Can cats eat salami? For us humans, salami can make for a quick snack or a tasty topping on a pizza, but have you ever wondered whether the Italian cured sausage meat is safe for cats? If humans can eat salami, can felines safely eat it too?
There is no short yes or no answer as to whether cats can eat salami. Some cats might feel fine after scarfing down a morsel, but there are usually issues with its high sodium content and the extra seasonings that may have been used in making the salami.
As always, you should ask your regular vet before going ahead and sharing any human food with your beloved feline, including salami. Here’s what you need to know about salami and cats.
When Is Salami Okay For Cats To Eat?
Cats are obligate carnivores, which means that the majority of their daily diet should come from meat.
Salami is usually made of pork, which might not be the healthiest of meats for your feline to base their diet around. They shouldn’t have it often, but it’s generally safe for cats in small amounts.
So hypothetically, if you can find some salami that’s very low in sodium and contains almost no other additional spices or ingredients, then it could be okay to give a little piece to your cat.
But the majority of commercial salami available is not going to be beneficial for cats.
When Is Salami Bad For Cats?
Most of the time, too much salami is going to have a negative effect on your feline due to a combination of high sodium and the usual addition of garlic in the salami making process.
While cats actually have a decent tolerance to extra salt, this isn’t a healthy addition to their diet, and it would also require your kitty to drink a lot more water than usual. And we know that oftentimes cats can prove reluctant to take on enough water.
Secondly, the presence of garlic in salami is a more serious issue. Garlic appears on the ASPCA’s list of foodstuffs that are toxic to cats, and a potential visit to the emergency vet could be the outcome.
So when all’s said and done, it might be best to avoid willingly feeding your cat salami.
Has your cat ever had a bite of salami? How did they feel afterward? Tell us all about it in the comments section below!
