With the arrival of summer, many of us go back to eating ice cream to refresh ourselves. And, of course, they are so rich. But what often happens is that while we taste it, our beloved feline approaches us and sits down with his paw and his eyes do not say that he wants us to give him.
You May Also Know: Can Cats Eat Tuna And Salmon Safely
Contents
Can Cats Eat Ice Cream? The truth is that it Depends:
Is My Cat Lactose Intolerant?
Ice cream contains milk, which contains a sugar called lactose. Lactose can cause intolerance to some humans, but also to cats causing several symptoms including stomach pain, diarrhea, and flatulence. While it is not a serious problem, being a sugar that the body cannot digest is much better not to overwork the digestive system because, anyway, if a person or a hairy 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 give it a try, I insist, just a little.Half a spoonful, small or even less, as little as possible in the ice cream stick. If throughout the day you do not show any symptoms, then we can give you a little more, but we should never give you more than a small spoonful (of coffee).
What Kind of Ice Cream Can I Give?
Whenever possible, we will give the cat to taste homemade ice creams and/or nature of any flavor except chocolate because it contains theobromine, a substance that the cat’s body can not eliminate, so that it accumulates and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, thirst excessive and even death if you have ingested a high amount.
So you know, the next time your cat asks you for a little ice cream, give it a try.
Like humans, consuming an ice cream product too quickly causes discomfort. Although humans feel discomfort in their foreheads, they are manifested in a more “dramatic” way.
Gaspar Romo, veterinarian specialist in clinical ethology and president of the Association of Veterinary Clinical Ethology of Chile (ASECVECH), explains that the neural pathways do not differ significantly between cats and humans, which would lead both beings to suffer discomfort by consuming too quickly a product that is too cold.
Romo clarifies that this phenomenon is popularly called brain freeze (in English), although its technical name is sphenopalatineganglioneuralgia.
“What happens is that, when coming into contact with a very frozen product, the blood vessels of the throat contract rapidly, which tends to drag slightly the neighboring tissues, including the nerves, a situation that is interpreted as an inconvenience or as a painful sensation, ” says the expert.
The second explanation proposed by the expert is a little more serious since it would mean a real nuisance for the felines. “Cats can react as a result of the pain generated by tooth sensitivity experienced by those suffering from periodontal disease, which is not uncommon,” he says.
In the context of the above, Gaspar Romo does not recommend trying to give ice cream to cats, especially if it is to record and mock him. “It is not something that is advisable to do always putting as a goal to respect the welfare of our cats,” he explains and stresses that it is uncomfortable and/or painful for the feline.
Read Also: Can Cats Eat Cheese
Can Cats Eat Ice Cream?
It is almost an unconscious association of humans to think that cats should drink milk. This has been shown in the cartoons where felines seem to “go crazy” to see it.
However, the veterinarian explains that, like many adults, cats have a limited ability to digest lactose present in milk (or ice cream, in this case). “This generates that, when passing intact to the large intestine, this molecule drags water and ends up generating diarrhea,” he warns.
In this context, Gaspar takes advantage of naming other foods that are not recommended in the “cat” diet: garlic, onion, and chives, since they can cause anemia in cats. You should also avoid consumption of grapes, raisins, chocolate and sugar-rich products in a sustained manner over time and some liquids are prohibited such as tea, coffee, and alcohol; among several other things.
Finally, the ethologist reveals that not only cats “freeze their brains” when eating ice cream: dogs also happen to them, but unlike cats, they usually hold their heads between their legs or drag them on the ground.
