Cats shouldn’t eat Pringles. They can eat small amounts of Pringles with no harm, but it’s pointless because they have no nutritional value. And this snack also contains salt, which can be toxic in higher quantities. So it’s better to find a better cat snack to avoid this.
Pringles come as a favorite snack by many. The towering stacks of big chips serve as a delightful treat to our palates.
Thus, I don’t find it surprising why many people would ask if they can share some with their cats.
As a cat owner, I know how tempting it is to spare our cat with our snacks. Their adorable expressions and tender approach are quite challenging to resist.
Still, pringles contain harmful ingredients. Although we can tolerate such contents, our feline pets, unfortunately, cannot.
Now, since we’re at it already, here’s my in-depth take on the pringles and how it can affect our cats.
Let’s take a look at the contents of our favorite snack!
Contents
What is in Pringles? (ingredients)
Pringles is a potato chip snack coming in various flavors (I don’t know about you, but I favor the Original Flavor).
Pringles itself states the ingredients as follows:
- Dried Potatoes
- Vegetable Oil (Corn, Cottonseed, High Oleic Soybean, And/Or Sunflower Oil)
- Degerminated Yellow Corn Flour
- Cornstarch
- Rice Flour
- Maltodextrin, Mono- And Diglycerides
- Contains 2% Or Less Of Salt
- Whey
- Sour Cream (Cream, Nonfat Milk, Cultures)
- Monosodium Glutamate
- Onion Powder
- Coconut Oil
- Natural Flavors
- Nonfat Milk
- Citric Acid
- Sodium Caseinate
- Lactic Acid
- Yeast Extract
- Disodium Inosinate
- Disodium Guanylate Buttermilk
- Malic Acid
- Invert Sugar
- Cultured Nonfat Milk
- Cream
- Wheat Starch
- Sugar
- Dextrose
I won’t go through the hassle of emphasizing how toxic almost all these ingredients are. The above list is enough for anyone to learn that pringles are a mixture of bad things for our feline pets.
Related – What about tortilla chips? Can cats eat tortilla chips?
I personally don’t feed even just a piece of my favorite Original Pringle to my cat. The original pringles come as plain salted, and salt is toxic for every feline.
Okay, a couple of pieces shouldn’t cause any issue. But, if you are conscious of your pet’s health, I wouldn’t recommend it, as I don’t dare it myself.
Now, let’s get back to salt. Indeed, other things in pringles are harmful, but why is salt one of these things?
Why is salt bad for cats?
Salt may appear to be one of the most used seasonings for us, but it can also be one of the toxic things for cats.
FDA includes salt in the list of edible dangers, and there’s a reason for this.
Unlike us humans, felines cannot tolerate too much salt intake. Of course, they still need a supply of sodium in the body, but a little too much, and it can already be lethal for them.
Too much salt can lead to poisoning in cats. Such an incident would happen in signs such as
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Decreased Appetite
- Lethargy
- Incoordination
- Excessive thirst or urination
In worst cases, salt poisoning can lead to severe symptoms such as:
- Tremors
- Seizures
- Coma
- Death
Salt intake can lead to severe stomach inflammation. Further, it can imbalance the electrolytes. And lastly, it can make your pet suffer from severe dehydration.
It’s the inflammation that causes vomiting and diarrhea. It’s the electrolyte imbalance that can cause tremors and seizures.
Despite the variety of flavors, pringles contain a high amount of salt. Thus, too much intake can invite some severe health risks.
Related – Can cats eat salt and vinegar chips?
Is it OK for cats to eat potato chips?
As much as potato chips can delight us, it’s not okay for cats. Potato chips contain too much salt that can poison our feline pets.
Unlike us, felines cannot tolerate too much salt intake and can lead to poisoning.
Your pet may like such chips because of its crispness. Other than that, potato chips have no nutritional value.
Of course, a couple of pieces should cause no issue. However, I still recommend that you avoid such a snack.
Pringles and all kinds of potato chips should only be for us. If they come to you begging for the same, give them other treats such as apple slices.
You’ll save yourself from worrying and from unwanted incidents.
Do you want to know if cats eat Hot Cheetos or Takis? Check it out!
Can cats eat sour cream and onion Pringles?
I may not prefer sour cream and onion pringles, but a lot of people like it. Still, it doesn’t come any safer.
Cats cannot eat sour cream and onion Pringles. Aside from the already toxic salt present in it, it contains the sourness acidity and the onion.
Both the acidity and the onion are toxic. The sour flavor comes from citric acid that cats loathe very much. The onions, in all forms, are harmful.
Thus, only adding to the toxicity, sour cream & onion pringles aren’t safe. Such pringle lovers shouldn’t share it with their cat.
Can cats eat spicy chips? Read here.
Summary
If you really enjoy snacking on a tower of pringles (like I do), it’s better to leave your cat out of it.
Cats can take a couple of Pringles, but it’s generally a mixture of toxic ingredients. Thus, I personally wouldn’t recommend feeding it to your cat.
Give your pet some other treats. You’ll have more pringles to munch while ensuring the safety of your cat.
Resources
FDA list of dangerous items for our pets
Image credits – Photos by Alvan Nee and Jeff Siepman on Unsplash
