Is bacon ok for a cat in small quantities? just for flavor?

[dwdanby]

Hello! thank you all SO much for all the helpful advice on tempting my elderly cat to eat. One person mentioned bacon. Would bacon bits, fresh if necessary, stirred into his food, be safe? Also, would a very small amount of bacon drippings stirred in be an option? The official toppers tend to be a dollar a serving, so I'm looking for affordable.

 

[jefferd18]

I have used bacon here and there for a little temptation and have also used warmed up tuna water on food. You are trying to get a pungent aroma going on because quite often sick kitties and ones who are older do not have the best sense of smell.

Bacon grease can cause digestive issues, the problem lies with the sodium. But not eating can cause problems too.

 

[dwdanby]

I have used bacon here and there for a little temptation and have also used warmed up tuna water on food. You are trying to get a pungent aroma going on because quite often sick kitties and ones who are older do not have the best sense of smell.

Bacon grease can cause digestive issues, the problem lies with the sodium. But not eating can cause problems too.

Thanks so much, I didn't know about the sodium. I wonder about maybe chicken drippings?

 

[StanAndAlf]

Have you tried bone broth? It can be an effective way to entice your kitty to eat a little more and also has some great nutritional benefits.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I think I said something about bacon in your other thread, so there may be a bit of 'repeat' in this post. Anyway I give Feeby bites of (human) cooked bacon a few times a week. I also found Party Mix treats that contain bacon flavoring that I will chop up into fine granules and add to her food every so often. She is a picky eater, so I can't give her the same food or toppings days in a row without her rejecting it. I have to keep it 'switched up', so I will also try broths made for cats - Simply Nourish, Delectable Bisques, and I just bought a new one to try - Friskies Lil' Gravies. I don't use a whole one with each meal, so these packets can last a couple of days or more. I get these types of 'add ons' because they do not contain chunks of meat, as Feeby will only eat pates. So, if your cat doesn't mind chunks of meat, there are a whole host of other similar type options out there to try, which you could split up for coverage over multiple meals. There are also cat food toppers that would be similar in concept to chopping up bacon to mix in with his food as well.

Bone broth, especially the human version, also contains a lot of sodium, so keep that in mind, if you are worried about sodium intake.

I personally see nothing wrong in giving an elderly cat some bacon if that means he will eat his food. And, in addition to tuna as mentioned above, you could also buy sardines (no bones) and mix one with his food - they are pretty 'flavorful' too. Freezing the remaining amounts, and thawing as needed will help with costs.

I split up all these things I add to her food and place them in plastic condiment cups that can be either refrigerated, or frozen and thawed if needed, per serving. You can buy these little cups and lids at most grocery stores. They are washable and re-usable for quite a long time.

 

[Java Lady]

You could make chicken both broth with out salt just use bones and slowly boil it then let it cool

 

[LTS3]

Catinfo.org has this about bacon:

One suggestion for very picky cats is to add a bit of bacon fat to individual meals to see if that helps them eat it.

I baked 18 ounces of the fattiest nitrite-free bacon I could find and it yielded 16 TBS of fat. I used a broiling pan to catch the drippings. Cook it slowly until the bacon is dry and crispy. That way, you will collect the most fat from the bacon. The dried bacon makes nice bacon bits for non-vegetarians. Or you can feed them to your cats as treats. Nitrites in cured meats is a controversial subject so I opted to purchase nitrite-free bacon from Whole Foods Market.

1 teaspoon of bacon fat is 38 calories. I would not feed more than 1 tsp/day and you may be able to use less since a little bit will go a long way to adding a bit of flavor to the food for a picky cat.

 

[tarasgirl06]

Hello! thank you all SO much for all the helpful advice on tempting my elderly cat to eat. One person mentioned bacon. Would bacon bits, fresh if necessary, stirred into his food, be safe? Also, would a very small amount of bacon drippings stirred in be an option? The official toppers tend to be a dollar a serving, so I'm looking for affordable.

I would not feed pork to anyone. Good vets caution against feeding it to cats. It is a high-fat, low-quality protein. Gerber Second Stages baby foods (small, squatty jars - beef, lamb, turkey, chicken are all good) as well as bonito or tuna flakes (available through Petco.com and just about anywhere quality cat supplies are sold) are good. You can also run your cat's food through a blender, food processor or mixer to puree it and you can mix it with water and syringe-feed if necessary. You can cook chicken, beef, lamb, turkey -- any or all, and puree them in this manner if you wish. Many cats love these. And there are nutrition boosters available at stores which sell cat supplies and/or through vets, such as NutriCal for Cats. There are others as well. CliniCare is another.

 

[StanAndAlf]

Yes, too much pork, in any form, can cause pancreatitis.

Bone broth, especially the human version, also contains a lot of sodium, so keep that in mind, if you are worried about sodium intake.

Yes, that is a good point. I should clarify the bone broth I recommend is a very simple recipe which requires simply some organic bones (chicken, beef, lamb ect) boiled in plain water for a few hours. Therefore the sodium levels are quite low.

Bacon, particularly the cured version, has much higher sodium levels than bone broth if the recipe I mentioned is followed.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Yes, too much pork, in any form, can cause pancreatitis. I should clarify the bone broth I recommend is a very simple recipe which requires simply some organic bones (chicken, beef, lamb ect) boiled in plain water for a few hours. Therefore the sodium levels are quite low. Bacon, particularly the cured version, has much higher sodium levels than bone broth if the recipe I mentioned is followed.

If D dwdanby 's cat is anything like mine, all of the above options would probably need to be used/rotated through, as just using one all the time would end up being rejected. On that note, using some bacon pieces in rotation with other 'toppers' isn't likely going to cause any problems.

A cat that is eating a few things that aren't ideal for them is better than one who won't eat.

 

[jefferd18]

I will throw something else in the mix, just for confusion. Whenever I tried to get my older cats to eat, I would warm up some lactose free whole milk. Cats love the smell and taste of milk but their digestive tracts can not handle the lactose. This is a great alternative to that problem. It also is an ideal way to get both hydration and calories into an animal who is struggling with food.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I would not feed pork to anyone. Good vets caution against feeding it to cats. It is a high-fat, low-quality protein. Gerber Second Stages baby foods (small, squatty jars...

I just want to add more to the confusion, apparently. I can't speak to canned cat food and pork - although I sincerely doubt that feeding pork on an occasional basis would be an an issue. Gerber Stage 2 ham actually has less fat and more protein than the some of the other baby food meats. If you don't believe me, look them up for yourself. So, I think if your cat likes this particular item as a supplement to help with caloric intake I would strongly suggest it.