You might be wondering: can cats eat asparagus? The good news is: yes, cats can eat asparagus.
It is a mysterious oddity why most cats like asparagus. Still, asparagus is such a popular snack among pets. You might even find yourself looking up a newbies guide to feeding guinea pigs asparagus if you own several pets.
From all the other veggies offered to them, cat owners have reported that our feline friends love to snack on these edible shoots of asparagus plants.
Why do cats eat asparagus and enjoy it?
Our furry friends are obligate carnivores, and their wild ancestors did not eat vegetables in the wilderness and only hunt to eat flesh.
When cats eat asparagus, does it remind them of a delicious meaty morsel they might have eaten before? Does this veggie taste anything like meat?
These are essential information for pet parents like you. As a lifelong cat lover, you probably already know some of these mentioned here.
“Lucy licks the asparagus” by whitneyinchicago is licensed with CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
Can cats eat asparagus? Probable reasons why felines like snacking on it
Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) is new and interesting to them
There is an old proverb that might explain this eccentricity about how curiosity killed the cat.
Many cats tend to be preternaturally curious about what people are doing, and this includes their food.
They want to take a bite of whatever their owners are eating and beg for a morsel at mealtimes.
When cats eat cooked asparagus—or maybe even raw asparagus!—they might have developed a taste for it and became more than occasional treats.
Cats like the taste of asparagus
Feeding your cat cooked asparagus may be a treat, but their taste buds also regard it as strange since their taste receptors cannot discern sweet-tasting food.
It is the reason that cats do not care for fruits.
Cats are obligate carnivores and have acquired a taste for meat.
Since cats have grown to love asparagus, they might have developed their taste of cooked asparagus as well as raw asparagus.
Just watch your cat closely if you do feed them raw asparagus—it may be too tough and can hurt your cat’s gums. The same principle apply if you ask, “can cats eat raw or cooked carrots?”
The texture of asparagus appeals to cats
If you think about it, asparagus is a unique-looking and tasting vegetable compared to the others.
When cats put it in their mouths, they like the feel of it and how they chomp and crunch between their teeth.
Asparagus may be appealing to the gums of felines and might have a soothing effect if they have a dental impairment.
It might be the same sensation when cats seem to like to chew on cardboard or other things that bring comfort to their mouths.
It is part of their instinct
While wild cats do not eat plants in the wilderness, they would often chew on grass if their digestive systems are undergoing distress. They do this to cause themselves to vomit.
Experts have discovered that carnivorous animals chew on grass to force out intestinal parasites.
However, the cats of today do not have those parasites anymore in their system. Asparagus-eating might have evolved from those situations.
Can cats eat asparagus: safe or not when your cat/ cats eat asparagus?
Can cats eat cooked asparagus? Can cats eat raw asparagus? Can cats eat asparagus fern?
Asparagus is okay for cats and not poisonous or toxic, either in its cooked or raw form.
It is not regarded as among common food poisons that cat owners need to watch out for (the list will be mentioned in another segment below).
There are many nutrients that your pet cat can get from consuming asparagus.
It is rich in dietary fiber, which assists in your cat’s digestion.
Fresh asparagus is also a good source of potassium, which boosts the health of the cat’s heart and circulatory system. It is also rich in vitamin A, C, and K, and many other nutrients.
When cats consume asparagus, the best way to prepare it is to either steam or boil it.
Do not include any salt or seasoning, and chop it in tiny pieces so your cat can eat it.
Asparagus ferns, on the other hand, are toxic to cats. Asparagus officinalis and asparagus fern are often interchanged, so it is important that you know the difference and can tell asparagus ferns from actual asparagus.
Your cat, asparagus, and its nutritional benefits
Here are some excellent health benefits your feline friend will get from eating asparagus.
Asparagus can make your cat’s digestive system perform better
Asparagus is an excellent source of dietary fibers, which does a lot of things in improving the digestive systems of cats.
Dietary fibers also play a significant role in supplying necessary nutrients to the good bacteria in your cats’ stomach and urinary tract. Although felines are carnivores and are not exactly made for plant-based foods, there are some exceptions that actually help in their digestion.
These kinds of bacteria (Lactobacillus and Bifidobacteria) aid in their proper digestion.
Also, dietary fiber regulates their bowel movements and helps in avoiding constipation.
Feeding asparagus to your pet cat, due to its dietary fiber content, will make it feel full for longer periods. It means you would not feed it as much and can cut down on its weight.
Asparagus is excellent for your cat’s diet since it is low in calories and assists your feline friend in losing a few pounds.
If you have ever wondered: “is asparagus good for my cat’s digestive system?” the answer is a resounding YES.
