Can Cats Drink Orange Juice? Like us, cats must stay fit and strong for their own health. We consume a lot of meat or just proteins in general in order to remain fit and healthy throughout the day.
Cats, however, don’t digest meat in quite the same way that we do as omnivores carnivores are different as well in terms of diet so it’s important to look out for what may be safe to eat for you but could potentially make your cat sick.
One main reason is that they need more protein since they can’t just get them from the plants they eat. It’s up to pet owners to carefully monitor to ensure that their felines are getting enough nutrition.
Can Cats Drink Orange Juice
Some cats do not have the right enzymes in their digestive tract to properly process certain foods such as oranges. These cats may even occasionally experience a bout of food poisoning if they ingest orange juice or mandarins, as their weak digestive system can often be overtaxed by the essential oils naturally present in these fruits.
Healthy Orange
Oranges are delicious and popular additions to any food dish. Adding them may seem like a small thing but the flavor infusion that they bring to a number of dishes turns out to be very dependent on their flavorful ingredients.
As well as being an important part of many tasty foods, oranges also provide a ton of nutrients vitamin C, fiber, antioxidant properties, and even thiamin. Who doesn’t think of Florida when they imagine eating an orange.
Juice Mixtures
The National Human Research Center has published a report which states that psoralen is mainly found in the orange fruit and skin – all parts of them.
Most of the psoralens were compared to milder versions of toxic compounds such as cyclobutane-1,3/cyclopropane 1,2/1,4 dione (CBI) and cyclobutene-1,3/cyclopropene 1,2/ 1,4 dione (CCD).
Fatalities from these skin irritants are still in question though but it can cause vomiting and diarrhea which is highly dangerous especially for cats who like to go out more than usual.
When Is Juice Harmful to Cats
Cats are carnivores, however, fruit and juice can be difficult for them to digest and sugar is a big NO. Cats don’t mind apple cider but that doesn’t mean you should serve it at mealtimes.
Fruit contains a lot of sugar, so cutting it out of your feline’s diet is the easiest way to do this. We recommend giving your cat water instead because the kitty will be able to enjoy a drink without any negative consequences.
Citric acid
Oranges are incredibly acidic, so when ingested by cats they can lead to serious damage and illness.
Just one mouthful of orange can result in central nervous system depression as well as stomach upset and possibly even vomiting.
Sugar
Oranges are usually extremely sweet by themselves, but orange juice is even sweeter as it has far more sugar. Like a human’s health could be affected if drinking too much OJ, the same can happen to your cat too.
Excess sugar for cats can cause issues with their teeth, make them gain weight, and put extra strain on the kidneys.
Summary
The good news is that most cats dislike the smell of citrus, so there’s a slim possibility your cat will eat an orange or drink orange juice. The orange fruit itself is unlikely to harm your cat in little amounts, but if you suspect your cat has eaten any of the rind or seeds, keep an eye on her and take her to your veterinarian if she begins to show any concern signs. Citrus won’t help your pet in any way, and they’ll most likely flee at the sight of it.