Can Cats Eat Pizza? Is it Safe?

As a pet parent, you might have the need to indulge your feral baby in treats that extend beyond their regular cat food. Maybe you are curious and want to see if you can share a leftover pizza slice with them. Generally, the safest choice is to avoid feeding your cat human dishes altogether. However, there are certain foods or dishes that you can feed them in moderation. Is pizza one of them?

As we already saw, certain cats can eat certain cheese types and always in small portions. Since cheese is one of the major ingredients to the internationally beloved Italian dish, can cats eat pizza? More importantly, is it safe for them to eat pizza?

Pizza Ingredients

Pizza is a dish that contains lots of ingredients. From cheese and tomatoes to peppers, onions, pineapple, and even anchovies, pizzas vary in flavor, but its essence remains the same: its dough and subsequently, the crust. One way of asking yourself the question, “can cats eat pizza?”, is by breaking down its most important ingredients to see what is safe or not safe to digest.

This article does not focus on every ingredient but on the two basic ones that you can find in all, if not, most pizzas.

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The Crust

While you can add various ingredients in a pizza that might be cat-friendly, at the end of the day, the pizza still comes with a crust that is in itself unhealthy for cats. As cats are carnivore creatures, their digestive systems cannot process the crust properly, no matter how well-cooked the bread is. Too much of any type of bread can cause gastrointestinal upset. Moreover, if the dough is not properly cooked, it becomes dangerous for the cat to eat as the yeast produces alcohol and carbon dioxide.

The Salt

Another unhealthy ingredient in pizza crust is salt. Too much salt is never good for our pets, and it is commonly used in large quantities.

Common Ingredients

Other ingredients that are common in a pizza are sauce, cheese, garlic, onions, and meats such as salami. Garlic and onion are toxic to cats – leading to destruction of red blood cells. Cheese and meats also generally contain high levels of fat and salt – of which too much is certainly unhealthy.

Can Cats Eat Pizza?

Ideally no – for two main reasons: pizza offers no nutritional value, and its ingredients are at best unhealthy (fat, salt) and at worst toxic (garlic, onions). Remember that while cats can eat specific types of cheese, they can only do that in moderation. Combined with other ingredients being also unhealthy or toxic, we see that pizza is a poor treat option.

So, next time you are thinking of giving your cat a leftover slice of pizza, reconsider!

Still looking for answers about your cat and pizza? Schedule an instant video consultation with our qualified veterinarians and get tailored advice from the comfort of your home – today.