Can Cats Eat Arugula? Vet-Reviewed Health & Safety Guide

Arugula is a tasty, slightly spicy leafy green that makes a great addition to salads and recipes. It’s available in supermarkets and easy to grow in home gardens, so your cat may come into contact with arugula at some point. They may even take a little taste, which might lead you to wonder if cats can safely eat arugula. Here’s what you need to know about feeding arugula to your cat! Arugula is safe for your cat to eat in small amounts. Scroll down to see the details!

Can Cats Eat Arugula?

Yes, cats can eat arugula.

It is safe for your cat to eat, and contains multiple vitamins and minerals. However, it shouldn't be a primary part of your cat’s diet. Cats are obligate carnivores, so animal proteins are essential for their survival. To keep your cat healthy, you should not replace any part of its base diet with arugula.

Is Arugula Good for Cats?

Arugula is not necessary for cats, but it does have some health benefits. It’s a good source of potassium and folic acid. It contains vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin K, magnesium, iron, calcium, and phosphorus. It does contain dietary fiber, but this is not necessary for cats since they have very low dietary fiber needs. Arugula is a nutrient-dense food, though, so giving a little bit to your cat from time to time isn’t likely to do any harm.

How Much Arugula Can My Cat Eat?

There isn’t really a set amount of arugula you can feed your cat, but there are some things to consider. Since arugula is not an essential part of your cat’s diet, you shouldn’t feed it to them daily. If your cat likes to munch on a few leaves of arugula a couple of times per week, this is acceptable. It’s a low-calorie food, which means that it isn’t as likely to lead to weight gain as treats or increasing your cat’s daily food allowance.

Like with cat grass and catnip plants, some cats just like to munch on plants. If your cat is one of these types of cats, then offering arugula will likely be a welcome treat that your cat will look forward to. The unique flavor of arugula may be exciting for your cat to experience as part of a balanced and varied diet.

Are There Better Treats to Give My Cat?

There are lots of treats you can offer to your cat that are better options. This isn’t because arugula is bad for your cat, but it’s because some foods are better suited to the diet of an obligate carnivore. You can offer your cat small bites of plain, cooked chicken, fish, and even beef or pork as a treat on occasion.

Keep in mind that many of the foods that cats eat are calorie-dense, quickly leading to weight gain. Proper portioning is important to maintaining your cat’s weight at a healthy level. It’s easy to overfeed your cat treats, especially if you look at the portion sizes from a human perspective. Cats are significantly smaller than humans, so their calorie needs are far less. When you offer a bite-sized treat to your cat, it should be a cat’s bite-size, not a human’s bite-size.

Final Thoughts

Arugula is packed full of nutrients that can be beneficial to cats. It is not a harmful food for your cat to eat, and many cats may love to try arugula. This is especially true of cats that are interested in veggies and greens. However, arugula is not a necessary part of a cat’s diet.

Cats require animal proteins as the base of their diet, and most of their nutritional needs can be met through animal proteins in a well-balanced diet. If you’re concerned about your cat’s nutrient intake, talking to your vet is a good idea to ensure your cat is on a diet appropriate for their needs.

Arugula can be a tasty treat to offer to your cat, and it can be an enriching experience for you and your cat to offer your cat new and interesting flavors on occasion. You can use arugula as part of a rotation of special flavors for your cat to try. Remember that it should be fed as a treat, so it should only be offered in moderation. If your cat is getting full on arugula every day, it may become underweight and deficient in other nutrients from not consuming an appropriate diet.

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Featured Image Credit: Bogdan Sonjachnj, Shutterstock