Domestic cats have a different diet comprising certain meat products, fruits, and vegetables as treats. Since fruits and vegetables are secondary sources of nutrition, you need to know what fruit and vegetable you can feed your cat. Similarly, it would help if you also considered your pet’s health conditions.
Some cats may be diabetic, restricting their food options in terms of sugar content. Talking of sugar content, what about blackberries? Can cats eat blackberries? Let’s find out.
Can Cats Eat Blackberries?
Cats can eat blackberries. Blackberries are entirely safe for cats and not toxic in any way, including their leaves, flesh, and even the root. However, since blackberries fruit is not a primary part of your feline’s diet, you should keep the quantity minimum. Offering too many blackberries to your furry friend will increase the likelihood of health effects such as diarrhea and an upset stomach.
Furthermore, wild blackberries are also high in vitamins and essential minerals. All of these are required by cats to stay healthy and active. Thus, making wild blackberries an excellent option for your pet.
Why Avoid?
Remember that cat owners may be tempted to offer their feline blackberries due to their health benefits, but you should strictly adhere to small quantities. Are blackberries safe for cats? Cat owners need to know two main reasons to avoid:
- Blackberries contain high amounts of sugars, mainly in the form of xylitol.
- Blackberries have a high concentration of carbohydrates.
Similarly, the high sugar can also be determinantal to your pet’s digestive systems and affect their blood sugar levels. This further raises the risks of diabetes and other health problems if the serving sizes are too large.
Blackberries are poisonous to diabetic cats in any quantity. Avoid to feed blackberries to your diabetic cat. Consult a vet before giving any fruit to your feline friends.
If you stick to these rules, your kitty can benefit from blackberries’ antioxidants, vitamins, and mineral content. Moreover, your pet kitty may even enjoy the rich flavor of blackberries.
Why Do Cats Enjoy Blackberries?
Cats generally like eating blackberries fruit due to their texture and flavor of blackberries. However, it may not be the same for many cats. There is a widely held assumption that cats like the sweet taste of blackberries. But unfortunately, cats do not have any sweetness receptors on their tongue. Due to this, they may be unable to taste the sweet flavor of blackberries.
This leads to the question, if cats cannot taste the sweetness of blackberries, do cats like blackberries?
Interestingly, the answer to this is yes. This may be because cats are potentially neophiliacs. This means they love exploring new tastes and picky eaters. When they come across blackberries and how moist blackberries fruit are, they will become most cats’ favorite treat and benefit from their nutrition.
Health Benefits of Blackberries for Cats
What happens if a cat eats blackberries? Feeding blackberries provide your kitty with some antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Here is an insight into the nutritional elements of blackberry and what health benefits your kitty can receive from them.
According to the USDA, a 100-gram serving of blackberries contains the following nutritional value.
Cats can safely eat blackberries in moderation, considering the nutritional benefits.
Plenty of nutrients in blackberries can offer several health benefits to your cat. These include:
High Amounts of Antioxidants
The most prominent benefit of blackberry fruit is its high amounts of antioxidants. These antioxidants fight free radicals.
Antioxidants found in blackberries fruit help reduce the likelihood of chronic diseases, including cardiovascular complications and diabetes.
Hydrates Your Pet’s Body
The second most prominent nutrient in blackberries fruit is their water content. Blackberries are filled with water which is one of the reasons why your kitty may be compelled to eat them.
Cats generally do not drink much water so blackberries can be an excellent means of hydration.
Improved Immune System
Blackberries contain vitamin C and some highly resourceful minerals. These collectively aid in improving the overall immune system functionality of your pet cat. Thus, providing better protection against diseases.
Improved Digestive System
Blackberries contain a decent amount of dietary fiber. When cats eat in moderation, these fibers will help in providing a boost to the digestive system of your furry cat.
Improved digestion means your pet’s stomach can process food better and extract nutrients more efficiently.
However, you should consider that these benefits will only be safe for cats if you keep the servings to a minimum. When offering kitten treats, make sure to offer them in moderation because kittens need a balanced diet. Otherwise, it would lead to serious health problems.
You can see that if cats eat blackberries in moderation, it can substantially improve your cat’s health. Does the same apply to blackberry plants? Are blackberry plants safe for your cat? Here’s an insight into this.
Blackberry Plants and Their Safety for Cats
Blackberry plants are safe for cats regardless of whether it is the leaf, stem, or foliage part. Generally speaking, cats do not like to eat plant parts such as leaves.
Regardless, no part of the blackberry plant is toxic to cats. If you have blackberry fruit plants in your backyard, there is no cause for concern if your kitty mocks on some blackberry plants.
The only thing you need to take care of is to make sure there are no thorns on the plant part. Your cat can hurt itself if it encounters them. Other than that, blackberry plants can benefit your cat.
Blackberry Leaves for Cats
Chewing on the leaf part can help your furry friend with digestive system complications like constipation. This is because the blackberry leaf parts contain a soluble fiber that aids in moving waste through the digestive tracts of your kitty. This helps ease your kitten’s digestion.
Like the fruit, the leaves are also rich in antioxidants and vitamins, which are ideal for your pet.
The only cause of concern is the blackberry bush. Blackberry bushes aren’t poisonous to cats, but if your cat gets caught in the prickly shrubbery, it may be quite painful for your cat.
Keep an eye on your kitty if you have blackberry bushes around your home.
Further adding, blackberries are often associated with blackberry yogurt. People throughout the world love it, but what about cats? Can cats eat blackberry yogurt? Let’s find out.
Blackberry Yogurt and Its Safety for Cats
As tasty as blackberry yogurt may be, cats cannot eat it. Cats do not process lactose well, which is found in many dairy products like milk, cheese, and yogurt. As cats cannot process lactose, they are considered lactose intolerant.
If your cat eats a small amount of blackberry yogurt, it won’t kill your feline friend. However, it will lead to many health complications, including:
- Flatulence
- Nausea
- Cramping
- Diarrhea
No cat deserves to go through this, so blackberry yogurt should be stored as far away as possible. But, if you’re still keen on offering your cat blackberry yogurt, you should ensure it is unsweetened and free from additives.
In that case, a spoonful of blackberry yogurt will only do a little harm if the yogurt is plain.
Healthy Treats Alternatives
Knowing the dos and don’ts of a kitty cat’s diet is crucial in determining your pet’s health. As cats are obligate carnivores, the major portion of cat’s diet should come from meat-based products and a small number of other foods as occasional treats.
When offering other fruits as a treat to your pet, you should always ensure that it is, in fact, healthy and beneficial for your cat in terms of the nutritional composition. Here are some healthy treat alternatives to blackberries that you can feed your feline friend instead:
- Salmon
- Eggs
- Turkey
- Chicken
Although these are mostly human foods, they are safe for your pet friend. Treats should only be limited to 10% of your cat’s diet, so make sure to adhere to this when offering your cat treats.
Blackberry Alternatives
There are plenty of fruits worldwide, but not all are safe for your cat. Here are some toxic fruits followed by safe fruits for your cat.
Toxic fruits:
- Citrus fruits
- Grapes and raisins
- Cherries
Safe fruits:
- Apricot
- Cranberries
- Pineapple
Conclusion: Can Cats Eat Blackberries?
Yes, cats can eat blackberries in small quantities. They are filled with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that can help your pet fight off diseases, build a strong immune system, and improve the digestion of food, amongst other benefits.
However, since blackberries are not part of your cat's primary diet, you should avoid feeding raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries to cats frequently as well. Excess of anything is bad; the same goes for blackberries, as it will lead to obesity and diabetes.
