Can Cats Tortillas – Is It Safe For Felines?

Tortillas are preferred choices for humans, not just as a snack but as a meal. Tortillas are flat, thin pancakes made from maize flour or plain flour, eaten hot or cold, usually with a meat-based savory filling. Hence, kitty owners wonder if it’s safe to feed their beloved pet with a tortilla. You might be surprised by the answer. So, can cats eat tortillas?

Cats can eat tortillas. Tortillas contain corn fillers which can be harmful to cats. Wheezing, vomiting, and diarrhea are all symptoms cats can experience from eating tortillas.

If you’re wondering what can be wrong with feeding your pet tortillas, let’s delve deeper into understanding why human foods or snacks, including tortillas, shouldn’t be a part of your feline’s meals.

Can Cats Eat Corn Tortillas

Traditionally tortillas are made with cornflour, baking powder, salt, lard, and water. These ingredients go into the making of thin pancakes. Then, several other elements fill tortillas, such as lettuce, tomatoes, beans, corn, cooked or braised chicken, or beef. Tortillas are a Mexican savory snack that serves as a parallel to the sandwich. You can add as many ingredients as you wish to make your tortilla according to your liking.

Now, when you consider all of the components of tortillas and think of feeding them to your pet cat, you will have to take a closer look at the various ingredients. Corn is indeed used as a filler in most commercial cat food as a filler. You see, corn contains fiber that regulates the digestive system, and there is an element of calcium present in corn that is also healthy for your pet.

Unfortunately, some cats do not take well to corn in their food. You see, many felines are allergic to corn. If your pet does exhibit excessive scratching, wheezing, vomiting, or get diarrhea, then you can be sure that your pet isn’t cut out to digest corn.

However, cats are omnivores. Hence, your cat needs its proteins in the form of amino acids more than anything else, not just for bone health but overall well-being. Furthermore, tortillas contain baking soda and salt, and excessive sodium in your feline’s body can result in dehydration and other health conditions such as kidney damage.

So, tortillas aren’t toxic for your pet per day. But, it shouldn’t serve as a meal for your pet under any circumstance. However, if your pet truly enjoys the taste of tortillas, then you can offer a tortilla a two, once every two months or so, as a snack. 

Can Cats Eat Flour Tortillas

Four isn’t toxic for cats either. Yet, flour contains a high degree of gluten which can be filling for pets. Therefore, you will find that many commercial cat foods do have flour grain in the ingredients. But, flour is simply a filler. There are very few health benefits of flour. And, there are many pets, cats, and dogs included that are allergic to gluten. 

Therefore, feeding your pet flour tortillas can result in a bloated abdomen and gastrointestinal issues in the long run. Signs of gluten intolerance also include diarrhea, fatigue, and weight loss. Another aspect present in tortillas is the presence of saturated fats. Too much saturated fats in your pet’s food will eventually give rise to obesity and heart conditions.

Can Kittens Eat Tortillas

Whether you are thinking of offering your tiny kitty a corn tortilla or a flour one, you must understand that kittens have delicate constitutions. And, a kitten needs to have its daily nutrients fulfilled more than an adult cat. You see, kittens need proteins, vitamins, and minerals not just for their bone health but for the proper functioning of their body’s integral systems. 

Furthermore, you must realize that if your kitten is allergic to corn or gluten, then the reaction it will have to these elements will be far more severe than that of an adult cat. So, even if your baby cat loves to take a bite or two of your tortillas, it’s best that you keep human snacks and foods away from your pet. 

Now, you shouldn’t think that if your furball has taken a bite or two of your tortilla, then it is in mortal danger. No, tortillas, flour, or corn aren’t harmful to baby kitties either. But, such foods, in the long run, can cause health conditions in your pet. And, if you aren’t careful about the bite sizes that you offer to your pet, then it can present a choking hazard too.

Things To Consider

Cats can eat tortillas, the ones made from corn or the flour ones. However, it is not a nutritional meal for your pet. If you wish to offer your pet a human snack once every blue moon, then a few bites of tortillas ought to do the trick. 

But, you must remember never to let your furball munch on tortillas to its heart’s content. Tortillas contain too much salt, and cats have a very low threshold for ingesting too much salt, and cats tend to suffer from sodium ion poisoning. So, do be wary about the kind of foods or snacks that you provide your pet, particularly if you want your pet to live a long and healthy life.

Caring for a pet as adorable as a kitty doesn’t seem like a chore to many pet parents. Therefore, feline owners are always on the lookout to add to their furry friend’s diet. After all, just like humans, cats too like variety when it comes to the food they eat. Yet, all pet owners need to research any food item they want to add to their pet’s meal plan. Just makes sure tortillas are not on that list!