Can Cats Eat Broccoli?

Does your cat show interest in vegetables? Do they paw at the little broccoli trees on your plate? Is broccoli is safe for cats? Yes, broccoli is safe for cats, and some of them will even beg for it! So go ahead and add a little to their regular food or use it as an occasional treat. Just avoid giving too much as it may interfere with a cat’s appetite for the meaty food they need or upset their tummies. 

Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they get everything they need from red meat, poultry, and fish. Taurine, which is contained in animal-based food, is an amino acid that felines rely on for healthy brains, eyes and muscles, including their hearts. Vegetables don’t provide enough taurine to cats, but they can add other useful nutrients to help keep cats healthy and happy. While commercial cat foods don’t typically include broccoli in their formulas, a few small batch foods do. Look for them in your purrvorite pet store.

Let’s take a look at some pros and cons of giving Fluffy broccoli from time to time.

It may surprise you to know that in spite of broccoli’s pungent smell, many cats do like the green veggie. They may enjoy it raw for its crunchiness, but it’s best to cook it before serving. High fiber vegetables like broccoli can cause gastrointestinal discomfort if served raw to our feline furiends. Also, older kitties with dental problems may have trouble chewing raw broccoli.

Cats, like dogs, are sometimes interested in human food simply because their pet parent is eating it. Getting an actual sniff or taste from a dinner plate may convince them they were wrong. However, if they do like it and you choose to treat your purr ball to a little broccoli, be sure it doesn’t have any salt, butter, or oil on it. Also remember that other tasty additives like onions, garlic, and salty bacon are not good for felines and can be toxic in high doses. Even if they don’t actually get any pieces of these foods in their treat, cooking with them can make your kitty sick.

As mentioned earlier, cats don’t require vegetables to get the nutrients they need from food. Their ancestors only ate other animals and there’s no reason to believe they munched on veggies, too. However, vegetables do contain some nutrients that may be beneficial to a modern cat, although they may not be able to use them as efficiently as other mammals do. For example, cats are unable to convert broccoli’s rich stores of beta carotene into Vitamin A. But broccoli’s other vitamins and minerals can supplement their diet in a beneficial way. 

Improves digestion

Broccoli can be helpful in maintaining a healthy GI tract. With its soluble fiber and water content, it can be used for constipation. Or it can help relieve diarrhea by bulking up the stool to a more solid state. The fiber content also keeps the bowel muscles moving the stool along.

Helps prevent cancer

Antioxidants curb the production of free radicals, which are implicated in tumor formation and the breakdown of cells, and broccoli has a rich supply of them. Its sprouts, which are three- to five-day-old immature plants, pack from 10 to 100 times more antioxidants than the mature plant and can be eaten raw with no difficulty.

The antioxidants found in broccoli also modify the effect of free radicals that break down heart, liver, and eye cells, among others. They also lower inflammation, which influences health throughout the cat’s body, and they boost immunity too!

Helps with hydration 

If a cat can’t or won’t drink enough water or get it from food, any fruit or vegetable that has a high-water content broccoli can help. While fruits like watermelon or strawberries are a no brainer, many people may not realize that broccoli also contains water that can help supplement a diet lacking in moisture.

Improves blood clotting 

Vitamin K, which is in large supply in broccoli, can increase the blood's ability to form clots and prevent hemorrhage. Vitamin K is often administered to cats in intravenous form when they’ve accidentally ingested a human anticoagulant medication or rodent poison in and around the home. Rodent poison contains warfarin, which prevents clotting and causes heavy bleeding. Vitamin K in broccoli can play a supportive role in a cat’s blood clotting ability.

Lowers cholesterol

Cholesterol is formed from bile salts in the liver. The substances in broccoli prevent bile salts from recirculating and forming more cholesterol, thereby reducing diseases of the heart and vascular system. Lower cholesterol can prevent stroke and other disorders caused by cholesterol plaque-blocked arteries.

As with any new food, it’s important to check with your vet to confirm that it’s okay to give your cat broccoli. If the vet gives the go-ahead, start off by giving a very small amount to see if your kitty is going to react negatively to it, and keep an eye out for allergic reactions or GI problems. It’s a good idea to chop the broccoli to aid in consuming and digesting it, as well as to steam or boil it to soften it. As mentioned, always prepare your cat’s broccoli without seasonings, fats, onions, or garlic.

As with all cat treats, broccoli should be no more than 10% of their total calories for the day. Because broccoli is such a low-calorie vegetable, it would seem that they can eat a lot of it. However, too much of this fibrous vegetable can cause digestive problems and should be only a part of a nutritious variety of foods and treats. A single floret, cooked and chopped into small pieces that the cat can easily fit into their mouth is a good measure to use. A recommended amount for cats is only one teaspoon of chopped broccoli per day, keeping in mind a cat's tiny tummy.

The stalks and leaves of broccoli are safe and can be eaten by your purr baby. They contain the same nutrients as the florets. Stalks can be tough and difficult to eat, so cooking them until they’re soft and chopping them up will make your kitty purr. 

Adding broccoli to a little cooked egg or into to a savory muffin is purrfectly fine. Another treat might be a smoothie made with cat milk,, fruits and vegetables, including cooked broccoli. Other recipes that would take well to some broccoli might be cheesy baked treats, cat-safe popsicles, or cheese-and-broccoli stuffed salmon bits. The list could be endless!

Eating broccoli may actually help Fluffy to lose weight because it can replace high fat, high carb treats. With only a few calories per tablespoon, broccoli is both low-cal and filling. If your cat’s always hungry, a bit of chopped broccoli may help them make it through to the next meal. Naturally, as with any food, huge amounts will eventually cause overeating, which can torpedo weight control progress.

Our curious cats may want to try our broccoli, and it’s purrfectly fine to give it to them. The simple act of offering this veggie treat strengthens the bond between you and adds variety to Fluffy’s dietary life.

Our curious cats may want to try our broccoli, and it’s purrfectly fine to give it to them. The simple act of offering this veggie treat strengthens the bond between you and adds variety to Fluffy’s dietary life.

A high-quality diet is essential for keeping your cat happy and healthy. Digestive problems and food allergies can be expensive to treat. Compare pet health insurance plans to save more than $270 a year on vet care.