Is Pumpkin Good for Cats? Plain 100% pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) is safe for cats and can even be useful as a treatment for gastrointestinal issues. It contains several healthy ingredients, such as potassium; phosphorous; calcium; vitamins A, C, and K; and lots of fiber.
100% canned pumpkin is the best option—as long as it's without additives, fillers, sugar, or spices. Feed your adult cat 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon of pumpkin daily, or mix that amount into her food. However, we recommend first checking with your vet before indulging in canned pumpkin for cats.
More than texturally gross, raw pumpkin is hard for your cat to digest. It's best to stick with pure canned pumpkin or to cook raw pumpkin down into a pumpkin puree for your cat. However, never feed your cat the stem, skin, or any remains of your jack-o'-lantern.
Cats can eat pumpkin in moderation. Small amounts don't seem to cause any digestive problems. In fact, pumpkin may help your cat when they're suffering from digestive problems, but wait on feedback from your vet before proceeding. Of course, the pumpkin flesh needs to be prepared properly first.
Pumpkin seeds, and pumpkin seed oil, contain a unique amino acid called cucurbitacin, which has the ability to decrease motility (movement) and fecal egg count of roundworms and tapeworms as well as increase the number of worms expelled in the animal's stool.
The fiber in pumpkin can both reduce excess moisture in your pet's digestive tract and add bulk to stools, helping to remedy diarrhea. The water in pumpkin also helps to alleviate constipation. The secret: moderation and portion control. Too much pumpkin may trigger loose stools.
If you decide to help treat your cat's constipation or diarrhea by adding pumpkin to his diet, you should see improvements within a few hours to 1-2 days. Most cats will enjoy a bit of pumpkin mixed in with their wet food, or all by itself.
Plain 100% pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling) is safe for cats and can even be useful as a treatment for gastrointestinal issues. It contains several healthy ingredients, such as potassium; phosphorous; calcium; vitamins A, C, and K; and lots of fiber.
Constipation and Diarrhea Relief: Pumpkin contains fiber, which can ease GI issues like constipation and diarrhea. Fiber can help cats defecate easier when suffering from diarrhea by adding bulk to their stool. In addition, fiber prevents and eases constipation by helping digested food move through the colon easier.
Anti-inflammatory
Ground pumpkin seeds, when given to dogs and cats, have been shown to have anti-inflammatory benefits for anal gland disease and intestinal health. That means pumpkin seeds can help with irritation, inflammation, and pain in the anal glands, and further decrease chronic anal gland disease.
In the case of constipation, fiber can help draw water in to increase fecal bulk and stool passage.” Pumpkin can also help with hairballs. Although pumpkin isn't a substitute for regular grooming, if your kitty has excessive hairballs even with consistent brushing, some pumpkin added to the diet might help.
If your pet's intestinal distress is minor, a healthy, natural treatment may already be in your own pantry. Surprisingly, plain, unsweetened cooked pumpkin can help with both diarrhea and constipation. You can give your dog or cat plain canned, puréed pumpkin or fresh, cooked pumpkin.
-Vitamin A and zinc can help improve your pet's skin and coat. In addition to making your pet's coat shine, the added moisture causes the skin to flake less and less hair to shed! Your carpets, furniture and clothing will thank you for adding some much-needed pumpkin to your pet's diet.
Superb vegetables to offer your cat are chopped carrots, peas, frozen corn, broccoli florets, green beans, zucchini, lettuce, spinach, winter squash, and pumpkin. This produce should be cooked (steamed is best) since felines, just like us humans, lack a sufficient way to break down plant cell walls.
Carrots are a safe vegetable to feed your cat. Even though cats are obligate carnivores, they can still consume carrots which are just as nutritious for them as they are for us.
Sweet Potatoes
It's safe to give your cat some sweet potato if cooked – ideally by steaming, boiling, or baking it without any salt or seasoning. Rich in fiber, sweet potato can help your cat's poop department (especially if they suffer from constipation) if given in small amounts.
Mix canned pumpkin into food
Most cats prefer the taste of meaty foods, so pumpkin might not be their first choice for a snack. If that's the case for your cat, it's easy to mix pumpkin puree right into your cat's food (wet or dry). Most cats have no problem eating pumpkin once it's been mixed into their food.
Not only can cats eat pumpkin, but it's also a nutritious treat that most cats are delighted to have added to their diet.
You can also serve fresh pumpkin. Simply remove the seeds and bake it in your oven until it's soft. And for a crunchy treat, you can feed your pets pumpkin seeds. Clean them first, roast them in your oven for 1 hour at 350 degrees, let them cool and then grind them up in your pet's food.
Yes, cats can eat yogurt providing it's plain and unsweetened. Although it's true that many cats are lactose intolerant, the lactose that yogurt contains is actually easier for cats to break down, as the live bacteria within the yogurt can help your cat to break it down.
While Greek yogurt can provide some nutritional benefits for cats and kittens, it should not be the sole source of nutrition. Greek yogurt can be an occasional treat, but it should not be a regular part of a cat's diet.
Give your cat a probiotic such as Fortiflora®, Proviable®, or Benebac®. If you do not have one of these, giving ¼ teaspoon of plain yogurt twice daily is a less ideal alternative. Add 1 tablespoon of canned pumpkin to your cat's food twice a day.
So remember, nonfat plain yogurt is usually safe and healthy for cats and dogs to eat as a fun snack — just check the nutrition label first to make sure it doesn't contain a dangerous ingredient, like xylitol. And for even more power-packed benefits, consider adding a daily probiotic to their regimen.
Can cats eat bananas as a nutritious snack? Again, the answer is yes, but in moderation. Because they are calorie-rich, bananas are not at the top of the cat treat list, and your cat may not even want to eat bananas.