Cats are quick to spot their favorite treats, and so if your cat loves tapioca, you’re set.
Although it may at first seem like it’s made of nothing but sugar, cat tapioca contains a little something else. Chemists have discovered a set of essential amino acids in cat tapioca that replicate the tastes and smells of cats.
You can feed your cat cat tapioca as a dietary supplement or enjoy it on its own.
So, can cats eat tapioca? Yes. Cats can eat tapioca in small quantities in small amounts with no ill effects. Cats have two types of taste buds – sweet and savory or salt – and tapioca tastes sweet to them.
In addition, cat tapioca has essential aminos that allow cats to replicate the taste of meat, which is essential for their nutrition.
Cat tapioca is safe to give cats because it has no artificial flavors or preservatives and is made specifically for cats.
Can Cats Eat Tapioca?
Tapioca is healthy for cats, but you may not want to feed it to your cat every day as it may cause diarrhea and vomiting in your pet.
Tapioca is not hazardous to cats, since it contains only whole food ingredients with no chemical additives or preservatives.
However, if you create a large dish of cat tapioca, it will be full of sugar and starch.
Is Tapioca Healthy for Cats?
Tapioca is a starch derived from cassava, a root vegetable that originated in South America.
It’s also known generically as garri and is used to make tapioca pearls and flour.
It is commonly used as a thickening agent in soups and stews and as a filler in baked goods such as rice puddings and pies.
Tapioca is appropriate for both humans and pets to eat in moderation because of the low calories and sugar content.
It should not be confused, however, with regular processed table sugar, which is toxic to animals in large quantities and can cause seizures and even death in humans.
Because cats can not absorb carbohydrates and starch as well as humans, it is important to monitor how much tapioca you give a cat to avoid overconsumption.
Because tapioca is gluten-free, it might be a more suitable choice for a cat with diabetes or feline food allergy than some grains or starches.
In summary, tapioca does not pose a hazard to cats and is safe to give in moderation to a pet that prefers a low-carbohydrate diet.
To put it another way, the starch makes the kibble more pliable and adds bulk and texture to a cat’s food without adding extra calories.
Why Does Cat Food Contain Tapioca Starch?
Grains including wheat, barley, and corn are an excitotoxin because the mechanism they use to kill bacteria also damages cells in the process.
Grain by-products include bran, ground corn and wheat middlings which have a high concentration of mycotoxins.
Tapioca, which is mostly made up of starch and contains no protein or fat, is a healthier filler for cat treats because it does not have any deleterious effects on a cat’s health.
Let’s dispel the myths around feeding tapioca to cats.
Starches make up the majority and bulk of the refined carbohydrates found in cat food.
Their primary purpose is to serve as dietary filler, but because cats can’t digest them easily or efficiently, starches are also used as an energy source for cats.
Without the binding abilities of starch, kibbles would be separated by air pockets and lose their shape.
Does Your Cat Die If They Eat Tapioca?
No, and they do not eat a lot of it either.
If you find your cat eating your canned cat food on a regular basis, you should consult your veterinarian.
The pearls themselves aren’t the dangerous part- it’s the starch that is made of the tapioca that can be dangerous to cats that eat too much.
Boba tea, a popular and current fad drink, is made with tapioca and milk.
Tea is particularly toxic for cats if they eat the tapioca pearls themselves.
Tapioca pudding has a ridiculous amount and variety of ingredients added, and these ingredients could cause harm if consumed by your cat.
It also contains milk and any other ingredients that have been added to make it tasty and palatable for humans- this could be very dangerous for cats that have allergies to any of the additives.
Can You Feed Your Cat Tapioca?
No, and you should not attempt to give them any tapioca either unless it has been cooked and made into a pudding for your kitty to eat as a treat.
Your cat will not die if fed tapioca, and they will only eat a small amount if given the opportunity and exposed to it at first.
The black pearls we associate with pudding and tea, also known as tapioca pearls, are actually separate from the starch found in the tapioca grain and not to be confused with it in any way.
Even though tapioca pearls aren’t harmful, they sometimes have other additives such as food coloring or flavors that could be dangerous to your kitty’s kidneys and digestive tract.
You should not give your cat tapioca pearls in any form, but if you do accidentally feed them to your cat, you will most likely not see any negative effects because it is such a small amount and your cat is not apt to ingest too much.
Also Read: Can Cats Eat Feta Cheese?
Conclusion
Your cat will not die if they eat a little tapioca, and they will not become very sick or experience negative side effects from eating tapioca either.
Despite the fact that tapioca is a component in cats’ diet, it is kept to a very small amount so as not to cause a problem with their kidneys and digestive tracts.
This gluten-free starch is mostly used to bind ingredients together and to make puddings and other desserts.
So keep your tapioca pudding to yourself when you eat it yourself, but let your cat enjoy it in small doses as a treat every now and then if you wish.
