Since it’s a breakfast staple, cat owners wonder: Can cats eat pancakes? Whether it’s your good old-fashioned pancakes drenched in butter and maple syrup or cinnamon rolls and pancakes mixed into one, pancakes are indeed a popular breakfast choice.
As loving cat owners, it’s nice that you asked if your pet cats can eat pancakes. Truth is, not all the food products in the human world are healthy for cats.
Given that pancakes are not really among the healthiest breakfast options, should you still give your kitties a piece? Are pancakes safe for cats?
This is where we come in. A website you can rely on when it comes to all your cat concerns, FelineLiving took care of all the dirty work to find out if feeding your cat pancakes is a good idea.
Read on if you wish to know all the nitty-gritty information about pancakes and it’s effects on your cat’s health.
Yummy Pancake Facts
Pancakes come in different names. Also known as flapjack, hotcake, griddle cake, and slapjack, a pancake is a flat cake often fried in a pan. Flipping it is a must to cook both sides thoroughly.
Cooking your basic pancake is simple. Its batter can be made from scratch using a few ingredients. These include flour, baking powder, milk, eggs, butter or oil, and some salt and sugar.
When it’s munch time, many like eating it flat with various toppings on top or even in between (think syrup, chocolate, peanut butter, fruits).
Others prefer to eat it rolled up with fillings. Now, this brekky must-have is not only eaten in the morning. Pancakes are also great as a dessert or an after-dinner snack.
Whichever way people eat this delicious food item, nutrition-wise, we’re aware that this isn’t as hearty as other dishes.
But then again, provided that you lose some of the sugary fat (like the additional syrup and butter), hotcakes still offer various vitamins and minerals that your body needs to get your day started. Here are some:
Phosphorus
Calcium
Vitamin C
Vitamin B6
Vitamin B12
Can Cats Eat Pancakes?
Since pancakes offer a few health benefits (for humans), the question is: Can cats eat pancakes?
If you want a short answer, the answer is IT DEPENDS. Unlike chocolates, lemons, and grapes, which are all toxic to cats, giving your cat a piece of pancake is okay. However, in the case of pancakes, you’d have to consider a few things.
First off, you need to know all the ingredients that go into the batter mix and pancake toppings to know if the pancake is safe for cats. Second, the number of pancakes you give to your cat also matters.
What Benefits Can Your Cat Get From Pancakes?
Cats are obligate carnivores. Unlike humans who are capable of digesting both animal and plant-based food products, your feline friend requires meat or animal protein in their diets for survival. This means that their digestive system lacks the enzyme to process plant products.
Pancakes usually contain processed and plant-based products that don’t have any nutritional value in the cat world.
Simply put, like cookies, pancakes are considered junk foods in the realm of cat food products.
Perhaps you’re wondering if feeding your cat pancakes has any adverse effects. The answer is Yes.
Since it doesn’t have a lot to offer health-wise and it’s more or less considered junk food, letting your cats eat a piece of pancake can lead to a couple of health issues.
Gut Problem
Apart from your cats’ inability to digest plants, cats are lactose intolerant. Yes, as kittens, your cat can drink the milk from their moms. But, as they mature, your cat loses the enzyme that is needed to break down lactose.
The problem with pancakes is that this food’s ingredients often include dairy products, namely: milk and butter.
Ingesting small amounts is alright since a few pieces won’t have enough lactose. But since cats are lactose intolerant, feeding your pets large amounts of hotcakes (equivalent to greater amounts of lactose) may wreak havoc on your cats’ system and cause diarrhea and stomach upset.
Weight Gain
Apart from containing dairy products, pancakes are basically made with the following ingredients: sugar, salt, flour, milk, eggs, and butter. These plus a generous serving of syrup make this treat high in calories, sodium, and fat.
Expect your cat to gain some weight if your cat consumes these three together in large quantities. Obesity may not sound severe, but it may shorten the life of your cat.
Sugar-related Health Problems
Pancakes are often made extra sweet, thanks to the extra helping of syrup plus fruits and other sugary ingredients.
