0

Can Cats Eat Graham Crackers?

If you are a happy cat owner, and like me, you want to check everything that your cat eats. You may have wondered about graham crackers, are they a good idea?

Can cats eat graham crackers?

Yes, cats can eat graham crackers. But, it’s not recommended. This is because they are not made for cats and contain too much sugar, salt, and fat. They offer no nutritional benefit for a cat, so no reason to offer it.

Now that you know that they can eat them, but not ideal, let me go on to explain their nutritional content, the risks of feeding your cat too many crackers (in general). As well as if cats can even taste sweet foods and much more. Keep reading…

What are graham crackers?

If you have landed here wondering what Graham crackers are, then don’t panic because I will fill you in. I understand because I never grew up with these crackers, in fact, coming from the UK, I have never actually eaten one in my life.

According to Wikipedia, These crackers are a sweet type of cracker that is made with Graham flour. They often come in the form of honey or cinnamon variations.

They are quite popular in the United States and are often used in various recipes or served with other sweet snacks. They originated way back in the 1880s, so, they have stood the test of time.

Nutritional Content of Graham Crackers

The following nutritional breakdown, according to Wikipedia, is based on a 14 g measure of Graham crackers:

• Calories – 59
• Fat – 1.4 g
• Cholesterol – 0 mg
• Sodium – 67 mg
• Potassium – 19 mg
• Carbohydrates – 11 g
• Protein – 1 g

Risks of serving your cat too many crackers

So far I have explained what graham crackers contain and the fact that they are not ideal for your cat. However, you may be keen to understand what risks these crackers really pose, right?

No nutritional benefits for cats

Think of graham crackers as a treat. It is not really needed by us humans as well as cats. For cats, there are many other nutritional offerings that are more beneficial.

How many times have you had chocolate, sweet biscuit or packet of crisps last month? Exactly, probably more than you should, right? My point is, its ok in moderation, but we know these foods are not ideal for us. Same with cats and Graham crackers.

Controlling your cat’s weight

One of the biggest concerns is controlling your cat’s weight. Like us, cats can only eat so much per day, before they exceed their calory limit. Beyond this, it starts to make them gain weight.

If this spirals out of control it can lead to obesity (more on this later). So, I am not saying your cat will get fat from one cracker, no, that would be ridiculous. My point is, it starts bad habits, that could spiral out of control if it is not monitored.

Are Graham Crackers the same as digestives?

No, Graham crackers are not the same as digestive biscuits. However, they are quite similar. In some countries, Graham crackers are either quite rare or almost impossible to get (more on this later).

Therefore, some people wonder if they can substitute them with digestive biscuits. Because, in some countries, such as the UK, digestives are very common.

In general, digestives are sweeter than graham crackers. Also, they are not the same texture. Digestives are not as crisp as Graham crackers.

Can you get Graham Crackers in the UK?

Yes, you can get Graham crackers in the UK. However, they are quite hard to find. If you are searching for them in the UK you can find them. But, in comparison to common biscuits like digestives, they are hard to find.

This is why many cooks, who need graham crackers for a specific recipe, tend to substitute them for digestives. Within a recipe, it offers quite a good alternative, in my opinion.

Related Questions:

In this section, I am going to answer some questions related to cats, crackers, and food in general. If you have any extra questions feel free to drop me a comment below.

Can we feed biscuits to cats?

No, you should not feed biscuits to your cat. This is because they are too sweet and loaded with sugar. Too much of them can lead to an upset stomach, or even worse, diarrhea. It is acceptable as a one-off treat.

I understand that you may be tempted to offer your cat one of these as a perceived treat. But, you may be surprised to understand that cats really do not view these sweet biscuits as a treat, not like us. This is because their taste buds are different from ours (more on this later).

Is sugar harmful to cats?

No, it’s not harmful. However, if it is overused it is likely to lead to obesity, diabetes or dental decay. Sugar really has no positive benefits for a cat, and arguably the same for us humans. Therefore, choose another option.

