Can Cats Eat Vegetable Oil – Is It Harmful?

If you’re a person with a nosy cat, then you’ve probably had to push your cat away from you once or twice while you are cooking. Your cat may have even snuck a lick of vegetable oil while you were not looking, which begs the question: can cats eat vegetable oil?

Cats can eat vegetable oil, but your cat could suffer from a stomachache if he eats vegetable oil.

Vegetable oil is not toxic to cats, but that does not mean it will not lead to an upset stomach. Vegetable oil and other cooking oils may have some benefits for your cat, so keep on reading to learn more about vegetable oil. 

Can Cats Get Sick From Eating Vegetable Oil

Cats can get sick from eating vegetable oil.

Vegetable oil won’t seriously hurt your cat in any way, but there is a chance that it could hurt his stomach. 

Vomiting won’t happen after your cat eats vegetable oil, but he may get diarrhea, which can get messy. Once the vegetable oil passes through your cat’s system, then your cat will start to feel better. 

Some cats will not get sick from eating vegetable oil. It depends on how sensitive your cat’s stomach is to new foods. 

Can I Give My Cat Vegetable Oil For Hairballs

Vegetable oil can help your cat’s hairballs, but there are better options for you at the pet store.

A diet containing a small amount of coconut oil or fish oil can help your cat with hairballs, but it is not a remedy for your cat that already has hairballs. Vegetable oil may also help your cat with hairballs, but that is not yet confirmed.

If your cat is suffering from hairballs, it is better to visit your local pet store or your vet for a hairball gel that will help your cat pass a hairball. It will work much faster than any oil in your cat’s diet. 

Can I Give My Cat Vegetable Oil For Constipation

Vegetable oil will not cure your cat’s constipation, but it may lead to your cat having diarrhea. 

Constipation could be a serious thing in your cat’s life. It could make your cat extraordinarily uncomfortable and perhaps even more sluggish than usual. 

Vegetable oil is not the solution for your cat’s constipation; it will not help whatever the root cause of the constipation is. 

Vegetable oil will help your cat go to the bathroom, but it could be in the form of diarrhea, which also does not help your cat. 

Diarrhea could lead to dehydration, but after diarrhea stops, your cat may become constipated again. 

Can Cat Eat Tuna In Vegetable Oil

Your cat should not eat tuna in vegetable oil.

Tuna is an excellent addition to your cat in their diet. It shouldn’t be their whole diet, but it is the perfect snack to make your cat feel good.

When you add vegetable oil, you are taking away some of the nutritional value of the tuna for your cat. The tuna will be healthy, but it is coming along with empty calories that your cat does not need to eat. 

Vegetable oil does very little for your cat’s diet, so adding it to your cat’s tuna treat will make the tuna less healthy too. 

What Happens If A Cat Eats Oil

Nothing terrible will happen to your cat if he eats oil, but he may end up with a stomachache from eating oil.

We already know that a cat could get sick from eating oil, so we do not have to cover that again. Just remember that an upset stomach is a likely outcome of eating oil. 

Whether your cat gets sick from the oil or not, there is little reason to worry about what will happen. As long as your cat is not drinking cooking oil-like water, your cat will pass the oil from his system and be back to normal. 

What Oils Can Cats Eat

Generally speaking, you should avoid giving your cat oils because it is not a natural part of your cat’s diet. 

Since cats do not usually eat oil, it can quickly become empty calories for your cat, leading to unnecessary weight gain. 

There are other oils that you should avoid feeding your cat:

• Olive oil, including extra virgin olive oil 
• Coconut oil
• Canola oil
• Peanut oil
• Sesame oil

Oils may be a healthy part of your diet, but they should generally be avoided when it comes to your cat or cats.

Things To Consider

This article was mainly focused on oils, especially vegetable oil, but fish oil was largely overlooked.

If you’ve heard of fish oil, you probably already know that everyone talks about how high it is in Omega 3 vitamins. 

There are several health benefits for your cat, including:

• Healthier skin
• Silkier fur coat 
• Increases the effectiveness of your cat’s immune system

Even though fish oil has oil in the name, it is not only given to your cat in the form of oil like vegetable oil or any other cooking oil.

Usually, you will find fish oil in clear capsules that look yellow or almost orange. These capsules come in various sizes, depending on the size of the doses. 

Fish oil is also found in the form of a liquid in a dropper. Fish oil that is in a liquid form is easier to feed to cats who are picky. You could add it to your cat’s wet food, and your cat may not even taste it! 

Fish oil may also be found in soft chews that are like treats. These treats are often made for dogs, but you may be able to find them for your cat too. Treats like these are possibly the easiest way to ensure your cat gets fish oil because it looks like it is in the form of a treat. 

Since fish oil has so many benefits for your cat, fish oil is the one kind of oil that you certainly should add to your cat’s diet.