Can cats eat bread? This means white bread, wheat bread, even bread and milk (which they love), potato bread, and more, here are the facts…
Most cats are attracted to bread, and they will eat some if given the chance. So don’t be surprised if your cat has been having a nibble on bread in your home.
Especially if the bread has had something like tuna or butter spread on it and was part of a sandwich.
So, how likely is it your cat will they get sick if eat bread?
I will say right off the top that while most bread is not ‘toxic’ or dangerous in small amounts, I always advise avoiding letting your cat eat bread.
Why Shouldn’t Cats Eat Bread?
Cats have complex dietary requirements and are sensitive to foods high in sugars, salts, and added preservatives that we commonly eat in our foods.
Bread is loaded with these ingredients, so it’s just not a good idea.
A cat shouldn’t typically get sick from eating a little bit of bread, so don’t panic. But, with no real nutritional value to them, there is no reason to deliberately feed them bread.
Can Cats Eat Cooked Bread?
I’ve seen and heard people saying that freshly cooked or baked bread is better for cats.
While this may be true, in the way that it’s better than uncooked bread, it’s still not a good idea.
Cooking bread isn’t bringing any better nutritional content to the bread, so I’d advise to avoid letting them eat it.
Can Cats Eat Bread Crust?
A lot of cats are more interested in eating the crusts off bread than the softer center. I think this is due to the texture being a bit harder and the crusts just being more accessibile.
But again, it doesn’t make any difference to the fact that it’s not a good food for them to be eating.
Even if you leave the crusts, as a lot of people do, and don’t want to waste them. Don’t feed them to your cat, throw them out for the birds instead.
If your cat has already got a taste for bread crusts, it’s time to start being a little more diligent in hiding them.
Can Cats Eat Bread and Butter?
If your cat is anything like mine they love butter and will lick it off bread if they spot the opportunity to do so.
A little butter isn’t going to do any harm, and by ‘little’ I mean a tiny bit. So, again, don’t panic if your crafty cat has been stealing some.
But butter is bad for cats as it’s high in fat, contains lactose, and can cause some serious stomach issues.
So, add bread and butter to the banned list and keep it well out of reach, and out of sight from your cat.
Can Cats Eat Bread and Milk?
This is something I actually saw my grandma giving her cat on ocassion as a treat. Now, her cat lived to 19 and didn’t have nay health issues, so I’m not going to hold it against her.
But it’s really not ideal to give them to foods that aren’t good for them mixed together. That makes perfect sense to anyone.
Milk, and cow’s milk in particular is hard for cats to digest due to the lactose content. And, bread, well I’ve covered that in detail in this article.
In Summary
While a little bread isn’t going to do most cats any harm, I don’t recommend giving bread to them to eat deliberatley as it contains too much sugar, salt, and other preservatives.
A lot of cats will eat bread, bread crusts, and especially bread with butter or other fillings on so if it’s been going missing, I’d put your cat on the blame list and start hiding it better.
This is the same for a lot of human foods, such as tuna, ham, and cheeses. There are treats and foods specially formulated for cats for a reason – because they have complex dietary needs!
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