The short answer to the question “can cats eat corn?” is yes, cats can eat corn once in a while without problems. However, cats really should not eat corn frequently because corn (particularly the lower quality corn used in cat food), can cause digestive upset, and lower absorption of other important nutrients.
Can I Feed My Cat Corn?
You probably already feed your cat corn and don’t even know it. Most cat foods contain some amount of corn as a cheap filler, especially dry food. In small amounts corn won’t cause any issues and is not toxic to cats. Even so, corn in higher amounts and fed long term can cause some serious health issues in cats. This is one of the reasons why wet food is better than dry cat food.
Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they must eat animal products to get all the nutrients they need. As such, they’re pretty bad at digesting and absorbing nutrients from other sources like plants. Because of this, cats can’t really use a lot of the nutrients in corn, but they can use the carbohydrates and sugars in corn. Because of this, feeding your cat corn is really just feeding them lots of carbs that will make them gain weight. And obesity in cats is a major problem and cause of diabetes and other diseases.
If your cat is overweight, definitely do not feed them corn. In fact, it’s best if you help them lose weight so they can live a long and happy life.
The Worst Types of Corn to Feed Cats
It’s one thing to feed your cat simple, pure corn, but another to feed them food with corn additives. For example, tortilla chips, corndogs and popcorn all contain corn but the real problem is they also contain other ingredients that may be toxic to cats. This is why you should never feed cats processed people food.
For that matter, you should never feed corn with seasonings or butter mixed in to your cat. Some seasonings are toxic to cats. And butter, like cheese and other dairy products, is bad for cats because cats are lactose intolerant.
