Pumpkin is a superfood that contains many essential nutrients and boasts health benefits. However, giving pumpkin pie to your cat is a different story.
Besides the pumpkin, a pumpkin pie usually contains all-purpose flour, salt, butter, sugar, eggs, cinnamon, allspice, clove, vanilla extract, ginger, nutmeg, heavy cream, evaporated milk, and whole milk. So, I do not recommend feeding your cat pumpkin pie.
Clove, nutmeg, and allspice contain eugenol, a substance that’s toxic to cats, due to the fact that felines lack a set of enzymes that are used to break down and eliminate eugenol.
Symptoms of eugenol toxicity include:
- loss of appetite;
- slow heart rate;
- coughing;
- loss of balance;
- wheezing;
- vomiting;
- drooling;
- watery eyes.
Milk, especially from cows, is not good for cats, and for several reasons. The sugar naturally occurring in milk is called lactose. The majority of cats do not produce lactase, making them incapable of adequately digesting lactose. Feeding your cat milk causes intestinal gas, bloating, abdominal pain, vomiting, or diarrhea.
A pumpkin pie also has sugar, which isn’t toxic to felines. But it’s not very good for them. The feline’s metabolism is biologically adapted to a meat-based diet. They can’t taste sugar, and they don’t need it.
Salt is an essential mineral that is required to maintain proper biological health. However, too much sodium is bad, especially as it can lead to health problems such as dehydration and kidney damage.
As I explained before, pumpkin pie is not safe for cats. If your feline companion is interested in pumpkin, feed them cooked or plain pumpkin without any added sodium, sugar, milk, or spices. Mix the pumpkin into their regular wet food. You can also offer it as a small treat.
Canned pumpkin that is labeled “100% pumpkin” is also good.
Important notes – raw pumpkin is hard for felines to digest and may cause stomach upset.
Cats are obligate carnivores. As such, do not give pumpkin to your cat as a primary meal. It is best to serve your furry friend pumpkin as an occasional treat or supplement, and in small quantities.
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Health Benefits of Pumpkin for Cats
Eye health
Pumpkin flesh has nutrients essential for a cat’s night vision as well as for healthy skin.
Hairball Remedy
Hairballs form (in your cat’s stomach) when cats groom themselves, and it is a collection of digestive juices and dead hair. Eating pumpkin helps prevent and eliminate hairballs due to its fiber content.
Parasitic worms
Pumpkin seeds contain cucurbitin, an amino acid that is believed to paralyze and eliminate certain types of parasites. Gastrointestinal parasites cause serious illness in cats and even death. I recommended that you roast or grind pumpkin seeds before offering them to your cat, since raw seeds can be hard for your domestic feline to digest.
Upset Stomach
The soluble fiber in pumpkin can absorb excess moisture (water combined with gastric juice) in the digestive tract. This is why I occasionally give my cat some pumpkin, because it is beneficial for both diarrhea and constipation. It also softens the stool and stimulates intestinal movement.
Nutrient dense
Pumpkins are loaded with nutrients, including antioxidants, protein, minerals, fiber, and vitamins.
What Can a Cat Eat for a Treat?
Giving cats treats every day supports bonding and training. Treats should make up no more than 10 percent of your cat’s daily calories.
Carrots
Carrots are a safe vegetable to feed your cat. It’s safe in small amounts, especially as a treat. Note – raw carrots are a choking hazard to your feline. The best way to serve them is unseasoned and cooked.
Green olives
Olives are considered safe for cats to consume in very small quantities. The green olives are intriguing to your cat because they contain isoprenoid.
Isoprenoid is also found in catnip’s active ingredient, nepetalactone. It is thought that nepetalactone mimics a cat pheromone so which is why cats love catnip so much. Always remove the pit before letting your cat interact with an olive.