can cats eat lucky charms? Did you know that there are certain foods that you should never feed your cat? There are also some foods you may have thought were OK to feed your cat but aren’t, like foods with xylitol. Some foods you may have thought were OK to feed your cat are pretty dangerous to them! In this article, we’ll talk about one of those foods – Lucky Charms cereal. This well-known cereal has long been popular among children and adults alike, but it may not be the best thing to give your cat.
Find out whether your feline friend can enjoy a bowl of Lucky Charms cereal!
Cereal may be iconic breakfast food, but can you share it with your cat? We’re not just talking about the marshmallows, either! Lucky Charms and other sugary cereals can harm your kitty’s health; the sugar content could even put them at risk of diabetes.
But if that isn’t enough to put you off sharing Lucky Charms with your cat, check out these other reasons why you shouldn’t let Fido have the marshmallows from your cereal bowl!
What is Lucky Charms?
Lucky Charms are a well-known brand of cereal manufactured by General Mills. The grain consists of tiny, circular marshmallows with embedded pieces of cereal or other confections and shapes, including hearts, stars, horseshoes, and clovers.
It is one of General Mills’ most popular cereals and has become a cultural icon in American pop culture. Even though it’s called Lucky Charms, some people may wonder if it can cause bad luck. So, can cats eat Lucky Charms?
Why Are They Bad For My Cat
Pet owners often wonder if their cats can eat certain foods that are bad for humans. And one of those foods is lucky charms cereal. These colorful rings are filled with things like food dyes, corn syrup, and marshmallows. While cats don’t mind eating these sugary treats (and they’re fun to play with), they can make your furry friend sick.
For example, one type of dye used in lucky charms is Red #40, which has been shown to cause many types of cancer in animals—but specifically, it may affect your cat’s kidneys by forcing them to swell and shut down. So next time you come across your kitty raiding a box of lucky charms, make sure you say no!
What Happens if my Cat Eats Them
The short answer to can cats eat lucky charms is yes. As with all human food, you should check with your vet before giving it to your cat to make sure there are no harmful side effects. Remember that some foods might be healthy for us but can negatively affect our furry friends.
Some foods, like chocolate, can be fatal if eaten by a cat, so read labels carefully and keep an eye on how much and how often you feed your cat human food. Keep in mind that many commercially available products designed explicitly for felines are not nutritionally complete; these don’t have enough protein or other nutrients that your pet needs in their diet to be healthy. So think of these as treats rather than meal replacements!
What to do if my cat eats them?
If your cat does happen to get her paws on a few marshmallows, don’t panic—they probably won’t hurt her. Most veterinarians agree that an occasional taste of Lucky Charms or marshmallows won’t do any severe harm. However, if you find that your cat is raiding your cereal stash with increasing frequency, it may be time to bring in a professional pet nutritionist.
If your kitty is eating large amounts of sugar and other additives from sneaking into your pantry, she could develop health problems. Discussing food choices with a professional may help curb some unwanted habits before they cause long-term damage.
What do they contain?
Lucky Charms are made with sugar, corn syrup, and partially hydrogenated cottonseed oil. According to Nestle Purina PetCare, a company that owns some of Mars’ pet food brands, xylitol is also a common ingredient in many dog and cat foods.
The question here isn’t if your cat can eat Lucky Charms but whether he should eat them. Xylitol contains about 40 percent fewer calories than sugar (just 4 calories per gram as opposed to 6), so it makes sense that there might be less in individual cereal pieces or a bowl of milk infused with lucky charms.
How much sugar is in them?
Lucky Charms cereal contains 10 grams of sugar per serving. That may not seem like a lot, but let’s put it in perspective. Ten grams of sugar is equal to four teaspoons. Four teaspoons of added sugar are already considered high and can contribute to weight gain.
For example, suppose you eat more than three servings of anything with more than three teaspoons of added sugar in each serving (about 75g or an entire 1/4 cup). In that case, you are likely going over your daily recommended intake for added sugars. You probably don’t need me to tell you what that means for your waistline and health. So does it mean cats can eat lucky charms?
