When thinking about the diets of our kitties, we may start to think about additional treats they can have on top of their specially formulated cat food.
Cat food and biscuits are made with the health of your cat in mind and are formulated to provide your cat with the exact amount of nutrition they need.
However, it is no secret that our kitties love their fair share of human foods, such as canned tuna (which can actually be a very healthy treat provided the tuna is canned in water rather than brine or oil).
Some human foods are absolutely fine to give our kitties in small amounts, for example, cooked chicken, fish, and turkey can be very beneficial, and is actually fed as a diet staple to kitties with sensitive tummies who cannot eat canned food.
There are also human foods that can make your feline friends very ick. Chocolate, raisins, grapes, and meat with bones in are on this list.
All of them can cause some really horrible illnesses and even injuries in your cats. Sadly, some cats have even died from consuming these human foods.
Knowing all this it is understandable to want to get clear clarification on any human food that your cat is interested in you have definitely come to the right place with your question: ‘are black olives bad for cats?’.
We are going to answer it below, so keep on reading to find out more.
Will black olives make my cat sick?
We want to start by reassuring you that if your cat has already eaten some black olives, then you do not need to panic.
Black olives will not harm your cat. We know how kitties can get sometimes, stealing the food right off of our plates.
You may well be panicking if you have noticed that your cat has been nibbling on your black olives, but you do not need to worry, as they do not have a negative effect on your cat’s health.
They are not thought to be toxic to your cat in any way, and therefore you do not need to go rushing them off to the vets.
Whilst black olives will not harm your pet, salt is harmful. Often, the olives that we buy for ourselves come in a jar where they are kept in brine which is a form of salt water to preserve them.
Your cat should not eat these olives. Things that are high in salt are bad for your cat as they can cause sodium poisoning which can result in diarrhea, and will require a trip to the vets to ensure your cat’s tummy and kidneys are OK afterward!
A worst case scenario for sodium poisoning is kidney failure. This is why a trip to the vets is vital if your cat has consumed olives in a jar of brine water.
Kidney failure could potentially be lethal to your cat, so do make sure that if you ever feed them olives that they are fresh and have not been kept in brine (saltwater).
Another thing worth bearing in mind is olive pits. Olive pits could cause harm to your cat as it could cause them to choke, or hurt their insides if they did manage to eat it.
It may even get stuck in their teeth or break one of them. If you think your cat may have swallowed an olive pit, we highly recommend taking them to the vet, especially if they show signs of choking, struggling to breathe, or any injuries in their mouths.
If we cannot eat olive pits, our cats certainly shouldn’t eat them.
Will black olives be good for my cat?
We have established that black olives, particularly the natural, fresh kind that are not soaked in brine, are not harmful or toxic to your cat.
You may well be wondering now whether black olives are actually good for your cat. Black olives hold no nutritional value for your cats.
Think of a feral cat in the wild. Their diet is mostly carnivorous.
They could not eat olives in the wild, therefore they would not need them as a staple part of their diet.
They would not give them the nutrients that they need and would serve as a snack for them in the same way as they would for us.
If your cat really has found a penchant for black olives, you can give them one or two every now and again, but it would be far more beneficial for them (and for you, as you could eat all the olives yourself) to get them some yummy, cat-friendly snacks that would provide them with extra energy and nutrition alongside their regular diet.
Final Word
Whilst black olives are not known to be particularly harmful or toxic to cats, it is important to remember that we do not know the health of your cat.
Every cat is different, and just like humans, they could have their own intolerances or allergies. If your cat shows any symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, seizures, choking, struggling to breathe, or just generally seems unwell after eating black olives (or at any time, really) we recommend that you contact your vt right away and get them checked over.
Generally, a cat who has eaten some black olives that may have fallen on the floor or been swiped from your plate will be absolutely fine, so you do not need to panic if your cat has eaten some, but be sure to keep an eye on them in case they start to exhibit any of the symptoms we have mentioned above.
Olives are not needed in a cat’s diet as they provide no nutrition, so we would not recommend that you make black olives a regular snack in their diets.
Instead, choose cat-friendly snacks that you can buy from a pet store, or that you know to be totally safe and nutritious for your cats such as cooked chicken and fish.
Sure, our cats may attempt to eat anything they find, but that doesn’t mean that they should. Always keep an eye on your cat if they have eaten something that wasn’t intended for them, and as always, if you are worried, please get them seen by a vet with urgency!
