{"id":37159,"date":"2018-12-18T21:47:14","date_gmt":"2018-12-18T21:47:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/?p=37159"},"modified":"2023-03-17T22:00:38","modified_gmt":"2023-03-17T22:00:38","slug":"can-cats-eat-olives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/can-cats-eat-olives\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Cats Eat Olives?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">People have been eating olives for thousands of years. Olives and olive oil are often considered to be a health food and are part of the Mediterranean diet that is associated with decreased heart disease and longer life.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\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 olives be something they might enjoy? Could olives even be a healthy addition to your cats diet?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As you will see, olives can make a fun and interesting treat for your kitty, even if they aren\u2019t exactly a <a href=\"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/best-wet-cat-food-for-urinary-health\/\">health food<\/a> for cats.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this article, the following will be covered:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cats and Olives, What You Need to Know<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can Cats Eat Black Olives?<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can Cats Eat Green Olives?<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can Cats Eat Kalamata Olives?<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can Kittens Eat Olives?<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Benefits\/Drawbacks to Cats Eating Olives<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Healthy Alternatives to Olives<\/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 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.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 Olives, What You Need to Know<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Olives are the fruit of the olive tree, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Olea europaea.<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> An evergreen tree or shrub native to the Mediterranean, they rarely reach 25\u201350 feet in height. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Olive trees have been cultivated for thousands of years, and archeological evidence suggests they were grown commercially grown in Crete by as early as 3000 BC. In fact, a number of olive trees have been determined to be at least 2,000 years old and are still alive and producing fruit. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As far as people go, many of the health benefits are attributed to the polyphenols contained in olives. These same compounds give olives their bitter taste.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because of this bitterness, olives can\u2019t be eaten straight from the tree. Instead, they must be cured and fermented in a brine solution for a few months before they are ready to eat.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Olives are considered non-toxic for cats. What is perhaps most interesting is that some cats react to olives the same way they do to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/cats-and-catnip\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">catnip<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, as we can see in 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=\"Cats Who Love Olives\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aWs8AVOyZo0?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<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It turns out that olives contain an aromatic compound that belongs to a class of chemicals known as iridoids. Scientists have determined that catnip also contains one of these iridoids, nepetalactone.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although the exact reason some cats flip out over olives is uncertain, it\u2019s possible that the similar chemical in olives elicits a catnip-like response in our feline friends. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can Cats Eat Black Olives?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Black olives are simply olives that are not picked from the tree until they are fully ripe. Because they are not cured for as long in brine solution, black olives tend to have lower sodium than green olives and are also less bitter.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As long as you don\u2019t give too many, and make sure they don\u2019t have pits, cats are fine to eat black olives.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can Cats Eat Green Olives?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Green olives are picked after they have reached full size, but before the ripening process has begun. As they are more bitter than black olives, some cats may not like how they taste.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nonetheless, some cats still seem to love green olives, as we can see in 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-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Sphynx Cat CHALISA is Eating Olives\ud83d\udd3b\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/G_L41QoKekI?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<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I must confess that even though there are quite a few videos on the interweb showing cats eating olives, I had to pick this one because I have two sphynx cats!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Anyway, if your cat does like green olives, let them have at it. Just make sure they have the pits removed and only give them small amounts at a time.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can Cats Eat Kalamata Olives?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Kalamata olive is a large, almond-shaped, black or brown olive with a meaty texture. Named after the city of Kalamata, Greece, there really isn\u2019t a lot of difference between Kalamata and regular black olives as far as cats are concerned.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cats can eat Kalamata olives as long as you follow the general guidelines to only give your cat olives without pits, and then only in moderation.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can Kittens Eat Olives?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kittens tend to be more susceptible to sicknesses than adult cats because they are tiny and have not yet fully developed. Kittens also do not have as much experience with different food items.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because of this, kittens may try to swallow an olive pit, which could present a choking hazard. It is simply too dangerous to give kittens olives that still have the pits in them.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Similarly, kittens are more sensitive to the laxative effects from the fiber in olives. This could cause diarrhea, possibly leading to dehydration and a trip to the vet.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Instead of olives, why not try giving your kitten a healthy kitten food, like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2s9ZCDE\" 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 Olives<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Even though cats can eat olives, are olives good for cats?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\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 is generally not a huge health benefit for your cat from eating olives.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Nutritionally, olives are high in fat and sodium. Fortunately for cats, they do not seem to suffer the same negative health effects that people do when <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/can-cats-eat-salt\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">eating a diet high in salt<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Likewise, cats can enjoy a diet <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">proportionately<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> higher in fats than humans without developing heart disease, but that doesn&#8217;t mean it&#8217;s good for them. The main problem with cats eating a high-fat diet is they&nbsp;could become overweight.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Also, olives contain a fair amount fiber. A 100 gram serving of olives averages 3.3 grams of fiber.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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, foods containing fiber can have a laxative effect on cats.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Interestingly, cats suffering from <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/22005428\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">obesity-related inflammatory disorders<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> might benefit from the polyphenols contained in olives. However, before you start giving your cats olives as medicine, make sure you talk to you veterinarian first.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Healthy Alternatives to Olives<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Olives can be a fun, 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 olives. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\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\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2SD0FYk\" 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\n\n\n<p><b>So, Can Cats Eat Olives?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cats are fine to have a small amount of olives from time to time. Even if they don\u2019t eat them, some cats may have a catnip-like reaction to olives, which can be fun for you and your cat.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\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\n\n\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you have any questions or would like to share a story about your cat and olives, please tell us in the comments below. We\u2019d love to hear from you!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>People have been eating olives for thousands of years. Olives and olive oil are often considered to be a health food and are part of the Mediterranean diet that is&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":37162,"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-Olives.png",800,578,false],"author_info":{"display_name":"Phil Ruth","author_link":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/author\/ruth_phil\/"},"comment_info":4,"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\/37159"}],"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=37159"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37159\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":55049,"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37159\/revisions\/55049"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37162"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37159"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37159"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}