{"id":35928,"date":"2018-12-04T22:09:02","date_gmt":"2018-12-04T22:09:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/?p=35928"},"modified":"2023-03-17T22:01:28","modified_gmt":"2023-03-17T22:01:28","slug":"can-cats-eat-jello","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/can-cats-eat-jello\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Cats Eat Jello?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What kid doesn\u2019t like jello? And it\u2019s not just children; it&#8217;s estimated that about one million boxes are purchased each day in the United States alone!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Everyone knows that jello isn&#8217;t a health food for people, but is the flavored gelatin treat bad for cats? <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even if cats can eat it, is jello as yummy to our feline companions as it is for us?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this article we\u2019ll cover the following:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cats and Jello, What You Need to Know<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can Cats Eat Jello?<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can Kittens Eat Jello?<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Benefits\/Drawbacks to Cats Eating Jello<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Healthy Alternatives to Jello for Cats<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<style>.kt-info-box_ce71ab-0d .kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap{border-top:2px solid var(--global-palette1, #3182CE);border-right:2px solid var(--global-palette1, #3182CE);border-bottom:2px solid var(--global-palette1, #3182CE);border-left:2px solid var(--global-palette1, #3182CE);border-top-left-radius:10px;border-top-right-radius:10px;border-bottom-right-radius:10px;border-bottom-left-radius:10px;background:var(--global-palette9, #ffffff);padding-top:15px;padding-right:15px;padding-bottom:15px;padding-left:15px;margin-bottom:40px;}.kt-info-box_ce71ab-0d .kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap:hover{background:#ffffff;}.kt-info-box_ce71ab-0d .kadence-info-box-image-inner-intrisic-container{max-width:101px;}.kt-info-box_ce71ab-0d .kadence-info-box-image-inner-intrisic-container .kadence-info-box-image-intrisic{padding-bottom:100%;width:300px;height:0px;max-width:100%;}.kt-info-box_ce71ab-0d .kadence-info-box-icon-container .kt-info-svg-icon, .kt-info-box_ce71ab-0d .kt-info-svg-icon-flip, .kt-info-box_ce71ab-0d .kt-blocks-info-box-number{font-size:50px;}.kt-info-box_ce71ab-0d .kt-blocks-info-box-media{color:#444444;background:#ffffff;border-color:#eeeeee;border-top-width:0px;border-right-width:0px;border-bottom-width:0px;border-left-width:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;margin-top:0px;margin-right:20px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;}.kt-info-box_ce71ab-0d .kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap:hover .kt-blocks-info-box-media{color:#444444;background:#ffffff;border-color:#eeeeee;}.kt-info-box_ce71ab-0d .kt-infobox-textcontent h2.kt-blocks-info-box-title{padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;margin-top:5px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:10px;margin-left:0px;}.kt-info-box_ce71ab-0d .kt-infobox-textcontent .kt-blocks-info-box-text{color:#555555;}.kt-info-box_ce71ab-0d .kt-blocks-info-box-learnmore{background:transparent;border-color:#555555;border-width:0px 0px 0px 0px;padding-top:4px;padding-right:8px;padding-bottom:4px;padding-left:8px;margin:10px 0px 10px 0px;}.kt-info-box_ce71ab-0d .kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap:hover .kt-blocks-info-box-learnmore{color:#ffffff;background:#444444;border-color:#444444;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kt-info-box_ce71ab-0d .kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap{border-top:2px solid var(--global-palette1, #3182CE);border-right:2px solid var(--global-palette1, #3182CE);border-bottom:2px solid var(--global-palette1, #3182CE);border-left:2px solid var(--global-palette1, #3182CE);}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kt-info-box_ce71ab-0d .kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap{border-top:2px solid var(--global-palette1, #3182CE);border-right:2px solid var(--global-palette1, #3182CE);border-bottom:2px solid var(--global-palette1, #3182CE);border-left:2px solid var(--global-palette1, #3182CE);}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-infobox kt-info-box_ce71ab-0d\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap info-box-link kt-blocks-info-box-media-align-left kt-info-halign-left\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-info-box-media-container\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-info-box-media kt-info-media-animate-none\"><div class=\"kadence-info-box-image-inner-intrisic-container\"><div class=\"kadence-info-box-image-intrisic kt-info-animate-none kb-info-box-image-ratio kb-info-box-image-ratio-square\"><div class=\"kadence-info-box-image-inner-intrisic\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/guarantee-f-e1676260441883.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" class=\"kt-info-box-image wp-image-37684\" srcset=\"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/guarantee-f-e1676260441883.png 300w, https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/guarantee-f-e1676260441883-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"kt-infobox-textcontent\"><p class=\"kt-blocks-info-box-text\">This content has been reviewed and approved by our in-house Veterinarian for accuracy.<\/p><\/div><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cats and Jello, What You Need to Know<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jello is the common name for<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a fruit flavored gelatin most often served as a desert. Called jelly in Great Britain, the popularity of Kraft\u2019s Jell-O in Canada and the United States has resulted in people in North America referring to almost all gelatin snacks as jello.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jello is made primarily of sugar or artificial sweeteners and gelatin. Gelatin is a protein produced from collagen that extracted by boiling <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/can-cats-eat-bones\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">bones<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, connective tissue, and other animal by-products. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Used since the 15th century, especially in desserts, gelatin became particularly popular in Victorian era New York where they were made into extravagant shapes. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As the process of making them was expensive and labor-intensive, gelatins were considered to be high-society desserts. In the mid-eighteen hundreds, powdered gelatin was invented making the popular treat available to the masses.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Today, jello is most commonly sold in powder form, and comes in a variety of colors and flavors. The powder is dissolved in hot water, and then chilled until it becomes firm and bouncy. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Often, the liquid jello solution is poured over fruit and vegetables to make a salad. Jello can be topped with whipped cream and molded into various shapes to make elaborate.