I love spicy food. Some might feel it is a tad sadistic but I love that burning sensation in my mouth when I eat something spicy.
There has to be a bottle of spicy sauce whenever I eat out or at home.
A couple of years back, I discovered this snack called Takis. It was love at first bite due to its intense spicy flavors.
As delicious as Takis taste, is it one snack that I won’t be feeding my cat.
Cats should not be eating takis due to the spicy nature of the snack as well as the other ingredients used. Some of these preservatives and flavoring can be toxic to cats and should be avoided at all costs.
Let’s take a closer look at what ingredients in takis that can be harmful to cats.
What Is Takis?
The baked snack takis was created in Mexico in 1999. It started selling in the USA in the early 2000s and has been growing in popularity ever since.
Under the takis brand, you can find an assortment of snacks like popcorn, rolled tortilla chips, potato chips, nuts, etc.
The unique selling point of this snack comes from its intense flavors and spiciness.
Here are some of the common ingredients found across the takis product range.
- Corn Flour
- Vegetable oil
- Citic acid
- Salt
- Sugar
- Onion and garlic powder
- Chili pepper
- Dextrose
- Yeast extract
Is Takis Bad For Cats?
Just based on some of the above ingredients, feeding your cat takis can result in a high possibility of toxic poisoning.
Even when cats eat such products in small amounts, the dangers are still there.
Let’s take a look at the possible dangers when cats eat takis.
Cats Can’t Eat Spicy Foods
As mentioned earlier, one of the unique selling points of takis is its wide range of spicy flavors. The fuego hot chili pepper is a personal favorite of mine but I can’t imagine my cat eating something so spicy.
Cats are not supposed to eat spicy food. They have very delicate taste buds and noses that won’t take too well to any type of spicy food.
When a cat eats spicy food, it can cause irritation in the nose and mouth. Spicy food can also cause vomiting and diarrhea if your cat happens to consume it. This is due to the compound called Capsaicin that gives spicy food its ‘kick’.
You know all those toilet jokes after eating Mexican food, it is worse when it comes to cats. The litter box looks like it has been ravaged by a burrito eating dinosaur.
In fact, spicy scents like ground pepper are commonly used to keep cats away from the garden. Definitely not something you want your cat eating.
Too Much Sodium
What makes such snacks delicious is also due to the high salt or sodium content in them. Sodium in our food isn’t necessarily a bad thing. In fact, all living things do need a certain of salt in their diet to survive.
The problem lies when our cats consume too much salt in their food. Excess salt, like your cat consuming soy sauce, can mess up your cat’s electrolytes balance in its body.
Symptoms of sodium toxicity include:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Excessive thirst and urination
- Stumbling around
If your cat has eaten something very salt and has started to exhibit the above symptoms, please bring your cat to the vet immediately.
Your cat’s health is in danger.
Garlic And Onion Powder
Garlic and onion in any form are two foods that cats should never eat. Cats are very sensitive to garlic and onion and can have fatal reactions if consumed.
When consumed, garlic and onion can red blood cell damage. When this happens, the cat won’t be able to effectively transport oxygen around its body. This causes anemia in cats which leads to lethargy, elevated heart rate, weakness and death.
Here are other symptoms that your can might experience:
- Drooling
- Oral irritation
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Upset stomach
Garlic is known to be five times more toxic than onions to cats and dogs.
Your cat needs immediate veterinary attention if it has eaten any amount of garlic or onion. Do not wait to bring your cat to the vet or it might be fatal.
No Yeast For Cats
Yeast is used in the baking process in some of the tarkis snacks. Although this is a healthier option than being fried, the presence of yeast is a big no-no for cats.
Yeast is widely used in baked snacks to convert sugar to carbon dioxide causing the dough to rise. Thanks to yeast, we get to experience fluffy bread, cakes and crunchy snacks.
Cats won’t be able to appreciate yeast the same way as us because yeast extract causes stomach bloating and even alcohol poisoning in cats.
The effects of yeast on cats are more likely to happen when the cat eats raw baking dough. But as responsible cat owners, we shouldn’t be taking a risk with our cat’s health by feeding them commercially baked products.
What If Your Cat Likes Such Snacks?
Out of every 10 cats that turn up their noses to such snacks, there will be that one cat who will be keen to taste it.
The cat could be drawn to the smell or is curious about the texture of the snack.
If you have such a gastronomically adventurous cat, try baking some homemade cat safe treats for your cat.
There are many recipes out there that are very safe for cats. Most of the time these recipes are a combination of some animal protein and baked crust.
Please do not feed your cat commercial tortilla chips as they can be toxic to cats.
What Other Foods Are Toxic To Cats?
The list of human foods that are toxic for cats is going to be endless but here are the more common day items that you will find lying around your house that can pose a real health threat to your cat if eaten.
- Chocolate
- Coffee
- Dairy products
- Raw eggs
- Raisin and grapes
One thing to note about raw eggs. Even though we advocate and encourage all cat owners to put their cats on a raw food diet, do not feed your cats raw eggs.
The risk of contracting e.coli or salmonella is a lot higher from raw eggs than from raw meat. These viruses can give cats a bad upset stomach.
Some pieces of an egg can be a healthy snack for pets but make sure it is properly cooked.
Conclusion
My advice to all pet owners is to not make it a habit to start feeding your cats or dogs human food.
Their bodies aren’t equipped to digest many ingredients found in the foods that are safe for human consumption.
Stick to pet-store bought treats for pets or make your own yummy treats. Your pets will enjoy it a lot more and you have peace of mind knowing that it is safe for them.