Can Cats Drink Ensure? Vet-Approved Health Facts & Safety Guide

When your cat isn’t feeling well, you want to ensure they stay hydrated. Since a loss of appetite can strike humans and animals alike when they’re sick, your cat needs to get the nutrition they need so they can become happy and healthy once again.

Yes, cats can drink Ensure, but there are better options. While going a couple of days without eating may be okay, keeping your cat hydrated is crucial to their recovery. What should you do to keep your cat hydrated when they’re sick? Is it okay to give them Ensure?

We’ll answer these questions and more in our article below.

Can Cats Drink Ensure?

While cats can drink Ensure, it’s best to only give the drink to them in emergency situations and only as a last resort. It is not toxic to them (avoid the chocolate flavors) but is not suitable for them either.

Now that we know that they can safely drink Ensure, we’ll go into a few of the reasons to give it to your cat, if it’s healthy for them, and more in our next sections.

Is Ensure Healthy for Cats?

Cats need to stay hydrated and drink a lot of water to stay healthy. However, if your cat is sick or not eating and drinking for some reason, you could give them Ensure to entice them to drink. Ensure provides hydration and energy but not from ideal sources for cats. The problem with Ensure comes in when you consider the amount of sugar and other ingredients that aren’t good for your cat.

It contains water, milk proteins, corn maltodextrin, sugar, soy protein, and canola oil. Milk proteins, maltodextrin, and sugar are not suitable for cats. Ensure is also relatively high in salt, which can be a problem for cats, too.

You should never include Ensure as a part of your cat's daily diet. However, if you’re having problems with them drinking and eating, you need to consult a vet for diagnosis and treatment options, which could include Ensure.

When Should You Give Your Cat Ensure?

If your cat refuses to drink water or can’t keep it down, you can give them Ensure to keep them hydrated, but only temporarily. The Ensure could give your cat the boost required to keep them stable until you can get them to the vet.

If your cat has gotten to this point in their sickness, however, you need to make an appointment with your vet to see them as soon as possible. You also should never feed your cat Ensure without first getting your vet's approval—just to be on the safe side.

What Other Options Are There?

While you could give your cat Ensure if there are no other options and they are sick, there are other options. While the best thing to give your cat is water, you can also feed them homemade soups, just as you do when you have a cold, the flu, or are dehydrated and sick.

You can feed your cat homemade beef, chicken, or bone broth. However, avoid feeding them any out of a can because there’s too much salt and artificial fillers in them, and they’ll just upset your cat’s tummy even further. Cat pet food broth is available that isn't loaded with salt and additives.

Do not add any herbs, seasonings, salt, garlic, or onions to the broth for your sick kitty. The seasonings can upset their digestive system, and garlic and onions are toxic to cats and should be avoided entirely. Recovery supplemental feeds are also available with all the right nutrients, such as Virbac Rebound.

If you’re still unsure of what to give your cat when they are sick and unable to eat or drink, contact a vet, and they’ll help you devise a plan.

What Is the Best Thing to Feed Your Cat?

When your cat isn’t sick, a balanced diet is the best thing to feed them. Cats need protein, carbohydrates, and fat in their diets. You always want to have high-quality, protein-packed food on hand for your feline pal and plenty of fresh water.

If you are unsure whether your cat is eating and drinking the way they should make an appointment with your vet for a checkup to see if any underlying problems need to be addressed.

Final Thoughts

Cats can drink Ensure in some situations but only as a last resort. Make sure that you contact your vet and ask them if it is okay to give your cat Ensure. It is best to give your cat a formula designed for felines, but Ensure will work until you can get your cat to your vet to diagnose and treat the issue the right way.

Featured Image Credit: Nils Jacobi, Shutterstock