Can Cats Eat Pineapple?

Cats are carnivores, and that means that they get all the nutrition that they need from the meat they eat, so there is no reason why you should feed your cat pineapple. However, cats are also very inquisitive creatures, so if you were to give your cat pineapple to eat, your pet might appear to enjoy the fruit, because it is different from what they usually eat.
Cats have also been known to eat the leaves of a pineapple, but again, this probably more due to curiosity than to any dietary need. The question is, though, is it safe for a cat to eat pineapple at all?

Can cats eat pineapple?

The simple answer to the question of can cats eat pineapple is yes, but only in small quantities. If your cat does develop a liking for pineapple, the occasional small serving won’t harm your pet at all.

However, pineapple does contain a lot of fructose, so you should not feed your cat too much pineapple because it could cause diarrhoea and obesity. A cat’s digestive system is not designed to cope with the same types of foods that humans eat and one of the main causes of obesity, digestive problems and diabetes in cats are feeding them a human diet that would contain too much sugar and carbohydrates.

Is pineapple toxic to cats?

Neither pineapple nor pineapple leaves are toxic to cats. However, pineapple does contain an enzyme called actinidain, which some cats are allergic too. It has been proven that cats do not enjoy sweet food in the same way that humans do because cats cannot distinguish sweetness in food.

Are there any nutritional benefits in pineapple for cats?

While cats don’t need to eat pineapple, small amounts of fruit and vegetables will provide some of the nutrients that they need, but they would still get those nutrients from a meat only diet. Pineapple contains manganese, which helps a cat’s body digest and process protein, and it also contains carbohydrates. Pineapple is also a good source of copper, B6 vitamins, folate and fibre. Because of the effect that pineapple has a cat’s digestive system, pineapple could be fed to a cat to relieve constipation.

Why do cats chew pineapple leaves?

Many pet owners have seen their cats chewing on pineapple leaves and other types of leaves and, given that there is no nutritional benefit in leaves for cats, you might wonder why cats chew on leaves at all. The truth is that no one really knows why cats do this. It’s quite probable that cats chew on pineapple leaves simply to relieve boredom or because they find it pleasurable. Pineapple leaves are quite rubbery in texture, so some cats may simply find it fun to chew on them.

Things to bear in mind if you feed your cat pineapple

If you do want to feed your cat pineapple, only feed it small amounts and only feed a cat fresh pineapple. It is not advisable to feed a cat with canned pineapple, because of the added sugar that canned pineapple contains. As cats can’t taste sweetness anyway, all sweet foods will do for a cat is provide excess calories that aren’t needed. If you are going to feed your cat leftover pineapple, you should also make sure that the fruit has turned rotten, because that will cause diarrhoea.

Should you feed a cat pineapple?

Neither the fruit nor the leaves of pineapple will do any harm to a cat. However, just because a cat can eat pineapple, doesn’t mean that they should.  Giving a cat sweet treats of any kind is pointless because cats can’t taste the sweetness. In addition to that, a cat’s digestive system is not designed to process high levels of sugars. Cats are natural carnivores, so they can survive on meat alone. They don’t need any fruit and vegetables in their diet in the same way that humans do, although some cats may develop a taste for things like pineapple.

If your cat does eat a lot of pineapples, the worse you can expect is diarrhoea, vomiting and, potentially, an allergic reaction. If you feed your cat pineapple regularly, however, it could cause obesity and diabetes.

There is no reason why a cat cannot eat pineapple, but nor is there a reason why a cat should. Given the possibility that your cat could develop a taste for the fruit or might just eat it out of curiosity or boredom, it is probably advisable to keep pineapples out of the reach of your pet, because, just a like a child with candy, if a cat finds that they do like the texture and taste of pineapple, and you are not around to control how much they eat, they will probably eat too much and that would lead to diarrhoea and vomiting.