Cats can eat certain foods typical of the human diet. Although they are not recommended or are not present naturally in your food pyramid, they are not harmful to your health, quite the opposite: they provide you with interesting properties and benefits for your body, as is the case with rice, since despite being carnivorous they can ingest it
Many people choose to give their cats food from the human diet as a reward for something they have done well or for being obedient, without paying attention to the impact that this food can have on the cat’s body. Therefore, it is important to know what foods are positive for cats. To find out if cats can eat rice , what its benefits are and how to give it to them, at OneHOWTO we recommend that you continue reading this article.
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Index
- Can cats eat rice or not?
- What are the benefits of rice for cats?
- How to feed my cat rice
Can cats eat rice or not?
Rice is one of the most common foods in the human diet, forming part of the base of the food pyramid due to its great nutritional benefits. For cats, although it is not an essential food or the most recommended, it is also positive since it is not toxic to them.
Therefore, cats can eat rice, but in a moderate way . Therefore, you have to take this into account, as well as remember these aspects before giving your minion rice:
- Cats are exclusively carnivorous animals: their body absolutely needs animal fats and proteins. Hence the importance of giving him an adequate diet for his well-being, since otherwise he could suffer from long-term nutritional deficiencies . Taking into account that rice is composed mainly of carbohydrates, it is not a food that meets the nutritional needs of cats. Therefore, they should not be fed frequently with rice.
- In certain circumstances, it is recommended that you give your cat rice, especially in the case of suffering from a gastrointestinal illness such as diarrhea. And it is that with this type of ailment, dry feed can cause irritation in the intestine.
- On the other hand, rice helps regulate intestinal activity: by feeding it for 4 days as a bland diet, you will help your cat recover from diarrhoea. Once recovered, the cat should return to its food gradually because the continued consumption of rice as the basis of the diet can cause health problems.
- It is important to know that it is not convenient to give rice to small cats, even in cases that suffer from diarrhea, because its intake could affect their development and cause constipation. To treat diarrhea and similar health problems in feline puppies, at OneHOWTO we recommend that you go to the vet immediately and follow his instructions.
If your cat has diarrhoea, we recommend you go to the vet, but we also invite you to learn about some Home remedies for diarrhea in cats , which you can discuss with the professional to see if any of them fit the case of your feline.
What are the benefits of rice for cats?
As stated in the previous section, rice does not provide the basic nutritional components required by the cat’s body, so it should not be a food that is present in quantity in their diet. Even so, it is true that it provides them with some benefits, such as the following:
- Provides vitamin
- Contains small amounts of magnesium.
- Provides iron.
- It is rich in carbohydrates and calories, which provides energyto cats.
Despite these benefits, it is important to emphasize that you should include rice in your cat’s diet in moderation and above all use it when the veterinarian indicates it to help the cat recover from a gastrointestinal problem.
How to feed my cat rice
Bearing in mind that cats can eat rice from time to time , it is important that you know how to give it to yours so that it obtains its benefits and avoids the adverse effects on its body. There are two types of rice that cats can eat:
White rice for cats
You can give it to him, but always cooked . Never feed it raw, as uncooked grains can cause stomach and intestinal pain, among other problems. Also, this type of rice, depending on where and how it was grown, may contain lectin, a pesticide that could cause you to vomit. On the other hand, cooked rice is not dangerous: you can give it to him for several days in small doses without any risk to his health.
Brown rice for cats
Your cat can also eat it, getting extra fiber thanks to this type of rice. In fact, pâtés for cats made with brown rice and chicken are currently marketed. This type of rice must also be given cooked always .
To get your cat to eat rice, since the tasteless taste of cooked grains will not be very attractive, at OneHOWTO we give you the following recommendations:
- Rice with chicken:this mixture will help regulate the cat’s digestive system. In addition, the nutrients contained in chicken will give you energy and help you recover from your ailments.
- Rice with cooked fish:it is recommended to give it tuna, but there are more options. It is very important that you opt for fresh, quality or frozen fish, but try to avoid canned tuna for human consumption, as it may contain bisphenol, mercury and high levels of sodium that are harmful to your cat’s health. We encourage you to read this other article about a common question: Why can’t cats eat fish – truth or myth?