How many calories are in them?
The first thing you need to know about eating lucky charms as a cat is how many calories are in them. Without that, it’s pretty hard to tell if your kitty should eat them or not. So we did some quick research and found that one box of lucky charms has roughly 390 calories.
It’s hard to say precisely how many of those would be for cats because they have a different metabolism than humans, but it’s safe to say they probably aren’t very high in calories because they’re made out of cereal. Luckily, charms aren’t like human junk food either; even though there are probably more calories in them than your average serving of cat food, there are also plenty of nutrients you wouldn’t usually find in dry cat food.
Do they contain gluten or dairy?
It’s surprising how many cereals contain ingredients cats can’t eat. Check for gluten and dairy, two of the most common allergens in pets.
Gluten is found in wheat and barley, so look for box names that end with Wheaties, Wheat Hrs, or Bran. If a cereal has a mascot (like Cookie Crisp) and an odd name that contains a term like clusters, it probably contains wheat. Dairy is found in some unassuming places—one example is Fruity Pebbles.
Are there any artificial colors or flavors in them?
If you were wondering, Lucky Charms cereals have no artificial colors or flavors. They’re made with whole grain oats containing good-for-you nutrition like Vitamin A and dietary fiber. Because they’re fortified with 10 essential vitamins and minerals, a 3⁄4 cup serving of Lucky Charms provides 15% of your daily recommended value of iron and 25% of your DV for calcium.
And because it’s made with whole grain oats that are naturally gluten-free, you can feed them to cats who have wheat allergies or sensitivities (yes!) without worrying about harming their delicate tummies.
Are there any preservatives in them?
It’s common for some people to be concerned about preservatives in their pet’s food, but it’s doubtful that a moderate amount of preservatives would cause any problems. For instance, several studies show that high amounts of BHA (Butylated Hydroxytoluene) have adverse health effects on dogs.
Still, an average dog eats well under 1 milligram of BHA daily. The USDA even lists antioxidants such as BHA and BHT as nutrients to increase in our pet foods. It seems that a bit of healthy skepticism goes a long way; while excessive preservatives are likely unsafe, we shouldn’t obsess over small amounts in our pets’ foods.
Are they safe for consumption by cats?
Lucky Charms may be a favorite cereal of humans, but can cats eat it safely? Although cats are carnivores and should not be interested in consuming any cereal, they sometimes crave sweet foods. Lucky Charms contain corn syrup as the main ingredient, an unhealthy sugar source for any animal to drink.
Additionally, suppose your cat is diabetic or pre-diabetic (cats can develop diabetes at around age 10). In that case, they should not consume Lucky Charms or other sugary cereals due to their high sugar content. If you think your cat might need a snack in addition to her regular diet, it’s better to give her something healthy instead of letting her lick crumbs off your floor from leftover meals.
Is it possible for me to kill my cat by feeding him too much of this cereal?
You might be surprised to learn that it is possible to kill your cat by feeding him too much of just about anything. Our feline friends may be small, but they’re also mighty—and a single teaspoon of raisins could send your cat into a fatal fit of kidney failure. On top of that, many foods can cause more immediate problems for your cat, from severe allergic reactions to intestinal distress and beyond.
When you doubt whether or not your cat can eat something, leave it out. But if you have a specific question about how much of something he can safely consume in one sitting, check with your vet first—the last thing you want is an ER visit on your hands!
conclusion:
1. Many parents are unaware that marshmallows are made of sugar, so feeding your cat a product with marshmallows in it could potentially lead to health problems.
2. There is artificial coloring in Lucky Charms, which some cats may be allergic to, leading to vomiting and diarrhea.
3. One cereal has 230 calories; when you consider how many cups your cat would need to eat for a full day’s worth of food, adding up all those calories is no easy feat!
4. There isn’t much nutritional value in these sugary treats; cats need no fiber, protein, vitamins & minerals that cats need for good health and longevity.
5. Human Foods Are Low in Nutrients and High in Fat: The main reason veterinarians discourage people from feeding their pets human food is that most treats don’t contain many nutrients and have high amounts of fat.