Cat food and human foods serve very different purposes. A cat’s diet is built around meats of all kinds; in the wild, they’re natural carnivores. But many cats crave some of the things that humans also like to eat, from vegetables to eggs. This doesn’t mean they should eat them regularly in their natural states. Love, Nala creates healthy food for cats that incorporates some of the tastes and textures cats appreciate in a nutritionally complete cat food. In between balanced meals, however, here are some human foods cats can enjoy in moderation.
What Human Foods are Safe for Cats?
Human foods that cats can eat include certain lean meats, cooked grains like rice and oatmeal, some vegetables, and fruits. The main thing to remember about giving these human foods to your cat is that meats should never be served raw. They should be prepared without seasoning or spices, and bones must definitely be avoided.
While cats can eat these human foods, it’s important to remember that a cat’s diet should be tailored to their specific needs. Love, Nala offers grain-free cat food that provides them with something much better and tastier than simply raw meat. But when you want to give them a little extra treat, consider these human foods to add to your cat’s diet on occasion..
Safe Meats for Cats
Cats are natural carnivores, but feeding them raw meat is never a good idea. It may expose them to bacteria and parasites. This is especially true about pork, which you should never give your cat.
Cooked meats are a great source of protein. When cooking them, avoid adding any seasonings and be especially careful about bones.
Chicken and Turkey
Of the human foods that cats can eat, chicken and turkey are favorites. They provide lean protein, just be sure that they’re cooked simply, without a lot of seasonings or spices.
Fish
Fish like salmon, tuna, and mackerel are good human foods for cats. They contain protein and healthy omega fats. Just be sure that they’re cooked without seasoning; if they’re canned, rinse off any excess oil and salt.
Beef
A small cube of lean, cooked beef is a treat for your cat. Just ensure that the beef isn’t spoiled, and that no seasonings like garlic, onions, salt, or pepper are added. Never feed your cat raw beef.
Eggs
As a meal topper, cats can enjoy an occasional dab of cooked eggs, such as boiled, poached, or scrambled. Never feed a cat raw eggs as they can create an upset stomach (or worse). Skip oils or salt when preparing them.
Shrimp
Many cats enjoy a little taste of shrimp. Boil or steam it until it's fully cooked. Remove the tail and any shell or other hard parts, and let it cool down before giving it to Kitty. Never feed them raw shrimp.
Safe Vegetables for Cats
As with humans, vegetables can be a good addition to a cat’s diet, providing micronutrients and healthy fiber. But not all of them are appropriate. So, what vegetables can cats eat? Love, Nala understands the nutritional needs of cats and has created tasty, grain-free food based on their natural raw diet, but improved with healthy ingredients like peas, carrots, and sweet potatoes. Here are other vegetables that cats can eat safely in moderation.
Broccoli
Broccoli, steamed or fully-cooked, can be given to cats on occasion. It should be finely chopped to prevent choking, and it should never be given raw for the same reason.. A teaspoon of cooked, chopped broccoli once or twice a week is considered safe.
Peas
Steam or boil peas, without using any oils or seasonings. Mash them up to make them even easier to digest.
Sweet Potatoes
Your cat may enjoy a little bit of sweet potato on occasion. Never serve it raw, as it may cause an upset stomach. Cook it plain, and mash it up to make it easier to digest. One to two teaspoons per week is considered safe.
Carrots
Cats can eat carrots every so often. However, they need to be prepared carefully to prevent choking. Wash and peel them. Boil, steam, or bake them to soften them up, and cut them into small pieces.
Cucumbers
Cucumbers are a refreshing, hydrating treat for your cat. First wash and peel it, then dice it into small pieces to prevent choking.
Safe Fruits for Cats
Like vegetables, some fruits can be enjoyed by cats as an occasional snack. Many of them have the benefit of being very water-based, which provides important hydration for your cat. However, eating too much fruit can create an upset stomach in your cat. They are natural carnivores. Here are some fruits you can share with them in tiny bits.
Watermelon
Watermelon provides Vitamins A and C, plus plenty of hydration on a hot day. Just be careful to remove seeds and the rind, which are hard to digest.
Strawberries
One or two strawberries, cut into tiny pieces, make a nice, occasional treat for Kitty. They enjoy the texture and sweet smell.
