There is a certain kind of parental panic every cat owner feels when they see their curious kitten getting into things that they shouldn’t. It’s a common story among new cat owners of that stressful morning-after-Easter, when you realize those Easter lilies from your mother-in-law might as well be cat poison, and now you have to rush to the nearest veterinarian for an emergency routine.
But there are also those everyday treats for us that cats can’t help but stick their nose in. My favorite snack is homemade trail mix, (mixed nuts, dried cranberries, and dark chocolate M&Ms; you’re welcome!), and when I saw my cat gnawing on a cashew, that same panic filled my chest as if she were tearing up Easter lilies. Can cats eat cashews?
In this post you’ll learn all about the nutritional pros and cons of cashews for your cat, why they can be dangerous, and what snacks are better alternatives.
But first let’s talk a little bit about cashews themselves …
What Else Can Cats Eat?
Where Do Cashews Come From?
Cashews are native to Latin America and were introduced to Europe via Portguese sailors coming home from the new world with new delicacies.
The nut (or seed – apparently this is a big debate in the nut world) that we are familiar with grows at the end of the cashew apple, a fleshy, sweet and sour fruit with many culinary uses, from juice and jams to curries and desserts and even wine and vinegar.
Good luck getting your hands on one though. Apparently they have a thin skin, bruise easily, and have a limited shelf life, making international travel nearly impossible.
The shell surrounding the nut produces an irritating oil that makes handling shells as fun as carrying around a bush of poison ivy. Roasting the shells at high temperatures destroys the oil and allows for the delectable seed to be eaten safely.
Cashews today are mainly produced in Vietnam, India, and the Ivory Coast with over three million tons produced in a year. And it’s no wonder either. Cashews can be eaten plain or made into butters, milk, or baked goods. It’s a truly versatile and yummy snack.
But as much as we like to pretend our pets are tiny humans, the truth is, there are lots of food that are good for us but bad for them. Good for you for checking if cashews are one of them before letting your kitty chow down.
Are Cashews Bad for Cats?
There’s a long answer and a short answer to this question in all honesty. So to better answer it, let me rephrase the premise we’re working with.
- Are cashews toxic to cats? No
- Are cashews healthy for cats? No
- Should I feed my cats cashews? No
- If my cat eats a cashew will it die? No
- Should I change my cat’s diet strictly to crushed cashews? Absolutely no.
Here’s the rub. Your cat, like all cats, is a born hunter. Its evolutionary line has been refined and honed to a killing edge, to stalk and devour.
Because of all that, your cat requires a diet high in protein, moderate in fats, and low in carbohydrates. A lot of cat foods, wet and kibble alike, are designed with a nutritional guarantee. Cashews, on the other hand, are high in fats and carbohydrates and relatively low in protein, not at all nutritionally beneficial to your feline friend.
That said, it won’t stop these curious creatures from dipping their nose in your freshly mixed trail mix and munching on those hearty nuts. But watch out! Not only are they not healthy, raw cashews are a choking hazard, and the salt covering your cashews is even more detrimental to your cat’s health than the nut itself.
Simply put, don’t keep open food in your cat’s reach.
What Should I Do if My Cat Ate Too Many Cashews?
If you’ve made it this far and you’re still worried, call your vet!
I’m by no means an expert or a veterinarian, and I can’t give you proper medical advice for your furry little friend.
However, I can list some common symptoms you should look out for so your cat gets the help it needs.
Symptoms to Look Out For If Your Cat Ate Too Many Cashews
If your cat has completely raided your cashew stash in one sitting, the high fat content in those nuts may cause some digestive issues. Be watchful for vomiting and diarrhea if you think your cat has tummy troubles. One cashew probably won’t cause too much trouble, depending on your cat, but make sure they have plenty of water to drink.
Another cashew complication to be on the lookout for is an allergic reaction. While this doesn’t occur in every cat, it can still cause a fair amount of distress for both you and your pet.
Signs of a food allergy might include
- Itchiness, which means they’ll scratch at their head and neck, chew on their paws and tail or groom excessively. (This is how we discovered our cat Cookie had an allergy and had to switched to a special cat food.)
- Runny eyes
- Red and irritated ears
- Wheezing or snoring while sleeping
So if your cat seems uncomfortable in their own fur, it’s time to see a professional.
A more worrisome issue is the rapid intake of salt that usually accompanies pre-packaged nuts. Eating lots of salty snacks (or obsessively licking a pink Himylayan salt lamp) can be very dangerous for cats.
Cats and other companion animals are very sensitive to salt, for the same reason that we aren’t supposed to drink sea water. When salt enters the bloodstream it leeches fluid from other parts of the body, including the brain.
A cat suffering from salt poisoning may have the digestive issues listed above, lethargy, excessive thirst, and even a possible stumble, as if they were walking around drunk. More severe neurological symptoms are tremors, seizures, or falling comatose, all of which can lead to a fatal result.
If you’ve been sharing cashews with your cat for a long time and are worried about the potential long term health effects, first, stop sharing your people food with your cat.
Second, be on the lookout for lethargy, fever, and loss of appetite. These are signs of pancreatitis, or an inflamed pancreas, which requires immediate medical attention. Nuts are hard for cats to digest and over time the prolonged stress can cause lasting damage to your cats digestive system.
Can Cats Drink Cashew Milk?
Now it may be tempting to ask, if cats can’t eat cashews, perhaps they’d enjoy delicious cashew milk?
Unfortunately, we’re running into the same nutritional problems again.
Cashew milk is simply too fatty for a cat’s digestive system to process healthily. The same goes for cow’s milk and heavy cream.
Milk is fine for kittens, but grown cats need water to stay hydrated and healthy. Milk, cashew or otherwise, isn’t going to cut it.
Can Cats Have Cashew Yogurt?
Okay, I didn’t even know cashew yogurt was a thing until I started writing this article, but apparently it’s not good for cats either. Cashew yogurt has thickeners and additives that could make your cat feel sick.
What Snacks Can Cats Eat?
Now you may be asking yourself: well, what nuts can I share with my cat? The answer? Probably not many.
Walnuts, peanuts, and sweet almonds (the majority of commercially available almonds) all carry the same dietary risk of cashews. Walnuts are slightly bigger and thus carry a higher risk of choking. Peanuts can be extra salty, and if there are shells they can do damage, uh, ‘on the way out’.
If you happen to have bitter almonds, or bitter almond oil, do not share them with your cat. Bitter almonds contain too much cyanide and are considered toxic. Cyanide poisoning in cats can show up as dilated pupils, difficulty breathing, bright red gums, shock and death. For this same reason, don’t give kittens almonds at all, sweet or bitter.
Macadamia nuts are decidedly worse than cashews for your cat. They have the same dietary risk plus new symptoms: tremors, hind-leg paralysis and drunk stumbling.
Nuts just aren’t good for your cat, period. If you desperately need to share some people food with your feline friend, consider, in small amounts (20 calories, two teaspoons of poultry) and without additives (salt, sugar, spices etc)
- Cooked Salmon
- Spinach
- Cooked Chicken
- Bananas
- Cooked Eggs
- Cucumbers
- Cantaloupes & Melon
- Pumpkin
- Peas
- Blueberries
- Cooked Turkey
Remember to prepare as needed and limit the portions. If your cat is gaining weight or reacting poorly to the treats, stop feeding them people food and call your vet. Cats are inherently curious and eating is one way they interact with the world around them. They’ll appreciate sharing your culinary world with them.
Just not nuts.