Have you had the unfortunate experience of discovering that your cat has ingested an entire bag of treats? As concerned as you may be for your feisty feline, you shouldn’t worry yourself too much.
When cats eat too many treats it will curb their appetite for regular food. Eating too many treats on a long-term basis can negatively affect a cat’s nutritional profile but will not majorly affect the cat if it overeats treats rarely.
As long as your kitty isn’t regularly overfed on treats it will likely avoid any serious physical issues. Although your cat likely isn’t in severe danger, you should be aware of the warning signs of an emergency and what exactly happens to your cat when it overindulges.
Table of Contents
Warning Signs Of Emergency
There are a few warning signs that indicate a cat is in serious danger. Signs to watch out for include:
- Howling, Crying And Hiding
- Abnormal Litter Box Behavior That Is Long-Term
- Repeated Vomiting
- Severe, Ongoing Fatigue
- Long-Term Change In Appetite
- Breathing Changes
These signs will likely be obvious to you when you’re in the presence of the cat because of their severity. If you observe any of these signs in your cat after it ingests the treats it’s best that you transport it to the veterinarian immediately.
Ingesting The Plastic Bag Of Treats
If your cat was unlucky enough to have ingested the plastic bag along with the treats, you may need to be more cautious when observing it for any serious symptoms. When cats ingest plastic they’re at risk for:
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Intestinal Obstructions
- Choking
- Strangulation
- Suffocation
If you happen to see your cat exhibit any of these symptoms or think your cat might be at risk, it is advised that you reach out to your vet immediately to prevent any possible fatal events.
While vomiting and diarrhea are less severe symptoms, these can turn life threatening if they don’t clear up and they induce dehydration. Intestinal obstructions may be observed by keeping a close eye on your cat for sudden bowel or eating changes that don’t improve.
Preventing Your Cat From Eating Entire Bags Of Treats
It is important that you don’t allow your pet to make a habit of eating entire bags of treats so that it can remain a happy, healthy cat for itself and your family. In these cases, prevention is key. Things you can do to help your cat avoid overindulging are:
- Keep cat treats up and out of sight of the cat, preferably locked up inside of a cupboard, drawer, cabinet or refrigerator
- Refrain from buying treats altogether
- Provide a puzzle feeding bowl; your cat could simply be thrilled by the challenge of stealing its treats and therefore could possibly benefit from working more for its food
- Try feeding your cat three small meals a day to avoid it getting too hungry throughout the day and triggering the need to feed on treats
- Provide your cat a treat ball to occupy its time, allowing it to focus on something productive without overeating and preventing it from obtaining instant gratification
- Not allowing your cat to climb onto table and countertops
- Never leave food out and unattended
- Encourage more interactive play between you and your cat to prevent your cat from seeking out other excitement (such as stealing treats)
- Be sure you’re feeding your cat a well-balanced diet to prevent it from feeling the need to overeat treats
- Try implementing timeouts in a separate room if you catch your cat in the act of ingesting the bag of treats
- Try using automatic food dispensers if you’re having trouble feeding your cat small meals throughout the day to prevent hunger
Frequent Ingestion Of Entire Bags Of Treats
Here and there our pets get away with doing something that is not in their best interest, but we’re just thankful it wasn’t fatal. Other times, our pets find a way to succeed in acting out behavior that negatively affects their health on a regular basis.
Frequent ingestion of treats comes with some serious health complications for your fluffy friend, that’s why it’s important to do what you can to prevent excessive overeating of treats as well as monitor your own treat-giving habits. Here’s what can happen when your cat is overfed treats:
- Regular food rations can be upset nutritionally
- Cats can become overweight
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Nutritional Deficiencies
- Diabetes
- Heart Problems
- Causing Cat To Be Uninterested In Meals
- Arthritis
- High Blood Pressure
- Increasingly Bad Behavior To Get What It Wants
- Respiratory Problems
Other Rewards For Your Cat Besides Treats
It may be easiest for you to abstain from treating your cat altogether so you don’t have to worry about treats being in the house. Fear not, there are plenty of options other than treats that you can give your cat so that you can still reward it, but not have the worry of it overeating.
If you decide to refrain from giving your cat anymore treats to prevent it from accidentally ingesting heaps of them, you can try one of these rewards to make the transition smooth for both you and your kitty:
- Catnip
- Interactive Play
- Petting/Stroking Your Cat
- Grooming/Brushing Your Cat
- New Toys (Such As Balls And Toy Mice)
- Belly Rubs
- Verbal Praise
- Spend One On One Time Cuddling Your Cat
- A New Box, Yarn Ball, Or Other Safe Household Item Cats Love
- A New Feather
After replacing food treating with mindful treating ideas such as those listed above, you may be able to not only remove the worry that your cat will continue to gorge itself on its treats but you will also likely raise a much more well-adjusted and respectful pet.
Summary
Pet behavior you don’t condone should never be tolerated, especially when it risks the health of your furbaby. By knowing the warning signs of a cat that needs immediate vet care, how to prevent the ingestion of entire bags of treats and what happens when treats are overeaten or plastic is ingested, you can now be better equipped to protect your precious cat’s health.
My name is Ken and I’m one of the staff writers at Petloverguy.com. I’ve cared for pets most of my life starting with hamsters, turtles, and snakes. Then moving up to parakeets, guinea pigs, and even ducks.
I currently live with two yorkies and a chihuahua mix.
