Cats are curious creatures, if they see you enjoying a delicious snack they may come and have a look in the hope of getting a bite.
However don’t be tempted to give them any, while most cats have little interest in most human foods some cats will happily have a bite of whatever it is you’re eating without a moment’s hesitation.
A cat’s digestive system is very different to ours so there are plenty of things that we eat that they will struggle to digest, in fact some things that we eat could do serious damage to your cat and can even cause fatalities.
Here are 5 things you should never feed your cat:
1. Chocolate
Never ever feed your cat chocolate.
Chocolate is packed full of something called theobromine which cats bodies simply cannot process.
If your cat eats too much chocolate theobromine will build up in their body to a point of toxicity which can cause their liver to fail and potentially kill them.
So please do not let your cat eat chocolate ever!
Find out more details about the dangers that chocolate presents to cats at tuxedo-cat.
2. Milk
Okay so we’ve all seen the cute pictures and videos of kittens drinking milk so why on earth can’t (fully grown) cats drink milk?
By the time a kitten is 10 weeks old they are more or less weaned off milk and are eating solid foods instead. They then lose the ability to process milk and can no longer digest the sugars that milk contains. Feeding your cat milk won’t cause them any serious harm but it can often cause them to suffer from loose stools as well as possible vomiting in some cats.
3. Raw Eggs
Cats need high levels of protein in their diets so you may think a raw egg is a perfectly feline dietary supplement. It’s not!
Raw eggs contain something called avidin which gets broken down when the egg is cooked. If a cat ingests avidin this blocks the absorption of the B vitamin biotin.
An inability to absorb biotin will quickly lead to a wide range of health issues including: hair falling out, muscle tissue not repairing and a complete lack of energy.
4. Dog Food
Dog food may look very similar to cat food but it is actually fundamentally different.
Cats need plenty of Vitamin A and Taurine in their diet in order to be 100% healthy. Cats need high levels of meat protein to get sufficient taurine in the diet. Dog food does not contain sufficiently high protein levels to keep a cat healthy for long.
So don’t make the mistake of thinking your cat will be fine on dog food…they won’t be!
5. Caffeine
Cats aren’t known for their love or tea or coffee, however if your cat tries eating raw coffee beans or a tea bag then they may be in danger of ingesting too much caffeine.
Caffeine is known to cause significantly increased heart rates, breathing difficulties, seizures and tremors in cats which can lead to heart attacks.
If you suspect your cat has ingested coffee beans or a tea bag then take them to the vet immediately.
We hope this article has proved useful to you and educated a bit more about what sort of foods you should keep well away from your cat, the safest idea is to just feed them purpose made cat food and nothing else!
