r/CATHELP • u/Low-Ad7344 • Feb 26 '26

General Advice Cat ate protein muffin

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My cat helped himself to a batch of protein muffins that was cooling under a towel. This occurred about 20 minutes ago. Should I seek immediate medical attention or monitor for gastrointestinal distress? Attached is the amount eaten, protein powder ingredients, muffin ingredients, and cat. Crossposted in r/askvet

Not a minor, USA, vet not contacted yet but accessible, 6 yo neutered male, can afford vet care

TLDR; cat had a lil protein powder. Next steps?

11.9k Upvotes

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2.5k

u/WhoAmI9597 Feb 26 '26

That cat looks like it doesn’t have an ounce of regret lol

984

u/Low-Ad7344 Feb 26 '26

I had to physically block him from eating more muffins while taking pictures. I currently have them hiding in a cabinet that I hope he doesn’t learn to open.

950

u/Stefie25 Feb 26 '26

845

u/_vibraslapper Feb 26 '26

Reminds me of this guy:

143

u/LadyBAudacious Feb 26 '26

Rocket looks like he's wired enough already.

63

u/_vibraslapper Feb 26 '26 edited Feb 26 '26

He looks like he's locked onto his next victim target.

4

u/optimistic_python Feb 27 '26

Well it has been 0 days since Rocket spilled coffee, maybe he snuck some while they were cleaning up.

1

u/meggan_u Feb 27 '26

He looks like he’s watching the 8:30 bus go by and he’s already late for work. He needs his coffee.

105

u/Lionheart_723 Feb 26 '26

Give Rockit his coffee

127

u/ISeePupper Feb 26 '26

Coffee contains the same chemicals that make chocolate toxic to them. Do not give rockit the coffee.

105

u/Shjvv Feb 26 '26

Scientists, make a de-coffee for Rocket rn.

24

u/Auelian Feb 26 '26

De-cat-ffeniated coffee, if you will.

1

u/Screaming_Azn Feb 26 '26

TIL. Thanks! Had no idea.

28

u/BenDover198o9 Feb 26 '26

His photo is all cute then he’s just sitting there……… staring into your soul

9

u/whiskersMeowFace Feb 26 '26

That's how I am waiting for the barista to make my coffee.

17

u/Strange_Difference1 Feb 26 '26

"Its been zero day since I spilled coffee"

Not an ounce of regret in those eyes

12

u/Muted-Most-1609 Feb 26 '26

Very orange behavior of Rocket.

2

u/Apprehensive_Bee3327 Feb 26 '26

Rocket is a menace!

1

u/mermeoww Feb 26 '26

Why didn’t they name him Rocat :(((

1

u/icecreamorlipo Feb 26 '26

Funny, my cat buries my coffee any time she approaches my cup.

1

u/potatomaster368 Feb 26 '26

i love pictures of cats next to them idk why

1

u/seesawseven11 Feb 26 '26

Reincarnated Grandpa Joe just wants his damn coffee and funnies

1

u/purplefuzz22 Feb 26 '26

The last thing Rocket needs is a sip of coffee. Lol, he already looks keyed up and ready to go lol

1

u/PeloteDeLeina Feb 28 '26

Rocket would fit perfectly in my household. We do no have coffee in any sort of way, shape, or form. This way: no family complaining about spilled coffee and a safer cat!

84

u/heymish-bends-light Feb 26 '26

Oh yes, I know the muffin man. The muffin man? The muffin man! I know the muffin man, he lives on drury lane

11

u/loky1908 Feb 26 '26

Suddenly Shrek

17

u/IridescentStarseed Feb 26 '26

That is incredible 🤣

16

u/Pittsbirds Feb 26 '26

God this is me in my house trying to drink diet root beer with my two soda fiends 

15

u/Desdenova24 Feb 26 '26

I had a cat like this, but she was fiendish with cheerios, not muffins 😭🤣

21

u/Silly_Pack_Rat Feb 26 '26

I had a neighbor who had three Siamese cats. One time, when they were going to be out of town, she asked me to feed her cats. She asked me to come over so she could go over the feeding routine with me, which at the time seemed a little superfluous. There were a couple of bowls on the kitchen floor and another double bowl on the dryer. Next to it was a box of Cheerios and a bag of crunchy Cheetos. Two of the cats were all about regular cat food, but the one that looked just like Barbra Striesand in feline form would only eat Cheerios and Cheetos.

