When you have a cat in your house, it can be hard not to share your food with them from time to time. However, not all foods are feline-safe; in fact, some of our favorite treats can make a cat seriously ill.
So if you’re someone who snacks on Oreos often, you may find yourself wondering: can cats eat Oreos? For the sake of their health and overall well-being, your cat should never eat any Oreos.
How Many Oreos Can a Cat Eat?
So, how many Oreos can a cat eat? In an ideal world, they shouldn’t eat any.
If you find your cat begging for these crunchy cookies, you may think just one Oreo won’t do any harm. But even a single Oreo cookie can be seriously detrimental to your cat’s health.
These cookies can cause some serious health problems, or in rare cases, even death. And even if your cat is lucky and doesn’t get sick from eating an Oreo, giving them these cookies can lead to some unhealthy habits.
By feeding your cat these cookies that are high in sugar and low in nutrients, they can potentially become malnourished.
That’s why it’s important to keep your food sealed up tight if you have a sneaky cat that likes to eat your snacks.
Some cats have big appetites and may scarf down several Oreo cookies if nobody stops them, which can be very dangerous for their health.
So while some cats can eat several Oreos if they put their minds to it, it certainly doesn’t mean they should.
What Happens if a Cat Eats Oreos?
If a cat eats Oreos, it could lead to some serious health problems. In the best-case scenario, your cat could experience some mild intestinal discomfort. In the worst-case scenario, feeding Oreos to your cat can be fatal.
However, the outcome of this situation depends on how many Oreos your cat ate. If your cat took a tiny nibble of one, they will most likely be okay. But if they ate several, the consequences will be more severe.
The main reason Oreos are dangerous for cats is that they contain chocolate. Chocolate contains a compound called theobromine, which is toxic to many pets including dogs and cats.
If a cat consumes too much theobromine, they can experience an abnormal heart rate, seizures, and tremors. In severe cases, it can even result in death.
Another concern about feeding Oreos to a cat is the amount of sugar in these treats. Too much processed sugar can lead to discomfort in their digestive tract. As a result, they can experience vomiting or diarrhea. And if you feed your cat too much sugar over a long period of time, it can cause weight gain.
With all of these risks in mind, it’s also worth noting that cats can’t taste sweet food. So even if you do feed them an Oreo, they probably won’t even enjoy it.
What to Do if Your Cat Eats Oreos
If your hungry kitty tore into a package of Oreos or an unknowing child fed an Oreo to your cat, here are the next steps you should take:
- Don’t panic. Although Oreos can be harmful to your cat, they usually aren’t fatal.
- Find out how many Oreos your cat ate. If they only ate a small amount, there is a better chance they won’t face any adverse effects. But if they ate a large amount, it could be more serious.
- Contact your veterinarian or a pet poison helpline immediately.
- Keep an eye on your cat’s behavior. Watch out for signs such as vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, or abnormal heart rate.
- In the future, make sure you keep your sugary treats sealed up and stored away where your cats can’t find them. In addition, tell any kids who interact with your cat not to feed them human food.
Can Cats Eat an Oreo McFlurry?
While your cat may be begging for a taste of your Oreo McFlurry, it’s best to keep this treat out of their reach.
Oreo McFlurries pose the same risks as Oreos themselves. The chocolate can be toxic in large amounts, and the sugar content can cause stomach ache and other health problems.
In addition, the dairy content in the ice cream can cause diarrhea. Adult cats should not have dairy, as many of them become lactose intolerant as they grow older.
So, can cats eat Oreo McFlurry? For the sake of their health, it’s better if they don’t.
Safe Alternative Treats for Your Cat
Sometimes, it’s okay to treat your feline friend to some of your favorite foods. While Oreos and Oreo McFlurries are a bad choice, many other foods are perfectly safe for your kitty to eat.
Here are some foods that you can safely share with your cat:
- Fish (unseasoned)
- Poultry (unseasoned)
- Red meat (unseasoned)
- Cheese
- Bananas
- Cooked eggs
- Cantaloupe
- Apples (avoid the seeds)
- Blueberries
- Cranberries
As with any treats, you should only offer these foods to your cats in moderation. Their main meals should come from nutritionally-balanced cat food.
Can Cookies Kill Cats?
Eating cookies can be detrimental to a cat’s health, but in most cases, they won’t kill cats. A cat who eats a small or even large amount of cookies is likely to survive, even if they end up getting sick.
The amount of cocoa in Oreos is quite small, so your cat will have to eat quite a bit to get seriously ill. And because cats don’t typically enjoy sweets, they are unlikely to ingest a fatal amount on their own.
Long-term consumption, however, can result in fatal effects in your cat. The high amounts of sugar in Oreos can cause diabetes and heart disease, all of which can potentially be deadly for your cat.
But if your cat eats just a small amount of Oreos, they will most likely survive. In most cases, your cat may only experience some mild sickness or discomfort.
Regardless, it is still best to keep these cookies away from your cat and keep a watch on their health if they happen to eat one by mistake.
