Can Cats Eat Bell Peppers? (What Is Safe? You Need To Know This!)

These colorful vegetables are a part of most kitchens. So if you have a cat, it means he/she is going to get many opportunities to devour a few slices now and then. So at such times should you let your feline indulge a little bit? I mean can cats eat bell peppers?

The short answer to that question is YES. But make sure only a small quantity goes into the cat’s super-sensitive tummy. However, you can breathe a sigh of relief in knowing there’s no toxicity involved here.

Now let’s dive deeper!

Photo Credit: Allen Ke on Flickr

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Can Cats Eat Bell Peppers? (The Long Answer)

What can cats eat and what they can’t is a list both you and I don’t want to get into here. The primary concern is “can cats eat bell peppers?” The colorful vegetable is tasty, no doubt. And it isn’t spicy, thank goodness for that.

Bell peppers contain a lot of vitamins. But this works only in the case of humans. As far as cats are concerned, the picture is a little bit different and more complicated.

The many valuable nutrients found in red, yellow, and green bell peppers seem to be useless for felines. And that’s because cats already have a tendency of producing such essential vitamins. So they don’t need to absorb them from other sources.

For that matter, if your cat is on a top-quality dry or wet cat food diet, meat is the primary ingredient. With a limited amount of additives. So you have absolutely nothing to worry about.

The chances are your little creature might not even make an effort to eat bell peppers. Most cats don’t find the vegetable very appealing. I mean it’s not meat. It’s not even crunchy or sweet. Nor do bell peppers have an inviting odor or strong flavor.

But let’s say your cat likes them nevertheless. Should you have something to worry about? Absolutely not! Bell peppers aren’t toxic. So it’s safe for you to feed tiny pieces to your adorable cat. Just not too much of it though. And I’m talking about washed, plain, fresh bell peppers. Not covered in any oils, dressing, or seasonings.

If your pet shows signs of digestive trouble like diarrhea or vomiting, ditch the vegetable. And make an appointment with the vet if the symptoms don’t subside within 12-24 hours.

Can Cats Eat Yellow Bell Peppers?

Let me bring to your attention that not all bell peppers are the same. The yellow ones are not the same as their green and red counterparts. Speaking from a nutrition standpoint, yellow peppers are packed with a smaller amount of beta-carotene and vitamin C.

It’s also the medium-ripe bell pepper. The red one is the ripest and green is the least mature. So the yellow bell pepper is in between the two. Even so, if your cat enjoys the yellow version, there’s no harm in feeding it to him/her. But consumption should be kept in check.

Can Cats Eat Red Bell Peppers?

Cats are more likely to pick red bell peppers over their yellow sibling. And that’s because the former is a lot more flavorful and sweeter than the latter. No wonder the red kind is the most preferred and common among the three.

And once again, red bell peppers contain more vitamin C as well as beta-carotene. So don’t hesitate to feed your cat tiny piece of red bell pepper. Just avoid feeding too much of it.

Can Cats Eat Green Bell Peppers?

The least ripe bell pepper is the green one. It is also the one that contains the least amount of vitamins in comparison to red and yellow. But the thing here is that cats naturally produce vitamin C. So you don’t have to worry about the nutritional value in this case. Just worry about keeping the consumption in check.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Feeding Bell Peppers to Cats

Now you already know that bell peppers contain vitamins. At the same time, I’ve also brought to your attention that these vitamins are not of much use to cats. Nutritionally speaking, the digestive system of a feline doesn’t absorb the vitamins from peppers.

However, it’s safe to feed bell peppers as an occasional treat if your cat enjoys it. But there’s no health benefit here. The same applies to feed the spicy version of pepper, which is jalapeno and cayenne. These two will actually make your precious pet sick.

What is the Best Alternative to Bell Peppers for Cats?

Are you genuinely interested in adding colorful vegetables to your feline’s diet? Then why not consider feeding peas or corn. Both are way sweeter in comparison to peppers.

In fact, peas and corn are common ingredients added to commercial cat-specific food. And they’re also easily tolerated by the digestive system of kitties.

Bottom Line

So can cats eat vegetables like bell peppers? YES, they can. Although they might not want to. But if they do, rest assured knowing that the vegetable is not toxic or unsafe for felines. So long as not a large quantity is fed. Make sure your cat is consuming it sparingly.

On the other hand, spicy peppers like jalapeno and cayenne should not be fed at all costs. They tend to make the cat sick. So it’s best to keep these out of reach.

Just keep in mind that top quality cat-specific food is packed with plenty of nutrients essential for your pet’s health. This means you don’t have to walk the extra mile to add more vitamins in his/her daily diet.

Incorporate bell peppers only as an occasional treat if your feline is fond of it.

Know the Proper Nutrition for your Cats