The short answer is: No, cats cannot eat Hot Cheetos. First, Cheetos is junk food, and you should never feed your cat any junk food because it can harm them. Second, Hot Cheetos are spicy, and cats can’t tolerate any spice. Thus, if you’re eating some Hot Cheetos, avoid sparing some for your cat.
Hot Cheetos is a popular snack for most kids and even adults. Thus, it’s not surprising that almost every kitchen has some of these snacks in stock.
For this reason, you should be mindful enough to prevent your pet from accessing such food.
Both its spices and the chemical it has can harm your feline friend.
Let’s get into it more.
Contents
Can Hot Cheetos kill a cat?
Hot Cheetos can kill a cat, especially if eaten in large quantities.
Cheetos are junk food, and cats should not eat them. It’s quite harmful to any cat, even if it’s just a single piece or bite.
Not only are Hot Cheetos junk food. Further, it is spicy.
Mashed states that Hot Cheetos gets the spice up from chili pepper. And what makes chilis spicy is the capsaicin in it.
Letting your kitty eat spicy food puts it at risk of gastrointestinal and digestive issues.
These issues include an upset stomach, vomiting, and diarrhea. Moreover, all these issues occur due to capsaicin in any food.
Aside from the capsaicin, there are other toxic components in Hot Cheetos that can be harmful.
With each bite, your pet is eating bits of chemicals and seasonings that are poisonous to it.
Some of these toxic ingredients include:
- Salt
- Sugar
- MSG
- Citric Acid
- Artificial Color
- Cheese
- Milk
- Buttermilk
- Garlic Powder
- Onion powder
More ingredients are present in Hot Cheetos, as well as in any other junk food.
Aside from that, the processes it takes to produce junk food can take a toll on your pet.
As much as junk food can harm us, it can damage our cats more. For this reason, prevent your pet from eating junk food, and avoid feeding them.
Related – Can cats eat takis?
Recommended Reading: What do Cats Like to Eat for Breakfast?
Can cats eat hot chips?
All kinds of chips contain seasoning and other ingredients that can be toxic for cats.
Cats should only eat unprocessed food. Seasonings such as salt and pepper can cause harm. Even natural spices such as onions and garlic are toxic for them.
Such seasoning can cause damage to the red blood cells, leading to anemia. When eaten in large quantities, seasoned food can be a poison for them.
Hot chips contain seasoning in their powder form, and it can be more toxic. Add some capsaicin in it, and your pet will surely be in danger due to snacking on it.
A homemade chip is a possible snack for cats. If you’re frying some potato chips, don’t season some of the pieces allowed for your pet.
They can tolerate a few seasonings, but too much will be dangerous.
Read more in-depth article – Can cats eat spicy chips?
Why do cats love Cheetos?
Cats need to eat meat since they are born carnivores. Some cat owners say their cats love Cheetos.
While it can be possible, they shouldn’t let their cats snack on it all the time.
Felines may love Cheetos or at least get attracted to it due to its salt content.
However, even salt is toxic to them. As much as possible, refrain from eating junk food.
Is it bad for cats to eat spicy food?
The usual thing that makes food spicy is capsaicin. Whatever food it may be, it is not ideal for cats if it’s spicy.
If you’re a fan of spicy food, don’t let your pet join you. Most spices, especially the ones with capsaicin, can give a lot of stomach issues.
As curious animals, they can smell and lick spicy food if they see one for the first time.
If their nose touches the spice, it can irritate them.
It’s no wonder why food such as cayenne pepper, which has capsaicin, is famous for being a cat repellant.
Do you want to know if cats can eat salt and vinegar chips? Read here.
What happens if a cat eats spicy food?
A single bite of spicy food may not affect your feline friend. However, a large amount of spice intake can cause discomfort or irritation.
Both diarrhea and vomiting are unpleasant for felines. Since spicy food can turn down their digestive system, spicy food can lead to health and digestive issues.
If you see your pet eating spicy food, stop it immediately by taking away the food.
You can also offer some water and safe food to overpower the spice. You cannot give milk to shake off the seasoning since they can’t digest milk.
Further, milk will only make your pet’s stomach more upset.
Usually, felines won’t show symptoms if they ate spicy food, and that’s alright.
However, once your kitty showed some discomfort or pain, your best bet is to consult a vet.
Can cats eat Pringles and tortilla chips? Check it out!
In Summary
Hot Cheetos can be a delight for us during our snack times. Whatever we do, this bag of chips can be our go-to as an easy snack.
However, as much as we love the flavor and the kick, Hot Cheetos are only for us and not for our cats.
Too much junk food is also bad for as. Thus, as a general rule of thumb, keep the junk food only for ourselves, and don’t share some with our feline pets.
Give it some food that is safe for it, something that it also enjoys eating.
Other than Hot Cheetos, there are plenty of alternatives.
Resources
Hot Cheetos and from their spice comes from
Image credits – Photos by Max Baskakov and MIKHAIL VASILYEV on Unsplash
