Almond butter is a human-made product that is uniquely high in monounsaturated fats. This type of fat helps in lowering LDL which is bad cholesterol and in turn, it increases the HDL which is the good cholesterol.
While that might seem impressive, we are not done with the things that they are good in, they can also help in lowering our heart’s risk of heart disease as well as drastically improve the health of our heart.
This is because of the Omega-3 fatty acid that helps in preventing irregular heart rhythms.
Now that we know how good and healthy this product is for us, one cannot but wonder if it is also healthy for cats as it is for us. Keep reading below to know more about Almond butter and if it is okay for your cats to have them.
Can cats eat almond butter?
Let’s just state out of the box that “Almonds” are not toxic for cats as a species. Therefore, cats are fine with almonds products. That includes the “Almond Butter” as well as the “Almond Milk”. However, for cats that are not used to the diet of almond products, the food might upset their stomach.
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Cats are very sensitive creatures. They tend to grow fast and live for a healthy number of years when properly taken care of. However, that number easily dwindles if something minuscule makes them sick.
Almond Butter may seem like a healthy diet for us humans, but sadly they are not good for our cats. Too much of the product will make them fall sick. However, a small portion of it can be healthy but not worth the risk.
We can look at milk for example, cats love milk. However, most of the cats are lactose intolerant. Thus, having too much milk will cause them to experience vomiting and diarrhea. It is the same with Almond butter in this case too.
Therefore, we can confidently say that Almond Butter is not toxic for cats and they can eat them. However, there should be a limit to how much they can consume.
Is almond butter bad for cats? Can almonds hurt cats?
Nuts are normally considered to be nutritional. We know that they provide different nutrients such as the friendly “Omega-3”, which is much needed for the joints.
That is not all that the nuts contain, they also have a lot of fats and oils that can be beneficial for us humans.
However, these fats and oils may be a little hard for your cat’s digestive system to process.
Thus, it is recommended for pet owners to not give their cats nuts like pecans, walnuts, and almonds. Consuming those will trigger diarrhea and vomiting among them.
Although the nuts themselves can be stomach upsetting for the cats, they will not hurt the cats as these are not toxic to them. Thus, they can occasionally enjoy some almond products and that includes something like the “Almond Butter”.
Can cats lick almond butter?
Yes, cats can lick almond butter and they should. This is because almond butter itself is a dense material. This dense material is jam-packed with nutrition.
However, all that nutrition and dense material might not be toxic for cats, they are also not good for them.
Furthermore, of how dense the almond butter is, your cat might choke while trying to eat it. This is why they should lick almond butter instead of eating them whole.
Almond butter is so rich it can make a great alternative for peanut butter. However, they can not be a good alternative for cats. Not only that, it cannot be a regular diet for them either.
The usual pets we have are not accustomed to such rich foods and their digestive system cannot always process high fatty products. Thus it is not recommended to feed them human-made products often.
3 reasons why cats can eat almond butter
To make it clear for most of you out there, Almond Butter is not something you should feed your cat regularly. Treat it more like a treat that you mistakenly give them sometimes. Also, make sure to not let them have a very minuscule amount.
This is because regardless of why cats can eat them, Almond Butter is not a healthy diet option for feline friends. Since that’s out of the way proceed to see the few reasons, they can eat the Almond Butter.
Non-Toxic:
Almond Butter is not toxic for cats. They will not harm or hurt your feline friend. However, it will upset their stomach and make diarrhea happen if they are not used to the product.
However, there is a variant of Almond that is known as Bitter Almond. This Almond contains cyanide which is toxic for cats.
Non-Dairy Product:
Some of us are unaware that cats are lactose intolerant even though they love dairy products.
Almond butter as well as almond milk does not contain any dairy, to begin with. Therefore, cats can have almond butter.
Fats & Protein:
Almond butter is rich in protein and fats like the Omega-3. While these can be beneficial for them, they need to be given in a moderate amount.
This is because too much fat will hamper the digestion process of your feline friends.
What are the nutritional facts of almond butter for cats?
Despite Almond Butter being a healthy choice for diet, it has very few nutritional facts for our little feline friends. Keep reading below to know more.
Protein:
Nuts in general are a healthy source of fats and proteins. The Almond is no exception to this. Therefore, Almond butter contains a lot of protein, which can be a good factor for our feline friends.
Although vets don’t recommend such a diet for the cats, sometimes a few licks here and there can be fine for them. Especially when they get used to the product and that’s only if the amount given is moderate.
Fats:
As we mentioned before that the almond can a good source of proteins and fat for human consumption. While that’s true it can also be helpful for our feline friends.
Fatty acids are prevalent in the “Almond Butter” and Omega-3 fatty acids have anti-inflammatory properties.
This is a great choice for cats that are riddled with allergies and might have hotspots or dry skin. Furthermore, a fatty acid also will help the cat have a fuller and shinier coat with less shedding.
Can cats drink almond milk?
Many people have the misconception that cats can drink milk all day as they love it so much. But it cannot be further than the truth as a cat is lactose intolerant. Thus, giving them too many dairy products will make them sick.
A very low dose of milk is okay for cats, about only 9 calories of it. The cat can consume only that amount of milk which amounts to about 5% of their daily calorie requirement. If more than that is consumed then they can experience diarrhea and vomiting.
However, Almond Milk is a great alternative for cats as that does not contain any dairy in it even though it has “Milk” in the name. Even the vets approve of Almond Milk over Almond butter. So, yes, cats can drink almond milk.
How to give almond butter to my cat?
We have gone over the facts about Almond butter and its effects on our little feline friends. They can consume Almond butter but a very small amount of it. In reality, vets do not recommend giving almond butter to our cats.
The Almond butter will make them sick and in worst cases, they can choke them since the Almond butter is so rich. As it is not recommended to give your cats Almond nuts it is also the same case for Almond butter.
However, if you still insist on giving them minuscule portions of Almond butter then do not give them a chunk of it rather take it on a spoon.
After that spread the almond butter on their feeding tray to make a thin layer of it. Let your cat lick that to its content.
Final Thoughts
Cats can eat almond butter. Even we know that it is rich in fat and protein nutrients that are beneficial for us. But it might not be as helpful for the cats as they are for us. Therefore, even if we give cats Almond butter, we should give them in moderation, otherwise, it will make them sick.