Let us look at what Takis are, their flavors, and if you should be giving them to your cat!
What Are Takis?
Takis was, formerly known as Taquis up until 2004, is a Mexican snack or rolled corn tortilla chips produced by the company Barcel.
Takis is widely renowned for its intense, spicy, and hot taste that is bound to leave a long-lasting flavor in your mouth.
Takis chips are, generally speaking, extremely salty, acidic, and spicy, and their flavor is found to leave a sour and tingling feeling on the insides of your cheeks.
This flavor would probably appear into your mouth every time you think of Takis after trying them once.
The different flavors of Takis have people divided into several groups. They are prepared in a wide array of flavors, including the following:
Angry Burger | a dill pickle and spicy hamburger flavored snack that comes in a green packaging |
Authentic Taco | a spicy and hot taco flavored snack that comes in a green packaging |
BBQ Picante | a hot barbecue flavored snack with a brown packaging |
Blue Flame | an extremely hot and spicy barbecue flavored snack with a blue packaging |
Cobra | as dangerous as its name, with a red packaging |
Crunchy Fajita | a hot fajita and chicken-flavored snack with a yellowish appearance and a green package |
Feugo | is a spicy lime and chili pepper flavored snack that is considered the most intense of all types. It is also the most popular and comes in a purple package |
Feugo Azul | a hot flavored snack topped with a blue powder, the composition of which stays a mystery. This flavor was initially released in the United States as Blue Head in 2019 and comes in a blue packaging |
Guacamole | a hot and spicy salsa guacamole flavored snack with a white packaging |
Lava | a chipotle and cheese flavored type with an orange packaging |
Nitro | a spicy habanero chile flavored snack that comes in a black-red packaging |
Original | less spicy than the other but still spice enough, this snack comes in a green pack |
Outlaw | a mouth-watering and spicy barbecue flavored snack with a dark red pack |
Party | indeed a party snack with a scrumptious blend of cheese and chile |
Sal De Mar | previously known as the Classic, the Sal De Mar is a lesser spicy version sprinkled generously with sea salt |
Salsa Brava | a considerably spicier snack with a yellow packaging |
Scorpion BBQ | a flavor as dangerous as its name with a taste of barbeque and a brown and purple packaging |
Titan | a lime and chipotle flavored snack with a dark red packaging |
And the list goes on.
Despite its popularity, Takis is not a relatively healthy snack for several reasons, the first being its obvious nutrient insufficiency.
An ounce (28 gram) package of Takis Feugo consists of about 140 calories, 2 grams of protein, 8 grams of fat, 16 grams of carbs, 16% sodium of the Daily Value (DV), 4% calcium of the DV, and only 2% Iron of the DV.
High in carbs, sodium, and fat, these snacks are not ideal for humans and especially not suitable for cats.
With a whopping 390 mg of salt in each 1 ounce (28 grams) of Takis, these rich-in-sodium snacks are particularly harmful to blood pressure maintenance, which is the mother of various other diseases, including heart attack.
CAN MY CAT EAT TAKIS?
Can your cat eat Takis? Yes. Should you give them to your cat? No!
Although there are no major health concerns when it comes to a cat eating a few Takis, they are most certainly not a recommended snack for cats.
Cats have certain nutrient requirements, same as humans, which Takis cannot fulfill. In addition, they contain several ingredients that are not safe for cats and can make them sick, such as:
- Yeast extract (a flavor enhancer)
- MSG (a flavor enhancer)
- Citric acid (a preservative)
- Maltodextrin (a flavor enhancer similar to MSG)
- Silicon Dioxide (anti-caking additive)
- Natural beef flavor
- Other artificial flavors
In addition, these chips are not made in a shape suitable for a cat’s mouth. Since they are in the form of large round rectangles, cats have to crunch them up thoroughly before eating because of the different shape of their mouths.
Takis is also not a great snack from a nutritional point of view.
Much of the salt, garlic, and onion powder found in them makes them one of the most flavorsome and famous snacks, but these very ingredients prove harmful for cats and may cause indigestion.
You can share some bits and pieces of these delicacies with your kitty, but try not to make it a habit.
WILL EATING TAKIS POISON MY CATS?
Like other baked snacks, Takis are not poisonous or toxic in any way or form. You don’t need to panic if your kitty has had a nibble on them; it’s just an occurrence you need to stop from becoming a habit.
It is advisable not to let your pet develop a taste for snacks.
The excessive quantities of salt, along with the garlic and onion powder, prove the harshest ingredients as they are likely to cause gastrointestinal complications in cats.
Even when ingested in small quantities, they can put your pet at significant risk.
Increased thirst is one of the most common short-term effects of salt intake in cats, and onion and garlic powder can cause anemia, blood cell damage, and some other much worse conditions.
Although cats can taste the spice in foods, too much spice can cause high risks of vomiting, diarrhea, and other gastrointestinal complications.
All in all, Takis in small amounts cannot poison your cat. However, there are certain ingredients that you should avoid at all costs, as they may cause undesirable consequences. These include:
- Raw eggs
- Raw meat
- Bones
- Onions
- Garlic
- Raw dough
- Chocolate
- Caffeinated drinks
- Alcohol
- Milk and other dairy products
- Raisins
- Grapes
Can Cats Taste Spicy Food?
Cats can taste the spice in foods, but that does not mean you should give them to your cat. Cats have fewer taste buds than us, only about 470 compared to 9000 in humans, and cannot tolerate much spice.
The primary reason behind their reduced number of taste buds is that they cannot taste the sweetness in food. This characteristic seems logical since cats are carnivores, and sugars such as carbohydrates hold no value for them.
However, having fewer taste buds does not make them spice resistant or insensitive to highly spicy foods such as Takis.
Studies show that cats, just like humans, are sensitive to capsaicin in food, which is the primary ingredient responsible for giving the kick and heat associated with these chips.
It is quite possible for your cat to like a particular spicy food and nibble on anything that would provide them with the kick.
However, different cats give different reactions after tasting spicy foods; some continue to nibble on them, whereas others may steer clear.
Whichever response your cat gives, it is advisable not to let it consume more than a few bits and pieces.
Wrapping Up
Takis are one of the most popular and flavorsome snacks out there, and it is understandable if you share a few bits with your cat.
A small amount here and there does not cause any significant complications, but you should switch to the snacks formulated, especially on feline nutrient requirements.
Human snacks have some ingredients that can prove harmful for cats when ingested in large amounts, and Takis do include some such components, including artificial flavors, salt, colorings, and ten other spices.
This makes it hard for your pet actually to taste the chip. It is best to switch to the plainest kind of Takis if you really want to share a bag with your cat.
It is best to get in touch with a veterinarian if you’re worried about your cat eating Takis in the past.
The symptoms are likely to vary from cat to cat, and it is wise to ensure your kitty is not suffering from any problems instead of simply assuming that everything is alright.