Can cats eat teriyaki chicken? Is it ok to share a little of this popular Japanese dish with your cat if you have some left over?
Not really, no….
There are some ingredients in teriyaki sauce that are really bad for cats and can cause them anything from a bad tummy, to some potentially serious health conditions if they keep eating teriyaki regularly.
So, this is a meal that’s best kept for you, and well out of the reach of your kitty.
If you’re interested in knowing more about the why’s, how’s, and more, please read on!
What’s in Teriyaki Chicken?
Teriyaki chicken has four main ingredients;
- Soy sauce
- Sake or Mirin
- Sugar
- Ginger or Garlic
As you can see, there isn’t a lot that goes into a basic teriyaki dish. Which is why it’s one of the chicken dishes I make at home. It’s quick, easy to make, and delicious, which is why most cats love it too!
The bad news is that those ingredient’s are not good for cats, as I’ll explain…
Can Cats Eat Teriyaki Chicken?
No, it’s not a good idea to let your cat eat teriyaki chicken. Cats love chicken, and it’s fine for them to eat some cooked chicken that doesn’t have any sauce on of course, but a teriyaki sauce is very bad for them.
If we take a closer look at the ingredients that make the sauce, I think you’ll see why:
Soy Sauce – Do you know how soy sauce is made? Don’t worry, why would you? I can tell you that it’s made from soybeans, wheat, salt, and water. Not exactly a recipe for nutritious and healthy cat food, is it?
Sake – Sake is rice wine. It’s not always in teriyaki, although it makes the dish a lot more flavorsome in my opinion. Not good for cats though, that’s the main takeaway here.
Mirin – Mirin is also a rice wine. It’s not always easy to find in the western world, so often left out of homemade teriyaki or substituted for sake as detailed above. Equally as bad for cats as sake though.
Sugar – Cat’s shouldn’t be eating sugar or sugary foods. They do need some sugars in their diets, but they will get all they need from their regular cat food. Additional sugars may lead to weight gain, diabetes, and other health issues in the long run.
Ginger – This is one ingredient that isn’t too bad for cats in small amounts. In fact, some people give their cats a little ginger to help with digestive issues. Personally, I haven’t.
Garlic – This is probably the most dangerous ingredient for cats to eat. Garlic is pretty toxic for cats, and even small amounts can cause some health issues.
So, taking into account all the ingredients that go into a teriyaki dish, it’s pretty clear that cats should not be eating this sauce.
Even if they are after the chicken and trying to eat around the sauce, avoid it, and so on, you should stop your cat getting anywhere near the sauce.
Will Your Cat Get Sick If They Ate Some Teriyaki Chicken?
Whether or not your cat will get sick after eating teriyaki chicken mostly depends on how much they’ve eaten. As well as how heavy on the garlic the dish was.
If you know the answer to these questions then I’d ring your vet and discuss it with them giving them a good guestimate on how much garlic and sauce your cat has consumed.
They will be best placed to advise you based on the size, health, and some other factors specific to your cat.
If you’re petty sure your cat just had a little nibble and a lick, I’d just keep a close eye on them for the next 24 hours or so for any indications that they are sick.
Can Cats Eat Teriyaki Beef Jerky?
Teriyaki beef jerky is also delicious, and if you’ve been giving your cat beef jerky you’re going to have to keep this well out of their reach.
Beef jerky is fine in moderation, as long as it doesn’t have any seasoning of added flavors. It’s just strips of meat, which of course cats love. Let’s not forget that cats are obligate carnivores, they need a lot of meat proteins in their diets.
Teriyaki beef jerky on the other hand is not OK for cats. For all the same reasons as I highlihgted above for a chicken teriyaki, there’s just too many bad ingredients in the teriyaki for cats.
In Summary
At the very least, if you’ve never tried teriyaki chicken yourself, I hope this article has convinced you to give it a try!
But, in regards to – can cats eat teriyaki chicken? The answer is a firm no for your cat.
No matter how much they bother you. Or, how long they stare at you and your leftovers. They will just end up with a bad tummy, or worse. It’s just not worth it.
If you want to know if cats can eat other tasty human foods that we enjoy please check out my blog for more posts like this.
I think you’ll find the research behind other foods that seem fine for cats, like Ham, Tuna, Tilapia, Cheese, and more very interesting!
