Some treats are only okay on occasion, but some are definitely off-limits for your cat. Check out the list here!
Cats are a unique species with many unique strengths. They need particular diets to help them maintain their health. While each cat is different and may have a slightly different diet from other felines, they all follow the same basic guidelines for health. Here are some of the things to never feed your cat.
Milk
While the classic image of a cat licking up a saucer of milk may be endearing, you want to avoid giving milk to your pet too often. Most cats are lactose-intolerant, but can eat dairy in limited amounts. Therefore, milk and cheese are ocassional treats they can enjoy.
Onions, Garlic, Etc.
Onions, garlic, chives, shallots, and anything else in that class are off-limits. Their common chemical, thiosulphate, can cause red blood cell destruction if ingested in a large enough quantity. Therefore, a cat owner should beware of the cat getting to the dinner plate or the chicken broth.
Bones
Bones, such as poultry or fish bones, can puncture a cat’s internal system or lodge inside its mouth, causing severe issues. They will not gnaw down on bones like dogs do; rather, expect them to splinter.
Raw Meat
Although you might have seen documentaries of lions happily tearing into their evening kill, your cat is better off avoiding the raw meat, since they too can become sick with salmonella from it. Raw liver is also something to never feed your cat. Cooked meat, however, can make for a healthy and delicious treat!
Raw Seafood
Cooked tuna and other cooked seafood can be an excellent supplement or treat for your pet; raw seafood, on the other hand, contains enzymes that will cause a vitamin B deficiency. Meanwhile, too much cooked tuna can induce a high mercury level.
Raw Eggs
Raw eggs, particularly raw egg whites, contain another chemical called avidin that causes a significant vitamin B deficiency in cats. Cooking the egg whites renders it harmless, and the eggs then become a great source of protein.
Alcohol
Never feed your cat alcohol. Even a lick can cause serious and deadly problems such as digestive and breathing issues, disorientation, coma, and death. They are small animals and cannot handle it. For this reason, do not let them eat raw dough either, since the yeast will turn into alcohol in their stomachs.
Caffeine
Cats are also highly sensitive to caffeine, which means one should keep chocolate, coffee, tea, etc. well out of their reach. The caffeine will affect them as it might to a highly caffeine-sensitive person, with an accelerated heart rate, difficulty breathing, shaking, and even seizures.
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