It’s not recommended that you feed bananas to your cat, no matter how small the serving portion would be. Similar to most fruits, bananas have a high sugar and carbohydrate content – both things can hurt a cat if consumed far too often.
Cats need a protein-dense, carnivore diet. Out in the wild, felines hunt for meat and avoid all sorts of fruits and veggies. That happens for a reason: they need meat to fill a specific macro- and micro-nutrient quota every day. And bananas don’t help fill that quota.
Not only that, but bananas feature certain nutritional elements that can upset a cat’s stomach. One too many bananas can make a monkey happy, but will get a cat going to the toilet (or rather, the litter box) more often than usual.
Do cats like bananas?
Most cats don’t like bananas, only a few of them do. Most felines haven’t developed the ability to taste sweet things – and that means they can’t really get the most out of a banana, making it less than appealing.
Even though most cats can’t enjoy bananas for physiological reasons, some cats are open to new things – and would be willing to try a banana.
Does that mean they like it? Maybe. Or, maybe, they enjoy the new experience more than the banana itself.
Keep in mind most cats like or dislike the taste of bananas, but they all definitely hate having a banana creep behind their backs! This fruit resembles snakes a little bit – but it’s too much for a cat to handle. Never place a banana behind a cat without it knowing, or you’ll startle it for a long time!
Will bananas hurt a cat?
More likely than not, a banana will end up doing more harm than good. Bananas have no significant nutritional benefit for cats – other than the possibility of an upset stomach. Cats can’t really taste the full flavor of a banana either, so it’s all bad for no good!
If you’re thinking bananas could be a healthy snack for a cat (because they are one for humans), you need to consider that humans and cats are built differently. What is good for us could harm a cat – and, in this case, bananas can hurt a cat.
When it comes to cat treats, you should choose things made for cats and not for humans. Our food is too calorically dense for them, and also high in salt and fat.
How often should a cat eat bananas?
If possible, cats should never eat bananas. If you think it’s okay for your cat to eat a piece of it (and you have also checked it with your vet), you should give your cat a small portion once every few days.
Use bananas as you would any other cat treat. Make sure it doesn’t interfere with your cat’s main meal and don’t overindulge in it. Other than that, make sure you peel the banana before giving it to your cat!