French fries and other deep fried foods are far from healthy for us humans. They do taste good, though, and that’s why it can be hard to resist them. If you are eating fries, then you might not want to eat them all by yourself, so you might think about leaving some for your cat, but can cats eat French fries?
Can Cats Eat French Fries? Not Recommended!
The short answer would be no, it’s not okay to let your cat eat French fries.
If your cat already ate a few fries, then there’s no need to panic as French fries are not toxic to cats. However, feeding your cat French fries is still not recommended, because eating fries would do more harm than good to your cat.
Why It’s Not Okay for Cats to Eat French Fries
French Fries Contain Too Much Salt
One problem with French fries is that they contain a lot of salt. For example, one small serving of McDonald’s French fries contains 134.2 milligrams of sodium, which is more than three times the safe daily sodium intake level for cats.
French Fries Are High in Calories & Fat
Just like us humans, cats need fats to be healthy. However, cats need essential fatty acids like Omega-3 and Omega-6, not saturated fat. Deep fried food such as French fries contain very little of the essential fatty acids, but a lot of saturated fat. Eating saturated fat rich food won’t do your cat any good, it will only provide him with unnecessary calories, which can lead to obesity.
Even Plain Potatoes Aren’t Good for Cats
French fries and potato chips may be tasty, but they are also one the most unhealthy things we make out of potatoes. However, even plain cooked potatoes are not the best thing to feed your cat. Cats need protein to thrive, and while it is okay for there to be some carbohydrates in your cat’s diet, the amount should be low. Most commercial dry cat foods already contain quite a lot of carbohydrates.
If you are feeding your cat dry kibble, then it would be a bad idea to offer him additional carbohydrate rich treats, because your cat probably eats too many carbohydrates as it is. It’s also important to note that the green parts of raw potatoes are toxic to cats, and also that cats cannot digest raw potatoes.
If you are feeding your cat canned food, then the amount of carbohydrates in your cat’s diet is most likely not that high. In that case, you can occasionally offer your cat a carbohydrate rich treat, but don’t make it a French fry. A piece of a plain cooked potato would be a better option.
Can Cats Eat Ketchup? Ketchup Can Be Dangerous for Cats
French fries and ketchup go together. If your cat has eaten some French fries, then there’s a good chance that he had some ketchup as well. Now that you’ve learned that fries are far from the best thing to share with your cat, you might be worried about the ketchup too.
So, if you are wondering “Can cats eat ketchup?”, know that the answer would be no, ketchup too is not okay for cats.
While ketchup also contains too much sodium for cats, there’s even a bigger problem with ketchup. It’s that a lot of ketchups (Heinz ketchup, for example) contain onion powder, and onions are downright toxic to cats.
Another problem with ketchup is that it’s too acidic for cats. So, even if the ketchup you like doesn’t contain onion powder, it would still upset your cat’s stomach and thus is not safe.
Conclusion on Can Cats Eat French Fries
To sum it up, French fries are not safe to share with your cat. There are many reasons why you want to avoid giving your cat fries: they are too salty, they contain a lot calories and fat, they wouldn’t provide your cat any nourishment and they may be covered with ketchup, which can be dangerous for cats.