If you just recently got a pet cat or two, you may not exactly feel like an expert when it comes to knowing what to feed your cat or just how to take care of it.
Don’t worry, this is completely normal and all of us start somewhere and feel the same way in the beginning.
The good news is that you can easily learn all these fun things that come with having a cat and become even an expert yourself in the end!
Cats are delicate animals and require a lot of love and attention from their humans.
Be prepared for any bumps down the road, but keep your head high no matter what life throws at you and your cat will without a doubt stay happy and healthy for years to come.
I have seen many people struggle with choosing all sorts of different kinds of cat food in the supermarket and there are so many choices that it can feel incredibly overwhelming if you are new to this.
Especially if you have never even had a cat before…
People don’t normally think of feeding rice to their cats, simply because a lack of awareness and it is not known as a “cat food” really.
Rice is not something that should be considered a “cat food”, but a little rice for your cat is not going to harm it and it okay for them to have cooked rice in small amounts.
But, it is a well known thing that our cats are curious little things and they do sometimes get the urge to try whatever food we are ourselves enjoying at the moment.
So even if it may seem like a strange question to ask, it is actually very possible that you may find yourself in a future situation with your cat, where he is meowing at you to try some of that rice you are holding in your hand.
So can cats eat rice? Is Rice bad for cats?
Lets find out shall we…
Table of Contents
What People Say About Giving Cats Rice
Some types of foods may be very healthy for one specific breed of cats, but not-so-healthy for another.
It all comes down to knowing your own cat well and if it has any special allergies or unique dietary needs or such.
There are many popular misconceptions about giving this specific food to your cats. You may not believe in them, but they are doing the rounds and very worth looking into.
Firstly, there is the myth that a cats stomach will just endlessly inflate if it has some rice.
As ridiculous as this myth sounds, this urban legend was a very famous one in the old days and feared as such.
But these are just baseless old beliefs, here are the real facts about rice and cats.
Can I Give My Cat Rice?
Yes and no.
The factors that determine this are your cat’s age, any health issues that it might have, and just how often you intend to give it rice.
Without overanalyzing, there are only really two answers to this question.
1. Feed Your Cat Smaller Portions
Uncooked or semi-cooked grains are not fit for your cat’s consumption.
However, cooked rice in a little to moderate quantity can aid your cat’s digestion process.
The digestive system of a cat is quite fragile when it comes down to it. Since rice is non-toxic for cats, it does not cause any harm to your kitty’s system.
On the contrary, many cat foods actually have small portions of rice, corn and wheat in them, which can help prevent diarrhea in cats.
2. Don’t Use Rice As a Main Course
So, small amounts of cooked rice can work wonders for your cat’s digestion, but huge quantities can result in dehydration.
As cats are feline creatures from natures hand, their nutritional and protein requirements are rather high.
Cats need a lot of protein since they are carnivores.
If your feline ingests too much rice and too frequently, it may cause malnourishment as it won’t fit their dietary needs.
Undoubtedly, your little cat may gulp down cooked rice when it gets the chance, but its low nutritional value can cause various health problems later on caused by the lack of nutrition in the food.
It can leave your cat feeling bloated.
Besides, feeding your cat too much rice can affect your cats overall life span, and cats do have very specific dietary needs and requirements if they want to stay healthy and happy.
Cats digestive system can not handle grain-based food products.
They thrive mainly on nutrient-rich foods such as protein rich meat. If your cat is not used to rice, it may also reject it by vomiting it out again.
What Types of Rice Can Cats Have?
There are many types of rice around on the market which your cat can have safely.
But, remember to always talk to your local vet before trying to give your pet something new or a strange foreign food it isn’t used to having.
It is always better safe than sorry, and don’t hesitate to talk to the vet if you are troubled about something regarding your cat.
Now, let’s look into whether white rice or brown rice is more suitable for these animals, and if they should have them…
White Rice For Cats
White rice mainly has three subtypes.
These are basmati rice, jasmine, and the standard long-grain rice.
All these types of rice are suitable for your cats digestion. If you prepare some well-cooked rice, your cat will happily gobble them down while meowing pleased as he does it.
If the rice is undercooked, he might reject it and it may even cause an upset stomach.
To avoid this happening, follow the correct method of cooking white rice and make sure you do it right and well.
It would be best if you also kept in mind to choose high quality rice only from reputed dealers for your cat. Some rice brands have an unhealthy amount of pesticides in them which can prove to be bad for your cat and isn’t recommended for anyone.
Brown Rice For Cats
Brown rice is famous for it’s high dietary content in comparison to the more common white rice.
However, cats don’t really need any additional fiber from external sources and it is not necessary for them to begin with.
Brown rice does not have any other nutritional benefits for these animals that would separate it from white rice.
On the contrary, brown rice have more bran in them and this can cause health problems for these animals, which would vary from cat to cat.
Also read: The different cat breeds.
