You’re sitting on your porch on a hot day having a refreshing scoop of vanilla ice cream. Ah, it really hits the spot, doesn’t it? Your cat jumps up on your lap, and his nose starts to twitch. He gets closer and closer to your bowl of ice cream. You raise it up high so he can’t get to it, but his eyes are focused on it. You think about the number of cartoon you saw as a child of cats drinking milk from a saucer on the floor and think to yourself, “Hey, why shouldn’t Fluffy enjoy some? Cats love milk and that is all that ice cream is, sweet milk.” But being the careful cat parent you are, you push fluffy off your lap, get up and go into the house because you would like to know one simple question.

Can cats have vanilla ice cream or not? Find out by reading more below.

Is vanilla bad for cats?

The FDA states that vanilla must contain 35% ethanol to be considered vanilla. If you have any vanilla extract laying around which your cat may get into, it could cause serious health problems, so please keep your spice cabinet closed and out of reach of your feline friend (Most cats don’t spend much time cooking in the kitchen, so you’re probably okay.)

Also, cats can not handle alcohol. It can make them very sick. So, please check the ingredients in any label of vanilla ice cream before even thinking about giving it to your cat.

Can cats have vanilla ice cream?

Yes, they can. But not more than one or two scoops!!!

On the surface, cats and vanilla ice cream may not seem like a bad combination. It isn’t straight up vanilla extract, so it seems like it should be okay. And do not worry, vanilla ice cream isn’t toxic to cats. It won’t kill them. So the real question you need not how ask is. . .

Is it ok to give cats ice cream?

Yes, but only one or two scoops! And we are talking normal table spoons not heaps on table spoons, however . . .

It will make them sick or feel bad for a while because most cats are lactose intolerant which means they lack the necessary enzyme to digest lactose. So anything more than a scoop or two ice cream could give them a very uncomfortable night of abdominal bloating, gas and even diarrhea.

Let me clear something up. Not all cats are lactose intolerant. But most are. Sure, there are cats who can produce lactase which is necessary for digesting lactose, but not all. By the way, if you really want to give your cat ice cream, please try lactose free milk.

Related: Can cats eat strawberry ice cream?

Is vanilla ice cream good for cats?

Hmm, well we know that milk isn’t good for cats. We also know that high concentration of vanilla like in vanilla extract isn’t good for cats either. I think that tells us all we need to know. Plus, did you know that cats cannot even taste sweetness or sugar like we do? Plus, a lot of sugar can make your cat obese and diabetic as well. However, you may find the following more interesting and it may even confuse you more, but it is necessary to know.

You might not even be feeding your cat real vanilla ice cream. One report I read recently states that of 24 popular brands of vanilla ice cream, five do not even contain real vanilla. They are “vanilla-flavored,” which is actually synthetically made vanilla. Even more surprising, more than half of the vanilla ice creams sold do not contain all three ingredients; vanilla, cream or fresh milk which you would expect to find in vanilla ice cream.

However, I do think vanilla ice cream can be good for cats, if you replace normal dairy milk with lactose free milk and do not use vanilla of any kind at all and just call it, vanilla ice cream. Frankly, your cat isn’t going to care one way or the other.

Can kittens eat vanilla ice cream?

Ah, now we may be getting somewhere. If you have been reading my articles, you will know that I have said countless times that cats should not have milk because they stop producing lactase when they grow up or after they are weaned, which is necessary for digesting lactose. So, kittens eating ice cream may seem like a really good idea. Right?

Wrong! Vanilla ice cream is much too sweet for cat or kittens. Kittens require a special diet to help them grow strong and healthy. There is a good chance that after eating vanilla ice cream they will get sick. No, kittens shouldn’t eat vanilla ice cream at all. Not even as a snack! However, I do have a vanilla ice cream for cats recipe which you may be interested in. It doesn’t contain vanilla at all and is something that is in all dry cat food.

Related topics: Can cats eat mint ice cream?

Vanilla ice cream for cats

Most people love vanilla ice cream. And while you may think it tastes good, your cat most likely won’t like the smell of it nor is it good for him. Instead, try a recipe that will mostly look like cat vanilla ice cream. Check out the recipe below.

Now, let’s make a fun treat your cat will love and which looks like vanilla ice cream for cats.

1. Get a measuring cup.
2. Place five tablespoons of kitten formula into it.
3. Add five tablespoons of corn flour.
4. Take a can of tuna, and squeeze the juice out and into the blender.
5. Place some pieces of tuna into the mix.
6. Add a half a cup of water.
7. Stir.
8. Open an ice tray mold.
9. Fill the ice tray with the mixture.
10. Put ice tray in the freezers and wait for a few hours.
11. Serve to your cat.

The Bottom Line

Is vanilla ice cream bad for cats? Well, it sure isn’t good. Can cats eat vanilla ice cream? Yes and no. It really depends on how much and how often you give it to them. But don’t worry, your cat really isn’t missing out at all. It’s only humans who go nuts over vanilla. If your cat ate some of your vanilla ice cream, don’t worry. Most likely your cat will be fine. But try not to let it happen to often because it’s not good for them.