Pancakes are popular all around the world. That’s probably because they are delicious and easy to make. If you are having pancakes for breakfast, then you might be tempted to share them with your cat. This brings up a question: is it safe for cats to eat pancakes?
Can Cats Eat Pancakes?
In short, cats can eat small pieces of pancakes, but regularly feeding your cat pancakes is not recommended.
Pancakes usually contain only a few ingredients: flour, baking powder, milk, eggs and butter. The problem is that two of these ingredients (milks and butter) are dairy products, which most cats cannot properly digest. If you would feed your cat a good portion of pancakes, it would very likely result in your cat having diarrhea.
Sadly, a lot of cat owners do not know this, but most adult cats are lactose intolerant. This means that they simply lack the enzyme necessary for breaking down lactose, and therefore should not be fed any dairy products.
Giving your cat a small piece of a pancake, though, is fine. A small piece of a pancake doesn’t contain enough lactose to cause a problem for a cat. However, I would still advise against it, because it’s not a good idea to make a habit out of feeding your cat things he should not be eating.
Vegan Pancakes Are a Slightly Better Option for Cats
As plant-based diets are getting more and more popular with each day, the pancakes you are eating might not contain dairy at all. If this is the case, you are welcome to share the pancakes with your cat, but you still have to moderate the quantity. Vegan pancakes are safe for cats, but nutritionally they wouldn’t offer much to a feline.
It’s best not to let your cat fill up on things that do not provide him with all the nutrients he needs. If this happens every once in a while, then it probably wouldn’t cause any serious ill effects for your cat, however, if you regularly let your cat fill up on things that do not provide him all the essential nutrients he needs, then it can lead to malnutrition and serious health problems.
Conclusion
Pancakes are not a suitable food item for cats. Even if you do not use milk and butter to make pancakes, a pancake would still be a poor breakfast choice for your cat as it doesn’t have much nutritional value for your carnivorous pet.