Can Cats Eat Corn Flakes?

Can Cats Eat Corn Flakes?

If you have ever tried to eat breakfast in front of your cat, you may have had your cat try to share it with you!

Some foods are more likely to incite demands than others (bacon vs dry toast, for example), but some cats seem willing to try anything, up to and including breakfast cereal.

Corn flakes, both sugary and plain, are common enough fixtures in households, but are they something that you can share with your cat? Can cats eat corn flakes?

Short answer: A couple of plain corn flakes may not do much of anything to your cat – or it may make your cat throw up. Either way, it’s probably not worth the risk and there’s nothing in corn flakes that cats require to stay healthy anyway.

Do Cats Like Corn Flakes?

Some cats might like corn flakes, usually, because they are crunchy and they see you eating it, so they figure it must be okay. After that, some cats may decide they really enjoy corn flakes, while others do not.

It’s not really a good idea to encourage a cat to eat corn flakes though as it’s basically carbohydrates for them which they really don’t need much of. Furthermore, corn flakes can be hard on a cat’s digestive system.

But that won’t stop some cats from demanding that you share! My cats have never shown interest in my cereal (except as a toy), but maybe I just haven’t had the right ones (cereal or cats!) yet.

Do Cats Hate Corn Flakes?

I wouldn’t necessarily say that cats hate corn flakes; just that it may not hold any attraction for many cats. Corn flakes aren’t going to have an odor that attracts cats, and they don’t really have much of a flavor that they would care about either. Sweet ones are arguably even worse since cats cannot even taste sweet food and the sugar can make them quite sick.Can Cats Eat Corn Flakes?

Still, though, I wouldn’t say that cats hate corn flakes, but many of them are going to be utterly indifferent. And since corn flakes don’t have much of anything going for them in the nutritional department as far as cats are concerned, this is probably just as well.

Honestly, cats are more likely to want to chase a cornflake across the room than to eat it, but that’s just my experience.

Can Eating Corn Flakes Kill My Cat?

If your cat snuck some corn flakes, do you have to rush it to the vet?

Most likely, no. While corn flakes aren’t the healthiest thing for cats to be eating, they’re not usually harmful either.

Corn flakes are largely made from corn, assuming you’re not looking at the sugary ones, and corn is by and large safe for cats to eat. It’s a commonly used ingredient in cat food, after all, particularly the cheaper brands which use it to replace animal muscle.

Corn is also high in fiber and a few vitamins which are well enough for cats to eat, though not in high amounts since they get most of the intake they require from quality cat food.

That being said, however, corn flakes can cause digestive issues for cats in the short term and obesity in the long term. Cats aren’t really built to digest corn or corn flakes – they have a short digestive tract, and their body doesn’t have the time, capacity, or chance to properly deal with something like corn flakes.

This can cause short-term problems in cats – vomiting and diarrhea being the most common – and if they eat them too regularly, it can lead to obesity, which has its own glut of health problems ranging from joint issues to diabetes. That can be what ultimately kills your cat.

But eating a cornflake or two once in a great while? It’s unlikely to do hurt your cat unless your cat is allergic to corn and then it may cause sneezing or skin irritation.

Depending on how severe the allergy is, you may end up at the vet to get medication to help your cat feel better.

Barring allergies, letting your cat eat a cornflake isn’t really a cause for concern. We still wouldn’t necessarily recommend letting your cat eat corn flakes even as a treat though.

There are so many better treats out there for cats to eat that will give them more nutrition and probably make them a lot happier.

So, if you catch your cat eating a cornflake, let them finish it, but maybe move the cornflakes somewhere they cannot reach! This is a food that you probably don’t want to encourage your cat to eat, no matter how much they seem to enjoy it.

How Many Corn Flakes Can I Feed My Cat?

We really wouldn’t recommend letting your cat eat corn flakes at all, simply because there are far better snacks out there and you don’t want to encourage them to eat something that really won’t do them much good.

But if your cat absolutely must have corn flakes, figure that they should only have a flake or two less than once a week. And they should never have the frosted ones.

While corn flakes have trace nutritional value in them – such as fiber – it’s not enough to offset the relatively high carbohydrates (remember that cats don’t need to eat as many carbs as we do) and the lack of anything that cats actually need like taurine. They also don’t have much more than a trace amount of protein.

Also, remember that the cat’s short digestive tract means that their bodies cannot even really extract those trace nutrients from corn flakes anyway.

All in all, this means that corn flakes are basically the equivalent of junk snack foods and therefore, should be treated as such. Letting your cat crunch on a cornflake once in a while is enough.

Conclusion

Corn flakes may be pretty healthy for us humans (assuming they’re not the frosted ones), but cats have very different nutritional requirements and thus don’t really get much out of our cereals.

They cannot have the milk (lactose intolerant) and most cereal is too high in carbs and fiber to be of much use to them. But if your cat snuck in a cornflake, you probably also don’t have much to worry about, though watch out for a potential upset stomach from your cat for a day or two after!

Does your cat eat corn flakes? Mine has yet to show the slightest interest, but I have heard of other cats who will beg for them!