Foods to Keep for Yourself!
Although your cat may enjoy a little taste of your breakfast or dinner, some human foods are not safe for cats! Here are a few foods that can be hazardous and should not be fed to cats:
- Chocolate – A component in chocolate called theobromine is toxic to dogs and to cats when ingested in large quantities.
- Onion and Garlic – The ingestion of large amounts of onion or garlic is toxic to cats and can cause the loss of red blood cells and anemia. (Note: In cats, the most common source of onion toxicity is from human baby food that has added onion powder to enhance taste!).
- Grapes and Raisins - Can lead to kidney damage in some individuals. (These foods are also a choking hazard for cats).
- Avocado – A toxic compound is found in avocado leaves, fruit, and seeds. Because the amount that is dangerous for cats has not been determined, it is best to avoid feeding even small amounts of avocado to cats.
- Mushrooms – Certain types of mushroom are toxic to cats. Play it safe and avoid feeding any mushrooms at all to your cat.
- Raw eggs and raw fish – These foods can cause nutrient imbalances if fed too frequently. Raw eggs may also transmit some types of food-borne illness.
Milk and other dairy products – Although it is true that cats love the taste of milk, feeding too much milk or other dairy products can lead to abdominal cramping and diarrhea. This occurs because most adult cats have a limited ability to digest dairy products and so can tolerate only small amounts of milk in their diet.
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