Many people have cats who believe we are starving them to death. As soon as the food is out of the fridge, the cat starts batting at the cupboards, begging for a sample. But not all human foods are safe for cats to eat. You may think that a small amount will be fine, which may be true, but if a larger amount is given to your cat it may result in an expensive vet bill, or worse, with your family having to say goodbye to your cat.
Here is a general guide on what NOT to feed your cat.
Avoid Spicy Foods
A general rule that makes it simple to remember is to never feed your cat anything spicy. Garlic is highly toxic to cats. Onions, and peppers of all types (yellow, green, red, jalapeno, etc.) should also never be fed to them. As for spices, it’s best to avoid those too – black pepper, curry, onion powder, garlic powder, etc. And that’s not just feeding these items directly to your cat, but you should also never feed dishes to your cat that contain these ingredients and that includes: soups, sauces, casseroles, pizza, and more.
No Dangerous Fruits
If you’ve seen a cat eat watermelon, you may think that all fruits are safe, but unfortunately, that’s not true. The most dangerous fruits for a cat are grapes, and that includes raisins, fruit juice, and wine (avoid all alcohol too). There are toxic compounds in grapes and the associated products that can lead to kidney failure.
Avoid Raw Foods
Eating raw eggs and meat can not only give humans salmonella or E. Coli but also our cats too. It’s best to fully cook these items and avoid any other ingredients if you’re making your own home-cooked cat food. Bones of any type should not be given to your cat either. All meat should be carefully removed from the bones and finely chopped, to avoid having your cat choke on it, or having it lodge itself into their digestive tract resulting in a costly operation.
No Chocolate, Coffee & Other Caffeinated Products
Chocolate contains methylxanthines, which are highly toxic to cats. These compounds are also contained within coffee, tea, and other related food items. This also includes any baked goods that may contain chocolate, such as cakes, cookies, pies, candy, and more. Again, cats may not realize these items are toxic, as they’ll go after the milk or butter or cream cheese in them first.
Some cats know which foods are toxic for them, but many don’t. The trouble is that if there is beef, chicken, or cheese in their foods, that the cat will gobble them up, making them sick from the other toxic ingredients. It’s better to simply buy your cat the real cat food, such as wet food, crunchies, and cat treats. You can cook a bit of chicken or beef for your cat, but it must be free of vegetable fats, spices and seasonings. If you stop feeding your cat at the table or at the kitchen counter, they’ll soon stop begging, making it much easier to care for them.
