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Cats have heightened senses, but unfortunately heightened sense of taste isn’t one of them, and this is because they are dedicated carnivores, so they hardly need to taste their food. Plain chips are ok, but can cats eat Takis? can cats eat spicy snacks?
Can cats eat spicy snacks?
Herbivores like cats have to be careful about the different foods, so they usually have more powerful taste buds. Cats eat the dead things they hunt – they don’t have to explore with their taste buds to make sure the food isn’t rotten or poisonous.
Generally speaking, cats cannot taste most spicy foods. They may sense a little spice, but it won’t come close to human taste. Therefore, your cat may not have a strong reaction to spicy foods at all. However, most cats can smell something spicy, so that they may avoid it altogether.
Unfortunately, spices like cayenne pepper that contain capsaicin can cause cats to vomit, have diarrhea, or develop other gastrointestinal problems. The good news is that many cats, and maybe, yours too, will avoid some spices because it smells awful. In these cases, you usually don’t have to worry about your cat eating it.
Spicy foods usually contain a lot of spices. Of course, there are many ways to make food spicy that don’t necessarily mean using a lot of spices. For example, sometimes, you can use cayenne pepper.
Usually, a little spicy food will not upset your cat. However, you really shouldn’t let them eat too much spicy food because it can cause some problems.
Can cats eat takis? – The answer
This question is still a very heated, controversial one because the answer varies from one cat owner to another, simply because some cats like spicy snacks and food while others don’t. Your cat’s taste may differ from some others, Some cats do like Szechuan-style sauces, fajita-style sauces, including mustard!
The general answer is that cats can eat Takis; yes, they can. However, While Takis and most other baked snacks are not toxic to cats, they are not very good from a nutritional standpoint either. Primarily because they contain
- salt
- onion
- And garlic powder, among other ingredients.
Takis are one of the most popular snacks and are known for the spicy flavor they bring.
Takis contain artificial and natural flavors and colors, salt, and more than a dozen other ingredients, including spicy ones.
Some cats do not eat spicy foods, including Taki or any other spicy chips out there; you may need to check with your cat to see what it likes.
If you want to share a bag of chips with your cat, we recommend choosing the most accessible, plain kinds available at the grocery store.
Basically, you can offer any other type of chips that do not contain the spices, artificial flavors, or colors Takis have.
Can cats get sick from eating Takei?
Yes, cats can get sick from eating a lot of Takis. While there are many spices in Takis that cats don’t like, just because they may want to eat it doesn’t mean it’s safe.
Takis also contains many unsafe ingredients for cats, including MSG (a flavor enhancer), yeast extract, citric acid (a preservative), maltodextrin, silica, natural beef flavoring, and artificial flavors.
Most importantly, these chips are not the shape or type of chips that cats eat. The chips are made of large rounded rectangles that cats must break up before eating because their mouths are not like human mouths.
If you are worried about the adverse reactions that may arise from your cat eating Takis, it is best to contact your veterinarian. Symptoms are unique to each cat, and it’s essential to make sure there are no problems before assuming everything is ok.
What are takis made of? The ingredients
Takis come in a variety of flavors. The exact list of ingredients for these flavors will vary (Fuego Hot Chili Pepper & Lime is my favorite).
However, in general, the core ingredients will include
- Maltodextrin
- Salt (toxic)
- Citric acid (a big no-no for cats)
- Flavorings
- Corn starch
- MSG
- Artificial flavors and colors
- Natural spices
- Onion and garlic powder (giant red flag)
- Glucose
- Sesame oil
- Chicken oil
- Sodium citrate
There are some ingredients from the list above that, at best, will only upset your kitten’s stomach. At worst, studies have shown that compounds such as sodium can cause severe health problems.
Can cats eat Takis? The conclusion
Takis, like most other baked snacks – are not toxic or dangerous in small amounts.
If your feline has eaten them before, there is no need to panic, especially if it’s in small amounts. However, this is a bad habit that needs stopping because you don’t want your pet to taste this snack.
Salt, garlic, and onion powder are the main harmful ingredients.
Salt increases thirst in the short term (which is not surprising). In addition, garlic and onions are common causes of red blood cell damage, anemia, and worse.
Therefore, even in small amounts, these ingredients may put your cat at significant risk. So if you can, it’s better to keep Takis away from your cat.
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