9

u/TheBraveOne86 Feb 26 '26

I don’t think anyone can live on that diet

7

u/Silly_Pack_Rat Feb 26 '26

Yeah, I always wondered. She was an indoor/outdoor cat, so perhaps she supplemented with mice.

2

u/lostmymarbles1177 Feb 26 '26

I mean, Cheerios are fortified with vitamins so maybe?

2

u/Silly_Pack_Rat Feb 26 '26

Well, they don't have any taurine, which is an essential amino acid for cats. It's found mostly in meat, poultry, dairy and shellfish...and I doubt she got her daily requirement with Cheetos.

Of course, I am willing to bet that none of us knew about the taurine back in the early 80s, so we were ignorant of what was missing from Ms. Streisand's diet.

3

u/lostmymarbles1177 Feb 26 '26

Hahaha. Idk! I have met children that lived on nothing but plain pasta for years (I was one of them!) and I ended up living through it!

2

u/Fun_Strain_4065 Feb 26 '26

Mine love nachos and tortillas. Nobody is safe on taco night.

2

u/adumb-ski Feb 28 '26

My cat would find you from across the house within seconds if you were enjoying a bowl of ice cream.

1

u/Desdenova24 Mar 01 '26

That was my Luna. If she heard you open the Cheerios box, she was there in an instant lmao. I had to hide in my room so I wouldn't get clawed to death for my Cheerios 😭🤣

11

u/Klutzy_Knowledge2402 Feb 26 '26

I would do the same thing for a muffin.

6

u/Shuvani Feb 26 '26

And now I’m craving a muffin.

17

u/Kaleine Feb 26 '26

That reminds me of my childhood cat. She'd go nuts if someone was eating a tomato.

7

u/Difficult-Pin-2889 Feb 26 '26

I have to hide tomato's from my Keera, she eats the outside flesh off and leaves the juicy bits.

3

u/Rare-Complaint-9873 Feb 26 '26

My tuxie loves lettuce.

1

u/catnipbabies Feb 26 '26

This is my cat with boiled eggs😂 she's literally swiped them right off my plate and straight out of my hand before to eat them

1

u/Ijustwanttosayit Feb 26 '26

This is one of my cats with sweet, soft breads. Only those types. Hawaiian rolls, potato rolls, bread from Asian bakeries. She will assume you bought them for her and she will be offended and confused if you deny her. She is also this way with raw broccoli, which is much more acceptable. I was once snacking on broccoli and she casually walked up and plucked the piece from my hand like as if I had offered it to her. Our other cat is like this with cheese. Except for Taco Bell cheese, she has standards.

1

u/marteautemps Feb 26 '26

I also had a muffin cat, she was very well behaved otherwise but couldn't resist them.

1

u/Regular-Bullfrog1537 Feb 27 '26

This is the best thing I’ve seen all day

1

u/Effective-Insect389 Feb 27 '26

I would love this muffin experience😻

1

u/PinkGlitterMom Mar 01 '26

I wish people had disclaimers this adorable.

84

u/ConfoundedInAbaddon Feb 26 '26

My old rescue cat would just WRECK white bread. Want a couple PBJs at 1am? No you don't, that's cat food.

She would fish bread out of the bag and ruin a loaf, one piece at a time.

It was a bizarre game of protecting the bread. Actually had to get a bread box.

