Allowing Terra The Cat To Partake Of Pizza?

[thefishyone]

So I ordered some Papa John’s earlier today, and I let Terra smell and lick a slice. She then proceeded to try and take a bite out of the crust, but kitty’s mouth was too small to find purchase. Knowing that bread products are not terribly healthy for kitties, I instead offered her a piece of spicy italian sausage from the pizza, which she scorned. I even put it in her food dish to show her that it was her’s, and she ate around it.

I don’t give Terra people food very often, and she is very respectful of my food. I know that grain products are not great for kitties, but would a mouthful once in a blue moon hurt? Terra does appear to have goofy tastes for a cat, but Terra is a lovable little goofbal all around, and I don’t mind sharing my food with her every now and then, so long as it does not present a health hazard.

 

[Kieka]

I'd avoid pizza. Garlic and onion are very bad for cats and those would be in the sauce and/or crust depending on the recipe. Small amounts, granted. But if it was semi regular it would be bad.

 

[LTS3]

I wouldn't give sausage to a cat. Some contain garlic which is a big no-no for cats. The spiciness may upset a cat's tummy, too.

Some cats will eat whatever they find interesting. You need to keep your cat safe by feeding only safe people foods like plain cooked meat. Some oddball cats like steamed veggies and cheese. Anything that is not commercial cat food is a treat and should not be fed often.

Here's a list of people food to NOT feed: People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Pets

 

[jen]

No no no on the spicy sausage. Very bad, garlic is toxic. Thankfully she refused it. The bread would have been a much better choice of the 2 not that she needed it. If you want to give her people food that is fine but stick to unseasoned raw or cooked meats. Also my cats freak out over celery leaves. Has a similar effect as catnip.

 

[FeebysOwner]

We are guilty of giving ham from our pizza to Feeby - but (sorry if you're grossed out by this) I usually lick off any sauce for the very reasons listed above.

Tbh, it really is a good practice NOT to feed them human food - especially when it can become an expected habit by them. I literally have a cat that begs at dinner time because we were stupid and fed her. I am pretty sure that some of her weight is a direct result of that. She 14+, so I am not going to stop now, but I do try to reduce and slow down the amount I give her, just so that I am not adding any more weight to her from human food.

 

[jen]

Make a habit that of you DO give her human food you give it on the floor in her dish only. Stop giving it at the tabel/couch/ whatever and don't feed from your hand.

 

[1 bruce 1]

We're bad people, because we will save cheese from pizza and hand it out. Sometimes we rinse it, sometimes we don't, but the cats get a dime sized chunk about once every month or two.

 

[vince]

I let mine get what they can off the corrugated paper box liner. That's all.

 

[sabrinah]

I don't intentionally give my cat pizza, but she does her best to steal some if I'm not looking. She always tries to steal the pile of olives I pick off and will shove her face in Ranch with zero hesitation. Many a time she has tried to take an entire slice. It's a good thing she doesn't have enough teeth left to get a good grip

 

[thefishyone]

Like I said before, Terra is very respectful of my food, and will not eat any people food that is not offered. That said, she loves to inspect my food by smelling and licking it. A lot of what I eat is not safe for cats or containers ingredients that are not safe for cats, and Terra is usually lounging on my bed during mealtime. Should I not allow her to inspect my food, even if the most she will do is lick it?

 

[Talien]

Keep your food away from your Cat unless you want her to start getting used to thinking that it's ok to try and eat it. If she leaves your food alone that's a very good thing and you should do everything you can to keep it that way, there are a whole lot of things we can eat that are bad or even deadly to our pets.

 

[Kat0121]

If you want to give her a treat, plain cooked meat is best. Pizza is no good for a cat. There's a lot of sodium and too many spices in the sauce and toppings. Not to mention the garlic which is toxic. My cats get a bit of plain roasted turkey or chicken when I eat it. If I have steak, I don't season it so they can have some- and they only get a little bit.

 

[lisahe]

Should I not allow her to inspect my food, even if the most she will do is lick it?

Keep your food away from your Cat unless you want her to start getting used to thinking that it's ok to try and eat it.

I couldn't agree more with Talien 's logic here: it's way too easy for cats to get into bad habits if their humans let them. First they sniff, then they lick, then they want to eat! What starts off cute can get annoying and/or unhealthy all too fast. (We saw this with our previous cat's treat obsession... never again!)

We don't let our cats have any food for humans, though sometimes they're fast enough to scrounge little bits of cheese that sometimes drop on the floor when being grated. I try to clean it up quickly, though!

 

[Talien]

I couldn't agree more with Talien 's logic here: it's way too easy for cats to get into bad habits if their humans let them. First they sniff, then they lick, then they want to eat! What starts off cute can get annoying and/or unhealthy all too fast. (We saw this with our previous cat's treat obsession... never again!)

We don't let our cats have any food for humans, though sometimes they're fast enough to scrounge little bits of cheese that sometimes drop on the floor when being grated. I try to clean it up quickly, though!

Lucky for my Cats they can digest dairy so I give them small bits of cheese as treats occasionally, I normally have a block of Muenster or Colby Jack cut up to snack on and they always bug me for some. The way I see it, it's better than the junk that's in commercial treats like temptations and it's cheaper than the freeze dried treats so it's a win in my book.

 

[lisahe]

Lucky for my Cats they can digest dairy so I give them small bits of cheese as treats occasionally, I normally have a block of Muenster or Colby Jack cut up to snack on and they always bug me for some. The way I see it, it's better than the junk that's in commercial treats like temptations and it's cheaper than the freeze dried treats so it's a win in my book.

Certain cheeses don't have much lactose so cats do fine with them! Cabot, for example, lists (here!) certain cheeses as nearly lactose-free. And Real Simple says (here!) that Muenster is low in lactose, too.

Our cats have weird digestive things going so I don't like them to get much cheese but a little isn't a problem. (And it's definitely better than Temptations!)

 

[thefishyone]

How would Provalone work? I tend to order Jimmy John’s fairly often, and I imagine the deli meat would be much too salty for the little kitty.

 

[thefishyone]

Oh, while I’m thinking of it, if I give Terra some plain, cooked chicken for a treat, how much should I give her? Is it OK to give her enough for a meal every now and then, or will it spoil her for commercial cat food?

 

[Talien]

A small amount as a treat every now and then is fine but not as a meal. Without also including key supplements it's going to lack many required nutrients, and yes, it could possibly spoil her for whatever food you're currently feeding her if you give it to her regularly.

 

[kittyluv387]

This is an unpopular opinion but I honestly think once in a blue moon is ok. I have seen garlic listed in canned foods before too. My ginger cat loves hot cheetos and french fries. We let him have a small piece of hot cheetos a few times a year. Same with french fries..

 

[maggie101]

When Peaches was tiny,5 weeks,she ran off with a slice of pizza on my plate growling. Another time, a big slice of ham lunch meat. Never found it.Now at 6 yrs old she will growl and bite me if she doesnt get what she wants. I never free fed her. Her other fav is cheetos.