The short answer is: No, cats cannot eat durian. If you’re thinking of giving your cat a durian treat, it probably won’t consume one due to its smell. Durian emits a strong odor that cats can’t tolerate. Further, durian is a fruit with quite a large sugar content. If your cat eats durian in large quantities, it may cause an upset stomach.
If you’re a durian enthusiast and plan to share it with your pet, you might want to reconsider.
Indeed, durian is a fruit, and it isn’t toxic for cats. However, feeding your kitty with it entails some risks.
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Why not give a durian to a cat?
Here are some of the things you may consider before giving some:
Durian smells bad
The odor is the thing that makes durians stand out from other fruits.
Unlike other fruits, durian releases a strong odor. Although the smell isn’t harmful, it is worse enough for any feline to decline.
For this reason, a lot of kitties that get offered with durian usually gags after smelling.
Thus, if you’re planning to feed some, you may test if your pet can tolerate the fruit’s smell.
Durian contains a lot of sugar
Now, if your pet doesn’t mind the smell of durian, which rarely happens, you can feed some.
However, keep in mind that like any other fruit, durian has a lot of sugar.
Felines can tolerate small amounts of sugar. Still, as carnivores, their digestive system isn’t suitable for this component.
Thus, if you’re going to spare some, do it as a treat. Make it an occasional food and not a regular part of your pet’s diet.
Durian has no value for cats
Durian contains no nutritional value for cats. As carnivores, they can survive without eating durian and other fruits.
For this reason, it’s quite evident that feeding your feline pet such a rare fruit is unnecessary.
If you want to offer some fruits, consider something cheaper and common.
Durian is quite expensive
A whole durian at Miami Fruit costs up to $177. Compared to other fruits, durian is quite expensive due to its availability.
Since your feline pet won’t enjoy the sweetness and the nutrition, why spend or waste the expensive fruit?
Your best bet is to give it something nutritious and beneficial for its health.
Related – Can cats eat pesto?
Why does durian fruit make cats gag?
A cat’s gagging behavior is its reaction after smelling something unbearable.
Thus, a kitty gagging at durian is something that you should expect, given the fruit’s odor.
If your pet hasn’t yet smelled a durian, it may be curious enough to sniff in haste.
However, as soon as it sniffs a durian, expect it to gag and ignore you if you offer it again.
Related – Can cats eat cayenne pepper?
Why do cats hate durian?
The gagging is enough to say that cats hate durian.
Felines hate durian mostly because of its foul smell. Since our feline pets have an enhanced sense of smell, a durian can be quite irritating.
You can just imagine how much they can smell it. If a durian already smells terrible for us, how much more for our feline pets, right?
Still, not all cats hate durian. According to some owners, the smell of durian makes them active instead.
If ever your feline pet likes durian, it’s still not enough reason to give large amounts.
Is durian toxic to cats?
Durian is not toxic to cats, as long as you give it small amounts only. These smelly fruit doesn’t have lethal contents.
Still, durian is a fruit, and it contains sugar. For us, these sugars are easy to digest.
However, sugars can cause an upset stomach if taken in large quantities.
It is because their digestive systems are suitable for meat only, and not plant-based food.
As it is, durian remains a treat and not a part of your feline’s diet.
Do you want to know if cats eat popsicles or chocolate milk? Check it out!
What happens if a cat eats durian?
Durian may not be toxic for cats, but it can be harmful if taken in large amounts. Aside from its health, other problems can happen if your pet eats a durian.
Durian can cause digestive issues to cats.
Since cats are carnivores, they don’t have a stomach that can tolerate the contents of durian.
It doesn’t mean that durian is toxic. You can always feed durian in small amounts.
High amounts of durian intake can lead to an upset stomach, diarrhea, or indigestion.
Unlike omnivores and herbivores, they cannot digest significant amounts of sugar in fruits.
Thus, it’s best to give your pet just a bit and don’t go too far by giving it regularly.
Durian can make cat poops smell worse.
Aside from the digestive issues, durian’s foul smell can worsen poop’s smell.
If your kitty eats durian regularly, the fruit’s smell can increase litter’s odor.
Don’t worry, though. If your pet doesn’t like durian, it won’t be a problem for you.
What fruits are okay for cats?
If you wish to feed your cat some other fruits aside from durian, here are some options you can consider.
This list contains fruits that are safe to eat:
- Apples
- Bananas
- Blueberries
- Cantaloupe
- Strawberries
- Watermelon (seedless)
In Summary
Having a durian available in your house is a sure treat for you, but not for your cat. Since it’s quite expensive and rare than any other fruit, it might be tempting for you to share some.
As a general rule of thumb, just feed durian in moderation if you want. Suppose it’s possible, though. Give your pet another alternative treat than the smelly fruit.
Any feline will probably be much happier with anything that smells better than durian.
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Image credits – Photo by Enrique S.M. on Unsplash
