Do Maine Coons Like Strawberries (Are They Harmful)?
Strawberries are consistently voted as one of the world’s most favorite fruits.
They are delicious and full of vitamins.
Maine Coons are known for their curiosity and being interested in what their owners are doing.
So if you are eating strawberries, it’s a fairbet that your Maine Coon will want to try them.
Should you let them though.
Some human foods, like chocolate, are toxic to cats, so what about delicious strawberries?
Do Maine Coons like strawberries?
Some Maine Coons do like strawberries and they are not harmful or toxic in moderation. Strawberries contain sugar, fiber. Vitamin C, folic acid, and Potassium. A Maine Coon does not process fruits like you do, and although they are not harmful in low quantities, they should not be a meal replacement.
Strawberries are not known to be toxic for cats, although you should keep them in your pet’s diet with discretion.
For humans, strawberries, apart from being tasty, are a source of sugar, fiber. Vitamin C, folic acid, and Potassium.
These tasty fruit treats of goodness are well recognized, but let’s run through the pros and cons of a strawberry eating Maine Coon.
Strawberries shouldn’t harm your Maine Coon if they eat them occasionally.
Cats are known to be picky with their food, but a strawberry can win over the best of them occasionally.
Cats themselves aren’t so different from humans in that they do have specific nutritional needs and should avoid certain things, but there will be things you need to know to produce a strawberry eating Maine Coon.
Are Strawberries Good For Maine Coons
Cats in the wild aren’t known for their vegetarian diet.
Strawberries aren’t on most domestic or wild cat’s list of preferential foods.
Simply put, cats have different nutritional needs than people do.
As obligate carnivores, cats rely on nutrients found only in the animal meats they would hunt for.
Since cats can’t taste sweetness, they normally don’t care for sweet foods.
In the wild cat’s don’t go looking for sweet tasting meals, requiring only protein and meat.
If they did, most strawberry fields would probably be overrun with wild cats.
The flavor of the strawberry is not detectable to a cat’s sense of taste.
To us humans they are beneficial, like most fruits, but strawberries have antioxidants in them to help reduce heart disease and cancer.
The Maine Coon gets no nutritional benefit from a strawberry like you do, only calories.
As they are not part of the cat’s natural diet, your Maine Coon may experience stomach upsets from their ingestion.
So strawberries contain calories for your Maine Coon but not essential nutrients.
They aren’t harmful in moderation but if your cat has a diabetic condition, you should stay clear of giving them strawberries.
Are Strawberries Harmful For Maine Coons?
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) has a whole section dedicated to toxic things for a cat.
As alluded to earlier, although strawberries aren’t toxic, and should your Maine Coon eat one, they won’t be directly harmed by ingesting it.
They are high in sugar though, which means high calories, so could potentially mean your Maine Coon puts on weight if they’re fed regularly.
Strawberries are safe in moderation.
Although a cat can consume sugar, their bodies don’t metabolise it the way a human would do.
Cats are carnivores and eating excessively sweet foods like strawberries can cause digestive or diabetes problems.
Strawberries are not recommended for Maine Coon owners in excessively large quantities, but the odd one here and there will do no harm.
The majority of your Maine Coons food should be a complete, high-quality pet food to provide the right nutrients for them as well as be protein rich.
Should You Feed Your Maine Coon Strawberries
Strawberries are high in sugar, meaning a cat’s digestive system may not be able to process them as well as it processes meats and fish.
Humans can get health benefits from strawberries but a cat will not process the fruit through its gastrointestinal system like you would.
Many of the health benefits for you are lost on a cat.
So you can certainly feed your Maine Coon strawberries, but they are not a substitute for a properly balanced meal formulated for cats.
A dehydrated cat however, might get rehydrated if given strawberries.
So, if your Maine Coon goes loopy over a strawberry, sure, give them a taste now and again, but think of it as a treat, not a meal replacement.
It should be done as an occasion as well, rather than a routine, as lots of sugar can lead to diabetes and obesity.
Can Maine Coons Eat Strawberry Yogurt?
Strawberries don’t just have to be eaten on their own, as they’ve been bundled into fruit yoghurt treats for a while now.
As a Maine Coon will hover over you as you’re eating, can a quick helping of strawberry yoghurt do any harm?
The answer, as always, isn’t straight forward.
Again, strawberry yoghurt isn’t toxic to them, so in theory a spoon helping or two isn’t bad, especially if your Maine Coon really loves the taste.
