Watermelon is very safe for cats! That is the good news I have for you as a pet owner.
In fact, your feline friend stands to benefit a lot from the high water content of this fruit.
When you give your cat watermelon, it is a very safe and sure way of increasing her intake of water every day. This is extremely important especially in hot weather and your cat needs to be hydrated throughout.
Most cat owners ask me this question: “Can cats eat watermelon?
Read on to find out this and much more on whether you should give your feline friend watermelons.
Table of Contents
Is Watermelon Really Safe for Cat Consumption?
The best news I have for every cat owner out there is that yes, you can give your cat watermelon and it is actually safe for them to eat this yummy fruit.
Being a pet owner, you must have noticed that your cat is not so much of a good water drinker. Cats do not regularly drink plenty of water as it is required of them.
The ultimate reason as to why your cat is not a very good water drinker is because historically, cats evolved from being desert-dwelling creatures. This explains the reason why your little furry friend might not be too friendly with water.
You need to bear in mind that any living creature needs to take sufficient amount of water in order to survive and live a normal and healthy life.
When your cat fails to take enough water, this may end up causing health problems to him in future.
Cats that fail to take enough water may end up suffering from dehydration. If you live in hot weather areas, you cat may develop kidney stones and even lower urinary tract infection.
When you feed your cat watermelon, you actually allow her to increase her water intake in a smart way.
This may be a more effective strategy of encouraging your cat to take more water on a daily basis rather than serving her water in a bowl which she might not even sip at all.
Apart from that, watermelon is a delicious fruit that is loved by almost all pets at large. It is healthy and nutritious, very rich in vitamins and fiber.
So why not give your feline friend this little piece of heaven on earth to enjoy once in a while?
How To Give Your Cat Watermelon?
Watermelon fruit contains a lot of seeds inside.
Seedless watermelon is easy for your cat to eat and you will not have to worry about any seeds that may pose as choking hazards to your little feline friend.
When feeding your cat watermelon, make sure that you carefully remove all the seeds inside it. You can proceed to cut the red fleshy part into small pieces and put them for your cat in a clean bowl.
In giving your cat any treat, not just watermelons, you always need to be responsible as a pet parent. You need to know at the back of your mind that moderation is key.
? Again, too much watermelon may cause more harm than good and as they say it is better to be safe than sorry. Make sure you do not overfeed your cat with watermelon.
Why Give Your Cat Seedless Watermelon?
According to experts, watermelon seeds contain some compounds that can be actually very risky for your cat.
? There are certain compounds like cyanide contained in watermelon seeds. When your cat bites the watermelon seeds, it may release some toxins that are deemed to be harmful to your pet.
Allowing your cat to eat watermelon seeds may cause her to start experiencing stomach upsets, vomiting and in extreme cases diarrhea.
While there might be a chance that your cat may simply pass the watermelon seeds when she poops but there is also a possibility of the watermelon seeds causing serious gastrointestinal damages to your feline friend.
So in order to avoid your cat experiencing all these issues as well as risk choking, be sure to safely remove all watermelon seeds before offering your cat this yummy treat to enjoy in that hot afternoon.
How Often Should I Give My Cat Watermelon?
? Even though watermelon is safe for your cat to eat, I should warn you not to make it a complete substitute of your cat’s regular meals.
So, you might be honestly wondering how often you ought to give your cat watermelons. As I already previously highlighted, you need to give your cat watermelon in moderation.
Make sure that you only give your cat watermelon occasionally, every so often. This being the case, you also need to check on the amount on which you give your cat watermelon.
Your cat’s digestive system is not the same as yours, so you need to give her small amounts of watermelon occasionally.
I know it can be tempting to give in to those cute eyes when they are seemingly “begging” you to spare them some of this yummy fruit, but you need to give your feline some tough love and have the courage to say no when they have eaten enough watermelon for the day.
After all, cats are carnivorous animals, they are naturally meant to eat meat and not fruits like watermelon.
