The banana provides a great energy load to the body. It is a healthy food rich in potassium, magnesium, vitamins and carbohydrates, that is, a series of nutrients that make it a good fruit for human health. But the appropriateness of its consumption in cats is much more doubtful, since felines cannot eat any food. In this case they can eat bananas, but it should be in very small quantities and from time to time.
In fact, the carnivorous nature of cat food and the amount of sugar contained in bananas make this fruit not recommended for cats. Although your does not refuse to eat a piece of banana, it is important that you know all the information about the impact of this intake on your body. To find out if cats can eat bananas, their benefits and how to give it to yours, in we recommend that you continue reading this article.
Can cats eat bananas or not?
Cats can eat bananas. It is not a bad food for your health, but as long as you consume it from time to time and in very small quantities. That is, in no case should they eat it daily and even less in a diet that is based solely on fruits and vegetables.
Unlike other omnivorous animals that are able to absorb and take advantage of nutrients from plants, in the case of cats they are carnivorous animals by nature: they only obtain energy and essential nutrients from animal tissue, so animal proteins are the most important part of their diet, followed by fat.
In addition, bananas are rich in carbohydrates, especially when they are very ripe. So much sugar content is harmful to the feline organism, since it is not prepared to assume diets rich in carbohydrates. Therefore, if you eat a large amount of banana or quite often, your body can be affected, being an animal prone to developing diseases such as obesity or diabetes mellitus.
Benefits of giving banana to cats
Taking into account that the consumption of banana in cats should be very scarce, it is important to emphasize that its benefits in the feline organism are minimal. Even so, if you offer this fruit occasionally to your pussycat, it can provide some nutrients such as the following:
- Potassium
- Magnesium
- Vitamins A, B, C, E and K
- Fibre
- Folic acid
- Carbohydrates
- Tannins
Thanks to its high potassium content, bananas can be good for your cat’s kidney and heart health, but if you overeat it would also be detrimental in this regard. For its part, the folic acid of this fruit contributes to the creation of new cells, as well as protein metabolism.
The fiber it contains helps improve your feline’s intestinal health, but excessive consumption can cause diarrhea. Banana has tannins that can protect cats from these stomach problems by its astringent action.
However, the banana hardly provides fats and proteins, that is, the most important macronutrients for a cat. Therefore, it is okay if you offer a little occasionally, but never routinely, because it will not provide what you need for the good maintenance of your health and for obtaining nutrients.
How to give banana to my cat
Before giving banana to your cat, you should assess the benefits and disadvantages of consuming this fruit for the animal. In OneHowTo we have helped you to know them in depth. If you finally decide to give him some pieces, follow these tips to avoid problems in the health of the feline:
- First, you must remove the entire extension of the banana skin, also removing the strands and any element with which you could choke or sit badly in your digestive system.
- Then, cut the banana into small pieces so that your does not swallow them whole without chewing and, because of this, it could be damaged. It is an animal that is not used to eating food of this type, so it could be very strange to you. He may even get scared and choke.
- The approximate amount that you should give is a fifth of banana at most, whose portion you have to cut into four or five very small pieces if it is an adult cat. It is essential that you carefully observe the reaction of the animal while eating the fruit to detect any possible signs of allergy and, in that case, act quickly.
Being an unnecessary fruit for the correct feeding of cats, you could choose to never give banana to your feline. Anyway, if you decide to offer it, do it very occasionally, occasionally as a prize and in small amounts.
Contraindications of giving banana to cats
When a cat eats bananas, it may feel some allergic reaction and be exposed to side effects such as choking, swelling of the mouth, throat or mucous membranes, wheezing and indigestion (vomiting and diarrhea).
By containing carbohydrates, it is a fruit that, ingested in large quantities, is harmful to cats, but especially in the following cases:
- Diabetic cats, as it can decompensate sugar levels or worsen their disease.
- Cats with problems of overweight and obesity, as it contributes to weight gain.
Now that you know if cats can eat bananas, don’t miss these articles on whether cats can eat watermelon? and can cats eat cheese?
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