Can Cats Eat Green Beans?

Got a cat who wants whatever you are having? If green beans are in your kitty's sights, you may be wondering if green beans are safe for cats to eat. The answer is a resounding YES! Like many other vegetables, green beans can add variety to your cat’s diet while providing some pawesome nutritional benefits. 

Since cats are obligate carnivores, green beans aren’t necessary for their diet, but they can offer a high level of fiber and aid in digestion. Green beans also provide a significant amount of vegetable protein to supplement protein from meats and fish. There are several small-batch brands of commercial cat food that include green beans as one of the first listed ingredients, but most feline cat foods contain little or none of the popular vegetable. 

Let's take a closer look about how green beans can benefit your feline.

There are exceptions to every rule, but most cats do enjoy eating green beans. Some may prefer raw beans for their crunchiness, but cooking them will make them easier to eat for cats with mouth or dental problems. Cooking also brings out the flavor and aroma of the beans, making them more appetizing to your purr baby. Cooked green beans are more easily digested, too.

Cats don’t need the extra salt you may put on your own helping of green beans and salt won’t make them enjoy them more. In fact, too much salt can cause serious health problems like heart disease and other problems. High salt content is also why canned beans should be avoided. Any other additions you might make to your own green beans, like onions, garlic, butter, and salty bacon should also be excluded because they’re not good for cats. In other words, green beans are best plain without any seasonings if you intend to feed them to your cat.

While green beans, along with the rest of the veggie family, are not primary dietary components for a cat, they do contain beneficial vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein. Veggies should not be substituted totally for meat- or fish-based food, but they can be tasty, healthy additions. Green beans have vitamins and minerals that promote bone and muscle health. They also contain nutrients that support a cat's immune system, eyes, nerves, and other organs. Vitamin K is key in maintaining normal blood clotting time.

Improves digestion

Green beans contain lots of soluble fiber, which is vital for keeping the digestive tract happy and healthy. They can be given to cats with constipation to help move things along, and for diarrhea to bind loose stools together into solid waste.

Balances the urinary system

Some cats will be prone to  urinary tract conditions such as calcifications (stones) in the bladder or elsewhere in the urinary tract. Vegetable-based protein such as that in green beans can help balance the acidity level in urine by being substituted for the meat-rich diets most cats eat. A diet that’s heavier in veggies makes the cat’s urine better able to prevent or dissolve these painful, potentially dangerous calcium growths. Be sure to provide lots of water to help dilute the urine and rinse calcifications out of the renal system.

Helps with weight loss goals

Food and treats that are packed with carbs, fats, and calories can unravel your efforts to help your kitty maintain a healthy weight. Green beans, like many fiber-rich foods, impart a feeling of fullness for a longer time than foods containing little or no fiber. This is especially helpful if your cat is stockier because satiety is an important factor in weight loss. Switching starchy, fatty treats to low carb, low-calorie green beans can keep your pet happy without adding to their weight. Making homemade food and treats containing low-cal veggies like green beans is another easy way to reduce calories.

Provides healthy vitamins and minerals

Commercial cat treats may contain all the essential vitamins and minerals cats need, but they may also include some ingredients like fats and carbs that you’d like to limit. Fresh, frozen or cooked green beans provide nutrients such as:

• Calcium
• Potassium
• Iron
• Manganese
• Vitamin A
• Vitamin C
• Vitamin K
• Folate
• Thiamine
• Niacin
• Magnesium
• Phosphorous
• Zinc

It’s a good idea to start off on your cat’s green bean adventure very slowly until you know how the vegetable will affect them. This is especially true for kittens, who can eat chopped beans, but are more likely to end up with an upset tummy if they eat too much.

Once your feline has been able to eat a small portion of green beans without problems, it’s fine to give them more. While green beans don’t often cause allergies or sensitivities, the possibility exists for any food.

An adult cat can have four to five beans, about one-half cup, per day. Though the beans don’t contain cumulative toxins that can harm cats, feeding more than the recommended amount could cause indigestion in sensitive kitties.

While some cat parents prefer to feed their purr babies a vegan diet because of their own ethical or health beliefs, it’s not possible to provide felines who biologically need a meat or fish-based diet with everything they need from a plant-based one. For example, taurine, an amino acid that’s essential for cats, is found in ample quantities in meat, but not in veggies. It’s important to work with your cat’s veterinarian before you make any significant changes in their diet.

All foods, including green beans with their low carbs and calories, need to be portioned. While there’s no toxic effect of green beans, eating large amounts of them can raise the carb and calorie count too high, as well as disrupt digestion. It's best to portion out green beans in the recommended amounts to keep your cat feeling great on the inside.

Our cats often want whatever we’re eating, and will noisily ask for human food from time to time. Many veggies are okay for purr buddies to eat, including green beans that add a hefty amount of fiber and nutrition to their diets. Try them today!

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.