Celery is one of the nutrition rich vegetables that can produce lots of vitamins, fiber and minerals with a low glycemic index.
It can be seen quite frequently in our kitchen. Isn’t it?
Well, to make things interesting, it is considering as an excellent vegetable for your furr ball too.
Can cats eat celery?
Yes. Celery is one of the best vegetables for your cat. It is filled with fiber and lots of vitamins. Cat’s will enjoy celery similar to catnip too.
Are there any precautions to consider before giving celery to a cat?
According to the ASPCA, celery is an acceptable vegetable for cats, and you can provide it as snacks.
Or else, you can cook them for your cat (without garlic or onions).
Before giving them to your cat, always wash celery thoroughly. Even you have purchased them as fresh vegetables; they can have certain chemicals.
The commercial growing process uses lots of liquid fertilizers and bug repellent chemicals.
Therefore, a proper cleaning step is needed to remove the traces of these chemicals and fertilizers.
Do not forget to cut smaller pieces. Some cats go crazy for celery and try to eat the whole thing at once. If your celery pieces are big, then it could become a choking hazard to your cat.
By the way, if you are going to introduce celery for the first time, then keep an eye with celery leaves. There are some cats who can have skin agitation for celery leaves. But, it rarely happens.
What happened if you overfeed celery to your cat?
Even celery is safe and healthy food for your cat; you shouldn’t feed them more than moderate level.
Overfeeding celery could raise several minor side effects such as;
- Diarrhea
- Upset stomach
- Vomiting
- Foodborne illness, allergies
However, the possibility to raise these illnesses will be differing from cat to cat. The amount of consumed celery, the ability to tolerate, age, and overall health will be the reasons for these differences.
Celery compound?
Celery has a quality profile of nutrition. Even though cats are carnivores, they want some vitamins and minerals which may lack in meat food.
Celery does fulfill this requirement for your cat.
I have derived following celery nutrition table from the U.S. Agriculture Department. It shows the nutrition values for one piece of celery (40g).
| Nutrition Profile | Amount per serving (40g) |
| Calories | 6 |
| Sodium | 32mg |
| Carbohydrates | 1g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1g |
| Sugar | 1g |
| Calcium | 16mg |
| Fiber | 1g |
Above table shows the major nutrition components.
However, Vitamin A, C, K, Iron, and several minerals are available in celery too.
Celery vs Catnip – Cats went crazy
We all know how cats and kittens behave with catnip. They go crazy with them. It’s like a drug for them, and they love it (it’s not a bad effect).
Similarly, cats respond to celery leaves in the same manner. There are lots of cases in the cat community that confirm this behaviour.
There hyperactive behaviour around celery leaves is still not investigated much. So, I’m sorry, I could not educate you on the science behind this scenario.
However, do not expect all the cats to behave similarly to celery. Some of them can just ignore it. You know how there are.. J
Above video shows a cute cat play with a bundle of celery.
Does celery make cats high?
If you want, you can say there are in high because of the way there are acting.
But, it’s not due to any kind of drug or similar chemical in the celery. It is similar to the effect of catnip.
Unfortunately, the scientific information on this behaviour is limited.
Which parts from celery plant good for cats?
Based on many reports, total celery plant can be used as cat food. You can’t use the roots.
- Celery Stalks – This is the most famous part. You can use small stalk pieces as a snack for your cat.
- Celery Leaves – You can give celery leaves similar to stalks too.
- Celery Seeds – Seeds safe for cats. But, I can’t promise you that all cats will like seeds.
Advantage/Disadvantages of celery as a meal for cats
Celery is a good source of fiber too. That means it is a great food item for cats who has digestion issues.
Further, there are several studies done on celery and prove that celery possesses diuretic advantages. It will come in handy for cat’s proper kidney functions.
Another important point is the number of calories.
Cats usually do not need many calories. Therefore, you can feed several celery pieces without any problems (celery one piece (40g) has only 6 calories).
There is one more thing you need to aware of.
The celery is not balanced cat food. It does not have a complete meal nutrition profile.
Further, the protein content is very low in celery. Protein is a must for cats.
This means you can never use celery as a main meal for any situation.
Do you understand the advantages of giving your cat celery for health?
Some animals can benefit from phytonutrients from plants, which support digestive health. Their anti-inflammatory qualities, which might lessen irritation in the digestive tract, are particularly well-known.
Foods and other substances include chemical molecules called antioxidants that help stop oxidative damage caused by free radicals.
By fostering the stomach’s digestive lining, these substances aid in preventing ulcers in the stomach. This enables your cat to have an overall better digestive tract.
A healthier digestive tract is supported by celery’s high fiber and water content.
The proper way of giving celery to your cat
The proper way of giving celery is as a snack.
You can use them as an intermediate meal too. But it should be done occasionally.
Vegetables can provide only 5% of the cat’s total dietary intake.
When preparing celery, you can follow these simple steps
- You can use celery directly from the supermarket or from your garden
- Clean stalks and leaves thoroughly. Check for any dirt or little worms
- Cut them into small pieces. 4 x 4 cm2 size is good to go (avg. weight 40g)
- You can give 1 to 20 pieces of celery.
Can cats drink celery juice?
Yes. Cats can drink celery juices. By drinking celery juices, a cat can have high amount of fiber and vitamin at once.
These days, there is a trend in giving celery juices for dogs. Well, that’s goes for cats too. Both pets will benefit from the celery juices.
Is there any benefit to drinking celery juice?
Yes. Celery juice will increase the celery’s unique nutrition availability in your cat’s body.
Since the juice is a form of highly concentrated celery, the overall vegetable nutrition amount will be high.
Further, it will not add any chocking threat like celery pieces.
Are there side effects to drinking celery juice?
There isn’t any direct side effect from the celery juice.
But you should not introduce a large amount of celery at once. Do it slowly with a small amount.
If it’s the first time, then give him a tiny amount to see any triggering health problems such as celery allergies (which is rare).
Celery feeding related common problems
Here I have answered some of the search queries asked by many cat lovers who are worrying about celery.
I hope these answers will help you to resolve your doubts about feeding celery for cats.
Final Thoughts
Celery is an ASPCA accepted vegetable for cats with a high amount of fiber and vitamin. You can use celery as a quick snack or intermediate meal for your cat.
Even though the daily use is not recommended, you can use once or twice in 2-3 days.
The article is reviewed by our editorial team based on our editorial policy and approved for the publication.
References
- Pets and Produce: Top Tips on Vegetable Garden Safety, ASPCA
- Celery, U.S. Department of Agriculture
- Pets and Produce: Top Tips on Vegetable Garden Safety, ASPCA