A rundown on honey
Can cats eat honey? That is the question we will tackle today.
All-natural honey is an excellent addition to more than a handful of culinary recipes. It’s even added to a selection of hot and cold beverages. Sometimes, we decide to add in honey to keep a mixture sweet and balanced.
The sweetness of honey is a great way to perk up your taste buds!
The great thing about consuming honey besides being your choice of natural sugar is that it is usually organic.
Most of the people prefer their honey organically made because of its natural properties.
Honey is surprisingly healthy. With its variety of uses and remedies, it’s one of mother nature’s sweetest gifts.
Yet, cat parents have tossed around significant questions surrounding their fur babies consuming honey.
So we’ve captured your concerns here for you to gloss through at your own time as you’re wondering if cats can have honey as well.
Concerns like: Is honey safe for cats, and what happens when I give my cat honey? Should I just avoid it entirely?
Now, let's find out!
Read Also: Top 10 Best Cat Foods [2024 Buyer’s Guide For Dry & Wet]
Can cats eat honey?
Is it safe for them or should you keep these sweets out of reach?
Here are the fundamentals.
To simply put, yes, cats of all breeds in the book can eat honey in both its liquid or crystallized versions. It’s something they’ll risk eating if they see their cat parents enjoy it around them.
Can cats digest honey?
Even when cats can eat honey, are they able to digest it though?
Felines survive and thrive on different types of food compared to us humans. Cats truly thrive on the protein available in meat.
Their digestive system does require fiber in significantly smaller amounts than how much we need. And they also need essential vitamins, minerals, and nutrients derived from real meat.
What their bodies can’t process as smoothly as ours can are nutrients like lactose, fructose, and glucose. Unfortunately, honey is extremely rich in both fructose and glucose even if the honey may be organic.
Your cat’s digestive system can’t process these sugars the way yours could. In other words, anything you give that’s ridden with sweetness is an entirely bad idea to give to your cats. The same goes for honey.
Does honey have any benefit for cats?
All-natural honey has benefits to offer, but can cats eat honey for the same benefits we get? Their downsides may remain regardless of the benefits it has to offer for their immune system.
Meanwhile, here are the benefits that are available in honey:
- Honey can slightly soothe present allergies.
- It also has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.
- It is rich in various antioxidants.
Honey also lacks the crucial nutrients a feline requires daily such as protein, fiber, or any significant vitamins whatsoever.
All honey could offer to your cat is entirely different than what we can benefit from. Your cats may appreciate the sugary flavor of honey and its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
When cats are biologically carnivores and aren’t designed to process sugars, feeding them honey is not recommended even with its awesome benefits.
If ever you are thinking of easing your kitty’s allergic reactions and helping relieve a sore throat problem, you need not opt for honey. Instead, you may speak to your vet and take a professional’s advice.
After all, your pet’s immune system and dietary requirements aren’t made to be soothed with honey.
Facts you need to know
Honey is considered a healthy treat for humans, and it does have many anti-bacterial properties and beneficial nutrients such as vitamin C, copper, iron, potassium, and zinc. It is also rich in antioxidants.
Although you may want to provide your cat with a healthy diet and all the vitamins and nutrients they need, there are plenty of other options available, and honey may not be the best option.
Cat's bodies aren't designed to process sugars, which means they may have a hard time digesting honey that is high in fructose and glucose.
Honey may have small health benefits when it comes to cats, including its capacity to ease allergies, has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, and is rich in antioxidants.
However, the downsides may overrule the benefits, as cats may get an upset stomach causing vomiting and diarrhea after consuming honey.
Since sugar is not a part of the natural diet for cats, honey then isn’t the first that’s recommended by experts.
You may feel like giving it to your cat because you enjoy having sugary treats yourself and you want to give your cat something tasty and delicious too. Cats are carnivores and cat food will provide them everything they truly need for their diet.
If you decide to feed your cat honey, make sure you do it in small amounts and only on occasion. Also, you should make sure you observe your cat and see how they react to honey. If they have not eaten honey before, they may get some discomfort in their stomach and even allergic reactions that show a compromised immune system.
Can cats eat raw honey?
Raw honey is safe for cats in small amounts. Giving your kitty a spoonful of honey will not hurt her.
However, adding raw honey to your feline's diet is not recommended as such. It may not be toxic, but it may cause your cat to have an upset stomach.
What will happen if my cat eats raw honey?
Even in its many forms, honey isn’t able to provide the dietary fiber your cat needs. When your cats eat honey, it can trigger stomach aches and other unpleasant yet rather mild health problems.
When it comes to cats, honey can cause the following complications:
- Insulin level fluctuations
- Vomiting from time-to-time
- Uncontrollable weight gain
- Diarrhea
Honey isn’t needed for cats suffering from diabetes and obesity, and this includes young kittens with underdeveloped immune systems. The sugary contents, calories, and bacteria in this delicious treat may potentially be harmful to them.
If your cat has ever eaten some amount of honey before, you can quickly check out for some of the symptoms above.
Immediately call your vet if there are any symptoms of unease. Especially if your cats have any health issues, may that be diagnosed or undiagnosed, there’s a slight chance that honey might cause an upset stomach for them.
However, if your pet cat seems overall healthy, a tiny amount of honey will probably just cause slight indigestion for a few hours.
What are other alternatives to honey?
Even when this delicious treat is not considered toxic to cats, it is not usually recommended. Many experts advise avoiding honey altogether when it comes to our feline friends, with the knowledge that it’s difficult for cats to digest it.
Many cats have a hard time appreciating honey and will lead them to entirely avoid the treat itself. Other cats who react well to honey can have a small amount as a treat, now and then.
I do suggest not giving more than one serving of honey to your cat, regardless of the health benefits that come with it. We can choose to give our cats some food alternatives such as blueberries, oatmeal, and peas. These alternatives are far more nutritious, healthy, and packed with antioxidants.
These food must-haves are even preferred by a variety of high-quality cat food manufacturers.
You can just opt for such delicious treats and vet-approved supplements to give to your cat, instead of choosing to go for honey.
We love our feline friends, and that entails giving what’s best for them.
When it comes to health, we would want to provide them with all the nutrients and supplements they need to live a happy and healthy life.
You can give your cats honey, but always remember it is not recommended as a part of their regular diet.
When should I give my cat honey?
The first thing to do here to determine when you could give honey to cats is to observe your cat for allergic reactions to it. Any allergic reaction such as vomiting or diarrhea won’t cut it for them. If your cat happens to not have any negative reaction to honey, it’s okay to give them in just a small amount:
For smaller cats: Give them a maximum of 1 teaspoon per day
For larger cats: Give them a maximum of 1 tablespoon per day
Final thoughts
Since some experts do not recommend giving cats honey, you ought to consult your vet before adding this much honey to your cat's diet.
So there you have it, yes your cats can eat honey as it’s not toxic for them. Just consider how much you need to give to them for fewer complications.
Remember, they won’t benefit from it the way we do, so anything over the recommended serving sizes might put them at risk for that funky feeling in their stomach.
Every cat is different, and so will be their relationship with honey!
