Can Cats Eat Cashews?

Can cats eat cashews? Have you gone nuts? Okay all joke aside, the short answer is No cat’s shouldn’t eat cashew nuts.

Cats are carnivores and require a high protein diet usually consisting of raw meat.

A cat’s digestive system is vastly different from a human’s and they struggle to digest large amounts of carbs. The high fat content present in nuts can also cause feline digestive issues. 

Now from time to time if your kitty sneaks in a cashew nut or two this won’t effect their well being and shouldn’t cause long term effects. 

So are cashews toxic for cats? While not on the list of toxic foods for cats, feeding your cat to many cashews can cause toxic like symptoms.

Bottom line is to avoid giving cashews to cats as it’s not part of their natural diet. Reasons not to feed your feline friend cashews are:

• They could experience rapid weight gain
• It can give them an upset stomach or cause a loss of appetite 
• It could cause serious medical conditions such as heart disease or kidney failure

Can Kittens Eat Cashews? 

Kittens shouldn’t consume any nuts such as pistachios or human food in their diet as it provides no benefits to them. They could suffer an allergic reaction to cashews which could raise their blood pressure.

A kittens teeth although very sharp can be fragile and could be damaged by eating nuts. The risks aren’t worth it.  

Kittens require high quality kitten food to grow into health adult cats. For a list of the best kitten food click here.

Are Cashews Poisonous To Cats?

While cashew nuts aren’t poisonous to felines, they’re aren’t a part of their natural diet. The high fat content found in nuts ( a cashews fat content is about 45% ) and the high amount of carbohydates make them a bad choice for a cat treat. 

A balanced diet of a good quality cat food will give your feline friend all the protein, amino acids and antioxidants they need. Raw meat diets are also suitable as cats are able to digest the nutrients more efficiently. 

Salted cashew nuts should not be eaten by cats! Salt can be poisonous to cats.

Symptoms For Feline Digestive Upset

If you think your cat might have eaten cashews and are worried, here are the signs to look out for. 

If it has caused stomach upset your cat may begin to vomit or have diarrhea. Feel their stomach for any sensitive areas and if you notice any inflammation you should go to the vet right away. 

Further symptoms are:

• Loss of appetite
• Increased heart rate
• Fever or elevated body temperature

An allergic reation can also cause your cat to breath heavy or have troubles swallowing when drinking. 

If your cat shows any signs of the these symptoms you must get them to a vet as soon as possible. 

Can Cats Drink Cashew Milk?

You should avoid feeding your cat cashew milk as it can cause them to have an allergic reaction. 

Contrary to belief, once a cat reaches adult hood they become lactose intolerant. This means any real milk of any kind is bad for cats. 

Cat owners should avoid feeding their cats milk as it can lead to weight gain. In extreme circumstances you may notice symptoms of pancreatitis. 

I don’t reccommend it but, cashew milk on rare occaisions in very small amounts shouldn’t cause your feline friend any serious harm. 

If you do feed your cat some cashew milk keep a close eye on them afterwards to make sure they don’t have any reactions. 

Can Cats Eat Cashews, What You Need to Know!

I think it’s pretty clear that you should avoid feeding our cat and cashew products for a few reasons. It’s just not worth the risk of any health problems. 

I know it can be tempting to let our pets indulge with us but you’ll be doing them a favor by resisting.

Aside from the nurtitional health risks, nuts can pose a choking threat to your cat because they can often be difficult to chew. 

I think the biggest reason to avoid feeding cashew nuts to felines is they offer no nutritional value to them. They would much prefer a diet of a good quality cat food or raw meat. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Can cashew nuts choke my cat?
Yes, cashew nuts can pose as a choking hazard to cats. But so do other food items such as kibbles. Human foods should be avoided more for the nutritional factors. 

Is cashew butter safe for cats?

Any butter is high in fat and should be avoided by your cat. Cashew butter is no different.

Can cashew kill my cat?

Cashews are not toxic to cats however, if eaten in large amounts can cause toxic like symptoms.