So, to err on the side of caution, I would not advise giving your cat goat cheese.
It may result in pain, diarrhea, and cramps, even in very small amounts.
There are plenty of far more appropriate treats you can give them, that they will love just as much if not more.
Let’s look further into this.
Can I give my cats goat cheese?
The simple answer is no, you certainly shouldn’t.
Cats, as I mentioned, are what’s known as obligate carnivores.
This means that their diet consists entirely and exclusively of meat.
They are, in this way, unlike dogs, who are actually omnivores—though they eat primarily meat, other things do make up an important part of their diet.
Goat cheese is obviously not meat, and so a cat simply is not equipped to digest it.
True, if you put it front of them, they will eat and probably enjoy it.
Many people do give their cats small amounts of goat cheese as a treat, and the cats don’t suffer for it.
For my money, though, there’s just no reason to do this.
There are plenty of properly formulated treats you can give a cat that will not only be tasty and enjoyable for them to eat, but won’t harm them or cause them digestive pain.
Because goat cheese, especially in substantial amounts, can be seriously detrimental to cat’s health, in both the short and long term.
Let’s see how.
Is goat cheese bad for cats?
Yes, is the short answer.
The main problem is the content of lactose in goat cheese.
You will have surely heard of this substance before, and I’ll get into exactly what it is later.
For now, though, here’s what you need to know about how eating goat cheese—or indeed any cheese—will affect your cat.
Firstly, just to be clear, you generally won’t see any immediate negative effects as long as you only let them eat a very small amount, very occasionally.
I still don’t think that’s a good reason to let them eat it, though!
But what will happen if you give them too much is they will become bloated, they will experience indigestion and stomach cramps, and they may even get diarrhea.
Again, cats are obligate carnivores.
They should only eat meat if you want to keep them as healthy as possible.
Cheese of any kind (except vegan) will contain large amounts of lactose—a compound which cats, and indeed pretty much all adult animals, are totally incapable of breaking down internally.
Let’s look into what lactose is and why it’s bad for your cat.
Related – Can Babies Eat Goat Cheese?
What is lactose?
Lactose is a special kind of sugar found only in milk.
Milk of any kind, that is—whether it’s the milk in a store from a cow or the milk from a mother cat that they feed to their kittens.
It’s essential for the early development of mammals, who rely on their mother’s milk to feed in their earliest days.
Given that all animals only breastfeed for a limited time, there’s no need to retain the enzyme which is required to break lactose down.
A specific enzyme is needed, and is present in the gut of new born mammals.
As they get older, though, they lose that enzyme, and can no longer break lactose down.
This is why goat cheese is bad for your cat.
They cannot break down the lactose contained within, and thus it will sit undigested in their gut.
This is the cause of the cramps, the pain, and the diarrhea.
So, what should you do if your cat eats goat cheese?
What to do if my cat eats goat cheese
Again, if you’re worried, as long as the cat didn’t eat a large amount, it will probably be fine.
It may have some pain for a short time, and then it will recover.
If you are worried about how much it ate, then keep an eye on it.
Make sure it has plenty of fresh water and other food to eat.
Beyond that, if you are concerned, take it to the vet as soon as you can. eating lots of goat cheese is going to be worse in the long run, and shouldn’t be too bad in the short term.
So, there’s really no danger from eating goat cheese except in substantial amounts.
Your cat may even seem to desperately want the goat cheese, as they seem to do with anything you are eating.
But, as I say, there are plenty of readily available treats you can give them that pose no danger to their health, meaning there’s really no reason to give your cat goat cheese.