I didn't think I'd find myself Googling "Can cats eat bread?", but I did recently, while shouting "Don't eat that!" to my sneaky kitten. During a recent series of product tests in my test kitchen, I discovered that my cat was trying to steal a slice of gluten-free bread. He jumped on the counter and started licking each slice of bread, carefully arranged for human consumption (well, at least it was intended for human consumption).
At first I thought it was the butter spread on the bread, but he was stealing slices of ordinary bread. He was trying to pick up a piece of bread by the crust and bring it back to the ground. I was shocked by this behavior because he had only managed to steal chicken nuggets from the counter before. So, do cats like bread? Is it a secret that they hide from us? Can cats even eat bread?
Can cats eat bread and other baked goods?
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Here’s my cat licking bread … but is this okay? Can cats eat bread? Photography by Erica Dermer.[/caption]When it comes to the question "Can cats eat bread? I'm not alone. My friends have told me about their carbohydrate loving cats. One of them told me about his cat who loved to steal the crust off pizzas to get to the inside of the dough. Another was in love with a particular brand of pancake mix - cooked dough and raw dough. My friends couldn't figure out if it was the filling on the bread (like butter, cheese or pepperoni) or the bread itself. They too wondered if cats could eat bread and if the bread was safe for them.
Can cats eat bread? Is it dangerous for cats?
Is bread safe for cats? Fortunately, bread is not so dangerous for cats. So, the answer to the question "Can cats eat bread?" is technically "yes" - but it's not really recommended. Cats don't need bread in their diet.
But can cats eat bread that is not baked?
Dr. Heather Loenser, senior veterinarian at the American Animal Hospital Association, warns about the dangers of eating raw or leavened bread dough. "The biggest danger for cats would be eating raw dough because the fermentation of yeast in the dough can cause the dough to expand in the cat's stomach," she warns. "This can cause severe abdominal pain and, theoretically, cause a perforation of the stomach."
Dr Loenser adds: "Because alcohol is a by-product of fermentation, alcohol poisoning is possible. The signs would be vomiting, diarrhoea, lethargy, difficulty walking or the impression of being drunk. Fortunately, few cats seem to be attracted to eating raw bread dough - it is much more of a problem with dogs".
Can cats eat bread with certain fillings or supplements?
When we ask ourselves "Can cats eat bread?", we also run into problems because of what is on or in the bread. We have already asked if cats can eat cheese, a common filling on bread. Can cats eat cheese? Yes, but only in moderation, because cats are lactose intolerant after the birth of their kittens.
But can cats eat bread with non-dairy fillings? "Other potential ingredients in bread that could be a problem are garlic and onions, which can cause damage to red blood cells and anemia," says Dr. Loenser. Even in small amounts, garlic can cause stomach upset, vomiting and diarrhea in cats. Consult a veterinarian if you think your cat has consumed garlic.
So, can cats eat bread? Some final thoughts
Dr. Loenser says that after 15 years of practice, she has never seen a case of illness in a cat due to the ingestion of bread or dough, so it's not necessarily a common hazard. So, avoid garlic bread and keep onion spreads away from any bread that might be in the cat's path.
