Yes, carrots are safe for cats. But they have to be cooked before you give carrots to your cat.
“Some human foods are outright toxic to cats, but carrots are among the vegetables that cats can eat without fear of being poisoned. The real danger carrots present to cats is that they can be a choking hazard,” Feline Living said in From Can Cats Eat Carrots? Is it Safe and Healthy for Felines?:
To make carrots safe for cats, wash them well, then cook them until they are soft and easy to chew. It is best to mash or puree them to the consistency of wet cat food, said Feline Living.
Please do not put any seasoning or flavorings like garlic and onion which can be deadly to felines, Feline Living added.
“If you are planning to add carrots to your cat’s diet, do it in small amounts. Hyunmin Kim, DVM explains that ‘Carrots contain carbohydrates and almost half of the total carbohydrates are from sugar. The sugar in carrots does not have a big impact on blood sugar, but cats being obligate carnivores do not require carbohydrates,’” said Feline Living.
Please remember that cats are carnivores, thus they need protein. Carrots should be given in small amounts only, specially since they contain sugar also.
“Carrots can be safe for cats to eat, but whether they’re actively healthy for cats is a separate question. Unlike humans, who are omnivores, cats are obligate carnivores. A cat’s diet needs to be primarily made up of meat in order for them to get the nutrients they need,” Feline Living said.
Cats can not live on vegetables alone. They need taurine from animal-based proteins.
“Other important nutrients can be found in plant-based foods, but cats have difficulty digesting them. The beta-carotene found in carrots is a great example, as cats’ digestive systems don’t seem to be good enough at converting it into Vitamin A for it to meet their nutritional needs without other sources of that vitamin in their diet,” Feline Living explained.
“That said, while you should not try to replace your cat’s meat-based diet with plant-based foods, carrots may have health benefits for cats when given occasionally as treats. While cats are not as good as humans are at getting vitamins out of vegetables, they do still get some. Additionally, carrots have a lot of both water and fiber in them, which can help with a cat’s digestion,” Feline Living said.
