{"id":32749,"date":"2018-11-20T21:48:28","date_gmt":"2018-11-20T21:48:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/?p=32749"},"modified":"2020-04-08T18:42:41","modified_gmt":"2020-04-08T18:42:41","slug":"can-cats-eat-fennel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/can-cats-eat-fennel\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Cats Eat Fennel?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People seem to either love or hate fennel. The aromatic and flavorful plant and its seeds (as in <a href=\"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/can-cats-eat-oregano\/\">oregano<\/a>\u00a0or <a href=\"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/can-cats-eat-cilantro\/\">cilantro<\/a>) impart a vaguely<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">licorice-like taste to the foods it\u2019s cooked with.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What about <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">your <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">cat? Would fennel be something they might enjoy? Could fennel even be a healthy addition to you cat\u2019s diet?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As you will see, fennel can make a fun and interesting treat for your kitty. At the same time, fennel isn&#8217;t as healthy for cats as it is for people.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this article, the following will be covered:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cats and Fennel, What You Need to Know<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can Cats Eat Fennel?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can Kittens Eat Fennel?<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Benefits\/Drawbacks to Cats Eating Fennel<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Healthy Alternatives to Fennel<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Cats and Fennel, What You Need to Know<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fennel is a flowering plant, closely related to parsley and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/can-cats-eat-carrots\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">carrots<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. With a pale bulb and long green stalks, this plant has spread from the shores of the Mediterranean and now grows throughout the world.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The entire fennel plant, including the bulb, stalk, leaves, and seeds, is edible. Fennel adds flavor to other foods and fennel seed is particularly well known as the flavoring in <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/can-cats-eat-sausage\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Italian sausage<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both today and in ancient times, people have used fennel in natural remedies. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.medicalnewstoday.com\/articles\/319651.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fennel tea<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is reputed to aid with digestion and reduce gas, bloating, and stomach cramps.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fennel is considered healthy for people as it is a\u00a0rich source of many nutrients.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> A<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">n excellent source of vitamin C, fennel also contains a good amount of potassium, molybdenum, manganese, copper, phosphorus, and folate.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Can Cats Eat Fennel?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cats can eat fennel. Fennel is considered <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspca.org\/pet-care\/animal-poison-control\/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants\/fennel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">non-toxic to cats<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, though the ASPCA cautions it should only be consumed in small quantities.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s a good chance your cat won\u2019t be too interested in eating fennel. In fact, they may be more likely to play with it, as you can see from this video:<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"entry-content-asset videofit\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Our Cat Loves Fennel\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/65I7MCLA-14?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While Penny does seem to love her some fennel, she seems more interested in rubbing her face on it than eating it. This is likely due to her <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/what-do-cats-hate-the-smell-of\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">amazing sense of smell<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> responding to the aromatic qualities of fennel.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Can Kittens Eat Fennel?<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kittens tend to be more susceptible to things than adult cats because they are tiny and have not yet fully developed. Though rare, any contaminants in fennel are more than likely to affect a kitten than an adult cat.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Similarly, kittens are more sensitive to the laxative effects from the fiber in fennel. This could cause diarrhea, possibly leading to dehydration and a trip to the vet.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instead of fennel, why not try giving your kitten a healthy kitten food, like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2Vtlbwo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blue Wilderness kitten food<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">? This type of food has everything your kitten needs to grow up big and strong without anything that could cause harm.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Benefits\/Drawbacks to Cats Eating Fennel<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even though cats can eat fennel, is fennel good for cats?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For people, \u201chealth foods,\u201d supply nutrients that are essential for our well-being. More often than not, however, cats don\u2019t require the same dietary sources of specific nutrients that people rely on.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For example, all mammals need sufficient vitamin C to survive, and most manufacture it in <a href=\"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/best-cat-food-for-cats-with-liver-problems\/\">their livers<\/a>. Humans don\u2019t produce enough vitamin C in their livers, so they must eat vitamin C-rich foods.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cats, on the other hand, make plenty of vitamin C in their own livers, so they don\u2019t need to eat fennel to get enough vitamin C. It won\u2019t hurt a cat to get a little extra of these water soluble vitamins; they just don\u2019t need it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Similarly, fennel contains quite a bit of fiber, and cats <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/feline-nutrition.org\/answers\/answers-do-cats-need-dietary-fiber\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">don\u2019t need fiber<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in their diet. In fact, food containing fiber can have a laxative effect on cats.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The main thing to remember is that <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/feline-nutrition.org\/answers\/answers-what-exactly-is-an-obligate-carnivore\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">cats are obligate carnivores<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, meaning all they really need to eat is meat. Since cats derive the vast majority of their nutrition from eating meat, there just isn\u2019t a huge health benefit for your cat to eat fennel.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Healthy Alternatives to Fennel<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fennel can be a fun and healthy treat for your kitty and an interesting change of pace from their normal food. Even so, there are many healthy alternatives to feeding your cat fennel. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you really want your cat to have vegetables in their diet, why not try a cat food that has been formulated to meet the feline&#8217;s specific nutritional needs? <\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2Avm8LG\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Taste of the Wild Grain Free High Protein Natural Dry Cat Food<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> contains a variety of fruits and vegetables along with venison and salmon, so your cat can eat a healthy and balanced diet.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>So, Can Cats Eat Fennel?<\/b><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cats are fine to have a small amount of fennel from time to time. Just make sure you wash the fennel thoroughly before giving it to your cat.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As long as your cat&#8217;s diet is primarily well-balanced cat foods like those listed above, a little variety can be a fun way to spice up your cat&#8217;s life!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you have any questions or would like to share a story about your cat and fennel, please tell us in the comments below. We\u2019d love to hear from you!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>People seem to either love or hate fennel. The aromatic and flavorful plant and its seeds (as in oregano\u00a0or cilantro) impart a vaguely licorice-like taste to the foods it\u2019s cooked&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":32751,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":5,"label":"Nutrition"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/Can-Cats-Eat-Fennel.png",800,578,false],"author_info":{"display_name":"Phil Ruth","author_link":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/author\/ruth_phil\/"},"comment_info":9,"category_info":[{"term_id":5,"name":"Nutrition","slug":"nutrition","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":5,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":108,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":5,"category_count":108,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Nutrition","category_nicename":"nutrition","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32749"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=32749"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/32749\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32751"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=32749"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=32749"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=32749"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}