Do you have any cats? If so, you’re probably familiar with their fondness for foods usually thought of as “human”.
Your cat might have eaten your favorite chicken wings or smothered your all day mac ‘n cheese in barbecue sauce.
You and your cat will be pleased to know that cats do sometimes eat barbeque sauce, and you should therefore not be too alarmed.
Barbecue sauce contains tomato and tomato paste, vinegar, sugar, salt, spices, alcohols, and other ingredients and flavoring agents.
The ingredients of barbecue sauce are based on the type of the sauce.
It is most commonly made with tomato ketchup or tomato paste as the base ingredient. Other ingredients include sugar, salt, spices, vinegar, and ketchup.
Cats may also experience side effects such as stomach upset or diarrhea.
Can Cats Eat Barbecue Sauce?
If you don’t want to risk your cat’s health, the safest option is to avoid barbecue sauce altogether.
In addition to being very salty, barbecued foods contain lots of thick, fatty, and moist meat.
All these components can exacerbate your cat’s chronic pancreatitis, which is a serious inflammatory condition that affects your cat’s pancreas.
To better understand why barbecue sauce is toxic to cats, look at the ingredients. Tomato paste contains high amounts of vitamin C that are dangerous to your cat, so it should be avoided.
The acidity of barbecue sauce is harmful, but your cat is also likely to consume a lot of sauce, which may lead to gastroenteritis.
As a result, your cat may stop eating his regular food and start vomiting. Your cat may also become emaciated.
Sugar and molasses are OK for your cat to lick off of your fingers or ingest a little at a time.
If this sweetener has been consumed in small amounts by your cat over a long period of time, it may cause kidney damage.
Is Barbecue Sauce Toxic To Cats?
Spicy sauces may cause inflammation of the stomach lining. Cats that eat spicy sauces without vomiting may develop ulcers on their stomachs.
Capsaicin, which is found in hot and spicy foods, is thought by some to trigger vomiting.
Onions and garlic are toxic to cats, veterinarians warn. Ham, bacon, and fatty meats should also be avoided.
Onion and garlic in hot BBQ sauces can cause feline anemia.
Cats with anemia can suffer from weakness, lethargy, vomiting, or hair loss and anemia in their blood. The anemia may also be caused by a lack of iron in the diet.
Why is Barbecue Sauce Harmful for Cats?
Ingredients are a gateway to health. If your cat is prone to allergies and digestive problems, you should stay away from this kind of sauce.
Cats aren’t a big fans of spicy foods. However, they can enjoy sweet foods.
Several types include onions, which could cause severe health problems for your cat.
Some damages include hemorrhage, kidney issues, blood clotting problems, and anemia.
Onions are just as bad for cats as they are for humans. It’s better to avoid barbecue sauce altogether than to let your cat eat the sauce.
The quality of a barbecue sauce depends on its ingredients.
The sweetness is an indicator of the sugar level. It is possible to find sugar-free barbecue sauces, but cats are better off avoiding them.
Ketchup, mustard, sugar, vinegar, and salt are dangerous to cats. What is really important is making sure that your cat food is in fact cat-friendly.
Cats require a balanced diet to stay healthy. Barbecue sauce contains many harmful ingredients that cats do not need.
There are some that use substances such as honey and molasses, which cats may just find irresistible.
They may lick it off the barbecue sauce bowl, then have an allergic reaction. There is a chance they will die if they don’t seek immediate medical attention.
What Happens If Your Cat Eats Bbq Sauce?
Become Dehydrated
Salt is toxic to cats, as is MSG, which is used as a flavor enhancer in many processed and packaged foods.
Cats are particularly sensitive to high amounts of salt. When cats eat too much salt, they develop a condition called hypernatremia.
This condition causes them to have a high concentration of sodium in their blood. Because of their limited sodium intake, cats suffering from hypernatremia can become very ill.
Salty BBQ meals and barbecue sauce should be avoided by cats.
Your cat might soon get weak and lose consciousness.
Sodium poisoning or extreme dehydration may force your cat to drink enough water to dilute the sodium.
If your cat has symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, or lethargy, bring it to a vet immediately for medical attention.
Choke
If cats unintentionally consume a large enough amount of bones, cats can develop a condition called “calculous cholecystitis,” which causes them to lose their appetite and vomit.
Cats may also experience serious internal abdominal damage if they swallow chicken bones, which can result in death.
The bones may cause your cat to become anemic, experience electrolyte imbalances, or lose excessive amounts of water from their tissues.
Therefore, you should closely monitor your cat’s eating habits.
In addition to posing a choking threat, small bones may also damage the nerves and ligaments of your cat’s mouth and jaw.
If you let your cat eat too many bones, they can be permanently damaged. Eating too many bones can even cause your cat to choke.
To protect your cat from choking and damaging their stomach or intestines, do not leave any small bones or pieces lying around your house or yard.
If your cat does not eat bones properly, try switching to a boneless or softer chicken meat.
Cancer
Your cat may vomit and have digestive issues as a result of the carbonization on the exterior of the charred meat.
These digestive issues are caused not just by grilled meat, but also by the barbecue sauce. Burnt meat is also thought to be a source of cancer in both people and animals, according to some specialists.
In addition to the meat itself, other potential sources of carcinogens are the pan used to grill it, the marinade used on it, and the basting sauce.
While grilling cats is not as bad as grilling humans, it still increases the risk of cancer among your pet.
Burnt meat may also cause other ailments such as damage to the lining of the stomach or esophagus, or pneumonia.
What should you do if your cat ate barbecue sauce?
Your cat won’t die from a barbecue sauce overdose, but it can get dehydrated if it gets into too much sauce, especially if it is a “hot” brand.
Pay attention to how your cat behaves. If it seems a little off or fussy, it may need a little extra hydration.
Dehydration and keeping the litter box clean are issues that need to be addressed, so your cat can stay healthy.
Take your cat to the vet if you suspect something is wrong.
Even if it’s a hot summer day, it’s important to keep it hydrated.
The rest is up to your vet.
Barbecue sauce may dehydrate a feline friend, making him or her need to drink more water than usual.
If your cat seems thirsty, try to purchase natural cat food and avoid anything made with “human” ingredients.
Make sure your cat stays hydrated.
Also Read: Can Cats Eat Applesauce?
Conclusion
It’s advisable to avoid putting this sauce on your cat’s food directly, but you may do it carefully and in moderation, and as recommended by your vet.
If you like, you may buy a bottle of a sauce from a pet store and mix it with your cat’s regular food.
Your cat will certainly appreciate the change, and you can ensure that he or she is getting all the nutrients he or she needs from this new recipe.
These sauces may be purchased in a can or bottle, and it may be convenient to store this sauce in your refrigerator or freezer.
Cats typically will not eat these sauces directly from the refrigerator or freezer, but they may take them directly from the sauce can or bottle if they are thirsty.
There will be elements in these sauces that your cat loves, such as protein or meat.
