As a cat owner, you are always in a hurry to feed your furry friends whatever food items you get, aren’t you? But before doing that think twice if the food is either healthy or toxic.
Now, let’s talk about one of the most asked questions: can cats eat raspberries?
The simplest and shortest answer for this question is yes, your cats can have raspberries but in a limited quantity. Because these are quite unhealthy for your felines.
Want to know more about this topic? Just take a closer look at this matter through this well-researched blog post.
Can Cats Eat Raspberries? (Explained)
I am sure you can’t resist when your little companion tries to taste raspberries from your bowl. But, to your dismay, it is not a fruit which is 100% safe for him. Let me tell you the reasons behind this.
As carnivores, cats get their nutrients from meat rather than fruits and vegetables. So, basically, your four-legged friends can’t attain their necessary supplements from raspberries despite their being enriched with vitamin A, vitamin C, calcium, manganese, and antioxidants.
That’s why we can’t define raspberries as healthy foods for your pet. I hope you get the point!
Always bear in mind that, although raspberries are not harmful to your cats, you mustn’t provide a huge or bulk amount of this juicy fruit to them. Just like if humans eat anything in an ample amount, it creates problems in their digestive system, the exact thing goes for your furry friends too.
So, the summary is as a pet parent you have to ensure that your cats are not eating too much raspberries.
How Many Raspberries Can Cats Eat?
As mentioned earlier, a limited amount of raspberries won’t create world war 3!! Just kidding to remove your seriousness!
The safest amount of raspberries for your cats is 1 or 2 per week, not more than this to balance a healthy diet for your furry friends.
Moreover, raspberries contain a small amount of Xylitol, sugar alcohol. So, eating excessive quantities of this fruit can increase the sugar level of your cats, eventually leading to diabetes.
Due to all these reasons, according to the ASPCA, Xylitol can be harmful or toxic to animals if it is consumed in large amounts.
Are Raspberry Jam & Ice-Cream Toxic To Cats?
Both raspberry jam and ice cream are not toxic to cats but these are not recommended either. These items contain not only sugar but also artificial taste and lactose of the milk. As we all know, high levels of sugar can cause diabetes in your feline friends.
Also, high sugar can cause indiscipline in your furry friend’s digestive system. In addition, it can invite obesity and tooth decay.
Again, in order to make raspberry jams, citric acids and preservatives are used which can upset your cat’s stomach somehow.
On top of that, cats can’t digest the complex carbohydrates of raspberry jams as their digestive system is not designed in that way.
But if you still want to treat your cats with raspberry jams, you have to keep some notes in mind. Such as:
- The jam should not contain any artificial flavor or preservative.
- It must be xylitol free.
- You must choose a jam that contains the lowest sugar.
- Lastly, you must give the jam to your pets a very small amount to check if there are any side effects or not.
Now, coming to the point of raspberry ice cream, I have a concern to share with you, guys. Lactose present in the milk is not easily digestible for your pets and thus it creates various problems like, abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, etc are few of them.
Being very sensitive to dairy products, cats are intolerant to lactose. Hence, you must keep an eye on your cats to prevent them from eating raspberry ice cream.
Also Read: Can cats eat garlic bread?
Benefits ✅
Being carnivores, cats can’t obtain nutrients from raspberries. But they are highly rich in antioxidants which are beneficial to older, rheumatic cats. However, you must consult a vet before feeding this to your cats.
Risks ❌
So, this is the scariest section for you if you are giving unlimited raspberries to your cats. The risks of eating too much raspberry are a beggar’s description. Some of them are listed below:
- Larger amounts of raspberry can cause Diarrhea to your cats.
- It can create gastrointestinal issues which may lead to vomiting.
- In order to digest this, your feline friends need more water. So, dehydration can occur.
- Higher sugar levels of Xylitol can invite Diabetes.
- Upset stomach may lead to abdominal pain.
- Having an ample amount of raspberries can surely cause damage to the kidneys of your pet.
- Toxicity in the kidney.
- You can also notice poops with disgusting smells in your pet’s toilet., etc.
So, these are the possible side effects if raspberries are consumed in large amounts by your cats.
If your cats eat an ample amount of this particular fruit anyhow, don’t panic! Observe your furry friends closely and if the above-mentioned symptoms are severe, then immediately contact a vet.
Servings 🍽️
You can serve raspberries frozen or fresh but obviously in a tiny amount. Plus, you can also serve this fruit with yogurt if your felines like it!
Mind you, you must provide raspberries after washing them properly and cutting them in small cubes to avoid any kind of problem of digestion.
Wrapping Up
Hopefully, you got a clear concept about the burning question: can cats eat raspberries? The bottom line of this article is that raspberries must be given in a small amount to your cats to avoid any kind of side effects.
Fruits and vegetables are not something to add on your furry friend’s diet every day. But we also don’t want to disturb your bond with your cat while sharing some raspberries. That’s why the easiest solution is to refrain your cats from having a larger amount of this fruit.
Have a nice day and peace out!
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Hi, This is Parvez Khan. I’m the owner and chief editor of The PetLiker. I have couple of dogs as well as a cat. I’m observing those pets so closely over the years. On this website, I prefer to share all the experiences I gathered with my pets. Here I also like to explore the information that is relevant to pets.
Also, I write reviews about pet food and offer the best advice for keeping your pet healthy and active.
I agree with your point of view, your article has given me a lot of help and benefited me a lot. Thanks. Hope you continue to write such excellent articles.