Can Cats Eat Tortillas? All There Is To Know

We all love tortillas, but what about our furry little friends? They would also love a treat from time to time, but for the sake of their well-being, we must ask ourselves if cats can eat tortillas before we give them a taste.

Cats are different species than us and therefore, they will have a different diet than humans. Thus, some foods will make their bodies react differently than ours. 

The same would be if we were to ever try eating cat food. Doesn’t sound so appealing, right?

While we may not find the idea of eating cat food very appetizing, cats are sometimes more than eager to try and steal some human food. We may think of it as cute and proceed to give it to them just because we want to fulfill all of their wishes. Still, we must remember that a healthy pet means a happy pet and owner.

When the fresh tortilla aroma spreads throughout the kitchen, you might expect the sound of someone scampering down the hall, ready to dive into this delicious snack. Let’s see if you should hide the tortillas or be free to share them with your cat.

Are tortillas bad for my cat?

You may wonder about this if you ever found yourself trying in vain to protect your last bite from your lap monster. Cats are curious creatures and will definitely try to get a hold of everything they find interesting. What better way to observe new things than to try eating them?

Although they tend to do that a lot, some cats are not always prone to trying new things because as much as they’re curious, they’re still very cautious animals. However, if your cat seems to be the one more prone to stealing your food, you should consider if it’s harmful to your pet.

Tortillas are tasty flatbreads that are usually made with corn and wheat flour. While these ingredients are safe for your cat, they still shouldn’t consume them on a regular basis. Corn can also be a part of your pet’s food, but not in high percentage because a carnivore can’t get all the needed nutrients from plant-based food.

It’s also possible for your cat to have an allergic reaction to grains such as corn, wheat, and rice. However, it’s not so common and we hope it won’t be the case with you and your beloved furkid. Still, if you notice any kind of excessive itching or rashes, you should immediately contact your vet’s office.

However, don’t let these grain percentages in your kitty’s food make you gullible. These are just dietary supplements to your cat’s food, which is otherwise mainly based on meat and other foods like fish and certain vegetables.

All in all, cats can eat small amounts of tortillas every now and then, but there is always a BUT. Don’t make this a regular thing and make sure the tortilla doesn’t contain any extra spices that could easily upset your cat’s stomach.

What type of tortillas can cats eat?

While tortillas are totally safe for your cat in small amounts and not on a regular basis, any side dishes you wanted to add to your tortilla could be potentially harmful to your kitty.

A lot of side dishes that come with tortillas are usually very spicy and have a lot of ingredients that can sometimes give humans belly ache, let alone cats. Humans have the ability to digest spicy foods, while cats don’t.

Spicy food could easily cause your cat to feel uneasy and lead to some symptoms of an upset stomach such as diarrhea, vomiting, and gas. Similar symptoms, together with excessive thirst, can also mean your cat has eaten something toxic. If that is the case, we recommend you take your furbaby to the vet immediately!

So, tortillas are safe for your pet as long as you don’t serve them with any side dishes because of the spices. These side dishes are usually spicy, as tortillas hail from Mexico, which is famous for its spices like garlic and onion powder, as well as chilli.

This being said, you better avoid the side dishes while feeding your cat tortillas. Tortillas that present a potential threat to your kitten’s health are ones with guacamole, chilli, roasted garlic, avocado, and many others.

What about flour in tortillas?

If you find yourself stuck with the question “Can cats eat tortillas?” because of the flour that’s in it, the simple answer is yes. The amount of flour in the tortilla is absolutely harmless to your cat and won’t cause any bad reactions.

However, raw flour isn’t particularly good for your pet. It’s not toxic, but your feline shouldn’t be consuming it because it holds no nutritional value and can’t benefit your cat in any way.

However, flour dough is something different and something to worry about if left alone with your kitty. Flour dough rises and if ingested, it can easily make your cat bloated which believe it or not, can be fatal.

Altogether, flour is not poisonous to your cat but for the sake of sanity, just keep it out of your little love monster’s reach.

Is guacamole bad for my cat?

Unfortunately, we can’t share our guacamole-dipped tortillas with our furry friends because things could easily go wrong. Guacamole sauce is an amazing side dish to tortillas and chips, but due to its ingredients such as onion and garlic, it can be highly toxic to your cat.

Onions and garlic are big red flags when it comes to your cat’s diet. Avoid them in any form – raw, cooked, or powdered. Even the smallest amounts could poison your cat, so make sure she stays clear of these.

Apart from onions and garlic, guacamole also contains salt. While salt is toxic to cats if taken in larger quantities, smaller amounts as an ingredient won’t necessarily hurt them. But remain careful because they shouldn’t be eating salt.

Apart from these previously mentioned ingredients, guacamole is also made from avocado. Even though it’s not deadly for your cat, it shouldn’t give her large quantities of it. You can say cats are safe to eat avocado, but it’s not recommended.

Another ingredient you should steer clear of when it comes to your cat and their intake of food is lime. Lime is found in guacamole and due to it being a citrus fruit, it’s considered toxic to both dogs and cats.

Thankfully, cats are some smart cookies and they usually tend to stay away from anything citrusy. The smell of citrus may be appealing to humans, but it can be an overwhelming one for cats. 

We can thank our felines for their choice of disliking citrus food because limes, together with other fruits like oranges and lemons, can be toxic for them.

Can cats eat chilli? Is it a hazard to cats?

