It’s true that cucumbers have been used to frighten cats in viral videos all over the internet, but the question is: “Can cats eat cucumbers?”
Short answer: Yes, cats can eat cucumbers.
First off, did you know that a cucumber mostly contains water? It’s simply refreshing than most fruits with natural sugars.
To our surprise, cucumbers are the only vegetables that have almost 90% water in their crop composition. No wonder it’s been put into iced water pitchers as a detoxifying summer drink.
Cucumbers are also a good source of essential nutrients people may go to for a complete health plan or diet.
This crisp, watery, refreshing vegetable normally adds in the moisture and texture to fresh green salads.
It also makes a great addition to sandwiches, veggie side dishes, and a wide variety of other fried, vegetable-based snacks. Fans of vegetable-infused water have long ago learned that cucumber slices are settled in a pitcher of cold water overnight to create a delicious, mild-tasting beverage.
Some people even enjoy slicing up a cucumber and eating it, simply. And, because of the health benefits we get from the vegetable, we get to take pride in eating cucumbers regularly.
So, this crop has more benefits for us, but can cats eat cucumbers and benefit from them too?
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Can cats eat cucumbers?
Here are the health benefits you need to know
The nutritional value and health benefits of cucumbers are surprisingly diverse! So they don’t only contain water per se. So, can cats eat cucumbers? Here’s what they can get from eating a few slices!
Cucumbers are a natural source of Vitamin C, Vitamin K, beta-carotene copper, and potassium.
So, it’s great to think that a slice shouldn’t do too much harm, right? Knowing the nutritional value cucumbers have there isn’t anything wrong with a bite from time to time.
This is why a cucumber provides a huge nutritional boost for humans but does little to help your cats in meeting their dietary requirements. The nutrients your feline friend needs to build, repair, and fuel their bodies comes from eating meat, not vegetables. So, there's a heavier significance on consuming meat than vegetables for all types of cats.
This means it's a must that your cats eat more meat to get all of the nutrients they need. We can help them achieve a balanced diet by feeding them just small amounts of plant food along with more meat consumption.
In general, cucumbers and other vegetables will not be able to give as many nutrients as your cat needs.
These nutrients are in the way of key vitamins, minerals, and amino acids, but cucumbers may benefit your cat’s health in other ways.
For cats, the benefits are different. Vitamin K in cucumbers helps them improve their blood clotting. This component serves the health of their liver. So, yes, it’s safe to give cats a slice of cucumber from time to time.
Another great reason to give your cats cucumbers is the dietary fiber that comes with the said vegetable.
Realistically, felines do not need anywhere near as much fiber as we do. Ideally, they can consume this in small amounts.
Consuming small amounts can work wonders on their digestion. Dietary fiber gives benefits to their health not because it provides energy, but because it soaks up water and adds bulk to stool, which is good for constipated cats to stay healthy and have regular bowel movements.
The water itself can act as an essential nutrient during days of summer.
Since cucumbers typically have a low amount of calories, these vegetables allow your pet to lose some weight. The components in cucumbers help your feline’s metabolism immensely. Let’s not get carried away on only feeding them cucumber to lose weight fast as that can pose detrimental health risks also, taking on an unnatural pace on weight loss.
While cucumbers seem to be a good treat, there are a few things to consider with cucumbers.
Read Also: How Much Water Does a Cat Need? How to Get Her To Drink More?
A few known problems involving cucumbers
The problem most pet owners have is that once we learn that something has good nutrients for our cat we tend to give more quantities of cucumber slices than what’s safe for them.
So can cats eat cucumbers? What are the consequences of feeding them to cats?
If you may have given your cats more than two cucumbers to eat, they might develop diarrhea. Since the cucumber contains so much water, it's usually best to give it as an occasional treat.
The skin is better off peeled because of the present and lingering pesticide cucumbers have absorbed.
Having been sprayed with pesticides long before they’ve been harvested, these chemicals can linger on and infect any pet that consumes a heavy amount.
This is a good precaution to have with all vegetables or artificial food you give to your cat. If you find the food you choose not to eat, then your cat probably shouldn’t either. Just a pro-tip there!
Check out these kitties in the video below enjoying their cucumbers too much!
How can I safely give it to my cat?
We've come to a full understanding that cucumber is safe for cats, but it’s important to note that you should only feed the vegetable to your feline in moderation. This is because of the high water content or any pesticide content in cucumber. Eating too many slices could result in unexpected diarrhea for your kitty.
Also, it’s advisable to peel the cucumber before feeding it to your cat. This is to make sure there are no chemicals on the skin that might upset your cat or prove toxic.
Finally, while it’s generally safe to serve your cat raw cucumber, definitely avoid giving them any pickled or artificially processed cucumber to eat.
Things to consider when feeding your cat cucumbers
Cucumbers are juicy and tasty vegetables even when they are mostly water.
They still pose as pretty nutritious. They are an excellent source of vitamin K and a good source of copper, potassium, manganese as well as many other important nutrients.
A cucumber is one of the vegetables that also have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. These properties also assist in protecting body cells from free radicals.
It’s smart to incorporate foods with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties into your cat’s diet to help protect against health-related issues such as cancer, cardiovascular disease (heart disease), and other inflammatory diseases.
Adding antioxidants into the diet may reduce swelling associated with arthritis, which alleviates pain and improves mobility.
Of course, cucumbers are not recommended for veterinary care. If you think your cat needs to eat a cucumber for their supplementary diet, you can try to consult a veterinarian before even deciding to add that in.
Though it is also worth repeating that cucumbers are to be fed to cats in small amounts and small portions.
Keep in mind that your cats may not have the ability to digest large amounts of plant foods, as they may suffer from bloating, indigestion, diarrhea, or any other gastrointestinal issue as a result of taking in more than a couple of slices.
Unlike us, our cats do not need to eat more than two servings of vegetables per day. As a cat owner, you can let your cats eat cucumber and other vegetables as supplements for them, and not the daily meal your fur babies need to consume.
The take-away
In conclusion, cats can eat cucumbers to absorb the beneficial nutrients from the watery vegetable. Especially, when they need some extra help when constipated.
This is why I recommend having your cats eat cucumber slices from time to time.
You will only need to avoid overfeeding your cat with a lot of cucumber slices to refrain from any gastrointestinal upsets. So, this means that one or two slices a week should be okay for your cat, especially when cucumbers are perceived as tasty and healthy vegetables loaded with nutrients.
The only thing you need to keep in mind is that the cucumber vegetable is high in water and fiber, so you’re definitely in the safe zone giving these to cats cucumber slices in small quantities.
The Vitamin K in this vegetable helps avoid the possibilities of blood clotting. To add to the list, the vegetable also has molybdenum that is very crucial for a cat's metabolism.
Have your feline fur babies developed a fancy for eating cucumbers? I highly encourage you to introduce this nutritious vegetable as an occasional treat because of how highly nutritious it is and how it completely helps to release some steam off your fur baby during the summer time!
