Can cats eat chestnuts? The question if cats can eat chestnuts is one of the many ones I get asked by cat owners who are new at cat care. Chestnuts are actually not harmful to your cat, but of course, it has to be given in reasonable proportion since it’ll give your cat very little nutritional value, and that’s a very strict carnivore. Dogs also explore the wild with their mouths open, and sometimes they might even accidentally swallow some things they pick up from the ground. This can cause an upset stomach, and even more severe is that it can lead to death. But then again, this is why you have to be very careful when it comes to giving your cat foods and other things that are meant for them to eat.
Now, if we look at the real reason behind the question, will horse chestnut truly make your cat ill, or is it just a case of over-consumption? As far as horses are concerned, they don’t really like the flavor of the edible chestnuts at all, and usually, the same flavor will be found in other foods as well, so there is nothing to worry about here. In fact, there are quite a few people who say that a horse will eat anything, provided, of course, that it’s not potentially poisonous. If a horse were to consume a poisoned apple accidentally, resulting diarrhea would surely kill the horse almost immediately, unless, of course, it was fed poisonous apples! However, the fact is that chestnuts do not contain any poisonous substances, so you should not worry about this.
Can Cats Eat Chestnuts? Most Asked Question and Facts About This Topic
Now, if we look at the situation with dogs, the situation becomes a little different. Although dogs may generally not like the taste of chestnuts, they can still eat it provided that it is boiled for an hour or two and then stewed. The same principle applies to the dog’s liver, as well as any other organ that may be affected by it. In general, dogs can take this food without any problems, provided that the amount is not excessive. On the other hand, if the amount is too large, it may lead to liver failure, and in this case, the dog may die.
In addition, conkers and chestnuts are also not generally eaten by cats. This is because their enzymes are incapable of digesting it. To break the chemical combination in the chestnuts, the enzymes in the edible chestnuts have to be removed using a process called saponification. Only tiny quantities of the chemical remain, which leads to the unpleasant taste and smell of the chestnuts. The dogs are therefore safe in taking chestnuts from the kitchen, but they are not safe when it comes to eating the whole seed. A half a cup of raw conkers has the same amount of poison as a teaspoon of peppermint.
The above example shows that dogs and cats can be put off eating edible chestnuts, while horse chestnut is too dangerous for them to consume. If you have horses, you should never feed them any food containing chestnuts, as horses can’t handle anything acidic. You should only give them meat compatible with their teeth and stomachs, such as venison, liver, rabbit, duck, or chicken breast. Otherwise, you will end up poisoning your horses.
