Peanuts Bad for Cats?

[StinkyT]

Does anyone know if peanuts are toxic or whatever for cats? My husband loves eating the roasted and salted shelled peanuts and of course the cats get all nosy and want to know what's up. So he'll toss one on the ground and they chase it and bat it around and leave mommy to vacuum up the peanut farm under the couches. Sometimes they'll pick it up and fling it and start the chase all over again.

My older cat will crouch above the nut, smell it intensely and gag. Not just a "yuck" face, but a full body gag. But that doesn't stop her and she'll keep sniffing and gagging. After the fourth time I figured it wasn't just a coincidence and took it away... I didn't want dinner spewed on the carpet.

So is it just her being nutty ? Or are peanuts somehow toxic to cats even if they don't eat it? Anyone?

[jessi76]

toxic even if they don't eat it? I doubt it.

my cats eat all sorts of bizarre foods - I've caught them chowing down on things like cheesecake, blueberry muffins, cheezits and even strawberries. If it's left out, chances are they will sample it.

my dog on the other hand, loves peanuts. (he's just figured out how to deshell it)

[CyberKitten]

Maybe not toxic but too much fat for a cat's tiny liver I would think - too many peanuts could screw up their electrolytes but maybe I get too concerned with such things, I don't know. I would not give peanuts or nuts of any kind to my cats. Macademian nuts are highly toxic to cats and others are just not really good for them. I have to admit I used to give my bunny Lucky Charms despite the sugar because he really liked them and he was approaching 100 in human yrs but he did bnot eat them as a young bunny.

[StinkyT]

Well, I could understand if she ate the nuts.... who isn't allergic to nuts nowadays? But she doesn't. She just picks it up with her mouth occasionally and fling it up so she can smack it mid-air.

But the times when she gagged was when she was just hunched over it smelling it very thoroughly. I don't want it to be a case of death by smelling peanut moledules if in fact peanuts are toxic to cats but I don't think nuts themselves are dangerous....

I guess it's just a peculiar thing with her. She's somehow obsessed with smelling them but finds the aroma sickening... What a weird creature!