Can Cats Eat Vanilla Pudding? (A Complete Breakdown!)

As a cat owner, I love spoiling my cat with toys and treats. When it comes to treats, I make it a point to feed my cat food items that are safe.

But what if your cat wants a bite of your vanilla pudding?

It’s hard to say no to those pleading feline eyes when your cat is yearning for a bite.

Should you be feeding your cat that?

Feeding your cat vanilla pudding is not recommended. While it is not toxic to cats, it contains high levels of sugar and dairy, which are difficult for cats to digest. Such a diet can lead to obesity and other health issues. It’s always best to stick to treats specially formulated for cats.

Sugar and dairy are just the tip of the iceberg. Find out what other hidden ingredients in vanilla pudding can be harmful to your cat.

Vanilla

Vanilla isn’t classified as a toxic ingredient for cats. If your cat has taken a bite or two of your vanilla pudding, it will be fine.

The problem lies when vanilla extract is used to flavor the pudding instead of plain vanilla beans.

Vanilla extract is essentially vanilla pods soaked in ethanol and water to extract the vanilla flavor.

Vanilla extract is widely used when making baked goods such as banana bread. Ethanol, which is alcohol, is toxic to cats and should be avoided.

If your cat has a habit of eating your home-baked goodies, try using a vanilla extract that is alcohol-free to make it safe for your cat.

Milk

There is quite a lot of milk that goes into the making of vanilla pudding. As harmless as it seems, milk doesn’t sit well with most cats.

That is because a large majority of our cats are lactose intolerant.

Yes, I know that kittens are big milk drinkers.

In fact, kittens spend a large portion of their growing years (12-14 weeks) feeding off their mother’s milk.

What makes it possible is that kittens have an enzyme called lactase in their digestive system that helps them digest milk.

As they get older and start on their natural diet of protein from meat. The body will no longer feel the need to produce that enzyme.

This is why many adult cats are lactose intolerant as they lack the enzyme to break down lactose which is the sugar found in milk.

You might have a cat that is lactose tolerant but do know that milk is high in fat which isn’t ideal for cats.

Too much fat in a cat’s diet can cause obesity, diabetes, digestive issues, nausea and soft stools.

Sugar

Sugar isn’t toxic to cats but too much sugar can be problematic for cats.

Here’s an interesting fact.

Cats can’t taste sweetness. Cats lack the proper taste receptors to tell their brain when they eat something sweet.

Your cat is able to eat an entire donut without realizing it can be bad for them.

This is because cats are obligate carnivores and need to eat animal protein to survive.

There is no need for them to taste sugar when their diet does not require carbohydrates.

There’s also quite a lot of sugar in vanilla pudding hence a couple of bites for a cat can amount to a high intake of carbs.

One thing to note is that if the vanilla pudding is sugar-free, it does not mean it is safer for cats.

There’s a high chance that there is an artificial sweetener in the pudding which is highly for cats when eaten.

A compound called Xylitol is frequently found in artificial sweeteners.

When consumed by a cat, it can cause a drastic drop in your cat’s blood sugar levels.

This can lead to seizures, coma and eventually death.

If your cat has eaten vanilla pudding that contains artificial sweeteners, get it to the vet right away.

Keep your pets away from toothpaste as it contains Xylitol as well.

You’ll never know when your dog or cat gets too curious for its own good and eats some of it.

Cornstarch

Egg yolks and cornstarch are usually used as thickeners for vanilla pudding.

Cornstarch by itself isn’t toxic to cats. Just like milk, cats don’t have the enzymes in their body to break it down.

Hence a large intake of cornstarch can cause an upset stomach in your cat.

Raw eggs can contain E.coli and salmonella which can cause serious stomach issues for your cat.

In this case, the raw egg yolks are cooked which means the harmful bacteria have been eliminated.

Butter

If there is one thing that can make my cat turn into an addictive maniac is butter. You will find many cats drawn to butter due to its high fat content.

This is one reason why many find your cat trying to eat your donut or cake. It isn’t because they like the sweetness but more for the buttery smell and fat.

That being said, butter is safe for cats in small amounts but like all dairy products, it can give your cat serious tummy problems if they eat too much of it.

It’s no fun cleaning up your cat’s litter tray after a serious bout of diarrhea.

Even stuffing tissue paper up my nostrils couldn’t stop me from gagging.

Ingredients That Are Toxic To Cats

Even though plain vanilla pudding is safe for cats in very small amounts, things can get dangerous very quickly if the pudding contains additional ingredients out of the norm.

There are some ingredients out there that are really toxic to cats and should be avoided at all costs.

If you suspect that your cat has eaten vanilla pudding that contains any of the below ingredients, please bring it to the vet immediately.

• Chocolate pudding or anything chocolate
• Garlic
• Onion
• Alcohol
• Artificial Sweeteners
• Grapes
• Raisins
• Citrus fruits
• Coffee

Many of these food items can turn life-threatening very quickly for your cat and require medical attention to resolve.

What Should I Do If My Cat Has Eaten Vanilla Pudding?

If your cat has eaten vanilla pudding, here is what you should do:

Don’t Panic

A small lick or two of plain vanilla pudding is fine for most cats.

Check The Ingredients

Check the ingredients label to see if the pudding contains items that are known to be toxic to cats. Give your vet a call to see if there’s a need to bring your cat in.

Monitor Your Cat

If the vanilla pudding doesn’t contain anything toxic, keep an eye on your cat for any unusual behavior or symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea or lethargy.

Consult Your Vet

It’s always a good idea to consult your vet if your cat has eaten something it shouldn’t have.

Even if your cat seems fine, it’s better to be safe and get professional advice.

Prevent Future Incidents

Make sure to keep foods that are not safe for cats out of their reach to prevent any future incidents.

Cats are curious creatures and are known to ingest things that they shouldn’t have.

What Desserts Can Cats Eat?

I doubt there’s ever a need to feed out cats desserts.

Sugar and carbs are not natural for a cat’s diet and there’s really no need to include these macronutrients in your cat’s food.

The occasional sweet treat for your cat is fine but it should not become a habit as it has no nutritional value to a cat’s health

Can Cats Eat Vanilla?

When cats eat vanilla pudding, they might be able to taste the vanilla in it.

Vanilla has a rather complex taste. It is predominantly sweet, with a hint of bitterness and floral.

Since cats can’t taste sweetness, most of the taste profile of vanilla will be bitter and floral.

The vanilla scent is not toxic to cats and most cats are fine with it.

In fact, I think most cats would be curious about the vanilla scent since it has a sweet and creamy aroma to it.

Conclusion

As cat owners, we are wholly responsible for our cat’s welfare and diet.

Even though cats can eat vanilla pudding means they should. The same goes for all the other types of human food that cats can technically eat.

Make it a point to feed your cat a good quality and balanced diet. If you wish to reward your cats with treats, there are many healthy cat treat recipes on the internet that you can test out.

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