Spices are seeds and roots of plants often used for the coloring or flavoring of food. India’s credited for producing 75% of spices on a global level. However, Takis originate from Mexico that’s also well known for its spicy food. While treating yourself to this rich-flavored food, you may wonder can cats eat takis as well?
This might be an obvious answer, but we’re more than glad to explain why. Due to all the spices that can be found in just one bag of these corn tortilla chips, Takis are not safe for your cat.
What is Takis made of?
Did your cat lick Takis because you accidentally left it on the table? If your cat freaked out for a second and had a more uncommon reaction than usual, she probably hated it.
Cats don’t have the receptors that would enable them to detect the spicy flavor, but they can feel the intensity in their mouth.
Takis come in numerous flavors but all of them are hot, with no exceptions. So, whatever bag you had laid out on the table, it probably burned your furbaby’s mouth.
Cats can’t eat Takis for various reasons, most important of which are because of ingredients such as salt and spices, oils, and powders like onions and garlic.
Salt and spices, good or bad?
While humans can’t go without salt and spices in their everyday meals, sodium chloride is not the smartest choice for your pet.
Salt can be very dangerous to your cat and it can put her at risk of many health issues. It’s known to be toxic for cats if consumed in sufficient quantities.
The side effects of excessive amounts of salt can cause diarrhea, vomiting, as well as excessive thirst and urination. In some severe cases, salt intoxication in cats can result in seizures, coma, and even death.
The reason your pet can’t eat spicy foods is that the majority of spices are made out of capsaicin, which is chili pepper’s active component. This ingredient can leave your kitty with an upset stomach and a runny nose as well.
Stating these facts, salt and spices are the main reasons Takis are not something that cats can eat without consequences.
Is junk food safe for cats?
Junk food is unhealthy food that’s highly processed. This type of food isn’t recommended as your cat’s daily intake because it mainly consists of fat, salt, and sugar, all of which aren’t safe for your pet.
Takis is considered to be junk food and it doesn’t hold any nutritional value that can benefit your kitty in any way. To understand whether cats can eat Takis, you should just think about how junk food affects you.
If you can’t get why cats eat junk food sometimes, just remember that they’re being led by their stomach and greed. In that case, their instincts may not be why you’ve found your four-legged companion munching on spicy Takis.
Cats don’t need junk food because their main source of food, meat, is enough to satisfy their dietary needs. Anything other than that simply doesn’t have the necessary proteins, fiber, vitamins, and minerals they require to be healthy.
Is it risky for my cat to eat Takis?
If your cat has more than a lick, you should contact your vet immediately. Takis often come with onion and chili powder, which are known to be poisonous to felines.
Just like humans, you can offer her some milk to try soothe the burning sensation in her mouth. Still, bear in mind that milk isn’t recommended for cats because they’re lactose intolerant, so make sure you give her just enough to bring her relief.
The extent of spices that’s found in a bag of Takis can even harm humans. So, you can only imagine the damage they can cause to your dear pet.
If these potential risks aren’t enough to convince you to keep your cat away from this snack, here’s some more reasons cats can’t and shouldn’t eat Takis.
What are the downsides of cats eating Takis?
To be clear, cats don’t have any benefits from eating any food that’s not their main choice by nature. They can’t get the needed nutrients from most human foods.
Spicy foods in general won’t serve your pet’s health. A cat’s digestive system isn’t made for chips that are high in sodium. This exaggerated level of salt causes a condition known as hypernatremia.
High sodium levels can easily cause diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy, excessive thirst, and many other health problems that could eventually lead to even more serious conditions.
Your cat could suffer greatly if you feed her Takis on a regular basis. So, the only way cats can eat Takis is if they’re unsalted and unseasoned. If it’s even possible to find a bag of those.
Other foods that are a red light
Cats’ digestive systems are certainly not made for every type of food. Humans have a wide range of choices when it comes to their meals, but cats, not so much.
Their specific digestive system excludes junk food like Takis, but some other foods as well. Cats have problems digesting chocolate, dairy products, raw eggs, meat, and bones. They also have trouble with raisins and grapes, and well-known enemies, onion and garlic.
1. Chocolate
Chocolate is a special treat to humans, but unfortunately, it’s not the case when it comes to cats. We might think everyone will enjoy this treat, which is understandable until your cat eats some of it.
Your pet isn’t naturally drawn to sweets, therefore she’ll probably never try eating chocolate on her own. Cats lack the taste buds that humans have, so they’re unable to perceive the sweet taste of chocolate.
Chocolate also contains a lot of milk, sugar, and fats – everything that makes chocolate inedible to cats. Bear this in mind the next time you offer your kitty any chocolate because greater amounts can easily become toxic.
2. Dairy products
Humans have been taught that cats’ strong liking towards milk and dairy products is natural, which is completely wrong. Dairy products are not the safest for your cat, but not the most harmful either.
The majority of cats are lactose intolerant, which prevents them from enjoying dairy products. Instead, it upsets their stomach, leaving them with a case of diarrhea.
3. Raw foods: eggs, meat, and bones
Eggs are a great source of protein for your cat, but be careful. She can only benefit from properly cooked eggs because raw ones can carry certain diseases, such as salmonella and E.coli.
You may wonder why we’re discussing meat when it comes to cats. Although they’re carnivores and thrive off of meat-based diets, raw meat can carry bacteria that could cause food poisoning.
Raw bones are also not recommended because they can hurt your pet’s teeth, as well as cause constipation. From time to time, your cat can have a taste of raw meat, but be wary of these bacteria and try opting for cooked meat instead.
4. Raisins and grapes
While a healthy snack for humans, a deadly trap for cats. Raisins and grapes will always set off alarm bells in cat owners because felines are highly toxic to these fruit snacks.
If ingested, it can result in kidney failure in cats. And when kidneys stop working, urine production stops too, leading to a dangerous buildup of toxins in their body.
Be sure to take your cat to the vet if, within 12 hours of eating any of these, she develops certain symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, and/or lethargy.
5. Onions and garlic
Onions and garlic in any form, whether they be raw, cooked, or powdered, are toxic to your feline. Alliums can damage their red blood cells and lead to some serious health complications.
Steer clear of these and make sure to look out for any symptoms of poisoning if your feline has got her paws on these previously-mentioned ingredients.
Read more: Can Cats Eat Pretzels? Are They Toxic To Your Kitto?
To sum up
There’s lots of food that can hurt your pet and we’re sure that, as a responsible cat owner, you want to avoid that at all costs. Takis are one of the foods that’s best left in your pantry.
There are some great foods that are nontoxic to your beloved fluff you can safely share with her. Unfortunately, these spicy snacks don’t fall into that category.
Read more: Can Cats Eat Cheese Puffs? Snack Or Stash