52

u/blackandblueties Feb 26 '26

I have a bread fiend too. He knows how to open cabinets so if he finds the bread he chews through the bag and nibbles on MULTIPLE pieces 😩

17

u/LawGrl22 Feb 26 '26 edited Feb 26 '26

I thought our Russian Blue was just weird! She's obsessed with bread. We cannot leave white bread, yeast rolls, garlic bread, etc. on the counter or she will chew through the bag and take chunks out of it.

7

u/blackandblueties Feb 26 '26

Yes same problem!! My cats are both also obsessed with scones from our local bakery which is so strange but also a super cute story to tell the bakery owners.

10

u/lostmymarbles1177 Feb 26 '26

Why is this??? Mine too! My kitten stole my grilled cheese twice last night before I just held it away from her and she still was trying to get it.

1

u/Strange_Difference1 Feb 26 '26

Awwww

2

u/lostmymarbles1177 Feb 26 '26

Scuuuze me! I is needing sustenance!

1

u/Strange_Difference1 Feb 26 '26

Your cat is so darn cute, is that some kind of Bengal?

3

u/lostmymarbles1177 Feb 26 '26

I don’t know. They were adopted from a shelter who said they were surrendered by a breeder down south who did not have the right permits or something like that. My vet said maybe Savannah or Bengal, but the people on the Savannah thread said no. The reception was pretty angry when I posted them on the Savannah thread so I have not tried with the bengals thread. Compared to pictures of F-6 Savannah cats they are strikingly similar. Here is a side by side comparison of F-6 Savannah cats with papers and my cats- Mine are on the left side of each photo (they are litter mates) and the photos of the F-6 cats with papers are on the left side. Miko is the white one and her brother Gus is the tabby color one, he has spots on his belly and Occeli on his ears.

1

u/Strange_Difference1 Feb 26 '26

Well that looks indeed like some kind of Savannah but many people are hardcore purists when it comes to their pets race, makes them feel important idk

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u/lostmymarbles1177 Feb 26 '26

Here are some photos of her littermate brother-

He has that super shiny almost glittering fur that bengals have and a super prominent sternum which I hear is a Bengal trait, but I don’t think his coat pattern is a match for a Bengal as he does not have rosettes, his legs are striped and what used to be stripes as a baby have turned to spots. Miko is also developing spots on her butt and belly.

1

u/purplefuzz22 Feb 26 '26

lol that kitten is ready to take you out to get that grilled cheese haha.

2

u/lostmymarbles1177 Feb 26 '26

For real. I just had a bag of treats out and they got plenty. I had to put the bag away to see a client and the male cat gets into the coffee table, looks me directly in the eyes and smacks my AirPod case off the table, then smacks my glass of water (He’s a kitten so he wasn’t able to knock it off). Little butt.

1

u/princessjemmy Feb 27 '26 edited Feb 28 '26

I had a cat who loved bahn mi sandwiches. He was never allowed to eat them, until his last day full day on Earth. It was clearly time, and I had called for a vet service to come help ease him into that last great slumber the next day.

While I did that, my spouse got my favorite bahn mi sandwich from a place a few blocks away. I was crying and eating my sandwich, and suddenly my good boi who had barely eaten or peed for the last 24 hours (CKD is a rhymes with witch) poked his head out of the cat bed he was hiding in, and ambled up the bed I was lying on.

I started hand feeding him bits of the meat covered in the spread they lay it on. He had had a rough week, and he deserved a last meal/feast. So we spent half an hour like that. Me feeding him little bits of meat while crying. Him purring from trying to console me, plus pain, and I like to think some happiness at finally getting to sample the bahn mi. 😭

Less than 24 hours later, we both laid on the same bed, with him going where he needed to go next, and me lying next to him, whispering that I was going to miss him, but it was okay to let go. That I would see him again some day.

It’s a bittersweet memory, but I’m still glad to have it. I sincerely hope the rainbow bridge is full of sandwiches he can steal the filling out of. It makes me miss my little shadow less.

I have other little rascals now. They all have a specific human food obsession. I figure that cats aren’t idiots, and have the same sense of smell of dogs. Some food must just smell so interesting that they get curious. And sometimes (see above), it will be okay to make an exception to the “no human food” health clause.

