Can Cats Eat Spaghetti Sauce?

Cat owners often like to share their favorite foods and treat with their cats. However, just because a food is safe for humans, it does not mean that it is safe for cats. Similarly, just because you like a certain food does not mean that your cat will share your tastes when it comes to food. Therefore, you should always check the ingredients of food first, and do not try to force your cat to eat food that it does not enjoy. One food that is popular with humans is pasta with spaghetti sauce, so can cats eat spaghetti sauce?

Can Cats Eat Spaghetti Sauce?

The answer to whether cats can eat spaghetti sauce depends on the ingredients included in the sauce. Some ingredients found in spaghetti sauces are safe for cats, and others are not. Spaghetti sauces can vary significantly, so it is vital to check the recipe first. Ideally, you should not give your cat manufactured spaghetti sauces if you are uncertain of the ingredients. If you have made the sauce yourself and know that all the ingredients are safe for cats, then it is fine.

Are Tomatoes Safe for Cats?

One of the most common ingredients for a spaghetti sauce is tomatoes, and these come in various forms. According to Cat or Cat, there are several points relating to tomatoes to consider when deciding whether to give your cat a tomato-based spaghetti sauce. First, a tomato sauce that is only made using fresh, ripe tomatoes and water is safe for your cat to eat. However, unripe tomatoes can give your cat stomachache, so it is best to avoid using unripe tomatoes in your spaghetti sauce.

Using tomato puree or passata is also something that requires caution. Some purees and passatas include additional ingredients, such as sugar or salt. Therefore, make sure you read the packaging first. Similarly, some tinned tomatoes have salt, sugar, herbs, or preservatives. Another word of caution is to make sure that you remove all the stalks and leaves from fresh tomatoes before adding them to a tomato sauce. Tomato leaves and stalks are toxic to cats, so you should never feed these to your pet.

What About Onions?

Another common ingredient in spaghetti sauces is onions, and these are something that you should never feed to your cat. Pet MD explains that all forms of onion can break down a cat’s red blood cells. In turn, this leads to your cat developing anemia. Therefore, you should never feed your cat onions, regardless of whether they are raw, cooked, or dried.

Is Garlic Safe for Cats?

Many people also like to add ingredients to their spaghetti sauce to add flavor, and one of the most popular options is garlic, which is synonymous with Italian cuisine. If you have added garlic to your spaghetti sauce, then you should not feed the sauce to your cat. Like onions, garlic is toxic to cats, as they are both a part of the allium family. Catster explains that garlic is even more toxic than onions, so it can cause more harm to your cat even if they only eat a small amount. Therefore, you should not feed your cat spaghetti sauce with garlic.

Other Ingredients in a Spaghetti Sauce

Spaghetti sauces come in various forms, and each person has their favorite recipe. There are many other ingredients that people include in their spaghetti sauces, including herbs, meat, and various vegetables. While many herbs and vegetables are safe for cats to eat, others are potentially dangerous. Therefore, you should check whether each individual ingredient is safe before feeding it to your cat. On the other hand, meat in a spaghetti sauce is fine for your cat to eat. Cats have a diet that is high in protein, which reflects the natural diet of felines. Therefore, your cat is likely to find a meat-based sauce more tempting than a sauce with tomatoes and vegetables.

Many people also season their tomato sauce with salt and pepper. Salt is bad for your cat’s kidneys, so do not feed your cat food containing salt. Eating salt can cause a cat to suffer a range of symptoms, including vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, loss of appetite, increased thirst, tremors, and seizures. In extreme cases, eating too much salt is potentially fatal to cats. If your cat only eats a small amount of black pepper, it is unlikely that it will do them any significant harm. However, Find Any Answer says that black pepper contains both terpenes and essential oils that are toxic to cats. Therefore, regularly feeding your cat food containing black pepper could do them harm over time.

Do Cats Like Spaghetti Sauce?

Like humans, each cat has personal preferences, so you may find that your cat does not even like spaghetti sauce. Some spaghetti sauces have a sweet flavor due to the natural sugars in tomatoes. Cats do not pick up sweet flavors, so they are often not attracted to sweet foods.

What About the Spaghetti?

Spaghetti sauce is usually served with pasta. While pasta is not harmful to cats, it has no nutritional value for them. It will fill them up and prevent them from eating food that does have nutritional value. In turn, this can lead to protein, vitamin, and mineral deficiencies.

The Final Verdict – Can Cats Eat Spaghetti Sauce?

Whether a cat can eat spaghetti sauce depends on the sauce’s ingredients. While sauces made with meat or ripe tomatoes are safe for cats to eat, other ingredients are not safe for cats. You should never feed your cat a sauce containing either garlic or onion. Salt is another ingredient that is dangerous to feed to cats. For sauces other herbs and vegetables, you should check whether each ingredient is safe for cats before feeding your cat the spaghetti sauce.