Cats are picky eaters, and when they don’t want to eat something no force in the world could make them eat something that they don’t fancy. They also know when is there a best eating hour.
They will smoothly walk away from any piece of meat that they dislike. But they will usually make a stop next to the open can of tuna. And at that moment a can of tuna can be dangerous. You may be shocked to learn what foods your cat should never eat.
Foods Cats Should Not Eat
When it comes to your feline health only the best kind of cat food is good enough for her and her nutritional needs.
However, we understand that from time to time you are more than tempted to give her some table scraps and special treats, but you should always ask yourself in those moments – Is this beneficial for my cat? Simply said, certain foods can be poisonous to her. Here’s a look at some of the most toxic foods for cats.
1. Tuna
This may come as a shocker but cats can be addicted to tuna, equally packed for humans and cats. Some tuna here and there in small amount won’t hurt, but a steady diet is a completely different story. If your feline eats tuna prepared for humans every day it can lead to malnutrition. Why? This food won’t have all the nutrients a cat needs.
In addition, too much tuna can lead to mercury poisoning. Be careful when you are preparing your dinner with tuna. An open can of tuna is always a dinner invitation for cats.
2. Onions, Garlic, Chives
Onion in all forms – raw, cooked, and even powdered – can negatively affect your cat’s red blood cells and lead to anemia. If your feline eats some onion in a small dose (if she even comes close to it, as they don’t fancy the smell) probably won’t hurt.
However, if your feline eats a significant dose of onion can lead to onion poisoning. Furthermore, chives and garlic can cause gastrointestinal upset.
3. Milk And Other Dairy Products
For some reason anytime we see a movie or a cartoon, there is a feline eating something milky. Or she is trying to grab a piece of cheese and run away. That is interesting because cats are lactose-intolerant. So, why is this belief that cats have a soft spot for dairy products? It’s mostly because in rural areas people used to share their food with felines.
Their digestive system cannot process diary foods. If your feline drinks milk or eats cheese the chances are that she will experience diarrhea. Even if they make the sweetest cat sound don’t feed them with dairy products.
4. Alcohol
This is the biggest NO ever. Alcohol has the same effect on a cat’s liver and brain as that it has on humans, just much heavier. In general, alcohol shouldn’t ever be shared with any pet.
The smallest amount of alcohol can be lethal for your feline. For example, just two teaspoons of whiskey can cause a coma in a 5-pound cat, and three teaspoons of whiskey could kill her. The higher the proof, the worse the symptoms.
5. Raisins And Grapes
Human fruit is often used as treats for a pet. Some fruit is fine, while some should avoid all the time, like grapes and raisins. Feeding your feline with grapes and raisins is far from s good idea. The same goes for dogs. So, if you have a canine as well, don’t feed him with grapes.
Raising and grapes can cause kidney failure in cats, although it’s still not clear why. Keep raisins and grapes off counter-tops and other places accessible to your cat.
6. Caffeine
You may need a full cup of caffeine to wake up in the morning, but that’s not the case with your feline. If your cat intakes a large amount of caffeine it can be fatal for her. There is no antidote. Luckily, most felines will just sniff your coffee and walk away.
If your feline intake some caffeine you can expect muscle tremors, restlessness, rapid breathing, and heart palpitations. Don’t be fooled with caffeine and the belief that caffeine can be found only in coffee. Caffeine is usually found also in chocolate, cocoa and popular stimulant drinks like Red Bull.
Caffeine can likewise be found in some painkillers and cold medicines.
7. Chocolate
Regardless of the chocolate amount, this is always lethal. Giving feline chocolate as a treat can be one of the biggest mistakes that you can do as a pet owner. Chocolate contains theobromine which acts as the toxic agent.
Theobromine is found in all kinds of chocolate, white chocolate and the most dangerous one is dark chocolate and unsweetened baking chocolate. Eating chocolate can cause seizures, tremors, abnormal heart rhythm and even death.
8. Fat Trimmings And Bones
Table scraps always contain fat trimmed off of meat and bones, unless you are vegetarian. But, if you are a carnivore the chances are that your cat will be able to treat herself with bones and fat.
Fat, both cooked and uncooked, can cause diarrhea, vomiting, and intestinal upset. Furthermore, a cat can also choke on a bone. Bones can also split into smaller pieces, meaning that it causes an obstruction or even cut the inside of your cat’s digestive system.
9. Raw Eggs
There is not only one, but two problems when it comes to giving your cat raw eggs. The first issue is that your feline may have food poisoning from salmonella or E. coli.
The second reason is a rare problem in which a protein in raw eggs, called avidin. This protein can heavily interfere with the absorption of the B vitamin biotin. Furthermore, this can cause skin problems.
10. Raw Meat And Fish
Just like raw eggs, raw meat together with raw fish can contain bacteria that can cause food poisoning. Raw fish contains a certain enzyme that can destroy thiamine – essential B vitamin for your cat.