Although this may seem a bit overhyped, the reality is, I need to be harsh to be kind. There is no real reason to be finding your kitty with sugar. Us humans are still feeling the effects, in general, from years of overeating processed sugary food to this day. So, try and leave your cat out of the loop, are you with me?

Can cats eat goldfish crackers?

Yes, cats can eat goldfish crackers. However, they are not recommended. The simple reason is, they offer very little to no nutritional value to your cat.  If your cat gets hold of one and devours it, it’s not the end of the world.

However, just because it’s not the end of the world, it doesn’t mean you have the green flag of recommendation, it needs to be avoided.

Do cats hate bitter-tasting food?

Yes, cats hate bitter-tasting food. In fact, so much so that there are products that have been created that use sour tastes to deter cats such as “bitter apple”. However, this aversion to sour tastes is important for their survival. It helps them detect poisonous food, etc.

These bitter products are useful if you want to find a way to protect furniture items or even as a clever way t train your cat what she needs to avoid touching, are you with me?

Can cats eat saltine crackers?

No, cats should not be fed saltine crackers. This is because the salt contained in them is way too much for your cat. Again, if your cat gets a taste of one, it won’t be a serious issue. But it is not recommended as regular food for their diet.

To be honest, its pretty much the same practice for Grahams crackers, which I explained earlier in this article. In moderation, yes. A weekly part of their diet? No way! Are you with me?

What are the dangers of Cat obesity?

So far I have mentioned cat obesity a few times. But, it may not be very clear why this is a real issue. Forgive me if this is obvious.

The thing about obesity, it is more than just the obesity itself, its the knock-on effects, are you with me?

Stress on their joints, etc

So, if your cat is obese, she stands a good chance of having joint or cartilage issues. This is because of the additional stress that is put on her body. In particular, her musculoskeletal system.

In addition to this, there are other risks such as arthritis and hip problems. And, we haven’t even discussed the biggest issues, such as diabetes and heart disease.

So, in general, it is worth taking note and avoiding these issues as much as possible. The fact is avoiding treats such as Grahams crackers, biscuits, etc. Is a great way to help to avoid these problems.

0

What Does It Mean When Your Cat Pees on You?

If your cat has peed on you you may be left scratching your head wondering why this has happened. Especially if you have had this cat for a while and it is completely out of character.

What does it mean if a cat pees on you? If your cat pees on you, its either because he is marking his territory, feeling scared, anxious or worried that you may be being claimed by another cat. Each of these requires different approaches.

Now that you know why this may be happening, let me give you more detail on each of these possibilities. Also, why scent is so important to your cat, different ways she may mark her territory in your house and much more. Keep reading…

Reasons why he has peed

The reality is there are a number of reasons that could make your cat do this. It’s difficult and frustrating, but, it’s up to you to work out which one is more relevant to your particular situation.

01. Marking its territory

If your cat is marking his territory he is more likely to rub his head against you to leave his scent on you (more on this later). However, there is a small chance that he may urinate on you for this same reason.

02. Feeling scared.

In some cases, if cats are feeling anxious or scared, they may do unexpected behaviour, such as urinating on you.

You need to understand what may have caused your cat to get alarmed so you can help to solve the problem.

Fear of another cat claiming (or animal) you.

Along the same lines as marking its territory. Your cat may have been spooked by another cat, animal or person who they feel is trying to claim you as their owner.

In this instance, they may do irrational things such as peeing on you.

Did your cat do this to be rude?

After discovering the wet urine on your body, you may be wondering, regardless of the reasons why, if he has done this is as a vengeful attack, or even being spiteful.

The reality is if a cat pees on you, although it seems like an unacceptable show of disrespect, do not take it personally. Cats behave very differently to humans. And, in their mind, their behaviours are interpreted very differently.

Obviously, if a human being done this to us, it would be regarded as the ultimate disrespect. And, some would even fight over this.

However, for a cat it does not see urinating on an insult in this way at all. It sees it in a very practical way, simply to mark his territory and identify familiar friends (more on this later).

Why scent is so important to cats

With all this talk about urinating and marking territory, you may be wondering why their scent is so important to your cat.

