Can cats eat lasagna? You might have had this thought if your cat begged for a bite of your lasagna dinner, or maybe you’ve had some questions after seeing the famous, lasagna-loving, comic strip feline Garfield. If humans can eat lasagna, can cats safely eat it too?
There is no short yes or no answer as to whether cats can eat lasagna. This is mostly because the answer will depend on the specific ingredients used in the lasagna your cat has their eyes on.
Technically, lasagna noodles are not toxic to cats, but many of the other ingredients used in lasagna could be. There’s also the problem of lasagna being a carbohydrate-based food and cats needing most of their nutrition from protein.
As always, you must ask your regular vet before sharing any human food with your beloved feline, including lasagna. Here’s what you need to know about lasagna and cats.
When Is Lasagna Okay For Cats To Eat?
If your lasagna has a lot of meat in it, and you make sure that the sauce and seasonings do not contain anything like garlic or spices that might be toxic to your cat, then you could find a way to feed lasagna to your cat in a safe fashion.
Depending on the meat you’re using, you will be fulfilling some of the protein needs of your cat.
As ever, when it comes to feeding human foods to cats, make sure to serve it in moderation. Also, don’t succumb to the temptation to start using human meals as a main part of your feline’s regular diet.
When Is Lasagna Bad For Cats?
The main lasagna ingredients of meat and pasta might not be toxic to cats, but depending on your exact recipe, there are likely to be many other ingredients that could be either toxic to your cat or cause them to experience digestion issues.
Garlic is an important ingredient to look out for and should never be fed to felines.
Even if you manage to deconstruct a lasagna down to the parts of it that are not toxic for kitties, cats are still obligate carnivores and require protein to make up the majority of their diet.
Chowing down on a bunch of lasagna noodles could result in your cat consuming too many carbohydrates. This could lead to a case of feline obesity, which in turn can bring about a number of other health issues further down the line.
So while you might not have to worry too much if you catch your cat sneaking in a tiny bite of some lasagna noodles or the meat component of the dish, lasagna really isn’t a food to regularly let your cat eat, especially when you consider the time and effort that goes into making a lasagna.
Has your cat ever tried to sneak a bite of your lasagna? Are there any human foods you share with your cat? Tell us about it in the comments section below!