If your cat is on a raw diet you should be informed about everything related to this topic. If you are just thinking about switching your cat’s diet to raw diet, make sure that you did your research on this diet and talked with your veterinarian. Lack of thiamine can cause severe neurological problems and even lead to coma and convulsions.
11. Dog Food
A bite of dog food here and there shouldn’t be harmful to your car. After all, occasionally even dogs have a bite or two of cats’ food in case of emergency.
You should know that dog food is not a substitute for cat food, although they have many of the same ingredients. However, cat food is specially formulated for a cat’s needs, which include more protein as well as certain vitamins and even fatty acids.
A regular diet of dog food can make your cat bony and skinny that can lead to several health issues.
12. Liver
The liver is OK in extremely small amounts. But in larger amounts, it can cause vitamin A toxicity. Moreover, this is a serious condition that can affect the cat’s bones.
If you are cat ate too much of liver you can expect to see deformed bones, osteoporosis, and bone growths on the elbows and spine. Also, in really severe cases vitamin A death toxicity can lead to death.
13. Too Many Treats
Just like in humans, if your cat eats too much she will intake more than she needs, so you can expect to see some complications. Simply said, your cat will get fat. Obesity is one of the top growing issues when it comes to feline’s health. This condition is in most cases owners fault because you are the one providing the main meals, especially if your feline is an indoor cat.
Obesity isn’t the only concern here. Your feline could even experience diabetes.
14. Yeast Dough
Bread dough needs to rise before it’s baked. Something quite similar would happen to your cat’s stomach if she ate it. Yeast dough grows inside, it swells, stretching the abdomen and causing severe pain.
When the yeast ferments the dough to make it rise, it produces alcohol. It means that you are risking alcohol poisoning. This sort of poisoning can lead to death.
15. Human Medicine
You know how bad it is when you take a wrong medicine, right? If not, you at least heard about it. Just imagine what would happen if you took cats medicine. The same goes the other way around. If your feline ingests a drug prescribed for humans she will be immediately poisoned.
Just as you would do for your children, place all medicines in a place where your cat can’t get to them. As a responsible pet owner, you would never give your cat any over-the-counter medicine unless your veterinarian told you its OK.
The most common ingredient in pain relievers and cold medicine are ibuprofen and acetaminophen. Both are deadly for your cat.
All in, the best thing that you can do for your cat’s health is to put limitations to kitchen pantry overall. That corner contains so much that can be harmful to your cat, so the best thing that you can do is to close the cupboard doors and pantry closed. This is the best way to protect your cat from serious food-related illness.
What To Do If Your Cat Eats Something She Shouldn’t?
Sometimes, just no matter how organized and careful you are things happen and your cat can find and swallow what she shouldn’t. It’s a good idea to keep the number of your vocal vet on hand, as well as the closest emergency clinic or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (888) 426-4435, just in case.
Also, if you think that your cat has consumed something toxic, call the emergency help at once.
Treatment And Prevention
Treatment will depend on the severity of your cat’s condition and will last until the symptoms resolve. Most common treatments may involve hospitalization, blood tests to check organ function, or intravenous fluids (a drip).
When it comes to prevention the best prevention is the one that keeps your food out of reach of your cat. Also, don’t overdo with treats. If you are thinking about feeding your cat human food, the rule is simple – If you wouldn’t eat it, don’t feed it to your cat. Also, if you wouldn’t eat the food raw, then your cat shouldn’t either.
Foods Cats Should Not Eat – Key Takeaways
Cats are important family members. You pet them, feed them, and prepare royal treatment when it comes to grooming and feeding. It’s only natural that you want to share our food with felines.
However, you should know that most of our food is dangerous to them, so the best way to keep your feline happy and healthy is to educate yourself on what your feline can eat or not and how you, as a responsible pet owner, can contribute to felines well-being.
Frequently Asked Questions On – Foods Cats Should Not Eat
1. What Foods Can Cats Not Eat?
Common human food is in general poisonous to your cat, including alcohol, coffee, chocolate, milk, cheese, onions, raisins, and grapes. Each can lead to several serious health issues.
2. What Foods Can Kill Cats?
People foods can kill your pet and you can’t even predict the time and how fast. Some food is more or less toxic and in most cases in includes avocados, alcoholic drinks, nuts (especially toxic are macadamia and walnuts), candy and so on.
3. What Things Are Poisonous To Cats?
5 most toxic foods for cats are:
- Onions and garlica
- Raw eggs
- Alcohol
- Milk products
- Chocolate
4. Is It OK To Feed Cats Tuna?
You should avoid feeding your cat tuna because they can easily be addicted. A small bite of tuna won’t hurt, but a significant amount can lead to malnutrition and felines need different nutrients.
5. What Fruits Can Cats Eat?
There is a quite number of fruit that your feline can share with you, including apple, apricot, banana, mango, orange, and even blueberries. Just make sure that you share just a small amount of fruit with your cat. You can always give them fruit for a lick to see if your feline is going to like it or not.