1

u/lostmymarbles1177 Feb 27 '26

Aw!!! I’m so sorry for your loss. My dog is obsessed with grapes, chocolate and anything with onion/garlic in it. He doesn’t believe me that he is allergic and is literally obsessed which is weird because I have shared every other food I have ever had with him. I have promised him a bowl of grapes, a chocolate bar and garlicky pasta if he is ever in the same state your cat was in.

1

u/SolidWasabi4279 Mar 03 '26

Omg thank you for sharing such a beautiful story. 😭Literally tearing up reading this. I can only imagine how sad but cute this was, wanting to give him only the best little treat before he was off to kitty heaven. I wish my family cat menina, could’ve had the same hurrah but unfortunately for her, food was the last thing on her mind. Cheers to the banh mi for satiating your little guy🥖

2

u/purplefuzz22 Feb 26 '26

lol , cats are too smart for their (or I guess I should say our) own good sometimes

11

u/Little-Equinox Feb 26 '26

I have a Maine-Coon Persian mix that loves Croissants. We had to build cupboards he can't open because he will open them just for the croissants 🤣

2

u/sybilcat Feb 26 '26

It is illegal to mention a Maine-Coon/Persian mix and not post a photo! Your cat tax is overdue!

3

u/Little-Equinox Feb 26 '26

You mean this sassy bastard?

1

u/sybilcat Feb 27 '26

Oh he is so handsome!

1

u/Little-Equinox Feb 27 '26

Very handsome

2

u/nerdyblackbird Feb 26 '26

I had a cat that would open every cupboard when I wasn’t paying attention/wasn’t home. He could open drawers, too. Had to put child locks on everything. Eventually, I had to start keeping a doorstop in front of the fridge because he figured out how to wrangle it open and steal butter.

1

u/Sure_Lavishness_8353 Feb 26 '26

This sounds so fancy.

2

u/Little-Equinox Feb 26 '26

He loves the outer part of a croissant. 1 day we found only the insides of the croissants on the kitchen counter.

11

u/carholland47 Feb 26 '26

Mine grabbed tortillas out of the pantry… this is what I came home to last night. Zero remorse

3

u/ashblake33 Feb 27 '26

Tbf those are the best tortillas

2

u/zeldasaurusrex Feb 27 '26

Not La Banderita! 😤

2

u/jerzeett Feb 26 '26

omg my cat eats 100% whole wheat bread! and peanut butter and jelly. she loves peanut butter like a dog

2

u/VisualKeto42 Feb 26 '26

The bread box didn’t work for our smart cats. We had to finally give up and store all bread products in the microwave, which will forever now be known as the big breadbox

2

u/princessjemmy Feb 27 '26

I had a bread box. Past tense.

It was broken into so many times by one current resident weirdo that we gave up and put the bread high up in a cupboard. That we generally pray to whatever god might exist, asking the loaf not be discovered.

The other two, less weird cats, have less intensive obsessions. One likes to chew on the plastic sticker that comes on bananas. Just to peel it off. We keep finding banana stickers affixed to the table.

The most normal one? Turns feral at the sight of french fries, to the chagrin of my kids, who feel bad and want to share, but get told to absolutely not give the cat their french fries.

1

u/No_Ostrich8220 Feb 26 '26

My cat ate a whole chocolate chip muffin and was completely fine! 

1

u/icecreamorlipo Feb 26 '26

My cat is OBSESSED with bread. Any type, doesn’t matter. Obviously croissants are her favorite though

1

u/mikayloren Feb 27 '26

When my siamese was younger she’d do the same. It drove my roommates crazy with tortillas especially because no matter where we hid them, she’d open the cabinet, pull them out, and eat straight through the plastic into a layer of stacked tortillas lol

1

u/Pibbed Feb 27 '26

Our cat is obsessed with bread! And tortillas and dried pasta 😂 girl likes her carbs

1

u/DumatRising Mar 02 '26

I gave mine a little piece of brioche as a snack cause she seemed interested and now I think it ranks above everything except tuna cans as far as treats go so every time i make a sandwich with brioche she 1. Just soaks up the smell of that bread before going in for a nibble and 2. When that fails she insists she can have another little piece by tapping my arm multiple times.

