Celery is considered to be a negative calorie food, in that you consume more energy eating it than it actually provides. However, it does provide a whole bunch of other great vitamins and minerals!
But is celery safe for cats? Absolutely!
Many of the health benefits that we gain from eating celery are also experienced by cats. Let’s take a look at why cats can eat celery and how you should offer it to them.
The Benefits of Celery for Cats
While celery isn’t going to provide all the energy your cat needs, it’s packed full of health benefits for your feline friend.
Image Credit: Iriska Ira, Shutterstock
First, celery is jam-packed with fiber. Fiber is an essential part of any diet — including your cat’s — and helps maintain a healthy digestive tract. And since celery is made up of almost 95% water, it’s a great way to help keep your hydrated. Put those two benefits together, and you’ve got a third advantage —combating constipation in your cat.
This veggie is also full of many different vitamins and minerals including potassium, folate, magnesium, iron, sodium, and vitamins A, K, and C.
All of these different nutrients help keep your cat’s skin, hair, and coat shiny and healthy. They also work together to maintain a strong immune system and brain function for your cat.
And lastly, celery can work as an excellent appetite stimulant if your feline friend has trouble eating.
Celery in Moderation
However, there is such a thing as too much celery. Overeating celery can lead to stomach pains, indigestion, and diarrhea. So, if your cat loves chomping down on this healthy green, you should only feed it to them in moderation.
If your cat does start to experience any of these symptoms, immediately stop feeding them celery. TummyWorks Probiotic Supplements can help to alleviate minor issues, but anything major should be reported to your veterinarian.
How Much Celery to Feed Your Cat
Determining how much celery is right for your cat is pretty simple to do. Like any other treat, celery shouldn’t make up more than 5% of your cat’s diet.
That’s because added treats — even healthy ones — can throw off the specially balanced commercial diets of most cat foods.
Image Credit: pasja1000, Shutterstock
Best Ways to Feed Your Cat Celery
Your cat is rarely going to go bonkers over chewing on an entire stalk of celery. After all, cats tend to prefer bite-size nibbles. This is why it’s best to dice up your celery before attempting to feed them to your cat.
If your cat’s a fan of crunchy treats, they may love them raw. However, the taste and/or texture won’t appeal to every cat. But that doesn’t mean your furry friend doesn’t enjoy celery mixed into their food or served as a topper. Remember, celery should only be used as a mix-in for high-quality food such as Instinct Original Grain-Free Pate and not as a meal substitution.
You can also feed your cat celery leaves. These are the leafy tops of celery stalks and may be easier to feed to your cat. However, just like the stalks themselves, they should be finely chopped.
Should I Feed My Cat Cooked Celery?
While you certainly can feed your cat cooked celery, this vegetable (like many others) loses the majority of its nutrients through the cooking process. So, to offer as many health benefits to your kitty as possible, raw celery is the optimal choice.
Whether you opt for raw or cooked celery, remember to always clean this vegetable thoroughly before offering it to your pet.
Can Cats Eat Celery?
Celery can be a very nice and healthy treat for your cat. They’re packed full of awesome vitamins and minerals that are essential for your feline’s well-being. But there can be too much of a good thing. Feeding your cat an excessive amount of celery can affect a healthy balanced diet and cause digestive issues or diarrhea.
However, if you practice moderation when feeding your cat’s celery, you’ll find that it could be a superb snack for your kitten.
Christian is the Editor-in-Chief of Excited Cats and one of its original and primary contributors. A lifelong cat lover, now based in South East Asia, Christian and his wife are the proud parents of an 11-year-old son and four rescue cats: Trixie, Chloe, Sparky, and Chopper.
