Can Cats Eat Fried Chicken?

Veterinarians say that fried chicken is safe for cats but only occasionally. It shouldn’t have toxic herbs, spices, or small bones. As a rule of thumb, only give your cat meat without skin.

Frequent fried chicken consumption can affect your cat’s health, so you should be mindful of your pet’s calorie and fat intake.

Sharing your meal with your furry friend might be tempting, but you should evaluate the risks. Boiled chicken or canned chicken food is much better for felines.

Is Oil Safe for Cats?

The feline diet consists of at least 20% fats, so it would be safe to assume that food cooked in oil is safe for cats. However, excessive oil consumption can lead to obesity and health condition development.

Furthermore, not all oil types are equally safe for cats. Cat food manufacturers often add flaxseed, safflower, and olive oil to their products because they are rich in vitamins and fatty acids.

Chicken is usually fried with canola or corn oil, which effect on feline health is questionable. We need more research, but some studies show that canola and corn oils can increase cancer risk in cats and dogs.

Even worse, fried foods, including fried chicken, are usually high in trans fats that form when unsaturated fats undergo hydrogenation under high temperatures.

Trans fats have a different chemical structure than unsaturated fats and are difficult for the feline body to break down. Doctors don’t even recommend trans fats for humans.

Excessive consumption of canola or corn oil, particularly fried oil, can increase cat heart disease risks. They can contribute to high blood pressure and raise cholesterol levels.

Too many fats in a cat’s diet can also lead to diabetes, which causes a cat to drink and urinate more frequently, lose weight, and generally feel unwell.

Obesity in cats contributes to joint problem development and significantly reduces life expectancy. Spayed and neutered cats are at a higher risk of weight gain.

Plus, fried foods can contain acrylamide, a chemical that forms at high temperatures from sugars and amino acids. Acrylamide has been linked with a greater risk of cancer in humans and pets.

Some oils are considered safe for cats in moderation, even when fried. These include coconut, avocado, and olive oil.

Are All Herbs & Spices Safe for Cats?

Chicken is typically fried with some seasoning, which can harm your cat’s health. The basic seasoning for chicken is salt and black pepper.

Salt is safe for cats in moderation but can cause poisoning in large amounts. Sodium regulates the fluid metabolism in a cat’s body, so it’s essential for feline health.

However, a cat shouldn’t consume more than 41 milligrams of sodium daily. Too much salt can cause diarrhea, vomiting, excessive thirst, lethargy, and loss of appetite.

Black pepper isn’t toxic to cats but can cause a gastroenteric upset if a cat consumes too much. It can also make a cat sneeze.

Generally, fried chicken with a bit of salt and pepper won’t inflict severe consequences on your cat’s health. But certain herbs can.

Garlic, chives, and other plants from the Allium family are extremely dangerous to felines because they contain disulfides and thiosulphates toxic to pets.

Even one gram of garlic causes hemolytic anemia, making a cat’s red blood cells break down.

Garlic is about five times more concentrated than chives, but any plant of this family can lead to death if the poisoning is left untreated. You should also be careful giving your cat chicken cooked with bay leaves.

Oregano, tarragon, and lemongrass, often used for chicken, aren’t toxic to cats, but they can irritate a cat’s stomach and cause vomiting or diarrhea. Parsley, basil, thyme, sage, dill, cilantro, and rosemary are safe for cats in moderation.

Most hot spices like chili pepper and ginger aren’t toxic to cats but are very likely to cause gastroenteric upset because they irritate the delicate stomach lining.

Breading isn’t toxic to cats unless it contains dangerous herbs, but it’s plain carbs. Cats are carnivores and cannot properly digest carbohydrates, so remove any breading if you want to share a piece of fried chicken with your cat.

The Skin & Bones

The herbs, spices, and oil aren’t the only threats of fried chicken for cats. Whole fried chicken contains small bones that may not be visible to the naked eye, which a cat can choke on.

