Can Cats Eat Marshmallows?

Giving treats to your cat is a rewarding experience for you as a pet owner and your feline friend. But if you’re thinking of giving them a sweet treat, you may find yourself asking, “Can cats eat marshmallows?” Are marshmallows safe for cats? The answer is no. Their tongues cannot detect the taste of sweetness.

Hazards of Marshmallows

Marshmallows are sugary treats that are made for humans. These human foods have high sugar content. There are no health benefits from its ingredients for a cat’s diet. As carnivores, cats mostly depend on protein and meat. This is also why beans are not recommended for cats even if beans are nutritious vegetables for humans. 

Marshmallows contain high grams of sugar, calories, and sodium which are harmful to your cat’s health. It can lead to your cat’s obesity and other weight issues because cats have lower sugar, calories, and sodium tolerance than marshmallows consist of. Therefore, if you go on to feeding your cat marshmallows for the long term, it might cause serious problems for your pet. 

Eating marshmallows can also cause a hazard for cats due to possible choking. And although there are sweets with no sugar or low in sugar alternatives, these could be worse for your cat’s health. Xylitol, the sweetener often used as a sugar substitute, is toxic to cats and dogs. A small amount of xylitol can get your cat’s blood sugar to become low. Low blood sugar can lead to loss of consciousness or worse, fatalities among cats because sugar is their main source of energy. 

What Happens If My Cat Eats Marshmallows?

Now that we know the short answer if can cats eat marshmallows, it may be inevitable for them to taste one. What if you unintentionally had given your cat marshmallows? Let’s say there’s a time when you dropped one, and your cat ran fast to eat it. Observe your cat for signs of choking, and if he is, bring your cat to the vet immediately and seek their advice. 

If luckily, your cat is not choking after munching on the marshmallows, don’t worry. While the sweetener and overall content of marshmallows are not beneficial for cats, it’s neither poisonous nor toxic to them. Just make sure to be extra careful next time and keep these sweet treats away from them.

Final Words: Can Cats Eat Marshmallows?

Cats are great friends and companions. As a cat owner, you should only give them food with great nutritional benefits for them. As much as we love the soft and sweet taste of marshmallows, we cannot share this with our feline friends. Not only are marshmallows a choking hazard, but they also have a lot of sugar, sodium, and calorie content. Instead, you can provide them with treats and food that are made for them. 

Now that we know the answer to if can cats eat marshmallows, check out our blog to find out what other food can cats eat.