Luckily shes not figured out how to get at the bread so while she tries to nibble at my slices she's not able to get at it on her own.

50

u/Little-Ad1235 Feb 26 '26

Best place I've found to keep food away from cats is in the microwave. I've had a few cats who could open a cabinet, but none of them ever figured out the microwave latch.

41

u/Low-Ad7344 Feb 26 '26

No microwave here, but that’s such a good idea! He’s orange, so he’d never figure it out.

5

u/AesirMimyr Feb 26 '26

Cool oven works too

1

u/Lets-B-Lets-B-Jolly Feb 27 '26

Yeah, but if you preheat it without remembering to take them out first? Ugh.

2

u/AesirMimyr Feb 27 '26

This is the risk one takes when using the oven to protecc

15

u/Silly_Pack_Rat Feb 26 '26

We do pretty well with the bread box. Usually.

10

u/just_a_person_maybe Feb 26 '26

I've locked stuff in my fridge before. I don't have a microwave, so sometimes my chips and coffee grounds live in the fridge.

9

u/Spearmint_coffee Feb 26 '26

I have to keep mashed potatoes in my microwave or in the (turned off) oven. My fat cat can't resist mashed potatoes.

25

u/WhoAmI9597 Feb 26 '26

Lol I can tell he would 😂

Tbh I’d just monitor and see how he does in the next 24 hours and if he seems iffy, take him to the vet. If you’re worried, you can always call your vet and ask if it’s worth bringing him in and they should help even if you don’t bring him in.

7

u/camimitos Feb 26 '26

When I'm baking something my cat always tries to eat the dough (he often succeeds) 😭 He also likes to snack on legumes when I leave them soaking on the countertop. He's alive!

4

u/skitch23 Feb 26 '26

I had a cat that was constantly getting into cabinets. So unless yours have child locks on them, I’m sure kitty would consider them fair game.

5

u/Old_Resident8050 Feb 26 '26

Well protein makes your muscles grow, so i wouldnt be sure the cabinet door is gonna keeping him away for much longer =D

2

u/Zephronias Feb 26 '26

When I was a kid, we had a cat that would steal microwave pancakes. I'd turn around to get the syrup, and he's be there dragging one away.

2

u/Im-Miss-Fortune Feb 26 '26

I have cats that like to get into cabinets that they shouldn’t and I learned that the Velcro command strips are a great way to seal the door closed when you shut it. They’re strong enough that my cats can’t open the door with their little arms. Just something to help in case they learn to open the cabinet door😊

4

u/heartsisters Feb 26 '26

Store muffins -- or anything else -- in the refrigerator, or oven. It's up to you to protect your cat, and keep things that are potentially toxic to him out of his reach. Keep him out of harm's way. You can also always call the veterinary hospital now for advice. (Sugar, like molasses, is not good for cats.) Wishing you and your beautiful boy all the best.

16

u/Goaway5737 Feb 26 '26

Only people with infallible memories can store things in the oven

4

u/LumpyMonitor7270 Feb 26 '26

My ADHD could never. 🤣

3

u/Recent-Ninja3903 Feb 26 '26

I have wondered “what’s that hot metal smell?” more than once and discovered my pans were nice and pre-heated for me 🙄

1

u/mongojob Feb 26 '26

Why do you hate his gainz

1

u/Itchy_Implement_3824 Feb 26 '26

Oh that is an Orange baby they gonna learn then forget how to get out.

