Can Cats Eat Almonds? - What's Safe, What's Not to Cats?

Sometimes, because we treat our cats like members of our families, we tend to forget that it has different needs especially when it comes to nutrition. We give it food that we like without realizing that what humans find good and nutritious may be toxic to our feline friends. One of the food items that you should avoid giving to your cats is almonds. Almonds may be a delicious and healthy snack for humans but it contains substances that cats cannot tolerate. If you gave your cat's almond by accidents and in small quantities then there is no need to worry. Small amounts of almonds will not pose a significant health risk to your cat's health. So people who are asking can cats eat almonds, the following information will be useful.

Not really toxic

According to animal health experts, almonds are not really toxic to cats. This means that occasionally feeding your cats with small amounts of almonds is OK. But still, consuming almonds can still pose some health problems for your cats. One of the reasons for this is the presence of Cyanogenic Glycosides, a natural toxin, in almonds. In small amounts, this toxin is harmless. If taken in large quantities though it can cause a form of cyanide poisoning to cats. Symptoms of cyanide poisoning include upset stomach and dilated pupils. In extreme cases, cyanide poisoning can lead to shock and even death.

Stomach upset

In some cases, even a small amount of almonds can cause some health problems. This is because fats contained in the nuts can cause an upset stomach among cats. If you see your cat vomiting or having lose bowel movement right after eating almonds, then it is most likely that it is suffering from an upset stomach. Consuming high amounts of fat in almonds can lead to pancreatitis.

Other ingredients

You should also watch out for almond snacks that contain ingredients that are also not suitable for cats. Some almond snacks, for example, contain high amounts of sodium. Cats should not take high amount of sodium especially without drinking sufficient amounts of water. Too much sodium in a cat's diet can cause a condition known as sodium toxicosis. This condition should not be taken lightly because in some cases it can lead to death.

Chocolate covered almond

You should also watch out for chocolate covered almond. Chocolate can be toxic to cats because it contains a substance called theobromine. You may think that you are giving your cat a treat by giving it chocolate. But the truth is you are endangering its health. This is why you should be careful of having chocolates lying around if you have a cat in the house.

More mindful

Now that you know the answer to the question, can cats eat almonds? You can now start being mindful of the food that you give to your cats. To be safe, you should stick to a proven brand of cat food.

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What's Better? Store Bought Broth, Homemade Stock Or Professional Soup Base?

If you're making soup, you usually start with either stock or broth. But most home cooks will agree that these are not quite the same. Some prefer store-bought broth and others like the homemade stock better. But do you know what great cooks do nowadays? They use professional soup bases! This is the latest trend in making delicious and tasty cooking.

Broth is created by the boiling of vegetables and meat, without bones in water. Homemade stock is created by boiling the bones, meat and vegetables. As you can see, they have similar ingredients but they aren't quite the same. So it is easy to understand that the end result would be different. And the soup you would create would then be quite different as well.

Those who make homemade stock will know that it has more nutrition in it, it is much better for you than the broth is. So right from the start, your soup has healthier ingredients. When you make your own stock, it costs twice as much to buy it in the store as it does than to cook your own.

This is where professional soup bases come in. Soup bases win over both store-bought broth and homemade stock in a way that it is made by better methods than how homemade stock is done. Soup bases are made from premium high quality meat, poultry, seafood or vegetables that are freshly cooked, just like homemade stock, but technically advanced specially customized equipment is used to capture and retain the entire fresh flavor. A minimal amount of salt is added for preservation and flavoring, but it does not contain any artificial flavors, colors or chemicals preservatives.

One of the biggest arguments for store bought stock is the convenience factor. While some would argue that although cooking homemade stock takes time, it is still worth it because it is simply delicious. If you are making soup and use homemade stock, you truly can tell the difference.

With professional soup bases providing the same natural taste as homemade stock, it can also last over 1 year as long as it is properly refrigerated and stored. Soup bases can also be stored in the freezer to extend shelf life. Bringing out the time savings, big cost savings (averages about 60 cents per quart) and longevity of product once opened, it is no wonder why professional cooks and home buddies around the country are catching up on this trend. Another plus is, that if you need just a cup of broth for a recipe, you make just 1 cup. Even the amount of space it takes to store in small containers adds to its practical convenience for anyone working in the kitchen. A container about the size of a sour cream container will yield up to 5 gallons of stock. Many home made and store bought stocks will last only about 2 weeks in the refrigerator. When using soup bases you won't have leftovers to store.

Like to order some soup base? Soupbase.com is the exclusive national home cook distributor featuring professional ingredients made by Minor's and much more. You'll find 100% natural, no artificial ingredients, preservatives or color in our soup bases. Bases are available in regular, low sodium, no-added MSG and gluten free varieties. Visit http://www.soupbase.com/ or call 800-827-8328 to order.

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