whole article, feeding cheese to cats is OK but under careful supervision of the pet parents.
Eating cheese in moderation doesn’t harm your feline friend. If you are in doubt about your cat’s health, you can visit your local vet to get some assurance about its safety.
Do you still have any queries about ‘Is Cheese Good for Cats’? If so, let us know in the comments section. Stay tuned to our website ‘TheCrazyCats.net’ for more articles related to the cat’s health, the behavior of the cat, food habits, and the diet of cats.