Blueberries
Blueberries are high in sugar, so they should be given only on rare occasions. Ensure that they’re not moldy or treated with pesticides; wash them thoroughly.
Bananas
Bananas have potassium and fiber, but they’re also high in sugar. Remove the peel and feed only a small amount.
Pumpkin
Pumpkin (plain, cooked, or canned without any added sugar or spices) can be fed to cats to provide hydration and fiber, which can help with digestion and hairball control.
Safe Cereals and Grains
Cats are natural carnivores and don’t generally need other sources of fiber, but a few grains contain certain vitamins and are good for their digestion. Cook them thoroughly, avoiding any added sugars, oils, or milk. Consider them an occasional treat, not a key part of their diet.
Oatmeal
If you want to give your cat a little bit of oatmeal, ensure that it’s cooked thoroughly. Don’t add anything extra, like sugar or milk. Let it cool thoroughly before giving Kitty a taste.
Rice
A bit of white or brown rice is something that cats can eat. Just be sure to cook it well to make it more digestible, and don’t add anything extra to it.
What Human Food is Not Safe for Cats?
Just because you find it yummy doesn’t mean your cat will. There are a number of human foods that you should never give to your cat. These include chocolate, onions, garlic, raisins, and foods containing the artificial sweetener Xylitol.
Even though cats are carnivores, giving them raw meat, raw fish, and the like can be dangerous due to the presence of bacteria and parasites.
Not Safe Fruits
Because fruits are typically high in sugar, it’s not a good idea to give them to cats. Some fruits, in particular, pose a very high risk if cats eat them. These include avocado and fruits with seeds, pits, or stems (these can cause choking), Here are some other fruits that can be deadly to cats.
Grapes and raisins
Even in tiny amounts, grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in a cat.
Oranges
The oils in citrus fruits like oranges, lemons, and limes are hard on a cat’s digestive system. If eaten in large amounts, it can seriously damage their nervous system,
Cherries
Believe it or not, cherries contain cyanide. Obviously, we humans can tolerate it, but for a cat, cherries can prove deadly.
Plums
Like cherries, the stems and seed of the plum contain cyanide. Even the flesh of the plum can upset their digestive system.
Unsafe Vegetables
While feeding your cat small amounts of vegetables on occasion would seem healthy, there are some that they absolutely should not eat. These include members of the “allium” family, like onions, leeks, chives, or shallots. Any kind of pickled vegetable should be avoided as well, due to the high sodium content.
Onion and garlic
These two foods contain compounds that can damage the red blood cells in your cat, leading to anemia. It doesn’t matter if they’re raw, cooked, or powdered – never feed them to your cat.
Mushrooms
Mushrooms contain toxins that can cause many dangerous reactions in a cat. These range from an upset stomach to liver failure, and even death.
Unsafe Meat and Fish
Even if cats eat meat and fish in the wild, that doesn’t mean your pet should eat it that way. The risk of choking on bones or picking up a parasite is too great these days.
Raw meat, fish, eggs
If you’re going to give your cat a dab of meat or fish, ensure that it's cooked. Raw meat and fish often contain parasites like tapeworms or bacteria like Salmonella that can make your cat sick. Same goes for eggs – only give them cooked eggs.
Small bones
Another risk of raw meat and fish is the bones, which can create a choking hazard or damage their digestive system.
Unsafe Dairy Products
As much as cats have the reputation for loving dairy products, they’re lactose intolerant, so be prepared for diarrhea (or worse) if they ingest them. After weaning, they lack the enzyme that breaks down lactose, so it just ferments in their system, causing gas, bloating, and tummy trouble.
Milk
Cow’s milk is not the same as a cat mom’s milk, and cats can’t properly digest it.
Cheese
Because the digestive system of a cat isn’t built to tolerate milk from other mammals like cows, cheese doesn’t sit well. It’s often high in fat, which isn’t good for cats either.
Ice Cream
Between the lactose intolerance and the fats and sugars present, ice cream is not good for cats.
Conclusion
We all want to give our cats the best food, but the bottom line is that many human foods are just not great for them. A nutritionally complete cat food, like Love, Nala, provides them with the vital nutrients they need and is designed to support their particular digestive requirements. It also gives them the tastes and textures to keep mealtime interesting.
So, as much as you may want to spoil your cat with human foods, don’t take any chances.
