Cats have curiosity flowing in their blood. They will lick everything they see just to have a taste of it or maybe just because they are curious. This is good as they can eat some bugs and insects as a treat but this habit can be proved as a health hazard if they eat a food item or something which is not safe for their health. Almost every household keeps cheese in their kitchen in one form or another.
As soon as you throw your cheese wrapper and your cat has a lick. They will roam around to find the actual material. When you go down into such a thought, you may start asking questions like, can cats eat Queso? Is Queso good for cats to eat? Does Queso have any bad effects on cats? Well, this article will give you all your answers along with a bunch of useful information that will surely help you feed your cats while taking care of their health as well.
Table of Contents
What is Queso?
In Spanish, the direct meaning of “Queso” is “Cheese” but when it comes to Queso as a food, it is not just cheese. The major part of Queso is just cheese but there are a lot more ingredients added in the composition to make Queso as a whole.
Apart from this, a variety of cheese and other ingredients such as jalapenos, chile peppers, pico de gallo, and different types of meat are used to create different forms of Queso such as Queso Blanco. Queso is used as a chile-with-cheese dip in different restaurants around various regions of the world.
Can cats have Queso?
Cats are carnivores and they want to have all their nutrients from meat. Although cheese is also extracted from the same source as meat, cats should not eat Queso in any way.
You may think that Queso is filled with a lot of protein which is essential for cats’ development but the fact is that cats’ stomachs are too sensitive and their digestive systems are not able to handle dairy foods quite efficiently.
Can cats eat Queso Blanco?
No, cats cannot and should not eat Queso Blanco as it includes various harmful ingredients that can badly affect their health.
Apart from white cheese which is made using unpasteurized raw milk, it also includes harmful bacteria, salmonella, listeria, pepper, green chilies, pickled jalapenos, butter, and cumin as well.
You can easily get the idea that most of these ingredients are toxic or harmful to cats.
Can cats eat Queso Fresco?
No, Queso Fresco includes almost the same ingredients as Queso Blanco and thus both of these Queso types are not recommended for cats to eat. You simply keep this thing in mind that all different variants of Queso dip are made of almost the same ingredients but there are small variations, either in terms of ingredients; quantity, or replacement of a few ingredients.
Is it good for cats to eat Queso?
No, some cats are lactose intolerant, and such species of specific cats should not be given anything related to dairy as it will only have bad effects and may ruin your cats’ health to a greater extent.
Even if your cat is lactose tolerant, still they should not eat Queso. The Queso has cheese and various other ingredients such as chile pepper, salt, and different kinds of spices that are extremely harmful to cats and can cause serious health hazards.
Are cats allergic to dairy or cheese-based foods?
Most cats are lactose intolerant which means that their stomach and digestive system are unable to digest heavy foods mainly including all products of dairy. Such cats can be allergic to cheese-based foods.
The symptoms of allergy may not be shown in the skin but will have gastrointestinal problems. Major allergic reactions that can start to show as soon as cats at the dairy or cheese-based foods include the following:
- Inflammation
- Vomiting
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Oral irritation
Can cats eat a small amount of Queso?
As far as cheese is concerned, some experts claim that cats can eat a very little amount of cheese, though they may face difficulties in digesting such food as cats lack the digestive enzymes that can break down the dairy into small particles.
However, when it comes to Queso, you should not give even a small amount to your cats as it includes various other harmful ingredients along with cheese.
Your cat may not face any issues if she has liked the Queso wrapper or has eaten a small amount but you should not put her health at risk by feeding intentionally.
Are there health benefits of feeding Queso to cats?
If you are feeding meat-based foods along with some supplements to your cats, you should avoid feeding Queso. The reason is that Queso or any other cheese-based food doesn’t have any nutritional or health benefits for your cats. Instead, feeding Queso will only be a risk as it can lead to various minor to major health issues.
What can happen if cats eat Queso?
The actual outcomes depend on various factors mainly including the cat’s lactose tolerance or intolerance, health considerations, and stomach sensitivity.
If they have a strong digestive system, and stomach while they are lactose tolerant as well, your cats will not face any major consequences after eating a little amount of Queso but if the conditions are opposite, your cats may face health issues like
- Upset stomach
- Diarrhea
- Gas
- Periodic vomiting
- Immediate vomiting
- Laziness
- Constipation
- Sleepiness
- Loss of appetite
- Oral irritation
Nutrition Facts of Queso:
This is a clear-cut factor that Queso is not good food for cats in any way. Feeding Queso to your cats will only bring negatives and almost not a single positive.
Below are the detailed tables listing every little chunk of nutrition in the Queso cheese. This will surely help you understand why this food is not good for cats to eat.
| Queso Mexican Cheese (100 grams) | Nutrition Facts |
| Calories | 373 |
| Saturated fat | 19g |
| Monounsaturated fat | 8.5g |
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.9g |
| Cholesterol | 105mg |
| Sodium | 1131mg |
| Potassium | 87 mg |
| Carbohydrates | 4.6g |
| Net carbs | 4.6g |
| Protein | 21.4g |
| Vitamin A | 64μg |
| Vitamin A IU | 220IU |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.4μg |
| Vitamin D | 0.5mg |
| Vitamin E | 0.3mg |
| Vitamin K | 2.5μg |
| Calcium | 680mg |
| Iron | 0.5mg |
| Magnesium | 28mg |
| Phosphorus | 444 mg |
| Zinc | 2.9mg |
| Selenium | 14.5μg |
| Retinol | 64μg |
| Riboflavin | 0.2mg |
| Folate | 1μg |
| Water | 38.1g |
| Tryptophan | 0.2g |
| Threonine | 0.7g |
| Isoleucine | 1.1g |
| Leucine | 2g |
| Lysine | 1.5g |
| Methionine | 0.5g |
| Cystine | 0.1g |
| Phenylalanine | 1.1g |
| Tyrosine | 1.2g |
| Valine | 1.3g |
| Arginine | 0.7g |
| Histidine | 0.7g |
| Alanine | 0.6g |
| Aspartic acid | 1.3g |
| Glutamic acid | 4.8g |
| Glycine | 0.3g |
| Proline | 2.2g |
| Serine | 1.2g |
What foods are good for cats to eat?
As you cannot feed queso to your cats, various other foods can be given to your cats as a snack, treat, or supplement.
Below-mentioned foods will give you an opportunity to not only please your cats but provide them with health benefits as well as protect them from any health hazards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is any cheese good for cats to eat?
No, cheese is just a diary and cats don’t like it because of their lactose intolerance. If you still want to give cheese to your cats as a treat for once, it is better to feed them natural cheese instead of processed cheese. But as an endline, avoiding cheese and cheese-based food is a better option.
Can kittens eat Queso?
No, a kitten’s stomach is far more delicate and sensitive as compared to adult cats. So, when it is not authorized to feed Queso to older cats, how can it be given to small kittens? Kittens should be kept away from not only Queso but from all kinds of dairy because they will surely face consequences while they may experience major health issues as well.
What are the alternatives to Queso for cats?
As Queso cannot be given to your cats, you may look for other food options. Well, various food items can be given to your cats in place of Queso as a treat. Some of the healthy alternatives to Queso for cats include the following:
- Fruits
- Vegetables
- Cooked fish
- Scallops
- Mussels
- Cooked eggs
The unique literary talents of Dr. A. Barton are well known throughout the veterinary profession. He is a regular contributor to the New York City Veterinarian and his professional articles have also appeared in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Journal of Small Animal Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Cornell Veterinarian and Philadelphia Medicine. He is the only veterinarian ever to have had an article published in the human medical publication, What’s New.