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While people often enjoy the various flavors of jellos, cats gain most of their nutrition from eating meat. So, it&#8217;s easy to see that our feline friends won&#8217;t get much out of eating one of these sweet treats, even though many do seem to like it, as we can see from the following video:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Cat eating jelly\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YBbmjOVy2hI?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can Cats Eat Jello?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yes, as long as it doesn\u2019t contain the artificial sweetener Xylitol, your cat can eat jello, at least in small amounts. However, the real question is: should your cat eat jello?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First of all, jello is a pretty poor choice nutritionally for your cats. As <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/feline-nutrition.org\/answers\/answers-what-exactly-is-an-obligate-carnivore\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">obligate carnivores<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, all they really need to eat to satisfy their nutritional requirements is meat.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Secondly, since cats don&#8217;t really have a sweet tooth, don&#8217;t be surprised if they simply aren&#8217;t interested in eating jello.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite the fact that jello is low in many of the nutrients your cat actually needs for a balanced diet, many kitties can\u2019t seem to get enough &nbsp;Let&#8217;s watch another video and see.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/youtu.be\/HoCl-GcjC04\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hopefully, that\u2019s not <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/can-cats-drink-alcohol\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">a jello shot<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can Kittens Eat Jello?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kittens are more susceptible to bacteria than adult cats with most foods because they are tiny and not yet fully developed. Potentially harmful ingredients, such as Xylitol, are more likely to affect a kitten than an adult cat.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instead of jello, why not try giving your kitten a healthy kitten food like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2Awecdd\" 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\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Benefits\/Drawbacks to Cats Eating Jello<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jello without artificial sweeteners is normally a safe snack for your cat, but it isn\u2019t really good for them.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While jello does contain small quantities of protein, it is high in sugar. Eating a diet with excess sugar and calories can lead to obesity for your cat. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even more concerning is that a number of brands of jello, as well as Jell-O brand pudding, contain the artificial sweetener Xylitol. &nbsp;While there have been few recorded cases of Xylitol poisoning in cats, toxicity is well-known in dogs.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When a dog ingests Xylitol, its body mistakes the chemical for a massive dose of sugar and releases a huge flood of insulin from the pancreas. This can send the dog into potentially lethal hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As cats do not have <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/jn.nutrition.org\/content\/136\/7\/1932S\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">taste receptors for sweetness<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">,<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">they are less likely to consume sweet-tasting foods or drinks; you don\u2019t often hear about xylitol poisoning in cats. However, it is believed they may be even more sensitive than dogs to this artificial sweetener.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The truth is you&#8217;re better off never giving your cat jello.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Healthy Alternatives to Jello for Cats<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are many healthy alternatives to feeding your cat jello.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For cats that like a little more variety in their diet, there are&nbsp;<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2AvIv3B\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sheba cat sticks<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that come in chicken, tuna, beef, and salmon flavors. They&#8217;ll keep things interesting for your feline friend.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In general, it&#8217;s best to stick with giving your feline companion a high-quality cat food like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2Vpbq2p\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Blue Wilderness<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. It&#8217;s grain-free and is primarily made with meat.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b>So, Can Cats Eat Jello?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cats can eat jello, though only in small amounts. It is best never to give a cat jello if it contains artificial sweeteners like Xylitol.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because of its sweet taste, not all cats are interested in eating jello, and&nbsp;it\u2019s a poor choice for your cat, nutritionally-speaking. Make sure your cat gets the bulk of their diet from a high-quality, meat-based cat food, such as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2RqlDMM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wellness<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2shxGyf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Taste of the Wild<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What did you think of this post? If you have any questions or would like to share a story about your cat and a healthy snack they really enjoy, please tell us in the comments below! We\u2019d love to hear from you.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What kid doesn\u2019t like jello? And it\u2019s not just children; it&#8217;s estimated that about one million boxes are purchased each day in the United States alone! Everyone knows that jello&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":35931,"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\/12\/Can-Cats-Eat-Jello.png",800,578,false],"author_info":{"display_name":"Phil Ruth","author_link":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/author\/ruth_phil\/"},"comment_info":2,"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\/35928"}],"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=35928"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35928\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":55055,"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/35928\/revisions\/55055"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/35931"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=35928"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=35928"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=35928"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}