Are Cheetos Bad For Cats? [ Here’s The Truth ]

All the cat owners have seen their cat go crazy whenever you open a bag of Cheetos or any snack.

If you are not attentive enough, the cat can even take a sneaky bite or two. So, it is very natural for you to ask whether Cheetos are bad for cats or not.

There is no yes or no answer to this question.

The most we can do is consider the effects of Cheetos on the cat. You have to remember that the Cheetos are not toxic to cats. However, some ingredients can be problematic if taken in large amounts.

So, in this article, we are going to analyze this question in more detail. At the end of this article, you will know whether it is safe for the cats to have it or you should keep them away from such snacks.

Is Cheetos Bad For Cats?

Cheetos might be a delicious snack for us, but we all know it is not particularly healthy for anyone. It is also not healthy for a cat to have it. If you wonder whether it is extremely bad if the cat ingests it by mistake, then no.

As long as the amount is not very large, you are good to go.

As cats often like the spices on the Cheetos, they want to eat it when you have it too. Let us look into the health concerns of Cheetos more thoroughly to make a verdict.

Can Cats Eat Hot Cheeto?

If you ask whether your cat can eat Cheetos or not, the answer is probably yes.

However, you have to consider whether it is needed for them to eat hot Cheetos.

Cheetos are mostly junk food, and there is no nutritional value in them. Moreover, there is a high concentration of fat, which is not good for humans and cats.

Cat’s body can only digest high protein concentrations, and when you are not feeding the cat protein, it will make the cat ill. So, Cheetos are not a good snack for cats and not for you as well.

Cheetos contains a severe amount of vegetable fat; it can get stored inside the cat’s body. The cat can develop symptoms of obesity sooner than other types of food would do.

So, the seemingly harmless Cheetos can have severe effects on the cat.

However, if the cat has ingested a small amount, that is completely okay. If the cat develops any symptoms of diarrhea or vomiting, please take your cat to the vet.

Why Should You Not Let Your Cat Eat Cheetos?

Cheetos is bad for health due to their less nutritional value and more fat and carbohydrate. There is another reason for which you should not let your cat eat Cheetos. In this section, we will analyze each reason to solidify our argument on why you should not let cats eat Cheetos.

No Nutritional Value:

Cheetos do not have any nutritional value at all for humans and cats alike.

Honestly, it is more worthless for a cat as they cannot digest any part of it. If you are wondering about the content of Cheetos, we have also covered that later in the article.

When the cat is not getting any nutritional value from the food and still eating it, the cat won’t feel hungry. However, as there is no nutritional value, the cat will start showing symptoms of malnutrition.

High-Fat Content:

 Cheetos is deep-fried in vegetable oil, which is not good for humans and cats. If the cat is eating Cheetos frequently, this fat gets stored inside the body.

As the cats do not have any means to digest the vegetable oil, it does not get used in the body.

While some of the portions go away with the excrement, a significant portion gets stored inside. Hence, Cheetos are not so good for a cat.

Carbohydrate:

Cheetos comes from potatoes, which contain large amounts of carbohydrates.

Cats indeed need carbohydrates in their diet. However, the quantity is too high for cats.

They do not have the metabolism to digest so much carbohydrate. The cat should have a small number of carbohydrates, and the quantity should not be too high.

Salt:

Cheetos also has a substantial amount of salt in the spice mixture.

Too much salt is incredibly bad for a cat’s health. If the cat ingests a large quantity of Cheetos, it can have salt poisoning.

There are several symptoms that you need to know.

We will discover this point in more detail in the forthcoming sections. For now, it is safe to know that salty food is not good for your cat at all.

High Calorie:

Everything contributes to an extremely high calorie for anyone who is eating Cheetos as snacks.

It might be okay for your large body to have a bag of Cheetos without significant degradation to your system; it is not okay for the cat.

What Does Cheetos Contain Most?

If you decide that it is okay for your cat to have Cheetos, you need to know what it is eating.

If you are a Cheetos fan, it is also safe to know about the ingredients for your health. So, we will take a short glimpse into the main components of Cheetos and why it is unhealthy to have Cheetos.

1. Everything in Cheetos contributes to a total of 170 calories per 28g bag.
2. A bag of Cheetos has around 240 mg of sodium in it as salt. It is extremely high for any cat. Even a few bags of Cheetos will push your sodium to your daily amount pretty fast.
3. Cheetos also contain 40 mg of potassium per bag. So, you are not getting any nutrition other than salt. And salt is bad for cats anyway.
4. Cheetos has a very high amount of unsaturated fat. It is unsafe to ingest so much unsaturated fat as it directly causes obesity in any animal.

Scientists say that a bag of hot Cheetos needs 20 minutes of running to compensate. You can only imagine the number that a cat might need to do the same. I am leaving the number for your thoughts.

Is Too Much Salt Bad For Your Cat?

Salt is an important mineral for proper bodily function.

However, too much salt is not good for anyone. The increased amount of salt intake can cause high blood pressure and eventual stroke. Cats are also vulnerable to these problems when they ingest high amounts of salt.

If we come to the context of Cheetos, it has a substantial amount of salt in it.

Salt poisoning is a real threat to both cats and dogs.

Human food often has a large quantity of salt in it, and it is one of the reasons you should stay clear of feeding human food to your cat or dog.

Salt poisoning is not a life-threatening problem at the start.

Once or twice should be the limit of making this mistake. If you do not know how severe it can become, the following symptoms should be enough to denote the seriousness of the problem:

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Excessive thirst
• Seizures
• Lethargy
• Fainting
• Stroke

If the food has high salt content, it is safe to keep them away from the cats. Some of the common things also have salt in them. So, be careful of what you keep near your cat.

What Are Some Alternatives To Cheetos?

Human food is not generally good for cats as they do not have the metabolism to digest any of it. That is why cat food is ideal for your cat, as it contains everything in proper proportions.

If you are still insisting on giving human food to your cat, there are some alternatives to hot Cheetos.

These food items are not good for your cat, and they can cause dietary problems in the future. However, you can give these products as a treat once in a while:

• Chicken without skin
• Cream or yogurt in small amounts
• Fish
• Boiled eggs. Always boil eggs, don’t fry.
• Hamburger

Even if we are giving you some alternatives to Cheetos, please consider that none of these items are beneficial to the cat’s nutritional needs.

Cat food is the best food that they can have. Even if you think something is delicious, it is probably not healthy for a cat.

Before you make any changes to their diet, always consult your veterinarians. The last thing you want is to trigger an unknown side effect because you let the cat have what it wants.

Conclusion:

In the end, we want to solidify the argument by saying that Cheetos do not contribute to any beneficial effects on your cat. In larger quantities, Cheetos can be quite harmful. So, keep an eye out on your cat when you are busy eating your Cheetos away.