Can Cats Safely Enjoy Ice Cream? Expert Advice

Well, it’s summer. And what better time is there for ice cream than now? My favorite is rocky road. It really hits the spot (on the waistline too). I think my cats liked ice cream as well. Whenever I sat on the couch to enjoy mine, Ozzie or Ink would come up and sniff at it. I gently pushed them away when they did. I am not really a sharer when it comes to food, especially ice cream. And anyway, can cats have ice cream? Should I have given them some?

Maybe your cat has shown interest in your ice cream, as well. And why not? It has milk in it; something cats can’t resist. We see cartoons all the time of people giving cats saucers of milk. We know that milk is great for building strong bones. And when you freeze it and add flavor, like chocolate to it, it only gets better. So should I have shared my summer treat with Ozzie? Do cats and ice cream go together well?

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Can cats eat chocolate ice cream?

First of all, let’s talk about chocolate. In no uncertain terms should you give your cat chocolate because it has theobromine and caffeine. Humans can naturally absorb and process theobromine quite efficiently. However cats and dogs do not possess this ability which can lead to a toxic build up in their bodies which can become deadly. Your cat is also more sensitive to caffeine than you are, so consuming a large amount of it can be dangerous as well.

It is well known that the darker the chocolate, the darker your cat’s future is. Chocolate ice cream most likely will not have a high concentration of cocoa in it, so it may not be fatal to your cat. However, it could be. So, it is best not to chance it. Best case scenario is your cat will feel very ill for a few hours afterwards. Obviously you don’t want to do that to your little friend, but there are alternatives.

So, what about other flavors like vanilla which lacks theobromine and caffeine?

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Can cats eat vanilla ice cream?

Well, vanilla extract can be dangerous for cats. In fact, lethal. Vanilla ice cream isn’t toxic however, due to a low volume of vanilla extract. Vanilla ice cream is sweet though. And that is a problem because cats lack the receptors to taste sweetness, so they can’t really enjoy it like you or I can, but they will suffer from it by way of obesity and diabetes.

So, is ice cream bad for cats? Well, that all depends.