Letting your cat eat pancakes without controlling the amount of sugar that goes into it can lead to weight gain and other sugar-induced conditions like diabetes and tooth problems.
Tips On How To Feed Pancakes To Your Pets
As you can see, pancakes are not suitable for cats since the cons outweigh the pros. But, if you must give your cat a pancake because you’re cat is that curious, make sure to follow these tips:
It’s best to avoid letting your cat eat pancakes with syrup. Aside from adding carbs, cats are “sweet blind,” so there’s no use adding syrup in their pancakes.
Since your cat can’t handle dairy products like milk and butter, you can make flapjacks without this ingredient. One thing you can do is to replace the milk with water or non-dairy milk.
To avoid any problem, take a look at the ingredients. Remember that your pet should not eat anything with chocolate, grapes, raisins, oranges, and natural sweeteners like xylitol.
Kittens under 18 weeks should not be given hotcakes.
How many pancakes can cats eat? Give your kitties just a tiny amount.
Vegan Pancakes: Is It Safe?
Flapjacks minus the eggs and dairy products are also known as vegan pancakes. Your cat can safely eat these. But, just like regular hotcakes, these do not provide any nutritional value to your pet.
Pancakes are safe for your pet cats to eat as long as only a small amount is given occasionally. But, this does not mean that it’s healthy.
Although the answer to your “can cats eat pancakes” question is a yes, giving your cat a piece of pancake as a treat or adding this to their daily menu is not recommended.
Yes, pancakes contain eggs, baking powder, and other items which are considered safe. But, it also has dairy products like milk and butter.
Overall,it’s not a healthy treat. As such, it’s best to give them something more nutritious and break the habit of giving your cat things that will do more harm than good to them.
Bonus Recipes
There are lots of ways to make a pancake but are you sure that all the ingredients you are using are not toxic for your feline companion? Fret not, below we have put together easy & cat-friendly recipes for you to follow. Enjoy!
Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl until smooth.
Tear off small chunks of the mixture and roll into balls, then flatten into little pancakes.
Grill for 8 minutes on a medium heat.
Let them cool for around half an hour before giving to your cat.
Notes
Cats love their meat and fish so if you're looking to give them a treat, how about putting a little bit of tuna or chicken on top? Not what we would choose necessarily… but something your cat will love!
Put the meat into a bowl and add catnip into it, beat the egg into the bowl and mix it well before finally adding your oatmeal and again thoroughly mixing these ingredients.
Knead your mixture into small round balls and flatten them.
Put them in your oven and grill them at a temperature of 180 degrees Celsius for about 8-10 minutes.
Alternatively, instead of grilling them, you can panfry them. Heat your non-stick pan at medium heat, grease it with olive oil and fry them on both sides.
Cool them for about half an hour.
Cut them into smaller pieces before serving them to your feline friend.
Notes
Our only caution is to ensure all the ingredients suggested are ok for your kitty. Avoid those that use dairy products or milk since most adult cats are lactose-intolerant and it can result in stomach upsets and diarrhea.Also, avoid those that have a lot of carbohydrates and less of proteins since these pets are obligate carnivores whose diet should be high in proteins, have moderate amounts of fats and little amounts of carbohydrates.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can cats eat pancakes and syrup?
Pancakes and waffles with syrup should never be fed to your cat. Cat's don't need sweets in their diet and should not be given syrup or other sweets. If your cat likes licking a plate with hot pancakes and maple syrup, they are most likely attracted to the fat that's in the syrup, such as the hot melted butter.
What happens if a cat eats a pancake?
If your cat ate a good portion of pancakes. Then, It would very likely result in your cat having diarrhea. Some cats might able to digest lactose. But, Sadly, a lot of cat owners do not know this, that most adult cats are lactose intolerant.
Can cats have banana pancakes?
Yes, cats can safely eat banana pancakes, provided that all the other ingredients are safe.
Is it bad for cats to drink milk?
In a word, yes, cows' milk is bad for cats. Most cats are actually ‘lactose intolerant' as they don't have the enzyme (lactase) in their intestines to digest the sugar in milk (lactose), meaning that milk which contains lactose can make them poorly.
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