Can Cats Eat Banana Bread? 8+ reasonings

Banana bread is one of the most eaten bakery item in America. Many of us eat it in breakfast or in evening with a cup of tea. Now the question arises “CAN CATS EAT BANANA BREAD?” Being a cat owner, I can relate to your emotions and your concern for your cat’s diet. Since there are a number of human foods that can be offered to pets on daily basis without any harm but on the contrary, there are such human foods too which can be highly toxic for pets.

Banana breads are not actually meant for cats and are toxic for them. Many ingredients such as sugar and carbohydrates are harmful for your feline friend. Since this query cannot be answered in a couple of sentences, here I have explained all harmful effects and alternatives of banana bread for your loved pet.

What is Banana Bread?

Banana bread is something you can easily find in any bakery or can bake easily at home. This delicious treat was invented about a century ago and gained much popularity over a short span of time.

It can be easily prepared by mixing all ingredients well and baking them in an oven. You can place it in fridge and can use for a couple of days without even the fear of its expiry. In short, banana bread is a mixture of all cheap ingredients placed over your kitchen counter. All this amazing flavor costs is a couple of dollars.

World celebrates 23^rd February as National Banana Bread Day. For people who want to know how to cook banana bread at home, here is a link for a video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ob8eL4mMOys

Also you can buy mixture for banana bread or banana bread cookies at cheapest rates by clicking the link below:

https://amzn.to/3vNOoc0

Can Cats Eat Banana Bread? 

Can cats eat banana bread? Banana bread is something invented for humans and contains many such ingredients which are very much toxic for cats. It contains ingredients like vanilla extract comprising of a portion of alcohol. Feeding such ingredients-based eatables to your cat can be dangerous for you and your cat too.

Feeding your feline friend with such toxic foods can turn them into a weak one. Such foods can highly affect their health. Now the question arises Is the use of banana bread toxic for cats even in moderation?

Yes you can sometimes offer such food to cheer them up but is should be offered in very little quantity after long intervals.

Why Do Cats Love Banana Bread?

Cats are really good at recognizing things with the help of the extremely conscious senses nature has granted them. They are good at listening and remembering smells.

Since you are also a banana bread lover, you might have banana bread two or three times a week with your cat wandering around you. Thinking about the reason behind your repeated consumption of banana bread, she might have built a desire to eat banana bread. Your cat might love banana bread because she has seen you eating it a bunch of times. This could be the reason behind her love for banana bread.

Being a cat owner, I am well aware with your love for your cat. Still you have to demonstrate courage and stop feeding your cat with banana bread even if she shows desire for it too.

Ingredients of Banana Bread 

The ingredients used are listed below:

1. Flour
2. Sugar
3. Butter
4. Bananas
5. Salt
6. Vanilla extract
7. Egg
8. Baking powder

These ingredients might seem safe for use but are highly toxic to cat’s immune system. Side effects of all listed ingredients for our feline friends are discussed below in detail:

Salt

Every human consumes salt according to his own taste but the point top ponder is “is salt safe for cats?”. No salt is not safe for your cat. Your cat might suffer poisoning if she consumes over 40mg of salt. It is important to note that a single pinch of salt contains about 300mg sodium.

You may have some companions who have blood pressure issues and doctors have restricted them from using salt in excess. Same goes with your cat. There are a number of diseases your cat might become a patient to just because of excess usage of salt.

• Dehydration
• Electrolyte imbalance
• Kidney issues
• Digestive issue
• Heart problem

Butter

Butter commonly use for baking things. Our children usually have butter on bread for breakfast and we also like eating. Sharing my personal experience, butter is something I used to eat daily in my childhood. It is good for humans but excess usage can even be toxic for humans. Here are some of its side effects listed if given to cats:

• Obesity
• Choking hazard
• Nutritional imbalance
• Pancreatitis

You might consult an experienced vet before designing your cat’s diet.

Sugar

Cats and dogs do not require sugar for their growth and to balance glucose level in body. They get enough sugar from pet food. Unlike humans, nature has designed their digestive system in such a way that they even don’t like having sugar. If your cat likes eating sweets and other sugary products, please avoiding feeding them to her. Here are some of its harmful effects listed:

• Dental problems
• Disruption in sugar levels
• Diabetes
• Weight gain

Feeding them a diet containing excess sugar can even make them so healthy that it becomes difficult for them to even lift their own weight.

