Before we answer this question, we need to understand a little bit more about avocado.
A Bit About Avocado
Avocado was first discovered back in Mexico in 291 B.C. Humans then began cultivating avocados, which was about 5,000 years ago. Fast forward a few years and we use avocados in lots of different ways – in our food, for skin oils and even for the occasional cat treat. But, can cats eat avocado or not?
What Does Avocado Contain?
Avocados look fresh, plump and healthy and contain lots of good things for humans, including nearly 20 different vitamins. As we all know, avocados taste fantastic too, so it is not surprising that Avocado Central managed to conjure up 50 different reasons why we should all show a little bit of love for them.
Including avocado in your diet can help reduce blood pressure and will certainly help if fighting off any minor infection. Further, like quinoa, avocados contain lots of fiber.
In fact, there are about 10 grams of fiber in one medium-sized avocado. Eating fiber will generally help you feel less hungry and is great for controlling weight. What’s more, the fat in avocados is mainly unsaturated (‘good fat’) – they contain 0.5 grams of saturated fat (per ounce) compared to butter, which contains around 15 grams.
All in all, avocado is very good for you.
- Related Read: Can Cats Eat Bananas?
Things To Consider About Avocado…And Cats!
This all sounds great, but are avocados good for cats? Doing a quick search on the Internet is going to leave you with more questions than answers – until now! So, why the mixed reports? While avocado looks completely harmless when slopped on top of an exploding burrito, it does actually contain a toxin (called ‘Persin’), which can be harmful to ‘animals’.
This tends to be where the confusion starts. Persin (found in avocado leaves, bark, skin, or in the pit of the fruit) is toxic to birds, rabbits, ruminants and goats. In fact, persin can cause a build up of fluid around the heart and lungs and result in liver and kidney failure.
Eating an avocado can cause death to theseanimals!
Nevertheless, this website is about cats, not other furry beasts. And, guess what? Persin is not toxic to cats! Your cat is more likely to get ill, if it chokes on part of the avocado while eating it.
So, Can Cats Eat Avocado?
Yes. They can. Remember though, overconsumption of any food is not particularly good for you or your cat. So, adding a little bit of avocado to your cat’s diet is fine in moderation.
If cats eat too much, they may get diarrhea or vomit. As avocados contain plenty of folate, potassium, niacin, and fatty acids, you may well notice that your cat’s skin and coat improve over time.