Cats are very different from us, as I explained earlier. One of the main reason I say this is the fact that they use scent to identify their territory. It is also a way to identify people in their own family. Such as their own siblings or even their own kittens.

You may notice, for example, if you take your cat out for the day to the vet. Then you return home. If you’re in a multi-cat household, the other cats initially mainly to smell the cat and sniff around her just to identify that it is actually her.

Obviously to us humans, this is weird because with one glance we can identify who the person is by using our vision, right?

But for cats, it’s different, they heavily rely on their scent, rather than their vision.

What ways do cats mark their territory?

Cats have a few different ways that they mark their territory. Such as urinating, rubbing against objects, or even scratching.

Rubbing

Rubbing against you is probably one of the most common things that you may notice. Why? because they routinely do this to most of us humans, right?

This is a clever way for him to use his scent glands, in his cheeks to rub against you and mark you. So that he knows who you are when you meet again.

Urinating or spraying.

Urinating (and spraying), as we mentioned before, is another way of marking his territory. But this time using urine, which has a very distinct smell.

Obviously, as we know, this is a big problem for us humans, right? Because the smell is very strong and it’s very hard to get rid of (more on this later).

Scratching and Clawing

If you are the unlucky homeowner who has a cat scratching his furniture. And, you can fully relate to this. Cats use this technique to sharpen their claws as well as mark their territory.

What kind of urine marking is there?

There are two distinct types of urine marking that cats use:

• Horizontal
• Vertical

Vertical

Vertical urination marking is typically on a wall (or another vertical object). One leg is put in the air, with their tail erect. He then sprays urine onto the object.

Horizontal

Horizontal is what we commonly see when, for example, a big wet wee mess on a floor.

What can you do if your cat pees on your bed?

If you are unlucky and find that your cat is weeing (Click here to see 9 Reasons why your cat’s peeing in the house all of a sudden) on you while you are in your bed. You may have a big mess to clean up. The problem is, if it’s not handled properly, it can linger for months.

Cover it up (Short term tactical fix)

In the first instance, the best thing that you can do is cover your bed with plastic sheeting. This is just to keep it from getting it more wet and smelly.

This is not the solution but something to keep it under control while you work out what the root cause of the problem is, are you with me?

One tactic that you can use is to grab some of your cat’s favourite toys and place them in the area which is typically affected by the urine.

The trick here is to deter your cat from urinating in this area because it is unlikely to want to spoil its toys.

If it’s an Anxiety-related issue

If you dig into the root cause and find out it is an anxious reaction. One of the things that you can do, which is quite easy, is to give your cat a bit more attention. Make him feel calmer before you go to bed especially.

What smells can deter your cat from peeing?

If you have an ongoing problem with your cat urinating or peeing in your house or even on you. You can use this to deter him. It relies on using strong smelling fragrances.

Cats have a very strong sense of smell. And, fragrances which have a very strong smell, even if they may smell delicious to you or me, can actually deter cats. This is because it’s doesn’t appeal to them.

Example of these smells

Example of these smells is natural essential oils, such as:

• Lavender
• Lemon
• or even peppermint.

These types of essential oils have very strong smells. They will deter your cat from peeing on areas such as your carpet or piece of furniture.

To implement this, all you need to do is take approximately 15 to 20 drops of these essential oils mixed with water.

Then mix it up into a spray bottle. Then spray the protected areas daily. Then monitor your cat to see if it deters him from urinating in that spot, are you with me?

Cleaning up the mess after your cat pees in a corner.

Another issue, which a lot of cat owners have, is their cat urinating in a particular corner of the room. This can become an ongoing problem.

This is because of your cat detecting its scent in this spot, and then feeling the urge to re-soil the same area over and over again.

Therefore, one of the best things that you should do is clean up the mess initially. But do it well. This is because it will remove the scent and make them less likely to return to that spot, are you with me?

I understand it is not as easy as you might think. Why? Because cat urine has quite a strong lingering smell. However, one of the best things to use is an enzymatic cleaner or even some vinegar. This can help to remove the smell for good.