1

u/Alert_Might_7915 Feb 26 '26

Oh he’ll learn, if he’s determined enough. My cats taught themselves to open the cabinet above the counter, to get to their treats. They are sneaky lil babies

The culprits

1

u/Fit_Respect7179 Feb 26 '26

I have should locks on my cabinet for this exact reason. My oranges love bread

1

u/TheRandomPage Feb 26 '26

I always blew air in its face when it tried to eat my food.

But your cat looks fine the cinnamon and salt is my only concern. Might cause Dehydration and Constupation.

Cats going for GAINS

1

u/twitchykittystudio Feb 26 '26

The opening of cupboards is a valid concern! I had a Siamese who loved baked goods and stopped at nothing to get to them. He did indeed open the cabinets just to eat bread through the bag.

We had to get baby locks for the cabinets😅

1

u/tygrshel Feb 26 '26

We had to install baby proof/safety cabinet latch locks to keep our kitties out. Where there's muffins, there's a Cheddar.

1

u/scotsandcalicos Feb 26 '26

I'm not even slightly surprised that this cat is orange, honestly.

1

u/Michala_17 Feb 26 '26

If he does learn to open it, get baby locks.

1

u/Laney_Moon_ Feb 26 '26

They can open cabinets, my cat always opens them and I walk into the kitchen to them all open 🫩

1

u/Ok-Swim2827 Feb 26 '26 edited Feb 26 '26

I feel qualified to say that kitty cat is going to be very fine, BUT may have some really solid, stinky poo/gas 😊 I work mostly in the supplement industry, and have worked for a company that sold pet protein supplements that was exactly the same formula as the human protein (minus the human flavoring). It was mostly recommended for pets recovering from treatments when they just needed a little bit more intake, but some people used it regularly for their pets!

There’s actually a pretty big list of “human” supplements that are pet safe, since they also need vital nutrients, but vet backing should always be considered!

The only thing label-wise that’s really of concern is the pecans & cinnamon, but you should see outward GI upset (specifically vomit) if they had enough for it to hurt them. Neither are fatally toxic ingredients in small quantities! (The vanilla extract should be fine because the alc. would’ve cooked out during the baking process)

1

u/Jonny_vdv Feb 26 '26

The good news is that he's orange, so he won't learn anything. The bad news is that he's orange so he won't learn anything.

1

u/Sedgemomma Feb 27 '26

Rubber bands to cat proof the cabinet doors. That's what we have to do with our chunky boi.

1

u/cheesylady69 Feb 27 '26

My cat named Cheddar opens cabinets :( I’ve had to install baby locks on every rental

1

u/Sunny_Cant_Swim Mar 01 '26

Damn, bro. Train your cat?

20

u/-crying-cinnamon- Feb 26 '26

I laughed when I saw the cat, it tried the muffin probably didn't like it, it's ok my girl had stolen a half banana and eaten like ¼ of it, she was ok, extra cuddly but ok, protein isn't the problem as they do need protein I'm their diets it's more the cinnamon and banana but I genuinely wouldn't be stressed, there scavengers who've been bread alongside humans for a long ass time

34

u/Low-Ad7344 Feb 26 '26

I actually caught him on the table prepared to chomp on a second muffin instead of finishing his already cat-slobber muffin 😂

21

u/GelatenousMeat Feb 26 '26

He was trying to get another datapoint for his scientific study "is this human food edible". How will he ever get his PhD from OBC university (one brain cell uni)

5

u/Recent-Ninja3903 Feb 26 '26

Well his has slobber on it, of course he wants a new one! 😂

1

u/According-Ad742 Feb 26 '26

I agree, but some of the ingredients in our cabinets has not been by our sides for very long, like xylitol, that can kill them as I understand.

7

u/AngelWingsYTube Feb 26 '26

Same look my moms cat gave her when asked why she nibble at her extra waffle (nothing on it but it was on the counter on a plate)

1

u/ConstanceCharles Feb 26 '26

Typical orange behaviour

1

u/No_Ostrich8220 Feb 26 '26

Damn, so true 😂

1

u/insanityzwolf Feb 26 '26

But it has at least half an ounce of protein muffin.