Broccoli sprouts ok for cats? (eating, safe, dogs, main)

[movintime]

I'm eating them myself & wondered if I could add to her wet food? It has health benefits for us, but would it give antioxidants/vitamins to a cat or is it just unusable for them? Thanks all.

[thatdurncat13]

I don't know the answer to your question, but I'd be curious to find out also. I do have a couple of my cats that love brussel sprouts. I found this out when a couple of sprouts got left in my sink.

[Garden of Eden]

Green veges are OK for cats to eat. I have one cat who before I put any salad dressing on my salad, will very delicately choose his own piece of lettuce to munch on. Greens in a cat's digestive system act as a cleansing agent. When they eat grass for example, they are purging themselves, and that purging usually ends up on my rug.

I have a system in place in the warm weather where I put my cats in carriers on the picnic bench to enjoy the outdoors. Some prefer to walk or run before getting in, and on their way to that carrier, they stop to munch on some lovely grass. Yep, you can bet that same cat will upchuck.

In regards to the upchuck in broccoli, or other greens I haven't seen this happen. Just be careful not to give too much for a cat then can have diarrhea. I'm speaking form experience.

[foxywench]

they dont need them...but as long as their not dosed in salt or fat there perfectly safe...

cats cant digest raw vegatable matter so it pretty much "flosses" the innards unless there REALY cooked of blended. (cats and dogs cant break down cellulose)

[Garden of Eden]

Originally Posted by foxywench

they dont need them...but as long as their not dosed in salt or fat there perfectly safe...

cats cant digest raw vegatable matter so it pretty much "flosses" the innards unless there REALY cooked of blended. (cats and dogs cant break down cellulose)

True. That's why I mentioned the upchuck and diarrhea. It's cats way of colon cleansing!

[=^..^=]

Originally Posted by foxywench

they dont need them...but as long as their not dosed in salt or fat there perfectly safe...

cats cant digest raw vegatable matter so it pretty much "flosses" the innards unless there REALY cooked of blended. (cats and dogs cant break down cellulose)

I'd rather clean up their upchuck from grass than take them to the vet because of a huge hairball. One day Phaedra, after eating grass, yakked up a hairball tangled in grass the size of a large mouse or small rat. And she's a small cat. BTW, they almost always upchuck near the litterpans for some reason. I've never offered them sprouts.

[Easybreezy]

One of my cats was a real vegetable eater, loved peas and carrots.

[movintime]

My concern is though, what would be a legit reason to give her them if they offer no digestability & thus no benefit other than GI tract motility?

[catsmom21]

Originally Posted by movintime

My concern is though, what would be a legit reason to give her them if they offer no digestability & thus no benefit other than GI tract motility?

Just as a safe sometimes treat I guess.

My little Bridge Angel girlie loved peas, carrots, corn, watermelon and cantaloupe. She also had chronic constipation that led to megacolon, so those veggie and fruit treats were obviously of no benefit to her. But she liked them, and enjoyed the bonding experience of me letting her steal a few from my plate.

As to the original question as to if broccoli offers the same antioxidant benefits, my guess would be I doubt it. Cats' bodies don't process vegetable matter the same way human bodies do.

[foxywench]

its a treat, why do you have the occasional peice of cake ect...
if they like it, and agin its not doused in salt or oils ect, it wont do them any harm...
wouldnt use it as a main part of the diet, but an occasional treat now and then