Can cats eat apple?

It is not a myth that "an apple a day keeps the doctor away”,  as it is a fruit that can be eaten in any diet and has no special contraindications, being indicated even for diabetics. 

The apple contains fiber, the most important of which is pectin, which has the role of lowering blood pressure, blood glucose levels, and even bad cholesterol. Quercetin is a flavonoid that apples contain in abundance and is known to play an important role in preventing many types of cancer of the colon, breast, lung etc.

All this substance is responsible for neutralizing the effects of free radicals, which cause premature aging. Apple also contains boron, which is important for bone health and brain function. 

That being said, there is no reason for us humans to refrain from eating apples, but are they just as healthy for our feline companions?

Well, the truth of the matter is, fruits are not part of a cat’s natural diet and they are unlikely to want to eat apples if you are not forcing them into. Cats, to points out the obvious, are carnivorous and having too much sugar (even natural sugar found in fruit like fructose) in a cat’s diet can cause digestive or diabetic issues over time. However, you can feed them with apples, because as long as the apple is prepared properly, cats can eat them safely.

How can you prepare the apple properly, you may wonder?

The ASPCA categorizes apples as toxic to cats, because of the seeds that contain cyanide, which is very poisonous for cats and animals in general. So here are the steps you should take into considerations if you want to feed your cat with apples:

First of all, you should ask your veterinarian about this idea, because there is no better piece of information then the one given by someone qualified and if you get his/her approval, then you can start feeding your cat with apple.

After you get the approval from your veterinarian, make sure you wash the apple before feeding it to your cat, especially those bought from a supermarket because unlike those sold by farmers, apples in the supermarket are usually sprayed with toxic pesticides that you do not want to enter in your feline's digestive system.

Next, you need to remove the apple peel and tail so that your cat does not choke with them. A good option would be to put the small pieces of an apple in a blender and try to feed your cat crushed apple.

The most important step of all, is to make sure you remove all the apple seeds so that your cat does not ingest them, because, as it was mentioned earlier, the seed contains cyanide, which is poisonous for them. As humans, we are not affected  by cyanide because it is in a small amount, but cats are much smaller beings and they can be affected by this component.

How do you know when it’s too much?

Moderation is the key when serving apples to your cat, because too much apple could cause them to have an upset stomach, or they could lead to obesity and diabetes symptoms.

Even though apples are very good for people with diabetes, even being a healthy alternative to satisfy the craving for sweets, cats digest fruit sugar very differently. Frequent increases in a cat's blood sugar can create many long-term health problems. Smaller pieces of an apple are more than enough for your cat.

Conclusion

So, that being said, if you would like to feed your cat with this fruit be sure to feed them in moderation and with the proper preparation, because you probably don’t want your little friend to be poisoned.

As I have written earlier, there is a little chance that your cat will want to eat an apple, but if it does that by mistake, which means he/she has eaten an apple whose seeds have not been removed, you should immediately contact your vet.