Cats and dogs have an interesting way of communicating with us – they follow us around to get our attention, and sometimes, when they get it, then they ignore us. Cats can intrude in the bathroom, the bedroom, and even into our meals.
How many of us have sat down to eat our dinner and realized that a furry friend was reaching into our plate? Cats feel that it is their duty to reach onto our plates and take what they want – chicken, beans, and even rice!
Even if our cats want to take the food virtually from our mouths, is it safe for cats to eat things like rice? How can we be sure that we are doing the best when we indulge our cats?
Cats are at their base, carnivores. With that, it means that cats typically eat meals that have meat in them, but they can also eat other things as well.
When in the wild, cats chase and capture their food, things like mice, frogs, and other creatures. Although cats typically eat meat, they can also eat grains and other items, and will at times if they are mainly outdoors.
The question at hand is can our cats eat rice? The answer to that question is, yes they can! But there are some things to consider.
Can Cats Eat Rice?
What type of food is rice?
Rice is a fairly, readily available grain that is one of the most common foods eaten in the world.
The rice grain is small and is typically cooked to become a softer, fluffier version of itself and when eaten, it is part of the carbohydrate family.
Rice has several different family genomes, and also can be labeled brown or white grained.
The difference is that brown rice is the entire grain, where white rice has had several pieces of the grain removed, making it not a whole grain like brown rice is.
Many humans eat rice, and it is part of diet staples in many Asian countries.
As we know, just because people eat something, that does not mean that it should also be eaten by animals. So how can we be sure that rice is something good for our cat?
The benefits of rice for cats
If you check the back of many general cat food brands, you may find rice as part of the ingredients. Although there is typically not a lot of rice in cat food, it can be used to fill out the food to reduce the cost of processing.
Although there are no huge benefits to a cat eating rice, they can have some in small doses. Rice acts as a filler, so if your cat is eating mostly rice, they are getting a lot of empty nutrients.
Dangers of rice for your cat
Although rice will not necessarily pose a huge danger to your sweet furry friend, you do not want to feed your cat rice that has not been cooked.
Uncooked rice can have a higher level of pesticides, and it also may be too difficult for your cat to digest.
Just think about it, if you eat a bunch of rice that isn’t cooked, and your body tries to digest it, how would you feel?
Just don’t worry too much if your cat decides to jump up on the counter and sneak a bit of your rice and chicken from your favorite Asian diner.
Bottom Line
Cats are curious creatures and often will try new things just to see how it will impact them. If your cat decides that they want to try rice, then it will not significantly impact their health.
Be sure that the rice they try is cooked, and if they like it, they can certainly have a bit every now and then.
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