This is a hard no. Cats can’t eat any spices, especially chilli because it’s hot. While you may sometimes enjoy that heat in your mouth, your cat surely won’t. Chilli is poisonous to your kitty and could easily cause digestive issues.

Chilli and other spices can also be found in other foods that are made with tortillas, such as burritos, quesadillas, tacos and enchiladas.

Can cats eat burritos? Tasty treat or dangerous food?

When it comes to burritos, cats are safe to some point. While burritos consist of tortillas which are safe for your pet, the difference from usual tortillas is the filling. Burritos also contain meat, cheese, beans, rice, and sauce. While beans and rice are safe for your kitty, the rest of the ingredients might not be.

We know cats love meat, but the type of meat that comes in burritos is typically seasoned, not to mention the sauce it comes with. Also, cheese is not necessarily very harmful to your furbaby but it’s still a dairy product, which isn’t good for felines because they are prone to lactose intolerance.

While burritos can be safe for your cats at one point – without seasonings and spices – it’s best if you avoid them due to potential negative side effects.

What about quesadillas? Are they safe for my cat?

You may have wondered what’s the difference between these two tasty Mexican foods. While a burrito is a tortilla with fillings, made in a cylindrical shape, quesadillas are tortillas with grilled cheese.

Cheese as a dairy product might not be the best choice for your lactose-intolerant feline, especially if it’s taken in larger quantities, which would be the case with quesadillas. 

Your furry friend could eat a tiny amount of cheese as if nothing happened, but any more than that is likely to send your cat running to her litter box.

Cats lack the needed enzymes in their digestive system to digest the sugar in the milk, called lactose, and therefore, cheese intake can result in diarrhea.

While plain tortillas are safe for your feline, cheese is not recommended. So, it’s best if you stash away your quesadillas.

Can cats eat tacos? Can these human treats be good for cats too?

Tacos may differ in look and stuffing from burritos and quesadillas, but it doesn’t mean they are less yummy. Along with burritos and quesadillas, tacos are a traditional Mexican food made out of corn or wheat flour tortillas.

Tacos come with stuffing that usually consists of tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, sour cream and pico de gallo. While these might not look really harmful to your cat, they could become a potential threat if your kitty decides to dip her paws in a taco.

While tomatoes may not be the first choice for your kitty, lettuce is perfectly safe for her to munch on. Although vegetables are not the main source of food, lettuce can be a good water and vitamin source for your pet.

Cheese and sour cream are dairy products and even though your cat can have a few samples of them, we don’t recommend giving them to your pet because of the lactose content.

These ingredients probably won’t hurt your cat, but you should look out for the pico de gallo sauce. It’s a traditional Mexican salsa that’s made out of tomatoes, onion, limes, and other ingredients that are red lights for your feline companion.

As already stated, tomatoes aren’t toxic to your cat but they don’t provide any nutritional value to her and don’t need to be on your pet’s daily menu. On the other hand, onion and lime, as previously mentioned, are very risky if found in between your cat’s toe beans!

Enchiladas as a cat treat? Is it safe for felines?

These tasty treats are unfortunately of similar ingredients as previous foods and therefore, wouldn’t be the safest thing to give to your kitty. Enchiladas look delicious, and they are for that matter, but your pet can definitely go without them.

Tortillas as one of the ingredients is something cats can eat from time to time. Other than that, we cannot guarantee the rest of the ingredients won’t have a bad impact on your cat.

Enchiladas usually consist of meat, cheese, peas, and other vegetables such as tomatoes and potatoes. Having previously mentioned your feline friend’s probable reaction to some of these ingredients like seasoned meat and cheese, it’s probably best if your cat just sticks to her own treats specially made for her.

Tomatoes and potatoes are safe for your cat and having them occasionally won’t affect her. But keep in mind that these would’ve never been her natural choice of food if she was out in the wild.

Some house cats don’t even express the need for trying out these two and their instincts can usually help them in making decisions about what’s best for them. Therefore, they can have a sneak peek and give it a try, but don’t let them get used to it.

How many tortilla chips can cats have?

Just as is the case with unsalted and unseasoned tortillas, without additional dishes and spices, cats are free to feast on tortilla chips. It may not sound very tempting to us, but it’s the only way cats can have a safe snack.

Tortilla chips usually come with salt, seasoning, and spices and for many reasons, this is detrimental to your pet. Salt is toxic to her if taken in larger quantities and an excessive amount thereof can result in a deadly outcome.

Although this type of chips poses no threat to her health, they shouldn’t eat large quantities of them because of unhealthy saturated fats.

Can cats eat tortillas after all?

Yes, cats can eat tortillas – as long as there are no additions to it such as side dishes and sauces that are usually full of spices and seasoning. These pose a threat to your kitten’s health.

You should always give tortillas to your cat in the presence of someone who can monitor her and her reaction. If your cat decides to be naughty and steals a bit of side dish, monitor her closely and call your vet if you notice any signs of distress.

If your cat is displaying symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, excessive drinking of water, excessive gas, and other uncommon symptoms, you should immediately seek help from a professional.

Remember to treat your pet to tortillas only occasionally. Don’t make it a tradition because after all, cats are carnivores and they won’t thrive much off of plant-based food.

Also, make sure you provide your cat with all of the needed nutrients. That way, they won’t go around digging in the pantry for some alternatives to replace the vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber that they need for a healthy life.

A healthy kitty is a happy kitty, and a happy kitty means a happy owner – and one less vet trip. Remember that curiosity killed the cat, so keep a watchful eye on your four-legged companions. After all, we know there is no one more ready to love us the way they do.