To explore more harmful effects of feeding sugar to cats, you can click here. 

 

Flour/baking powder/baking soda

There are very limited things which can be baked without using these three products. A bakery’s bread and butter is based on these 3 things. They are even harmful for humans too if they include these 3 products in their routine diet.

A very dear friend of mine who loved bakery items raised his weight over 100kg just because of daily usage of these three products. In case of animals their usage has a number of side effects which are listed below:

• Sodium overload
• Gastrointestinal blockages
• Digestive issues
• Obese

To know more about harmful effects of feeding flour to cats, you can click here.

Eggs

Eggs are neither too harmful for cats and neither too safe. When used in moderation, they even serve as a source of nutrition for cats. We can feed them with cooked eggs once or twice a week however using too

much eggs for cats can be dangerous. Dis-advantages of daily usage of eggs for cats are listed below:

• Allergic reactions
• Choking hazard
• Calorie overload
• Biotin deficiency

Wheat

Wheat is not a necessary component of a cat’s diet. Serving your cat with wheat as a complete meal per day can result in nutritional imbalance and many other heath issues which can be difficult to deal with:

• Gluten sensitivity
• Digestive issues
• Dietary imbalance
• Allergic reactions

Oil

Oil is something even not safe for humans but is used in every food to cook. All Asian Chinese and American dishes contain oil. Many nutritionists recommend the use of olive oil. Excess usage of oil is the root for the cholesterol issues in human beings. Similarly, for animals, again it can become a root for a number of health issues which include:

• Weight gain
• Pancreatitis
• Potential toxicity
• Disruption of nutrient absorption

Vanilla Extract

Vanilla extract is the tasty liquid made from vanilla bean pods. When the pods are opened, they reveal tiny seeds. These seeds are combined with alcohol (like ethanol) to draw out flavors and aromas. After a few months, voila! You have vanilla extract—rich in vanilla taste and scent. It’s a popular flavor booster in many recipes. We add vanilla extract to enhance the flavor. Here are some of its harmful effects on cats:

• Alcohol content is toxic for animals.
• Artificial sweeteners are bad for their health.
• It can also upset its digestive system

You can visit the article by clicking here to know if cats can eat products comprising vanilla extract. After going through the side effects of ingredients comprised in banana bread, I hope so there isn’t room for the question ” Can cats have banana bread? ” or ” Can cats eat banana bread? ” but still i have summarized it below. 

What to Do If Your Cat Accidently Eats Banana Bread?

Its important to keep yourself calm under such conditions. Although it is a severe issue but can be tackled with patience. If your cat is not showcasing any symptoms of allergy or some other medical disease, just keep an eye on her. Make her diet more precise. Hope so matter doesn’t goes beyond this point.

If your cat has consumed banana bread in good quantity, it will be better to consult an experienced vet rather than doing practices at home to cure your feline fellow.

There she may be passed through a couple of examinations. The vet would suggest most suitable medication for your cat.

Harmful Effects of Banana Bread on Cats

Many of us might think that banana breads are good for cats and they will help in improving their heath. But it will not even improve its health by 0.1%. although it will show side effects which could result in making our cat lazy and weak.

Some harmful effects are listed below.

• Dehydration
• Electrolyte imbalance
• Kidney damage
• Sensitivity to alcohol can serve as a cause to number of heath issue
• Blood sugar level maybe disrupted
• Neurological issues
• Pancreatitis
• Obesity

Alternatives to Banana Bread for Cats 

SR.NO	ALTERNATIVES	HEALTH BENEFITS
1.	COOKED MEAT	COOKED CHICKEN SHOULD BE A REGULAR PART OF CAT’S DIET. IT FULFILLS THE REQUIREMENT FOR A NUMBER OF NUTRITIONS.
2.	FISH	IT IS ONE OF THE BEST SOURCES OF PROTEINS. CATS CAN FULFILL MANY OF THEIR PROTEIN REQUIREMENT FROM FISH ONLY.