Tortillas are consumed in almost all households of the world because of their unique texture, amazing taste and ability to be combined with any food you like. It is usually made using plain or maize flour and is widely eaten with a special meat-based savory filling. You can eat tortillas in various conditions whether it is cold or hot.
As this can be used in a variety of foods and ways, pet owners usually ask questions like, can cats eat tortillas? Or are tortillas safe for the cats to eat? Only getting answers to these questions is not enough as you need to know various other aspects so that you can feed your cats tortillas without affecting their health or putting their organs and lives at risk. Previous guide, we already share can dogs eat tortillas or not. Please continue reading this article as it will bring you all the necessary information in one place.
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Do cats eat tortillas?
As far as this question is concerned, cats can eat tortillas and there is no harm in this as long as you are following a proper diet plan and don’t feed them in huge amounts.
Tortillas are usually made by using plain flour, maize flours, or corn flour which can cause health issues to the cats if given in the wrong quantity or too often.
However, if you follow a proper routine and only give tortillas to cats in small quantities i.e. as supplementary food or just as a snack, you may never face any issues with your cats.
| For a Serving Size of 10 gram | Tortillas flour | Tortilla corn |
|---|---|---|
| Saturated fat | 0.1g | 0g |
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.3g | 0.1g |
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.1g | 0.1g |
| Sodium | 70.9mg | 4.5mg |
| Potassium | 14.6mg | 18.6mg |
| Protein | 0.8g | 0.6g |
| Iron | 0.3mg | 0.1mg |
| Calcium | 12.7mg | 8.1mg |
| Magnesium | 2mg | 7.2mg |
| Water | 3.2g | 4.6g |
| Net carbs | 4.9g | 3.8g |
Can cats eat corn tortillas?
We all know that most cats are allergic to corn and if tortillas are solely made up of corn flour, you may have to think twice before feeding them to cats.
Apart from this, tortillas also include baking soda and salt which can cause dehydration in the cats and may affect kidneys as well.
So, the exact answer will depend on how your cats respond because some cats may go well with eating corn tortillas while others start to show immediate signs of illness.
Therefore, avoiding such tortillas or only giving them once in a while would be the right choice.
Can cats eat flour tortillas?
Flour is not toxic to cats at all and this can be proved by looking into the ingredients of cat food. You will come to notice that most cat foods have flour grains as an ingredient in any form.
Feeding flour tortillas to your cats should never be a problem but still, they should be fed once a while and in small quantities. Feeding flour tortillas as a permanent meal even after a long interval can lead to health issues in the long run.
The major reason which can cause issues is the amount of gluten present in the flour which is not good for the cats to consume.
How many tortillas are good for cats?
Although it mainly depends on the health conditions and the reaction of your cats after eating tortillas, most experts and veterinary doctors claim that you should only feed tortillas to your cats as a snack. They recommend only feeding 1-3 tortillas, once in two months or more.
Yes, you read exactly the right. This is the time interval and amount suggested by most vets when it comes to feeding tortillas to your cats. Just keep in mind that tortillas can only be given as a snack, not as a meal in any conditions.
Can cats have tortillas every day?
Not at all, feeding tortillas to your cats regularly can increase the amount of sodium, salt, and gluten in their body. All these things are harmful to the cat’s health and can lead to severe health issues.
Although you can feed tortillas to your cats as a snack, some vets even suggest avoiding tortillas as it will bring more negatives to the cats’ health and growth than the positives. A tortilla, once a month (preferably two) will be enough for the cats to eat as a snack.
Why do experts recommend avoiding tortillas for cats?
Although there is no denial that you can enjoy eating tortillas, it is also a reality that they don’t bring good of any kind to your cats, in the long run. There are not many reasons why experts recommend avoiding feeding tortillas to your cats but the most prominent reasons include the following:
- Too much sodium/salt
- Saturated fat
- Gluten and Spices
What things in the tortillas are harmful to cats?
There are quite a few things that are used in the making of tortillas that can cause direct or indirect damage to the health of cats or kittens. You can easily take care of this factor by making tortillas separately for the cats without adding such harmful ingredients to their composition. Most harmful to cats yet commonly used things in tortillas include the following:
- Saturated fats
- Salt
- Sodium
- Baking powder
- Lard
- Corn (as it includes too much fiber and calcium)
What can happen if cats eat too many tortillas?
If your cat has eaten too many tortillas in a single sitting, some symptoms or signs of an illness can begin to show up in almost no time. You should keep an eye on them because as soon as you notice any of the below-mentioned symptoms, it is better to get your cats examined by a vet. After all, ignoring these signs can lead to some major damage. Some minor to major issues that can occur after eating tortillas include:
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Wheezing
- Dizziness
- Food avoidance
- Laziness
- Weight gain
- Feline diabetes
- Indigestion
What to do if cats eat excessive tortillas?
As soon as you notice the signs of illness or any other symptoms of bad health, getting help from a vet would be the best option. If you are not able to take your cats to the vets, you should at least get their suggestions on a phone call.
You may try other medications available at home but experts recommend immediately contacting a vet because there are possibilities that your cats may need immediate help from the vet and wasting time may cost you the health of your cat to some extent.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Can kittens eat tortillas?
Kittens can eat tortillas and there is no harm in that. Just make sure that you are keeping an eye on the number of tortilla bites taken by the kittens. Because even if your kitten may not show any signs of illness after eating too many tortillas, the overfeeding cat causes some health issues in the long run, in some cases. However, there is no denying that feeding tortillas are great to fulfill the nutritional needs of kittens and help them grow as well.
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Are plain flour tortillas good for cats?
Yes. Plain flour tortillas are totally good for the cats to eat and they don’t possess any harm as well. All you need is to ensure that your cat is only eating tortillas as a snack instead of a proper meal. Also, make sure that no toxic spices like pepper or garlic are used in the making of tortillas as such ingredients are harmful to cats.
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.
