Is it Safe for Cats to Eat Pizza?

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Cats are incredibly social creatures who have high expectations from their owners. One of them is sharing snacks. It’s hard to resist their pleading eyes and it can feel almost criminal to enjoy a tasty snack without giving them a bite now and then. There are so many human foods that are not healthy for felines, and some pizzas have a lot of different ingredients in them. Is it safe for cats to eat pizza? We checked into this question and here is what we learned.

Ingredients in pizza

There are so many different ingredients that go into the making of a pizza. Seasoned meats, vegetables, cheese, the crust, and the sauce. In determining the safety of pizza for cats we must look at each of the ingredients that are used first. While the meats are usually okay for kitties to eat, there are some other ingredients that are proven to be harmful to cats and dogs as well. The sauce is almost always made with garlic which is poisonous to cats and dogs. Even if you don’t order the savory in your pizza it’s hard to find one that does not have at least some garlic in the sauce. Tomatoes that are not fully ripened can also be toxic in higher amounts. While the fully ripened fruit is not harmful, there is no way to tell if the tomatoes used to make the sauce may contain some unripened tomatoes.

More ingredients that are potentially harmful to cats

The dough used for the pizza crust is only safe if it is fully cooked. There are times when pizza tastes undercooked and soggy. This means that not all of the dough has been properly heated and it is still considered to be raw. Raw yeast dough can be fatal for cats and dogs. The final ingredient that is unhealthy for your cat is fat content. There is no getting around the fact that most pizzas are loaded with high-fat content from the grease that comes from the meats used as well as from the baked cheese that tops your pizza.

Most pizzas are a combination of dangerous ingredients

When we look at the breakdown of the individual ingredients that are used in the making of a pizza, it’s frightening to think about how many things that are bad for your cat are used and combined. Even one of the most dangerous can be enough to make your cat sick or even worse. We’re going to take this a step further and disclose the potential impacts that each of the cat-unfriendly ingredients can have on cats and kittens.

The crust

Most pizza crusts are made with flour that comes from wheat. Cats are by nature carnivores and although bread may not cause harm to felines, their digestive systems are not equipped to process this food. Any kind of crust or bread, even if well-cooked is likely to cause bloating and indigestion, and worse for the family, a terrible gas episode. If the dough is not completely cooked throughout it is extremely dangerous for your cat to eat. Raw dough can kill a cat or a dog within a few hours of consumption, so it’s best not to take the chance.

Garlic

There is really no amount of garlic that is safe for your cat to eat. While humans enjoy the flavor and it’s even healthy for the human heart, it’s highly toxic for felines. It’s nearly always used in the creation of pizza sauce, so giving your kitty a slice or even a few bites of pizza is like giving her a dose of something that will make her sick.

Meats

While cats are carnivores by nature, the meats used for pizza are typically sausage and pepperoni. These are extremely high in fat content and in spices. Here are the issues with this. The spices are likely to cause indigestion for your cat because the digestive system is not made to process this type of food. In addition to this, a high-fat diet will not only make kitty pack on the pounds, but it can also lead to feline diabetes.

Cheese

While some cats and kittens do okay with dairy products, others may be lactose intolerant. Yes, it happens as much in cats as it does in people. This can lead to some potentially serious digestive issues. Also, when the cheese is melted during the baking process, it releases high amounts of oil. When this is combined with the oils and butter used in the making of the crust, it’s like a mega-dose of fat which isn’t good for cats or dogs.

Salt

The sodium levels in most pizzas are also extremely high. It’s used to make the sauce as well as in the seasonings for the meats and other toppings. Salt isn’t any better for felines than it is for humans. It contributes to the danger of pizza for cats as yet one more ingredient that combines to make a potentially toxic dish for cats.

Conclusion

When you consider each ingredient that is used to make pizza, and how each of these can impact a cat’s health, there isn’t much on a pizza that could really be considered good for a cat to eat. In fact, the opposite is true. Pizza turns out to be one of the worst foods that you can share with your kitty. The risks are just too high. It’s recommended that you avoid sharing a pizza with your kitty because you’re not doing them any favors when you do. In fact, pizza is a food that should be kept out of a cat’s reach. When you’re finished eating your fill, make sure that any leftovers are placed in the refrigerator or discarded in the garbage in a place that is inaccessible for your cat so she doesn’t sneak into the garbage to retrieve a snack.