What Fruits Can Cats Eat? Vet-Approved List & Facts
By Adam Mann
Updated on
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If you’re looking to add a little fruit to your cat’s diet, there are tons of great choices out there. Just keep in mind that your cat doesn’t need to eat fruit, so if your cat doesn’t want to eat it, don’t stress out about it too much. Still, there’s nothing wrong with giving them some fruit as a treat, and we’ve highlighted 9 great fruit options you can give them down below.
The 9 Fruits Cats Can Eat
1. Watermelon
| Beneficial Nutrients | Vitamin A, potassium, and lycopene |
| Safety Concerns | Rinds and seeds |
Watermelon is a sweet treat that many cats love. It has vitamin A, potassium, and lycopene, all of which have numerous health benefits for your cat. However, while it’s great for your little lion, ensure you remove the seeds and rind; otherwise, it can present a choking hazard for your cat.
2. Strawberries
| Beneficial Nutrients | Fiber |
| Safety Concerns | Stems |
If you want to feed your cat some strawberries, ensure you wash them and remove the stems before feeding them to your cat. Also, keep in mind that strawberries don’t have quite as many benefits for your cat as other fruit on our list. It’s not a bad choice, but we would recommend other fruits a little more.
3. Raspberries
| Beneficial Nutrients | Fiber, vitamin A, C, E, and K |
| Safety Concerns | Potential choking hazard |
Raspberries are a great berry treat for your cat. Not only do they have lots of fiber, which help make them easier to digest, but they also have vitamin A, C, E, and K. You can feed your cat quite a few raspberries, just don’t let them make up more than 10% of your cat’s diet and cut them up into small bits so they don’t turn into a choking hazard.
4. Blueberries
| Beneficial Nutrients | Antioxidants, vitamin K, and fiber |
| Safety Concerns | Potential choking hazard |
Blueberries are another excellent berry option you can feed your cat. They have lots of antioxidants, vitamin K, and fiber, all of which make it a great healthy treat for your cat. Like other berries, you need to wash them first. And be careful because blueberries can become a choking hazard. Also, don’t let blueberries make up more than 10% of their diet no matter how much your cat is begging for more!
5. Apples
| Beneficial Nutrients | Calcium, vitamin C, and vitamin K |
| Safety Concerns | Seeds, and core |
Apples are a sweet treat that’s super healthy for your cat. They have lots of calcium, vitamin C, and vitamin K. One of the biggest concerns is the sugar content in apples, and since cats can’t taste the sugar, it doesn’t even make the cats more likely to eat them. You should also remove the seeds and the core since they can be toxic and pose a choking hazard.
6. Mangos
| Beneficial Nutrients | Fiber, vitamin A, and vitamin B6 |
| Safety Concerns | Rind |
Mangos are an excellent option for your cat, and they have plenty of fiber, vitamin A, and vitamin B6. Many cats love the taste of mangos, too. Just cut them up into small bits so they don’t turn into a choking hazard. Also, ensure you remove the rind.
7. Cantaloupe
| Beneficial Nutrients | Vitamin A and C |
| Safety Concerns | Rind |
Cantaloupe is a great fruit option for your cat, and it has plenty of vitamin A and C. Just keep in mind that you should remove the rind before offering it, and we recommend removing most of the seeds so they don’t create health problems.
8. Pineapple
| Beneficial Nutrients | Fiber |
| Safety Concerns | Digestion problems |
Pineapple is another fruit option for your cat, but it doesn’t have quite as many benefits as most of the other fruits on our list. It does have fiber, and, it can lead to mild digestion issues. Because of this, only give them small amounts and monitor their health closely the first few times you give it to them.
9. Pumpkin
| Beneficial Nutrients | Fiber |
| Safety Concerns | Rind |
Pumpkin is a great fall treat for everyone, and there’s plenty to go around in the fall. If you have a little extra and want to feed it to your cat, it’s a healthy choice. It’s easy for them to digest and it can help with all sorts of digestion problems. We also recommend canned pumpkin, but make sure the ingredients contain only pumpkin and that it isn’t pumpkin pie filling.
Common Foods Your Cat Can’t Eat
While there are plenty of foods your cat can eat, there’s also quite a few that your cat can’t eat. With that in mind, we’ve highlighted a few foods you should never feed your cat no matter what.
1. Chocolate
Chocolate is one of the worst foods you can feed your cat. It has both theobromine and caffeine, two ingredients that are toxic for cats. Not only can it get your cat sick, but it can kill them in large amounts.
2. Dairy
While many shows and movies have cats happily drinking milk, the truth is that most cats are lactose intolerant. You can look for lactose-free varieties, but there’s no benefit compared to just skipping it altogether.
3. Raw Fish
While you might think fish and cats go together, only give your cat cooked fish. Raw fish can lead to all sorts of health complications, like food poisoning, so never give it to your fur baby.
Conclusion
Now that you know a little more about safe fruits and other foods to avoid giving to your cat, all that’s left is for you to pick out some of your cat’s favorite fruits and get them ready to give to your feline. Don’t let their fruit intake make up more than 10% of their diet, though, since they get all the necessary nutrients from their regular food!
Featured Image Credit: otsphoto, Shutterstock
