page title icon Can Cats Eat Peanut Butter?

by Linda Mathews Last Updated November 17, 2021

Can cats eat peanut butter? Is it safe for them? Why do they love it and why can it be dangerous for cats? We have all the answers here!

Cats do weird things, cats love eating weird food — that’s ok. We love these small fur balls, and their strange behavior can’t affect our love. But sometimes it can be dangerous to the cats, and that’s exactly what we’d like to talk about here.

The thing is: all the cats have their own food preferences, and that’s a fact no one can deny. Some of them love bread, some adore olives and cucumbers, the others prefer noodles, etc. Like, my polite Scottish Fold goes crazy and runs around meowing when I bring a melon. They all are different, that’s why we love them — and there’s nothing bad about their food preferences. Unless these preferences are dangerous.

If you are a happy cat owner, you probably know some of the examples. Like, everyone knows that alcohol, chocolate (especially dark chocolate), tea, and coffee are extremely dangerous — it’s one of those facts, well-known to all. However, there are dozens of such products, which means you have to be extremely careful when feeding your cat. Some of these products are poisonous when eaten in large quantities, while even the small amounts of other products can lead to serious problems. Some of them can lead to vitamin deficiency or to an upset stomach, while others may be fatal. You have to know all of them — but that’s not exactly what we’d like to talk about here.

In this article, we’ll talk about peanut butter. It seems like it’s one of those harmless products your cat can eat every single day, but is it really so? Is peanut butter good or bad for your cat? What are the possible side effects of this product? How much peanut butter is too much and why it can be dangerous? We have the answers to all of these questions here. Keep reading and you’ll know them too!

Yes or No: Can Cats Have Peanut Butter?

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Is peanut butter ok for cats? It’s a very, very common question, but the answer isn’t very simple. Well, very briefly and very generally: yes, you can give peanut butter to your cat.

At first, let’s make it clear: there are dozens of articles about cats eating peanut butter

on the Web. Almost all of the authors argue that the peanut butter is ok, and that there is nothing dangerous about it — but when it comes to the health of your cat, you must find the most credible sources possible. All those anonymous articles are definitely not what you need, and despite this article can look like one of them, it’s really not. The thing is, we’ve found the most credible source, and it’s called ASPCA. Did you hear about it?

It’s the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and their Animal Poison Control Center is what we are based on here. It’s one of the largest organizations of such a profile in the world, and they are trustworthy, no doubt. It’s also a very reputable organization, and all the pet owners have to listen to their advice. Well, we do.

This organization has published an exhaustive list of the human foods toxic to cats, and you must check this list in order to know what not to give to your cat. The good news is: you won’t find peanut butter in this list, which means it isn’t toxic — so the answer to the question “can cats eat peanuts?” is “yes, they can”. Proven by the experts!

But, as we’ve already said, it’s not so simple. We’ll talk about it later, but at first let’s step back for a moment and see why do cats eat peanut butter — like, we know that it’s really tasty, but why do cats love it so much?

Health Benefits of Peanut Butter

Health Benefits of Peanut Butter

Peanut butter is a source of vitamin E, magnesium, potassium, and vitamin B6. In addition, 60g of peanut butter has more protein than one egg.

Do Cats Like Peanut Butter?

Do Cats Like Peanut Butter?

Of course, not all cats love this product. Some of them don’t care, some don’t like it, while the others go crazy when they see the jar — there aren’t any rules here.

Unfortunately, we can’t tell exactly why some cats adore peanut butter. No one can, actually — but we are sure it’s all about sugar, smell and the creamy texture of this delicious product.

Is Peanut Butter Bad for Cats? Side Effects Of Too Much Peanut Butter For Cats

Alright, let’s talk about the possible problems. Despite peanut butter isn’t very toxic, some side effects are still possible — and of course, you don’t want your cat to suffer from any of them.

So, the first thing you have to know here is that the texture of peanut butter doesn’t work well for cats. It’s a sticky substance, and this stickiness can lead to choking, which is definitely not a good thing.

The second problem is related to the chemistry of peanut butter. It contains lots of proteins, oils and fats, and all these food components are not very healthy for a cat. If you give your cat small amounts of peanut butter on special occasions, it’s not a problem, but giving them peanut butter regularly is not the best idea. It’s definitely not the best idea, because eating too much peanut butter will 100% lead to obesity, diabetes and to an upset stomach. You don’t want your cat to have such problems, right?

Another reason why we don’t recommend to feed your cat with peanut butter is called “aflatoxins”. This chemical substance can cause cancer, so if you wanna prevent cat liver cancer, well, you know what you should do.

We also recommend to avoid peanut butter because of sugar. Eating too much sugar can lead to parasites, yeast infection and even tumors. Not to mention diabetes and premature aging!

The last problem we’d like to mention here is… mouse traps. Some people use peanut butter as baits for mice, and it’s certainly a bad idea if you have a cat in your house. Cats can get caught in mouse traps, too, and despite it’s usually not fatal, well, it’s still very painful.

Oh, and of course, you have to avoid this product if your cat is allergic to peanut butter. Vomit, diarrhea (peanut butter and diarrhea is quite a common problem) are the clear signs that your cat is allergic.

Is Peanut Butter Safe for Cats? Should You Give Peanut Butter To Your Cat?

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Let’s make a little conclusion: yes, peanut butter can be dangerous if you give it to your cat regularly, and yes, it’s not the healthiest food in the world even if you give it to him rarely. Don’t let your cat eat it every single day — in this case, a little peanut butter is ok. What’s more, it can even be helpful in some cases!

We are talking about the medications here. It’s usually very difficult to give a pill to a cat — well, you can give it without any problems, but he will most likely not take it. Cats don’t like pills, and cats won’t take pills if they don’t want to. In this case, you can trick your cat with peanut butter. Make a little butter ball, hide the pill in the center, give it to your cat and the job is done!

Precautions When Giving Peanut Butter to Cats

Precautions When Giving Peanut Butter to Cats

Peanut butter can be given to cats in exceptional circumstances, and if you decide to do so, follow these tips.

Peanut Butter Alternatives

Peanut Butter Alternatives

Fortunately, there are many healthy alternatives to peanut butter. Here are some options.

So, Is Peanut Butter Good for Cats or Not?

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Let’s repeat: if your cat doesn’t eat peanut butter regularly, it’s ok. If you use it occasionally to hide a pill inside or to treat your pet, it’s ok, too (but you still have to make sure your cat isn’t allergic to this product). But it shouldn’t become a habit, and you don’t have to overfeed your cat — cause it will most likely lead to some undesirable health problems.

We have one more advice for you here, and it would be great for all the cat owners to follow this advice. It sounds like this: when you don’t know if you should give peanut butter to your cat or not, just don’t give it to him. It’s not a problem at all — there are dozens of healthy and tasty products/treats that will not lead to any problems. Your cat will definitely not suffer from the absence of peanut butter, while it may suffer from its presence — so the choice is obvious, isn’t it?