Should Cats Have Brown Rice or White Rice?
Research has shown that white colored rice does lack some of the nutrients that brown rice have within them.
Therefore, one should prefer brown rice over the other.
But, since the rice eaten will be in a small amount, this minor nutritional difference is negligible and does not matter too much when you look into it that way.
It means that either type of rice is suitable, given that the cat is not allergic to brown rice or either one.
Any Rice We Should Avoid?
You should stay away from a few categories of rice that I will list below.
These include, but are not limited to:
Avoid- Rice Bran
Rice bran is known to be very healthy for us humans, but cats are not us…
Avoid giving your cat any rice bran, as many studies have in fact shown that it can interfere with Taurine’s metabolism.
Wait, what is that?
Taurine is an amino acid that is vital for a cats healthy growth and well being.
As rice bran can cause dietary problems in these animals, experts usually advice against giving it to your cats.
Avoid- Rice Krispies
This one falls into the cereal category.
As rice Krispies are basically a cereal, they are going to have some bad additives such as sugar and preservatives that your little cat does not need at all.
As many of these added preservatives are only tolerable to us humans, you should never give your cat rice Krispies.
But Should I Give My Cat Rice?
When you give very small amounts of rice to your cat, it can be very advantageous for it’s digestion and can also help in the fight against diarrhea in cats.
It is not a fight anyone wants to experience, but it still persists…
You should religiously follow these basic ground rules when giving rice to your cat:
- Uncooked rice is OFF LIMITS
- Give only a small amount of cooked rice at times
- Never give your cat more than 500 grams of cooked rice in a single day
- Do not cook the rice in salty water
- Try to give your cat rice only if it is suffering from diarrhea
- Always feed rice in moderation, as too much rice can deprive the cat of Taurine
- Never give kittens and too young cats rice
- Never feed leftover rice pulao, or Biryani, or Masala rice to your cat, avoid it completely.
Also read: How many hours a day do cats sleep?
How To Give Cats Rice Safely
There are many different types of rice recipes you could choose from, but here is a simple one for your cute cat to enjoy.
Now, you must follow this recipe carefully and fully for the very best results, so pay attention. Put down your phone.
Once you get a nod from your veterinarian, you can start to experiment with this and look for more recipes in the rice category.
What You Need:
- 250 ml, or 1 cup of clean water
- 500 grams of raw white rice or brown rice
How To Do It:
- Wash the rice carefully by taking water in a bowl. Then rinse them for 10 seconds and drain the water. Repeat this three times.
- Soak the washed rice in 250 ml of water for 30 minutes.
- Put the contents in a pressure cooker. Then cook it on medium flame.
- On the first whistle, turn down the flame to low and then let it cook for around five minutes. Wait for another 10 minutes, and then they should be ready to serve.
- Don’t forget to mix a light dose of meat in for a hint of flavor for your cat.
Things To Remember
Please do not add any salt to the rice, as cats have a very strong aversion to any salty food, they hate it.
Salt is very harmful and potentially toxic to cats so stay away from it at all times.
It can (and will) induce vomiting, and you might even have to get it’s stomach pumped.
To avoid this, don’t use any salt at all because it decreases the cat’s appetite dramatically and can hurt them. It was not meant for these animals.
Too much salt can also induce seizures, tremors, and even death in severe cases.
Apart from this, take care to mix the rice with your cats regular food.
Your kitty may reject it, if you serve the rice alone and on its own.
Even if your cat somehow eats the rice separately, it may vomit it out again later.
Before you feed rice to your cat, make sure it does not have any allergies to it and talk to your vet. If you have any doubts or are not sure, then simply do not give your cat any rice.
It can completely undermine the whole purpose of curing your pet of any stomach problems.
Also, if the allergy is very bad, the rice can even be lethal and could potentially cause death in extreme cases.
So don’t do it if you have any doubts or are not sure, your cat does not need rice to survive and there is plenty of regular cat food that you can give it instead.
Cat food is formulated with the cats unique needs in mind, so it is always better to stay with that instead.
There is no need to reinvent the wheel here.
Final Words
Most cats will benefit immensely from some additions of cooked rice in their daily meal, if you do it right that is and don’t overdo it.
If your cat has an upset stomach or diarrhea, cooked rice can help in restoring your pets bowel movements back to normal.
Remember to follow the age old wisdom of “everything should be done in moderation”, and never give your cat more than 500 grams of cooked rice in one day.
Too much of this type of food can interfere with the felines protein needs and cause malnourishment.
They can not survive on rice alone, just like you would not expect to survive on candy alone in your diet. These animals need meat and protein in their foods.
So, in a nutshell, give your cat a bit of cooked rice if it is suffering from any unpleasant stomach problems but be sure to keep in touch with your vet if you have any doubts or issues.
An occasional rice dose is also good for your cat, but too much or badly cooked rice can have an undesired effect and they should not have too much of it.
