Cats are animals with a very sensitive digestive system that do not tolerate many foods very well. However, many domestic cats are also very greedy and spend the day asking us for food and treats. You may have wondered if cats can eat cheese, and in this article we are going to clear up that doubt.
No cat is the same as another, and we must understand that whether they can or cannot eat cheese is not only about their species. Cats, as mammals, drink their mother’s milk when they are kittens. To be able to do this, they develop an enzyme called lactase that allows them to digest their mother’s milk perfectly, although they cannot digest commercial cow’s milk in the same way.
However, as they grow and stop drinking their mother’s milk, the organism of mammals (including cats) produces less lactase. This causes the digestion of dairy products to become increasingly difficult, leading to what we know as lactose intolerance.
The majority of adult cats are lactose intolerant, so the consumption of products such as milk, yogurt, or cheese can cause them serious damage and pain in their digestive system. In fact, for these felines, even a small amount of milk or cheese can make them seriously ill.
Cats can eat cheese occasionally. Once weaned, kittens can develop lactose intolerance. Although milk may be a source of nutrients for those animals able to tolerate it, in the case of cats, milk is not a good food for weaned animals.
The problem with calories
Cheese is a food with a very high caloric content. Most professionals recommend that the calories from foods not part of the cat’s regular diet should not exceed 8% or 10% of their total intake.
How much cheese could I give my cat?
If your cat is neither intolerant nor allergic and loves cheese, you can use it in great moderation, as a treat on very special occasions. In this sense, there are better and worse cheeses, mainly depending on the amount of lactose they contain.
Soft cheeses like mozzarella or cheeses made with raw milk such as brie, camembert, or blue cheese are terrible for the cat’s digestive system and should never be given to them. On the other hand, cheeses such as cheddar or Swiss cheese contain much lower amounts of lactose, making them better candidates.
However, if you want to give your cat a healthy, complete, and delicious food that will never pose a risk to their digestion, we recommend checking out our cat food. From dry food for kittens of any age to delicious wet food recipes, this food is made with 100% fresh protein from tuna, chicken, beef, or turkey and is an excellent source of vitamin C, E, taurine, essential fatty acids such as Omega 3, zinc, and calcium.
