Cats can sometimes have unusual eating habits with some cats eating grass and house plants among other things!
It is not uncommon for cat owners to fret about something peculiar that their cat has eaten, below we have attempted to answer some of the more common queries people have about their cats diet:
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Can My Cat Eat Raw Bacon?
Cats are very sensitive to salt, it doesn’t take much salt to cause a cat to massively exceed it’s optimum salt levels and as Bacon is known for being particularly salty is is best to avoid feeding any to your cat.
Can My Cat Eat Bananas?
Bananas are wonderfully nutritious and delicious snacks for humans however cats can’t (and don’t need to) absorb many of the vitamins and nutrients contained in a banana.
Bananas are not toxic or poisonous for cats however they are not something which a cat will be used to so it may cause a reaction such as an upset stomach, particularly if they have never tried it before.
Bananas are particularly high in natural sugar, this is not something that cats need in their diet and can ultimately lead to obesity and related problems including feline diabetes if you do not carefully control their diet.
There is no reason not to feed your cat a bit of banana if they are keen to have some just don’t make it a regular part of their diet and only give them a small amount (around a couple of mouthfuls).
Can My Cat Eat Bread?
The short answer is no. Cat’s should not eat bread. Some cats may try to eat it but most cats will not show much interest in eating bread.
If your cat does try to eat bread stop it. Uncooked bread dough is very dangerous to cats and may lead to intestinal blockages which could potentially cause blow flow and breathing issues.
Additionally the yeast in bread can cause fermentation within your cat’s stomach which could lead to alcohol poisoning if a large amount of bread is consumed.
A small amount (less than a quarter of a slice of bread should be fine) of bread won’t do any harm to your cat, though it won’t do it any good either, so if your cat is constantly trying to steal a slice of bread then ensure that you keep your bread stored well out of the way in a closed cupboard which is impossible for any cat to open, and always ensure that your cat doesn’t get anywhere near uncooked bread dough!
Can My Cat Eat Catnip?
Catnip shouldn’t be eaten and generally most cats will not eat catnip regardless of how much they love the smell of it, however some cats may get over excited in their catnip induced state and consume a small amount.
It is unlikely to do them any real harm though may cause some vomiting or diarrhoea if a large amount is consumed. Your cat will quickly return to normal health after eating catnip.
If you re looking for some safe catnip toys which will allow your cat to enjoy their catnip without ingesting any have a read of our best catnip toys article here!
Can My Cat Eat Cheese?
Cheese is a great source of protein for cats and many cats love it. However as cats age it is not uncommon for them to develop a lactose intolerance once they have been weaned off milk for more than a year. Cheese may then give your cat diarrhoea.
If you want to feed your cat cheese only give it a very small amount to gauge how your cat reacts to it.
Cat My Cat Eat Raw Chicken?
Can My Cat Eat Cucumber?
Raw cucumber makes a great addition to your cat’s diet as a cucumber is full of vitamin K and potassium. Cucumbers are also full of water so are the perfect treat for a hot day.
Don’t feed your cat pickled cucumber though as this can be very bad for them…also make sure you don’t scare your cat with the cucumber when you introduce them to it!
Can My Cat Eat Dog Food?
Can My Cat Eat Eggs?
Eggs are a great source of protein for cats so unless your cat has an allergy to them then there is no harm in feeding your cat with cooked eggs.
Avoid raw eggs as these contain a lot of bacteria. However the biggest reason why you should avoid feeding raw egg to your cat is that is contains the avidin protein, too much of this protein can cause a deficiency of bioton.
Biotin is crucial for the normal growth and repair of your (or your cat’s body). Cooking the egg prevents the avidin from causing any negative effects so make sure your cat only eats cooked eggs!
Can My Cat Eat French Fries?
French fries are full of carbohydrates, salt and fats which will damage your cat’s health if eaten regularly, contributing to heart disease and obesity-related problems.
The salt on french fries could potentially poison your cat too.
While a one-off snack won’t cause any harm, regularly feeding your cat french fries should be avoided at all costs.
Can My Cat Eat Grapes?
Although there are no known reports of any damage coming to a cat from eating grapes it is possible that eating too many grapes could cause kidney failure in a cat so to be safe it is best to avoid feeding grapes to your cat.
Any cat that has an existing kidney problem will be particularly susceptible to suffering from grape toxicity, if your cat does eat grapes watch out for retching or vomiting.
It will generally take quite a few grapes to make a cat seriously unwell however raisin are far more concentrated than grapes so ensure that you take even more care to keep your raisins well out of the way of your cats.
Can My Cat Eat Ham?
As with Bacon, Ham is quite a salty meat so is best not fed to cats as they are particularly sensitive to salt and it doesn’t take much salt to make them quite ill.
Can my Cat Drink Milk?
As with Cheese cats ability to digest lactose found in milk diminishes as they age. Therefore giving them milk may cause diarrhoea.
If your cat is very keen on having milk make sure you water it down so it is about 60% water. This way you can gauge how your cat reacts to the lactose before giving them more.
If your cat won’t drink all it may be worth getting your cat a water fountain as the moving water will encourage drinking.
Can My Cat Eat Mushrooms?
Shop bought edible mushrooms should be fine for any cat however it is not a normal part of a cats diet so may cause stomach problems. It is not uncommon for cats to crave mushrooms because the chewy texture is not too dissimilar to that of meat.
If your cat has strong cravings for mushrooms then ensure that you only feed them mushrooms that you would be happy to eat yourself.
Mushrooms found in the wild may be poisonous both to humans and cats so it is best to always err on the side of caution.
Can My Cat Eat Pork?
Cats enjoy pork and there is no good reason to not give it to them. When feeding your cat meat ensure that you don’t give them salted meat as this can cause them to significantly exceed their sodium levels.
Pork isn’t the healthiest of meats for cats so don’t overfeed them on it but it certainly wont do them any harm as an occasional tasty snack!
Can My Cat Eat Rice?
Rice is a very easy grain to digest both for humans and cats! You may have heard people saying that rice can expand in the stomach and cause an animal to explode, well this is not true however it could cause stomach cramps if too much rice was consumed.
Ensure that you only feed your cat a very small portion of rice and make sure that the rice is properly cooked as uncooked rice is not good for cats.
Rice is often used to bulk out cat food which isn’t great as a cat’s primary nutritional need is for meat so having too much rice prevents their bodies from absorbing the necessary protein they need to function, so by all means give your cat a bit of rice but don’t go overboard on it!
Can My Cat Eat Tuna?
Most cats love Tuna and it makes a great treat for your cat. However a diet of exclusively tuna will leave your cat deficient in many essential nutrients and vitamins.
Tuna is also very high in mercury which can cause long term damage to the brain and nervous system so make sure you put a limit on how much tuna you feed your cat.
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