Can Cats Eat Gummy Bears – Is It Harmful To Them?

Nothing beats a fresh bag of gummy bears where the snacks are soft and chewy. As soon as you rip the bag open, your cat comes running. Your cat assumes you’re ripping open a bag of cat treats. You want to share one with your cat, but you’re not sure if you should. Can cats eat gummy bears?

Cats should not eat gummy bears. Gummy bears lack the essential nutrients that cats need. They are full of sugar and may present themselves as choking hazards to cats that consume them.

Sugary snacks are an excellent snack for people, but they are not the choice for your cat. I know you have the best intentions in mind when you want to give your cat a piece, but you should not do this. If you want to learn why it’s better to skip the candy, continue reading to learn more. 

Are Gummy Bears Bad For Cats

Gummy bears are bad for cats. While not lethal or toxic to cats, they are still bad for cats to eat and should not be part of your cat’s everyday diet.

Gummy bears are an incredible human snack, especially those Haribo treats! But you should pass on them when it comes to your cat. Gummy bears are not suitable for cats.

We’ll get into specific reasons why gummy bears aren’t suitable for cats but know that it is a bad choice for now. Your cat may beg for gummy bears because the bag may sound like cat treats, but you’ll need to resist the urge to share with your cat.

Your cat may not know that the gummy bears are harmful to it, but you do, so you’ll need to make a choice for your furry best friend.

Reasons Gummy Bears Are Bad for Cats

You’ve probably heard that gummy bears are bad for cats, but you might not know the reason why. Well, there’s more than one reason why gummy bears aren’t the best snack for cats.

Gummy Bears Are Made Of Sugar

Cats should not eat sugar, and gummy bears are full of sugar. Some gummy bears are even coated with sugar on the outside too! For that reason alone, you should avoid letting your cat eat gummy bears. 

Gummy Bears Are Choking Hazards

As the name suggests, gummy bears are gummy and chewy. Most cats are not used to eating a texture like that, and if they do not chew the gummy bear enough, there is a chance they could choke on the gummy bear.

Gummy Bears Don’t Have Nutrients Cats Need

Even if your cat manages to eat a gummy bear safely, the gummy bear is adding nothing but empty calories to your cat’s diet. The gummy bear is not giving your cat the nutrients he needs to stay strong and healthy. 

Gummy Bears Can Get Stuck In Your Cat’s Teeth

Humans experience this too! Gummy bears are sticky so that the gummy bear might get stuck in your cat’s teeth. Your cat can’t maneuver his tongue like we can or use dental floss so that the gummy bear may stay stuck in your cat’s teeth. 

Your Cat May Get A Stomachache

Since your cat is probably not used to eating gummy bears, your cat will not be used to eating it. In response, your cat may get a stomachache. This could also lead to diarrhea or vomiting, which may signal your cat not feeling well. 

Your Cat Might Start To Expect Gummy Bears As A Treat

If you do give your cat a gummy bear as a treat, you might run into an issue if your cat starts to demand treats all the time. Your one-time treat might turn into your cat asking for gummy bears more often than you expected. 

Can Cats Eat Jelly Sweets

Cats should not eat jelly sweets.

Candy can come in all different types, and jelly sweets are just one kind. People may call gummy bears a more general term of jelly sweets, so this isn’t a different kind of candy. Like we previously discussed, these kinds of candies are often shaped like worms or like gummy bears.

Some jelly sweets are not rolled in sugar, but that does not make them any safer for your cat. Softer jelly sweets will be less chewy than harder ones, but it is still not a good idea to feed them to your cat.

What Happens If A Cat Eats Candy

Cats that eat candy will most likely be OK but may experience an upset stomach from the new food introduced into their diet. 

Although it is not recommended that a cat eat candy, you should not be overly concerned if your cat eats candy. Candy is not suitable for cats to eat, but it is also not toxic, so you don’t have to worry that your cat will be poisoned by candy.

If this is the first and only time your cat eats candy, you might not notice any change in your cat. As much as we hate to think that it’s true, cats often get into things they’re not supposed to.

If the candy does affect your cat, keep an eye out for signs of an upset stomach. Your cat may seem a little lethargic, be in the litter box more often, or even vomit. These symptoms will pass once the candy passes, but no one wants to watch their cat go through this. 

What Candy Can Cats Eat (Gummy Bear Alternatives)

You might be set on giving your cat candy, but no candy is safe for cats to eat. It is best to skip the candy altogether.

While you might think your cat will enjoy some candy, even if it isn’t gummy bears, cats don’t have a sweet tooth. You may think chocolate bars are a great treat, but your cat won’t be able to tell. Hopefully, that will deter you from giving sweets to your cat if you know your cat can’t enjoy them too. 

If you want to give your cat a treat, the best way to do so is to give your cat treats made for cats. There are even some chocolate-shaped treats (that taste like meat!) that you can get if you want to give your cat the experience of eating candies with you.

Things To Consider

There’s no shortage of types of candy. Unfortunately, I can’t point to one kind of candy that is better to give your cat. There are no alternatives to gummy bears that are somehow healthier than gummy bears for your cat.

Rather than talk about the possibilities of other candies you can give to your cat, let’s talk about other candy that you should avoid. Gummy bears are not the only thing you should avoid. All candy has sugar in it, but with other candy, sugar is not the biggest culprit. 

Chocolate

Chocolate of any kind can be toxic to cats in larger doses. This is tricky because many types of candy are made up of chocolate, at least partially. Some cats may be able to eat chocolate safely, but it is better not to risk it. 

Hard Candies

Sure, not many people would consider hard candy as “fun” candy, but they’re pretty standard candy. You should avoid giving your cat hard candy because it is a significant choking hazard. Most hard candies need to melt in your mouth, and most cats do not know enough to let it sit in their mouth.