? According to animal nutrition experts, a treat like watermelon should only form like 10 per cent of your cat’s diet. The other 90 per cent should be comprised of high quality cat food to enable your cat grow healthy and strong.
Please don’t give in to your cat’s pleas when she wants more watermelon. Giving her excess watermelon may cause her stomach upsets and trust me you do not want to start running around with a sick pet.
What You Need To Do If Your Cat Vomits Watermelon?
There are cats that may not like eating watermelon.
When you are offering your cat this fruit for the first time, you need to start by giving her small tit bits just to see her reaction towards the fruit.
Also there might be instances where your feline friend will feed on more watermelon than is required of them, what then should you do?
Let me start with what you should not do first. You need to stop giving your cat more watermelon. If your cat is throwing up due to eating excess watermelon, it is just common sense that you need to stop giving her any more than her body can handle.
Vets advise that you need to also stop giving her any more food and water until the vomiting ceases. This should be emphasized on especially if your cat can’t hold anything down.
Once you notice that the vomiting has stopped, you can slowly introduce water and give her a plain diet like mashed potatoes or rice.
The water will be effective in replacing the amount of water she has lost during her bouts of throwing up.
Can Cats Eat Watermelon Rind?
Cats are naturally curious animals and that’s probably why there is a saying that says: curiosity killed the cat.
You might catch your cat sniffing and purring with her paws all over a piece of watermelon fruit. Should you just let your cat continue to explore this delicious and tempting fruit?
It is perfectly okay to let your cat eat but can cats eat watermelon rind?
? Just as a safety tip, I would advise that aside from just removing the watermelon seeds, you need to also remove the watermelon rind.
Generally, cats may find the watermelon rind juicy and fun to chew. However, just as a precaution, you need to safely remove it because it may cause digestion issues to your feline friend.
Watermelon rind may prove to be quite difficult for your cat to digest. Once watermelon rind gets in your cat’s digestive tract, it may cause internal damage and blockages. So keep your cat off watermelon rind at all costs!
Is Watermelon Bad For Cats?
Is it really? What I can say is that watermelon is safe for your cat to eat but again it depends on the current health status of your cat.
Watermelon has high sugar levels and this may prove to be too much for your feline friend if she is suffering from diabetes.
? If you have a diabetic cat, you need to make sure that you give her watermelon only as prescribes by your vet.
Diabetic cats need to maintain a diet that has low sugar and a good way to start is by ensuring that she doesn’t consume too much of this sweet fruit.
Make sure to remove the watermelon seeds and rind before giving your cat this fruit to eat.
What are the precautions you need to take when feeding your cat watermelon?
Let me briefly share with you some of the precautions that you need to take when giving you cat watermelons:
1. Make sure that you remove all the seeds inside the watermelon. Watermelon seeds are potential choking hazards and they contain toxins which may cause your cat to vomit and diarrhea.
2. Remember to remove the watermelon rind. It is juicy and quite tempting to chew but it may cause your cat to have gastrointestinal damages as it is pretty difficult to digest.
3. Avoid giving your cat watermelon if she is diabetic. Watermelon contains high sugar content which is not good for diabetic pets.
4. Only give your cat watermelon once in a while. Make sure to give this yummy treat occasionally and not as a meal replacement. Give your cat high quality cat food and you can occasionally give her small pieces of watermelon just to supplement her diet.
What are the health benefits of giving your cat watermelon?
Cats are generally poor water drinkers so giving your cat watermelon is a clever way of making sure that your cat takes enough water to stay hydrated.
Watermelon also contains lycopene which is very beneficial when it comes to strengthening your cat’s bones.
Lycopene also helps to prevent cardiovascular diseases in your feline friend.
Watermelon contains the following nutrients that are useful in your cat’s general health and well-being:
– Carotenoid lycopene
– Phenolic antioxidants
– Pantothenic acid
– Copper
– Vitamin B6
– Vitamin C
– Potassium
– Biotin
– Magnesium
– Vitamin B1
? Watermelon that has a rich red color is more nutritious as compared to the unripe counterparts. The next time you buy watermelon, go for the one that has deep red inner flesh.
