Can Cats Eat Cheese? Get the Facts About Cats and Cheese

August 2, 2021

Do you want to share your tasty cheesy pizza with your feline friend? But want to know if she can take it or not? Can cats eat cheese?

The simple answer is ‘YES’ your cats can eat cheese but in limit! We are aware that cats are obligate carnivores and most of the cats are lactose intolerant. This makes them dairy unfriendly. Although cheese belongs to the dairy family, according to health experts and vets, cats can be treated with cheese in limited quantities and once in a while.

Cats have cheese love. You may therefore want your cheesy catty to have a bite of your cheese toast but no, you should know what type of cheese can be fed. But before that, in the first place, you should know if she is capable of digesting cheese at all!

Is my Catty Cheesy enough to eat Cheese?

Find this out by feeding her a very little amount of cheese piece and observe if she can digest it without any issue. For a test and trial, give her a small bite of cottage cheese or cheddar cheese. But make sure your cat doesn’t suffer from any heart condition or other health ailments.

Observe till the next day if she is showing any of the following signs

Mild to severe vomiting
Diarrhea
Gas
Skin patches/ reddishness
Hair loss

If she suffers from one of the above symptoms it indicates that her digestive system doesn’t accept cheese. Since you have fed only a small quantity of cheese, its effect may not last long. But if the signs persist, take her to the vet right away.

On the contrary, if you don’t see any of the above signs and she is healthy, then you can sneak some cheese bits into her belly, but not frequently.

What type of cheese is the best for a cat?

Cheese, unlike milk, is something that attracts the cats and they love to grab one. Since it is rich in protein and a good source of energy, you can feed it to your cat as long as it can digest it.

Out of the many cheese varieties, like Mozzarella/pizza cheese, Swiss, Blue cheese, Cheddar, Brie, and a few others, Cheddar is the safest.

Because cheddar cheese is semi-hard and has the least lactose content. Also, it is known to have less salt making it an ideal choice.

When to feed cheese?

Of course, not frequently. Even if you find your kitty doing okay with cheese, do not add it to her regular diet because she cannot tolerate that heavy load, especially in terms of calories.

Catch your cat with a slice of cheese and enjoy a cheesy spoiler once in a while. But for more specific advice on this for your breed of cat, it is recommended to visit your vet!