The Fat Cat Store
When I got my first cat Martin Luther Kitty, I swore that I’d feed him cat food only; no people food which might make him a finicky cat! I believed then, and still do that good quality commercial pet foods provide all the nutrients he would need to have a healthy diet. A lot of research has been done to make sure that today’s pet food is well balanced and nutritional. Of course, those pet food recalls of last year are whole other discussion for another day.
Others, particularly holistic veterinarians and other alternative health care experts believe that because many of the original nutrients and enzymes in pet food are destroyed by processing. They believe that the addition of healthful people food to a pet’s diet won’t hurt and may even provide the cat with fresher, more available nutrients than those in processed pet food. Now I know that has its good points also.
An occasional healthy snack for your pet is probably fine in moderation, but certain foods humans eat are dangerous for cats. Food like potato chips and ice cream may not be toxic but they can cause gastrointestinal upset and causes obesity with no particular nutritional benefits.
When giving your cat treats or a homemade diet avoid the following foods:
- Chocolate: Chocolate contains two sub-stances harmful to pets: Theobronjaine and Caffeine. Both of these substances occur in only a small amount in mill chocolate but are much more concentrated in dark chocolate and baking chocolate. The darker and less sweet the chocolate, the more dangerous it is for cats. A little milk chocolate may result in diarrhea and offers no nutritional benefit. A lot of dark chocolate affects the nervous system ant could cause hyperexcitability, restlessness, frequent urination, tremors, and vomiting. Severe cases can result in seizures and cardiac arrest, or even death.
- Onions and garlic: Large quantities of onions and garlic can cause hemolytic anemia. Eating a small amount of garlic powder is harmless; fresh garlic should be avoided. Onions are more potent. While your cat may tolerate eating hits of meat cooked in onion, don’t feed your pet the onion pieces or onion-infused broth.
- Raisins and grapes: According to the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center, grapes and raisins have caused numerous poisoning cases for as yet unknown reasons. Cats typically experience lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, and eventually kidney failure. While many pets eat the occasional grape without a problem, keep your cat away from grape vines and from eating an entire bunch of grapes. Never feed raisins to your cat; even small servings of raisins have been linked to toxic reactions. Raisins aren’t good for pet dental health, either.
- Alcohol: Cats absorb alcohol quickly and are prone to toxic reactions such as inebriation, seizures, heart arrhythmias, low body temperature, kidney damage, and even coma or death. Never give any form of alcohol to your cat.
The ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) recommends that you never feed these foods to your cat:
1. Avocado
2. Chocolate (all forms)
3. Coffee (all forms)
4. Fatty foods
5. Macadamia nuts
6. Moldy or spoiled foods
7. Onions, onion powder
8. Raisins and grapes
9. Salt
10. Whole, chopped, or minced garlic
11. Yeast dough
12. Xylitol-sweetened products
With this guideline you should be able to find a happy medium; of course feed your cat good quality cat food but an occasional treat of harmless people food doesn’t hurt eitherand they’ll love the treat!
Your Best Friend Is Counting On You!
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