Cats Eat Doritos – Is It A Safe Treat?

If you’re the proud parent of a feline, there’s little doubt you’re not constantly worried about its diet. And, from one cat enthusiast to another – that’s a good thing! Cats are carnivores and thrive on a protein-rich diet. But, from time to time, you can find yourself wondering if your fur baby might enjoy a human snack, like, say, Doritos. So, let’s get to it; can cats eat Doritos?

Cats cannot eat Doritos. Doritos offer felines little to no nutritional value. The high salt content, corn products, and garlic and onion seasonings can cause cats to have adverse reactions. Cats can also deal with an upset stomach, choking, and vomiting.

Nonetheless, feline owners who want the whole caboodle on why cats and Doritos don’t mix, we’ve got you covered. The article will list why cats shouldn’t eat Doritos, what human snacks are suitable for felines, and other helpful pointers. 

What Are Doritos And What Are Its Main Ingredients

To be perfectly precise, Doritos is an American brand of flavored tortilla chips. The company behind the brand is Frito Lay and happens to be a subsidiary of PepsiCo. Doritos are famous worldwide and are available in various flavors, with Nacho Cheese and Cool Ranch being top-sellers. 

Things get a little tricky when it comes to the ingredients of Doritos – not because it’s a secret recipe, but because there are so many of them. Still, we put on our Sherlock hats and dug through piles of information. Here’s what we discovered. 

According to the Doritos website, the ingredients of Nacho Cheese are as follows:

Whole Corn

Vegetable Oil (Corn, Canola, and/or Sunflower Oil)

Corn Dextrin

Salt

Cheddar Cheese

Whey

Monosodium Glutamate

In addition to that, there are more ingredients listed such as:

Buttermilk, Romano Cheese (Part-Skim Cow’s Milk, Cheese Cultures, Salt, Enzymes), Whey Protein Concentrate, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Corn Flour.

See what we mean? But, before you get too anxious about which of these ingredients aren’t suitable for your fur ball – don’t stress. Scroll down below to discover which Doritos ingredients are harmful to your feline. 

Reasons Why Cats Shouldn’t Eat Doritos

While there are quite a few reasons why feeding your cat Doritos is a bad idea, they can be divided into three main categories. Here’s what they are.

Unsuitable Ingredients

One of the main ingredients of Doritos is corn, and that’s what tortillas are made from traditionally. Corn sounds pretty harmless from a human perspective, but the vegetable can present several problems for cats. 

First off, corn includes phytic acid, a natural substance often found in plant seeds. Phytic acid can interfere with the way a cat’s body absorbs iron, calcium, or zinc, and prolonged exposure can lead to mineral deficiencies. 

Then there’s the fact that corn is a pretty potent allergenic when it comes to felines. Symptoms of food allergies in cats can include vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, sneezing, etc. And corn has no nutritional benefits for your furball either. 

Another problematic component of Doritos is the variety of cheese and milk cultures and powders. 

A majority of the feline population becomes lactose intolerant once their bodies stop producing lactase – the enzyme that breaks down milk products. That means feeding you lactose intolerant kitty-cat Doritos can cause significant stomach upsets. 

Finally, the most problematic ingredients of Doritos are onion and garlic powder because both are derived from vegetables that are toxic to cats. 

And, since we don’t know exactly how much of these powders is present in the tortillas – it’s best to avoid them altogether to ensure your cat doesn’t suffer from toxicity. 

Fats, Carbs, And Salt

The caloric breakdown of Doritos reveals that the chips are high in fats and carbs. For example, 1 ounce of Doritos approximately includes 17 grams of carbohydrates, 8 grams of fat, and 180mg of salt. 

If your cat seems to have developed a taste for the snack, it can be susceptible to developing feline obesity or diabetes. Your cat doesn’t require dietary carbs in its diet, but its body can burn off small amounts by using glucose as fuel for energy. 

Doritos are also pretty high in salt content, and consuming too much salt can result in salt toxicity in felines. Symptoms of the condition include excessive thirst and urination, tremors, coma, and in extreme cases, death. 

Choking Risk

Thankfully, there are no reports of cats choking on Doritos on the internet. Cats are pretty careful eaters, but the brittle consistency of Doritos may become an issue if a cat tries to take a big bite off the tortilla. 

If your cat is a Doritos fanatic, you can try and taper it off the snack by dusting off all the flavorings and giving your feline bite-sized pieces. Doing so will prevent the choking hazard and keep your pet from ingesting the harmful ingredients discussed earlier. 

Can Cats Eat Tortillas

Processed tortillas that you’ve bought from your local store will likely have the same problems as Doritos. 

This includes harmful ingredients, high salt content, and health issues like allergies, diarrhea, vomiting, etc. That’s why feeding your cat store-bought tortilla – no matter the brand – isn’t a good idea. 

If you’re a dab hand at whipping up a storm in the kitchen, you can try feeding your pet a homemade tortilla. However, we’d suggest you skip any plant-based snacks and instead give your cat snacks like fish or chicken liver.

Things To Consider

During our research, we came across comments from fellow cat lovers proclaiming their pets are pretty taken with eating Doritos. 

Since we’ve already established feeding your cat Doritos isn’t healthy and can lead to a host of health concerns, here are some pointers for healthy cat snacks and how you can get your cat to stop eating Doritos. 

Don’t Eat Snacks In Front Of Your Cat

One of the biggest reasons your cat may be tempted to try out human snacks is that it sees you enjoying them. 

That’s why you have two options to keep your cat’s diet free of harmful ingredients: stop eating them yourself or don’t eat the Doritos (or other snacks) in front of your pet.

We realize giving up snacks altogether is a tough ask. So, we recommend sneaking snacks to your room and eating them away from your feline’s prying eyes and paws. 

Tempt Your Cat With Feline-friendly Snacks

Cats, like humans, can grow addicted to their treats. That’s why experts recommend feeding your pet snacks no more than twice or thrice a week. You can also positively contribute to your cat’s snacking habits by giving it items that have little or no health concerns. 

Since cats are obligate carnivores, giving them snacks like lean meat, high-quality cat kibble, baked fish, etc., can boost their protein quotient without problematic additives. 

Pay Attention To Cat’s Exercise

Indoor cats don’t get enough exercise, and that’s a fact. Ensure your feline’s health is at optimal levels by ensuring your pet gets approximately 30 minutes of exercise per day. 

Don’t worry; we’re not asking you to plan a schedule of kitty cardio. Instead, try playing with your feline for 15 minutes in the morning and evening, and that should do it.