Yes, cats can eat cake, but you should not feed them cakes. Most cakes are not harmful in small quantities. But never make it a regular treat. Some cakes are suggested to avoid entirely, like chocolate cake and cakes that contain caffeine, xylitol, alcohol, etc.
However, a descriptive explanation is required for the verdict in which situation a cat can eat cake, how much to eat, what to avoid, etc. In this guide, I will discuss everything possible about feeding cake to cats. This will help you to decide whether you should feed cake to your cake.
Can Cats Eat Cake?
Although the answer is “yes,” the amount must be moderate. You must not make it a regular treat. From the below-mentioned table, you can see that the cake hardly contains any useful nutritional value. Instead, the cake contains elements that are mostly health hazardous.
Even any vet or nutritionist will not suggest cake as a food or recreational treat for your cat. On the other hand, a significant amount of acidic fruit substances will get the pH level of the cake low, making it acidic. So, you have to avoid fruitcakes, which are made from the most acidic fruits.
Though a small portion of protein and vitamins is present, they are negligible. In summation, the cake is not any good for cats. But yet, you can feed a little portion of the cake to your kitty on occasions like her birthday or any family program. This will not be harmful.
Basic Facts About Cake
Basically, the main ingredients of a cake are flour, sugar, egg, milk, and butter. Aside from this, particular flavors are added for particular tastes. For example, chocolate, vanilla, cheese, cream, etc. In such cases, cakes normally don’t contain the exact nutrition elements for cats.
You will get an idea about typical cake nutrition from the following table.
| Nutrition Factor | Amount |
| Protien | 3% |
| Carbohydrates (Sugar) | 57% |
| Fat | 18% |
| Cholesterol | 17% |
| Calories | 262 |
| Vitamin A | 1.4% |
| pH level | 4.4 to 8 (depends on the flavor mixture) |
Why Shouldn’t Your Cats Eat Cake?
A well-cooked egg is good for cats, but most other cake ingredients are not favorable. Besides, you will not find toxicity in flour, and dairy products (milk and butter), but they are highly indigestible in cats’ stomachs.
Especially many believe milk is a cat’s favorite food. Conversely, it’s wrong. On the other hand, butter isn’t that indigestible, but it contains a big portion of fat.
Aside from this, sugar is the most harmful natural element in cake, which contains the most carbohydrate that sticks out weight gain. This can even cause obesity. It also creates digestion problems as well.
Overall, these all are about the natural ingredients of cake that create hazards. When it comes to external flavors, you must avoid the following ones as well for your kitty without thinking twice.
Chocolate Cake
Chocolate cake is the worst cake to feed your cat. Theobromine and caffeine are present in chocolate. Though theobromine is ok for human health in some cases, it’s toxic for cats (Why Is Chocolate Poisonous for Cats?, 2018)1. On the other hand, caffeine is more toxic than theobromine.
Alcoholic Cake
Alcohol is toxic and poisonous for cats and dogs(Cortinovis & Caloni, 2016)2. So, if you are thinking of getting your cat alcoholic cake, just don’t do it. It’s pretty common for the US people to be drunk and make drunk their pets, too, on occasion. But this must not happen. Otherwise, you may lose your kitty.
Coffee Cake
As we mentioned above, caffeine is one of the worst ingredients for cats. And coffee contains caffeine in big portions. So, don’t give coffee cake to your cat.
Xylitol Sweetener
Xylitol sweetener is a plant-based sweetener, a sugar substitute. It’s also called sugar alcohol, which has low carbohydrates than sugar. However, it’s highly toxic for cats(Jerzsele et al., 2018)3. So, in which cake xylitol is used, you must avoid them for your cat.
Apart from these, the following cakes should also be avoided.
- Red velvet cakes
- Lemon cakes
- Other acidic fruit cakes
Symptoms of Cake Toxicity for Cats
If your cat is affected by the toxicity of cake, especially from chocolate or alcohol, you may notice the following symptoms in them.
- Vomitting
- Diarrhea
- Obesity
- Muscle stiffing
- Fast heartbeat
- Fever
- Allergic reaction
- Sudden low BP
- Pancreatitis
- Rapid breathing
- Weakness
- Tooth decay
- Even death if the case gets worsens
What Cakes Are Safe for Cats?
When we have discussed the negative side of cakes for cats, is it mean all cakes are unsafe for cats? Actually not. As we said before, you can feed cake to your cats in moderation. Also, a typical cake could be served after ensuring no chocolate or other toxic elements are present.
By the way, here is a list of some different flavored cakes that you can give to your cat. But don’t forget to keep the amount small.
- Vanilla cake
- Cheesecake
- Cake icing
- Carrot cake
Aside from typical cake, you can provide meat cake like-
- Tuna cat cake
- Salmon potato cat cake
- Beef cat cake, etc.
Just remember the cake doesn’t contain any artificial color or flavor, no artificial sweeteners, and no acidic fruits.
FAQs
Some frequently asked questions are answered below about some other facts about whether the cats can eat cake or not.
What to do if your cat ate toxic flavored cake?
A little portion of chocolate cake won’t harm your cat for once. But consuming in larger amounts will be harmful. Monitor the health of your cat. If there is something unexpected is seen, get your kitty a vet.
Also, if the case is alcoholic cake, get your kitty a vet without thinking twice.
What kind of sweets can cats have?
You can give natural sugar to your cats. It includes watermelon, honey, brown sugar, etc.
Is cake icing safe for cats?
Yes, a little portion of cake icing will not harm your cat. As the cake icing also contains fat and sugar, avoid a bigger portion to give to your cat.
Final Verdict
So, what’s the final verdict on the “can cats eat cake?” It is safe to keep cakes away from your cats. If your kitty loves cake, give a tiny portion of the cake. But you must avoid chocolate, coffee, artificial sweetener, and alcoholic cakes.
Aside from this, organic cakes like meat cake, including salmon, tuna, etc., should be given to your lovely feline friend.
References:
1. Why is chocolate poisonous for cats? (2018, July 7). Cats Protection. Retrieved January 4, 2023, from https://www.cats.org.uk/cats-blog/why-is-chocolate-poisonous-for-cats
2. Cortinovis, C., & Caloni, F. (2016, March 22). Household Food Items Toxic to Dogs and Cats. PubMed Central (PMC). Retrieved January 4, 2023, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4801869/
3. Jerzsele, Á., Karancsi, Z., Pászti-Gere, E., Sterczer, Á., Bersényi, A., Fodor, K., Szabó, D., & Vajdovich, P. (2018). Effects of p.o. administered xylitol in cats. Journal of veterinary pharmacology and therapeutics, 41(3), 409–414. https://doi.org/10.1111/jvp.12479
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