Asparagus boosts your cat’s cardiovascular system
Although cats are obligate carnivores and asparagus is a plant-based food, asparagus helps in lowering the blood pressure of your pet cat. Or any ailments related to its blood and heart, which includes diabetes.
Since asparagus is rich in potassium, it suppresses the salt ingestion in the cat’s body, thus stopping too much of it from accumulating.
Too much salt leads to hypertension, tremors, and seizures.
Asparagus also has nutrients that cause vasodilation that help cats with diabetes.
Asparagus boosts the immune system of cats
While animal protein provides a lot of the needed energy for felines, asparagus has antioxidants that decrease the occurrence of diseases like obesity, cancer, heart conditions, feline diabetes, and arthritis.
They have anticancer, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antiviral properties.
The antioxidant compounds in asparagus are:
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin E
- Anthocyanins
- Glutathione
- Kaempferol
- Quercetin
- Isorhamnetin
Asparagus enables a healthy pregnancy for cats
Asparagus is a good source of folate, which you may know as vitamin B9. It is beneficial for pregnant women as well as cats.
Including it in the diet of a pregnant cat will keep any complications and birth defects from happening.
Seven other foods that you should not include in your cat’s daily diet
These seven particularly risky foods can be found in a typical home that, by no means should you let your pet cat eat.
These kinds of food are safe and even delicious for some people but are life-threatening to cats. Some even have the potential to terminate them immediately.
If your cat eats any of these foodstuffs, take them to the vet immediately to be given medical attention. Or, if there is an animal control center close by your area, call them.
Grapes and raisins
Some people are confounded why grapes and raisins are dangerous to cats, even more risky than chocolates.
Twelve hours later, after ingesting them, your cat will experience nausea and begin to vomit. And after that, urinary tract blockages will occur, then its kidney will fail. And lastly, death.
How toxic raisins and grapes have not been delved into properly yet. To keep your feline friend safe, keep them away from its reach.
Chocolate
You, as a pet owner, may already know about the potential danger of chocolate to dogs, but not many know it is also harmful to cats.
Its sugary sweetness is not the reason, but the methylxanthines in the cacao seeds. Coffee and other beverages and foodstuff have this type of substance.
Yeast
Yeast is used in bread-baking to let the dough rise and become fluffier. Although it helps the baked goods become delicious, it is detrimental to a cat’s health.
Your cats’ stomach will inflate and becomes bloated and gassy.
It will progressively become worse and maybe the cause of its early demise.
Alcohol
Some humans like to drink alcohol and find it an enjoyable experience. However, what may be pleasurable to people your cat wouldn’t enjoy so much.
Any food or beverage you feed to your cat that has alcohol in them will cause them to vomit, have diarrhea, incoordination, and difficulty breathing.
Other likely problems include seizures, blood acidity, and other heart conditions and will lead to its demise.
Meat
Since your cat is an obligate carnivore, eating raw mat might even be healthy. However, it will not be good health-wise as time goes by. If it vomits as a result of eating it, bring it to a vet for veterinary advice.
Onion and garlic
While garlic, onion, and other herbs make food more delicious, they are extremely unfit for cats.
It induces painfulness in the stomach and causes your cat to vomit. It will then lead to the destruction of its red blood cells, anemia, and urinary tract infection.
Do not give your cat any human foods that have onion or garlic in them, or else.
Artificial sweetener
Xylitol is added to food and drinks to make them sweeter. It can be deadly if consumed by cats since it lowers their blood sugar levels.
Other illnesses include nausea, incoordination, seizures, and demise.
Asparagus hurt cats: potential risks when cats eat too much asparagus
Is asparagus poisonous? Is asparagus bad? No, it isn’t; it should only be consumed in strict moderation by your cat.
- Asparagus has too much alkaline (it is regarded as alkaline foods), which can disrupt the pH balance in your cat’s body. The cat’s urine will then turn to alkaline.
- Your cat may have an allergic reaction to asparagus, so watch out for symptoms like vomiting, face-swelling, diarrhea, or have difficulty in breathing. Ifs symptoms persist, take it to a vet for veterinary guidance.
- Your cat’s stomach may be irritated since it is a carnivore, and its digestive system is made to only process animal-based food.
- Asparagus can be a potential choking hazard.
Conclusion: how much asparagus cats can eat
If you have pet cats or even rescue cats, you are always wondering about their safety and well-being.
Your cat can eat asparagus. Whether it’s asparagus for kittens, asparagus for adult cats, or even asparagus as just a tiny ingredient in a homemade meal, felines can consume it. But, like all foods, it should be fed in moderation only as an occasional treat. Refrain from giving your feline friend too much asparagus over a short period of time.
Adding asparagus in small portions a few times a week along with its cat food. DO NOT overfeed it. It will create a deeper bond between you and your cat.
