Can Cats Eat Lasagna – Little Known Facts!

You’ve seen it in the newspaper when you were a kid. Garfield, the cat, leaning over a massive plate of lasagna (and sometimes even pizza!). You never saw your family cat drooling over lasagna, but you always figured lasagna was one of those things that cats just loved as humans do. However, your cat never ate lasagna, and you’re curious if they’ll enjoy it. So, can cats eat lasagna?

Cats can eat lasagna. While lasagna itself is not poisonous to cats, the ingredients found inside lasagna, like garlic, can make your cat seriously ill. 

If you make your own lasagna, you have control over the ingredients that you put in, but if a friend makes lasagna or you buy it from a store, you cannot be sure what is in it exactly or in what amounts. You might not think anything will come of your cat having a taste, but you can’t be sure. Let’s talk a little more about why lasagna isn’t the best human meal for your cat. 

Is Lasagna Poisonous To Cats

Lasagna itself is not poisonous to cats. However, lasagna with added ingredients could be poisonous. The main culprit is garlic, which is something cats cannot tolerate even in small amounts. The sodium content in lasagna, different spices, and ingredients mixed into the sauces can also be bad for your pet. 

Lasagna has different ingredients based on who makes it, but the staples usually are:

• Meat
• Cheese
• Tomatoes
• Pasta
• Garlic
• Salt
• Chives

The meat in the lasagna likely won’t upset your cat’s stomach, but let’s think about the cheese for a moment. Although your cat might like the taste of cheese, cats really shouldn’t eat dairy. People usually think of a cat licking up milk, but your cat actually can’t digest lactose. It’s better that they don’t have cheese.

Largely speaking, lasagna is pretty salty too. Salt isn’t great for cats, either. A bite of lasagna probably won’t be deadly for your cat, but cats don’t need much salt, and human food can get salty. All the ingredients in lasagna might be a recipe for disaster for your cat… No pun intended.

Why Is Lasagna Bad For Cats

Lasagna itself isn’t bad for cats; it’s the ingredients that you might add to your lasagna that can be bad for your cat.

Even though you might make the best lasagna from your great-grandmother’s secret family recipe, it doesn’t mean that your cat needs a taste too. 

It’s not that lasagna is a bad dish. Lasagna contains ingredients that can be harmful to your furry friend, so it’s best to stay away. A cat’s body and digestive system aren’t equipped to handle that much salt, garlic, sauce, and dairy from the cheese. 

The combination of ingredients in your favorite leftovers might taste amazing to you (and, honestly, maybe your cat), but they aren’t the best or the safest food for your cat to eat. 

Can Cats Eat Lasagna Without Garlic

Lasagna without garlic might be slightly better for your cat (but not by much), but you do want to make sure your cat doesn’t eat any garlic.

If you’re anything like me, you might not have known that garlic is bad for your cat. Humans love the stuff, so what’s the big deal about a cat eating garlic?

Garlic is very toxic to cats. Garlic creates a type of anemia in cats that destroys red blood cells faster than they can reproduce, which is scary.

Often, anything in a small dose isn’t bad for your pet, but garlic is one of those things that you want to watch out for. There are many factors that decide how much garlic may poison your cat, so it’s best to stay away from it either way. Less than a clove of garlic could be too much for your cat!

Is Meat Good For Your Cat

Since cats are carnivores, meat is good for your cat to eat. Your cat can eat many types of meat that humans do, as long as they’re cooked.

The meat in your lasagna might be the one ingredient that I can’t say is bad for your cat. But that doesn’t mean lasagna is suddenly a great option for your cat. The meat is still combined with the sauce, cheese, and pasta. 

Even though you think the meat benefits might outweigh the negative effects of the other ingredients, it won’t. Don’t put your cat at risk. 

If you want your cat to have some meat, set aside some plain meat before you combine it for your lasagna. 

Is It Safe For Cats To Eat Pasta

Pasta is safe for cats to eat, but pasta is not a nutritious meal for your cat. 

Your cat can safely eat pasta, but it isn’t a great staple food for your cat. Much like some of the other foods that humans eat, pasta is empty calories for your cat. There is no health benefit for your cat to eat pasta. You probably shouldn’t give it to them, but it won’t hurt if they do steal a noodle off your almost empty plate.

It’s probably the pasta sauce that you should watch out for. Since most people don’t eat plain pasta, you might have sauce and other ingredients on it to add flavor, which may be worse for your cat.

As with any pasta dish, there’s probably some tomato element to it too. Tomatoes in small amounts are safe for your cat, but you shouldn’t get into the habit of giving your cat tomatoes.

Tomatoes aren’t necessarily a great food for your cat, but they’re not so bad either, especially in small amounts. 

The problem with the tomatoes in your lasagna is that they’re probably not fresh tomatoes. Most of us use canned tomatoes and tomato sauce, which has more additives than fresh tomatoes. Tomato sauce is often packed with salt and other spices, which may be harmful to your cat. 

What Should I Do If My Cat Eats Lasagna

If your cat does eat some lasagna, you probably don’t have to worry, but you can give your vet a call if you want to be safe. Depending on what ingredients you put into your lasagna, or if it were storebought, there could be reason for concern. A tiny amount might make your cat sick, but it won’t cause them to have severe health issues. 

Let’s face it: your cat isn’t your dog. Chances are your cat won’t eat the entire pan of lasagna that you slaved over before you can catch them. They’ll probably take a few bites or lick some sauce off the top. 

If this is the case, you probably don’t have to worry too much because your cat didn’t eat enough lasagna to be harmful. Still, keep an eye on your cat because they might have an upset stomach.

If you’re a cat owner who gets concerned, you can call your vet too, but they’ll probably also tell you to keep an eye on your cat for the next few hours.

What Do People Think About Cats Eating Lasagna

Many people think that cats might like to eat lasagna because of Garfield, the popular comic strip cat who was often seen with a pan of lasagna.

Even though lasagna was great for Garfield, that doesn’t mean it will be good for your cat. Let’s not forget that your cat is real, unlike Garfield.

But I know what you’re thinking. You grew up with Garfield and love the image of him hanging over a pan of lasagna! I do, too, trust me, but one of Garfield’s favorite foods shouldn’t be your cat’s.

If you have no idea what I’m talking about, give it a Google. You might have a good laugh!

Although you might want your furry friend to partake in dinner too, lasagna isn’t the best option for your cat, even if your favorite childhood comic strip told you otherwise. I’m positive you love your furry friend, so why would you give them something that you know might make them sick? If you want to eat dinner with your cat, pop a can of cat food when you’re about to sit down to eat.