Unlike dog teeth, cat teeth aren’t strong enough for bones and can get damaged. Plus, some chicken bones are very thin and can snap into small shards, causing internal bleeding if ingested.

Cats can eat chicken skin because it’s not toxic, but it’s high in oils and may be too fat for overweight felines. Plus, crispy fried chicken skin can hurt a cat’s sensitive mouth and irritate the stomach.

If you want to give your cat a bit of fried chicken, remove the skin and feed it tiny pieces, ensuring there are no bones left.

Adverse Effects of Fried Chicken for Cats

The possible adverse effects of fried chicken for cats depend on the add-ons used and which part of the chicken a cat eats.

A piece of fried chicken filled with minimum salt and no skin won’t harm your cat if you give it once in a while. Moderation is crucial with any human food to prevent long-term effects.

Problems can arise if you give your pet a deep-fried chicken with seasoning, particularly if your pet eats the skin. Some herbs and spices might only cause mild gastroenteric upset with vomiting and diarrhea.

However, even seemingly minor stomach upset can lead to dehydration if the symptoms don’t resolve soon. In that case, the cat might need to be administered intravenous fluids to compensate for the fluid loss.

If a cat eats fried chicken with garlic, scallops, chives, or onions, it will get food poisoning. Even a tiny bit of disulfides and thiosulphates contained in plants from the Allium family cause red cell breakdown.

Timely veterinary intervention is the only way to save a cat’s life. Unlike gastroenteric upset, garlic poisoning in cats doesn’t go away on its own. The symptoms only become worse until a cat dies.

The signs of garlic toxicity in cats include breathlessness, lethargy, pale gums, elevated heart rate, and tremors. The problem is that these symptoms only occur several days after a cat ingests garlic.

At first, the cat will only experience diarrhea and vomiting, so owners often confuse the poisoning with stomach upset.

Some cats might be allergic to particular herbs and spices and experience gastroenteric or respiratory symptoms, including diarrhea, vomiting, rapid breathing, sneezing, coughing, and watery eyes.

If a cat ate a chicken bone, it might choke or have gastroenteric instruction. Both cases are life-threatening and require urgent veterinary intervention.

Are There Any Benefits of Feeding a Cat Fried Chicken?

Chicken health benefits for cats are undisputed. It’s a common ingredient in cat food because it’s high in protein, low in fats, and rich in healthy microelements.

Protein is essential for cats because they are obligate carnivores. It helps maintain muscles, energy levels, and coat health. It also assists calcium metabolism for healthy bones and teeth.

Chicken is also rich in niacin and vitamin B, which are vital for brain function. Selenium in chicken contributes to immune function and fertility.

But do the benefits of fried chicken for cats outweigh the risks? More likely no than yes. Firstly, high temperatures break down healthy elements, so fried chicken, even without add-ons, isn’t as healthy as raw or boiled.

Secondly, choking and poisoning hazards aren’t worth an extra portion of protein. Your cat should be already getting all the necessary nutrients from its kibble or canned food.

If you want to incorporate chicken into your cat’s diet, serve it boiled without salt, pepper, oil, or herbs. And if you want to share your meal, ensure it doesn’t contain toxic seasonings and remove the skin and bones.

Why Does My Cat Like Fried Chicken?

The answer to why your cat likes fried chicken is pretty straightforward. Firstly, cats are carnivores and find any protein source delicious. You can also notice your cat favoring kibble or canned food with chicken.

Secondly, cats like fatty, juicy foods, so many find fried chicken more appealing than boiled. Cats cannot distinguish between good and bad fats and don’t know about the risks of trans fats.

If your cat regularly craves fatty foods, chances are that its food lacks fats. Consult with your vet regarding incorporating more healthy fat sources into your cat’s diet.

Some cats also have odd food preferences because of the texture, flavor, or smell. Maybe your cat likes a particular herb used for seasoning or the crunchy texture of fried chicken skin.

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