Can cats eat broccoli? Yes. While cats are carnivores and naturally hunt for their prey in the wild, they can also have some vegetables when they live as domestic pets.
The right vegetables fed to your cat in moderation can provide various health benefits, including helping with digestive issues.
Can Cats Eat Broccoli
Benefits of Broccoli for Cats
Can cats eat broccoli? Yes, but you should only feed it to them in moderation since it’s not a natural part of their high protein diet.
Animal protein fulfills a cat’s nutritional needs but adding a few vegetables to their plate sometimes provides the following benefits.
- It calms an upset digestive system
- Improves bowel movements
- It’s filled with anti-oxidant properties
- It wards off free radicals in the body
- It helps prevent cancer
- Lowers cholesterol levels
Broccoli is a healthy addition to your cat’s diet as long as it’s done in moderation.
Other cat-friendly vegetables include winter squash, carrots, green beans, and alfalfa sprouts.
Let’s take a closer look at the positive effects broccoli has on your cat:
- Lower cholesterol levels – The vitamins and nutrition broccoli contains helps lower the accumulated cholesterol level and maintain overall good health.
- Great for digestion – Broccoli is a good source of fiber and acts as roughage to encourage bowel movement, which helps maintain a healthy digestive system.
- Anti-carcinogenic – Broccoli is considered one of the best vegetables to feed cats because it’s packed with antioxidants. The powerful antioxidants are capable of averting cancer cells in the body. Antioxidants also boost the immune system and help prolong a cat’s lifespan.
How to feed your cat broccoli
Can cats eat broccoli? Yes, but how do you add it to their diet? Cooked broccoli served alone with kibble, or wet cat food is a great way to implement broccoli into your cat’s diet. Boiled or steamed broccoli aids digestion and lowers cholesterol.
What about raw broccoli? Unfortunately, cats don’t have the digestive enzymes to break down raw plants, including broccoli.
So, feeding your cat raw broccoli can lead to vomiting and stomach upset a few hours or less after eating raw broccoli.
However, cooked broccoli is easier to digest and provides health benefits.
Now that you know you need to cook the broccoli, try the following ways to implement broccoli into your cat’s diet.
- Chop cooked broccoli and add it to kibble or wet cat food.
- Blend cooked broccoli in a food processor and add it to wet or dry cat food or serve alone as a soft treat.
- Add cooked broccoli to plain cooked chicken breast and serve as a meal.
- Use broccoli as a reward treat when your cat behaves.
- Add broccoli in a bowl with other cat-friendly vegetables such as carrots, asparagus, green bell peppers, corn, zucchini, and cucumbers.
How much broccoli can a cat eat
Broccoli is a safe and healthy vegetable to feed cats, but you should only give your cat this tasty food in moderation and small portions.
Cats have small mouths, so boiling or steaming the broccoli to soften the texture and cut it into small bite-size pieces is ideal.
Bottom Line
When feeding broccoli to your cat for the first time, it’s wise to give them a small cooked bite-size piece to see how they react.
Some cats will enjoy the flavor of broccoli, while others will spit it out. If your cat eats the amount of broccoli, keep an eye on them to see if they vomit or develop stomach upset.
If all is good after the first piece, you can begin finding ways to implement broccoli into your cat’s diet in moderation.
Keep in mind it’s always best to consult with a veterinarian before adding any vegetable to your cat’s diet. Visit the PetStruggles homepage for more expert information for all your cat’s needs!
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