What’s worthy to note though, is that many cat’s have a reduced ability to produce lactase, which is the enzyme that breaks down the lactose on dairy products.
Like yoghurt.
Dairy-based foods can cause stomach problems in cats.
As cats grow, they lose their ability to process lactose in milk.
Kittens have this ability but in some cats, as they no longer need to break down their mothers milk, they stop producing lactase.
Interesting to note that.
Cats can, theoretically, eat yogurt because of the low lactose content.
However, it is recommended only in small quantities.
So if you have an older Maine Coon, it may have lost its ability to break down dairy products.
Essentially it is lactose intolerant.
So if you feed your Maine Coon strawberry yoghurt, and notice any of the following symptoms associated with lactose intolerance, desist from feeding your cat dairy.
Common symptoms of lactose intolerance include:
diarrhea
vomiting
loss of appetite and weight
abdominal pain and discomfort
increased scratching
lethargy
Can Maine Coons Eat Strawberry Jam?
As discussed above, there is a potential for danger when it comes to sugar.
Your Maine Coon doesn’t process it like you do.
Your Maine Coon may love strawberry jam, but it is getting no benefit from it other than calories.
Those calories are mainly from sugar.
Cats may eat strawberry jam when it gets the chance, but it’s not ideal.
100g of jam contains around 49g of sugar.
That’s an unbelievable amount of sugar, much like soda drinks.
Something also really important to consider is that many sugar free jams contain Xylitol as a substitute.
Xylitol is TOXIC to felines, so definitely don’t feed them Xylitol products, including that which is in fruit jams.
Can Maine Coons Eat Strawberry Ice Cream
Maybe cartoons have lied to you here.
Cats are always depicted as having a real love for milk and cream.
Again, ice cream is full of sugar, and is full of milk and cream.
As discussed earlier, sugar and dairy products can wreak havoc on your cat’s digestive system, no matter how much they love the taste.
Everything in moderation though.
A lick or two won’t kill them, but a regular ice cream diet can do harm.
Conclusion
Strawberries don’t contain anything that is instantly harmful to your Maine Coon.
If you drop one and your Maine Coon is in there quickly and runs off with it to devour it in peace, then you are fine.
It’s not great for them in quantity but an occasional treat is perfectly OK.
Diabetic cats probably need to be kept away from them however.
Your Maine Coon is an obligate carnivore – it gets everything it needs (including water) from the meals it hunts.
Strawberries don’t offer anything in terms of nutritional value to a cat.
Most strawberry products are high in sugar which isn’t great for them, but in moderation they will be OK.
The only caveat is Xylitol – the sugar substitute – which you can eat, but will be toxic for your Maine Coon.
Look out for it in jams, or other sugar free products.If your Maine Coon has a real desire to eat the fruits you like, particularly with strawberries, it’s OK to share a nibble, but it’s not a replacement for a proper protein rich meal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do cats like the smell of strawberries?
The fruits that are said to emit aromas that are attractive to cats are strawberries, peaches, and watermelon. As the scent is attractive it may encourage them to try to taste a strawberry. Although high in sugar, a strawberry is not toxic to cats in moderation.
What happens if cats eat strawberries?
Strawberries have little nutritional benefit for a cat. They are high in sugar, and although they are not considered toxic, they are recommended only in moderation. Regular eating of strawberries can cause upset stomachs.
Is pineapple poisonous to cats?
Pineapple is not poisonous to cats. Pineapple is high in sugar as a fruit but does contain some vitamins, namely A, B6, Folate, and C. Pineapple also contains potassium and magnesium. Tinned pineapple is often packed in syrup so has an even more elevated sugar content.
Can cats eat strawberry stems and its leaves?
The stems and leaves of the strawberry should be cut off as a cat does not easily digest the plant matter. Only a small amount of strawberry should be given to cat, and only as a treat, not as a meal replacement.
My name is Ann and I have been looking after and breeding cats since 2013. I am currently the proud ownder of Alita, a female Maine Coon to whom I've dedicated this site. She has had 2 litters and is around 3 years old. We share adventures and stories together.
My name in Ann, I am a Thai citizen hoping to tell the world about the Maine Coon. It’s my favorite breed of cat and I have learnt a lot of things about them. Please look around my site and let me know what you think. This is Alita, my Maine Coon and you can find out more on the About Me page.
