Have you ever tried firing up your grill and preparing some delicious ribs without your cat’s presence? It’s practically impossible! She appears out of thin air and demands to taste whatever’s on the grill. But… You smothered everything in barbecue sauce! Can cats even eat BBQ sauce?
Think fast, what are your options? You could pick her up and show her what’s on the menu. Or, you could let her take a tiny bite.
Who are you trying to fool!? You know very well your mischievous monster would grab that entire piece of meat and devour it before you could even utter the word ”Stop!”
Let’s be honest, being a cat parent can be incredibly overwhelming. Your four-legged friend seems to get herself in trouble all the time. She needs those nine lives or else she wouldn’t live long enough to get out of that awkward teen phase.
Who would’ve known that she’d be in danger because of some mouth-watering marinade!? But, BBQ sauce does seem to be a sort of kryptonite in the feline world. While it isn’t completely toxic, it does contain a bunch of ingredients that might harm your cat in the long run.
So, cats can’t eat BBQ sauce! Since it’s better to be safe than sorry, you shouldn’t include this yummy sauce in your cat’s regular diet. If you need more convincing, take a closer look at the ingredients list and how they affect your cat’s overall health.
So, can cats eat BBQ sauce?
If your boisterous beast accidentally (or purposefully) takes a couple of bites of BBQ meat, there’s no reason to panic. Tiny amounts of this flavorsome sauce shouldn’t lead to any adverse reactions.
Does that mean you should add it to your cat’s regular food every single day? Absolutely not!
BBQ sauce contains a bunch of ingredients that might harm your cat. If you take a closer look at the ingredients list, you might find anything along the lines of vinegar, tomato paste, onion powder, liquid smoke, salt, spices (mustard or black pepper), and sweeteners (sugar or molasses).
Obviously, the contents of the sauce depend on the brand, the region where it came from, or whether it’s store-bought or homemade. Most of the ingredients present some level of danger to your precious pet, so it’s pretty clear why cats can’t eat BBQ sauce!
Reasons why you shouldn’t feed BBQ sauce to your cat
When your precious purrincess gives you those goo-goo eyes, you can’t help but throw her some leftover barbecue scraps. That’s where you’re making a huge mistake! She might look like she’s enjoying herself right now, but her litterbox will tell you otherwise in a couple of minutes!
Your cat might be a barbecue connoisseur, but she should steer clear of BBQ sauce. Onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and sugar are only some of the ingredients that might lead to serious gastrointestinal problems in the long run.
Let’s take a closer look.
1. Onion and garlic powder
Onion, garlic, and any other plant that belongs to the Allium family are incredibly toxic to cats. They contain compounds called disulfides and thiosulphates. Disulfides and thiosulphates damage your cat’s red blood cells and lead to various types of feline anemia.
If you notice symptoms such as lethargy, weakness, pale gums, increased heart rate, increased breathing rate, and collapse, you should contact your vet immediately. He should be able to provide your cat with proper medication and medical care.
Apart from that, if your cat eats any sauce with onion and garlic she might experience various digestive issues with symptoms ranging anywhere from mouth irritation and drooling, to abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. So, you tell me if cats can eat BBQ sauce!
2. Salt
A tiny amount of BBQ sauce (two tablespoons, to be exact) contains around 300 milligrams of sodium. Do you know how many milligrams of sodium your cat is allowed to consume in one day? Less than 40 milligrams!
So, two tablespoons of BBQ sauce will likely lead to sodium poisoning. If your mischievous monster happens to eat some barbecue meat, you should keep an eye out for symptoms such as diarrhea, decreased appetite, lethargy, loss of balance, and increased urination and thirst.
In some severe cases, your cat might even experience tremors and seizures. If you notice any of these symptoms you should contact your vet immediately. If you’re too worried about her condition, you can always take her to emergency animal care.
3. Sugar
Most BBQ sauces contain sweeteners like sugar, molasses, or even xylitol. While sugar isn’t toxic to cats, it isn’t recommended as a regular part of their diet. Consuming too much sugar can leave your cat with various digestive issues.
Cats can’t taste sweet things! One of the two genes responsible for the sweetness receptor got permanently switched off millions of years ago. Because of that, your cat’s digestive system can’t break down carbohydrates!
So, two tablespoons of BBQ sauce contain around 16 grams of sugar. If your four-legged friend happens to eat more than that, she might experience abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea. Tooth decay, diabetes, and obesity are also linked to excessive sugar consumption in cats.
4. Spices
Cats can’t taste spicy things, either! Before you go on an offensive rant, cats are superior to humans in pretty much every other way. They’re lacking in that department because they’re carnivores. They don’t require anything other than meat and animal protein in their diets.
Fresh animal meat isn’t spicy, so your cat simply doesn’t have the need to detect that flavor on her tongue. Believe it or not, you have around 10000 taste buds responsible for detecting heaps of mouth-watering flavors. How many do you think your cat has? Only 470!
While BBQ sauce might owe its delicious flavor to various spices, your cat would be better off without them. In fact, too much spice can irritate and burn your cat’s mouth.
If you notice any signs of drooling, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, runny nose, wheezing, or difficulty breathing – contact your vet immediately. While your cat isn’t likely to consume enough BBQ sauce to cause these issues, it’s better to be safe than sorry!
Final verdict on BBQ sauce
So, can cats eat BBQ sauce? Absolutely not! There’s no reason why you should include ketchup, mayo, or BBQ sauce in your cat’s regular diet. While these condiments might be tasty, they could be detrimental to your cat’s health in the long run.
You can always choose to make some delicious BBQ sauce from scratch. There are numerous cat-friendly recipes online that are easy to follow and promise paw-licking results. Good luck!
