Chickpeas

**Cats are obligate carnivores, so legumes serve no nutritional purpose for them**; raw or partly cooked beans hold lectins that cause vomiting and diarrhoea, so chickpeas must be cooked soft and mashed into wet food, and whole beans also choke.

Vomiting, loose stools or diarrhoea, poor appetite and lethargy; a swallowed whole bean can bring retching, drooling, repeated swallowing and trouble swallowing, while fried or seasoned versions may add abdominal pain.

Stop feeding and monitor; **contact a vet immediately** for ongoing vomiting, diarrhoea, retching, trouble swallowing or lethargy, and never induce vomiting or give human medicine at home.

At most a rare tiny amount, cooked soft and mashed into wet food, never as a protein source; **hummus carries salt, lemon and garlic, and fried or salt-roasted chickpeas are out**; start small and watch for 24 hours.

Cooked and mashed chickpeas add water, fibre and plant protein at a moderate calorie cost, so they work as an occasional treat or a small topper.

Feed only a small amount, cooked soft and mashed or pureed, inside the daily treat allowance and about 10% of daily energy intake, with complete dog food as the main diet.

Dried chickpeas need a long soak and cooking until **soft right through** (raw or partly cooked beans hold lectins), then mash or puree them plain; use water-boiled beans only, never fried, salt-roasted or seasoned.

**Raw and undercooked beans cause vomiting and diarrhoea**, so cook them through; whole beans choke, so mash or puree them; **shop hummus usually contains salt, lemon and garlic, which is toxic to pets**, and fried or salt-roasted chickpeas are out.