Watermelon also contains natural sugar which is good for your cat as opposed to the artificial one. This helps your cat’s blood sugar level to always be maintained at the optimum and required level.
Are you worried that your cat may get overweight by eating plenty of watermelon?
Worry no more because this fruit contains low calories. Your feline friend is unlikely to suffer from obesity or add any excess weight from eating watermelon.
A fruit like watermelon also contains high dietary fiber. This helps to decrease blood cholesterol levels and hence lowers the risk of your cat suffering from heart problems. The high dietary fiber contained in watermelon also helps your cat in digestion.
Watermelon For Cats: Does Your Cat Really Need Watermelon?
The good part is that watermelons are beneficial to cats in terms of health.
They are truly a great source of vitamins and other essential nutrients that your cat needs to grow healthy. This means that watermelons do affect your cat’s health in a positive way.
The only thing that you need to be wary of is giving your cat watermelon seeds because they contain toxins and also may be a choking hazard.
Also avoid giving your cat the watermelon rind because it is difficult to digest.
Watermelon rind is the green hard covering of the fruit. Make sure to remove this part before you give your cat to eat this delicious tropical fruit.
What Are The Symptoms of Watermelon Allergies In Cats?
Are you shocked? Yes! Some cats can be allergic to watermelon.
That is the ultimate reason why you need to give your cat small pieces of watermelon first and see how they react to the fruit.
If your cat has been affected by watermelon, you will notice some of the following symptoms:
– Diarrhea
– Vomiting
– Indigestion
– Poisoning
– Intestinal blockage
– Choking
– Internal bleeding or damage.
In case you notice these symptoms in your cat, you need to stop giving your feline friend any more watermelons.
Most of these symptoms normally just wear out in less than 24 hours but in case the symptoms persist, then you need to rush your cat to the veterinary.
Why Do Cats Like Eating Watermelon?
You may have noticed that your cat likes to eat watermelon, why is this so?
Watermelons are summer fruits that contain about 90% of water. Your cat probably loves eating watermelon because it helps to keep her cool during the hot summer weather. With all that fur, who wouldn’t be thankful for such a delicious watery treat?
? According to recent studies, cats are unable to taste sweet, this also happens to be the case with other carnivores.
They naturally lack sweet sensors so they are crab blind. They have an inability to detect sugars and that’s why they like eating watermelon.
There are also cats that just love to play with this huge round fruit. They love the colors and texture as well. This can make some cats to literally go nuts just at the sight of the watermelon.
Can Cats Take Watermelon Juice?
If you want your cat to enjoy this refreshing tropical fruit, you can as well make her some nice, tasty watermelon juice.
You can sprinkle some on her regular cat food just to add some taste and also allow her to benefit from the nutrients in the watermelon juice.
This will go a long way to help supplement your feline friend’s dietary needs.
Can Cats Eat Honeydew Melon?
Honeydew melon is also very tasty and most cats love it as much! They are also loaded with vitamins and minerals essential for your cat’s health and growth.
You can occasionally give your cat some honeydew but make sure that you give minimal quantities to avoid your cat experiencing diarrhea and other health issues like vomiting.
Final thoughts
In conclusion, watermelon is one of the many fruits that are safe for cats to eat.
In fact, cats enjoy and love eating this tropical fruit because it keeps them cool during the hot weather.
However, you need to take precaution, when you want to give your cat watermelon, make sure that you safely remove the rind and also the watermelon seeds that are scattered inside the red fleshy fruit.
The fruit is beneficial to your feline friend’s health because of the minerals and vitamins contained in it and also it is a smart way of increasing your cat’s water intake.
I hope this has been helpful and you can now confidently allow your little ball of fur to enjoy a nice watermelon treat every once in a while!
