Unsafe foods for cats

23rd November 2020

Watch out for unsafe foods for your cat this holiday season! Some of us over-indulge in the holiday season and, in some households, this can sadly be the same for your pet too. Did you know that there are some food in your house that are dangerous for your pet, too? Here’s some foods to watch out for:

Onions and Garlic

Onions, garlic and all the different variations from the onion family can be extremely dangerous for your cat, causing anaemia and poisoning to your cat.  Cats that have been exposed to these highly toxic vegetables will often have reduced appetite, strong or dark coloured urine and may be less active than normal.  If you suspect your cat has eaten onions, then you should contact your vet straight away.

Chocolate

Like with dogs, chocolate is just as fatal for cats.  And, at holiday time, chocolate is free flowing in most houses over the festive period, so it is even more important to keep it out of reach from your feline friend. Chocolate can cause sickness, diarrhoea, seizures and in some cases, death if too much toxins are ingested.  This also applies to other food and drinks that contain caffeine, including fizzy drinks and coffee. 

Dog Food

You would think that dog food would not be dangerous to your cat, but each specifies-specific food has been carefully prepared to ensure that the right calorific, nutrients and vitamin values are right for the correct species.  Dogs require more vitamin A which is not as nutritious for cats so it is important to keep it away from your cat.

Bones

Bones are a big “no-no for your cat; not only can they contain salmonella if not cooked properly (which has the same effect on your cat as it does to us humans), small bone fragments can splinter in your cats throat and cause infections and considerable discomfort. Additionally, they are a big choking hazard too so it’s best to avoid them, regardless how much your cat might think that they are delicious.

Milk and dairy products

Milk is an age-old treat for cats, featured in fairy tales, passed down through generations and generally considered as a safe food for cats.  However, it can cause stomach upsets and sickness as cats can often have issues with digesting lactose.  It’s not the case for all cats, however for the vast majority, once weaned, most cats will develop a resistance to milk and a bowl of water is enough to keep them hydrated.

Top tips to stop your cat eating unsafe foods

It is hard with more people in the house and the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, to make sure that our cats are avoiding unsafe foods.  We have prepared some tips to help you:

Keep foods out or reach – make sure that any food that you are preparing is out of the reach of your cat

Educate your visitors to not feed the cat – make sure that the cat’s food is the only food that they eat and ensure that your visitors know that too

Avoid feeding from the table

Keep an eye out for babies and toddlers spilling or offering food to your cat

Keep an eye on your cat’s food portions – a feeder such as SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder Connect can help your accurately measure your cat’s food 

Make your cats feeding stress-free – cats like to eat in quiet places where they undisturbed.  Find traffic-free places where people are less like to disturb them and where your cat can easily access their food as and when they want it, to grazed eat.

And, most importantly, always follow the advice of your vet or pet specialists especially through the changing dietary needs of your cat throughout their life.  And, if you suspect that your cat has ingested something that might be toxic, always consult your vet.