Can a cat eat a pumpkin?

Plain canned pumpkin is safe for cats to eat in small quantities, but cats are carnivores (need meat), and pumpkins are a type of fruit. Therefore, most cats will not eat pumpkins on their own.

Don’t feed the stem, skin, or pulp of a pumpkin, though. Those have no or little nutritional value to your cat.

If you feed canned pumpkin, make sure it’s plain pumpkin without any sweeteners or spices.
As with any food, use common sense: canned pumpkin is a treat and only fed sparingly to adult cats or kittens.

What are some pumpkin health benefits for cats?

Pumpkin is an excellent source of vitamins A and C and fiber.

Fiber can help cats with constipation. Vitamin A is essential for healthy eyes, skin, and immune systems. Vitamin C is an antioxidant that helps the body quickly heal wounds and fight certain diseases.

However, if you feed your cat a healthy and balanced diet, there’s no need to supplement food with pumpkin for vitamins.

Is pumpkin bad for cats?

Pumpkins are not toxic to healthy cats under normal conditions, but too much can cause diarrhea. Feed your cat no more than ¼ cup of canned pumpkin at a time on very rare occasions. 

Again, you should avoid any sweetened or spiced pumpkin products.

Careful with Old jack ‘o lanterns after Halloween – don’t let your cat eat rotten pumpkins.

Don’t feed pumpkin if it tastes bitter. Pumpkins produce a substance called cucurbitacin, which is also found in some related vegetables such as zucchini and gourds. Cucurbitacin can be poisonous to cats if consumed in large amounts!

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