Can Cats Eat Ice Cream?

With the arrival of summer, many of us go back to eating ice cream to refresh ourselves. And it is that, of course, they are so delicious ... But what usually happens to us is that while we taste it, our beloved feline approaches us and sits down while with his paw and his look he does not say that he wants us to give him.

Can Cats Eat Ice Cream? We wonder as he lays his eyes on us and then on the dessert or snack we are enjoying. And the truth is that it will depend a lot on the furry ones.

Is my cat lactose intolerant?

Ice cream contains milk, which contains a sugar known as lactose. Lactose can cause intolerance to some humans, but also to cats causing several symptoms among which are stomach pain, diarrhea, and flatulence. Although it is not a serious problem, since it is a sugar that the body cannot digest, it is much better not to overwork the digestive system because, anyway, if a person or a hairy one is intolerant, lactose will be expelled from the body. .

Knowing this, can a cat eat ice cream? It depends on whether your body can tolerate lactose. Unfortunately, the only way to know for sure is to try a little, I insist, just a little. Half a small scoop or even less, such as what little was left on the ice cream stick. If throughout the day he does not show any symptoms, then we can give him a little more, but we should never give him more than a small spoonful (of those of coffee).

What kind of ice cream can I give you?

Whenever possible, we will give the cat to try Homemade and / or natural ice cream of any flavor except chocolate as it contains theobromine, a substance that the cat's body cannot eliminate, so it accumulates and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, excessive thirst and even death if it has ingested a high amount.

Precaution to prevent brain freezing in cats

Brain freeze? It's a prank? There are many people who may think that, but unfortunately we are talking about something very real, as real as when the same thing happens to humans. Although the brain itself does not have pain receptors, the meninges do. In a The Washington Post article, the veterinarian and owner of Cat's Meow Cat Clinic in Sebastian, Florida named Amy Cousino, said that giving ice cream to the cat "is not healthy", and that they have "nerve pathways very similar to those of people."

What happens, both in humans and in cats, is that the arteries dilate in the sudden intense cold, causing us to feel and feel a very bad headache.

Now, one thing must be clear: give it a little bit (less than a small spoonful) nothing will happen to them (unless, as we said before, it is lactose intolerant), but not if it is not.

What are the symptoms and how is it treated in cats?

The most notable symptom is headache. It is a pain just like the one we can have when we drink or eat something very cold: stabbing, intense. This appears shortly after having eaten that cold food, and usually subsides within 5 or 10 minutes later. During that time, you should leave it in a quiet room, and where there is no noise of any kind.

If after ten minutes you see that the cat complains, or on the contrary does not react when you call, or if it shows any behavior that worries you, do not hesitate for a second to take it to the vet.

What should cats eat?

Cats are carnivorous animals, so they must have a diet rich in animal protein. The ideal is to give them homemade food, at least boiled, but if we cannot afford it, there are very interesting grain-free feed, such as Applaws, Orijen, True Instinct High Meat, Acana, Cat's Health Gourmet, among others.

It is important that do not bring corn, oats or any type of cereal, since these animals do not have the digestive enzymes necessary to break them down; so they cannot digest them well. What's more, continued consumption of grain-free feed could weaken their health, causing food allergies, infections, or even cystitis.

Keep in mind that the price per kilo of feed without cereal is much higher than that of the feed that it does carry, but it is logical: a kilo of meat costs much more than one of corn. The first is around € 6, while the second is around € 0,20. But, it's always worth spending the money on quality food rather than vets, don't you think? 😉.

So now you know, the next time your feline asks you for some ice cream, better give him a grain-free treat. And if he insists, give him a little ice cream 🙂.