What’s Safe for our Fuzzy Friends?

[thatphysicsteacher]

I know my Luci LOVES snacking bananas, zucchini, and carrots, so I thought I’d make a list of things our babies can and cannot eat

Before you read ahead, please do NOT feed your cat any fruit or vegetable seeds. The seeds can contain high levels of poison that can be fatal to our furry friends, so PLEASE be cautious! Also be weary of feeding your cats raw vegetables, try to steam them plain before just so it’s not a choking hazard! I have also included some ASPCA links after the itemized list for further information, this is certainly not everything your cat can/cannot eat

Things Your Cats CAN & CANNOT Eat:

Non-Toxic Fruits:
Bananas, seedless watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew

Toxic Fruits:
Apples, oranges, grapes, raisins

Non-Toxic Veggies:
Zucchini, carrots, celery, beans

Toxic Veggies:
Leeks, onions, garlic, avocados, rhubarb, most mushrooms,

Non-Toxic Herbs:
Thyme, sage, basil, rosemary, catnip

Toxic Herbs:
Chives, garlic, onion

Other:
Eggs are okay for cats to eat, they’re a great source of protein, just not raw!! Raw meat and dairy (cheese,milk, etc.) are not good for your cats to eat either, even if it’s stereotypical, that’s just in the movies

I hope this helps new and veteran cat owners alike keep our fuzzy angels healthy and safe!! ‍

Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List - Cats

 

[maggie101]

My cats would always squinsh thier nose when smelling a banana. It's good to know what they can and cannot eat. If a food is grain free, low carb I do not worry so much about added fruit or veggies. I used to but it is hard finding a food my cats like. I'm searching for a pate and thought petcurian looked good but it has tons of fruit

 

[Flybynight]

maggie101
I use some of the Go! by Petcurian.
The pates are not really too bad with fruits or vegetables. I normally buy the Lamb and Wild boar & remove a few small potato bits before serving.

 

[thatphysicsteacher]

My cats would always squinsh thier nose when smelling a banana. It's good to know what they can and cannot eat. If a food is grain free, low carb I do not worry so much about added fruit or veggies. I used to but it is hard finding a food my cats like. I'm searching for a pate and thought petcurian looked good but it has tons of fruit

I’m glad you found this helpful! Remember, cats are not omnivores like humans, but carnivores, they only need meat to sustain life, but fruits and veggies can be healthy too! Try not to feed your cat anything with too much carbs, but it seems like you’re already cautious of that so that’s great!

 

[thatphysicsteacher]

maggie101
I use some of the Go! by Petcurian.
The pates are not really too bad with fruits or vegetables. I normally buy the Lamb and Wild boar & remove a few small potato bits before serving.

Would you recommend this for a kitten? (If they have kitten food)

 

[Flybynight]

thatphysicsteacher
I would recommend the brand yes. I don't see kitten food but it says all life stages, so that should be fine.
It looks like they also have tetra packs now. Where I am I have only seen cans in the wet food, which is what I feed.

 

[Danneq]

Our Jackie occasionally steals lettuce off of our plates (before we add any dressing, natch). It's hilarious because that's the only food she does it for.

 

[thatphysicsteacher]

thatphysicsteacher
I would recommend the brand yes. I don't see kitten food but it says all life stages, so that should be fine.
It looks like they also have tetra packs now. Where I am I have only seen cans in the wet food, which is what I feed.

Thank you so much! I’m definitely going to try feeding it to Luci, sometimes she gives me a hard time with dry food but I wanna make sure she’s getting all the nutrients she can (I’m not sure how to directly mention you so I hope you see this) Thank you again

 

[thatphysicsteacher]

Our Jackie occasionally steals lettuce off of our plates (before we add any dressing, natch). It's hilarious because that's the only food she does it for.

aww I love that, that’s so cute, thank you sharing! I have to keep Luci in my room when we eat or else it’s paws first into anything on the table

 

[KittyJ]

Thank you, thatphysicsteacher . I didn't know apples and oranges are toxic to cats. I avoid feeding my cats human food. I can't tell you how many times I have told my family, "please, don't feed them human food."

 

[thatphysicsteacher]

Thank you, thatphysicsteacher . I didn't know apples and oranges are toxic to cats. I avoid feeding my cats human food. I can't tell you how many times I have told my family, "please, don't feed them human food."

Of course! I’m so happy you found this helpful it’s not necessary the fruit itself, but the seeds can contain high levels of toxins, like cyanide. I try to avoid giving Luci any human food but after doing some research I realized that some isn’t so bad, it can actually be pretty healthy for your cat! I’m no expert by any means in animal nutrition but I would also think it may be important to feed your cat plain, cooked chicken and other plain cooked meats just so they get a lot of protein without all the byproducts some food brands use (meow mix, just for an example, but meow mix is not the only bad food for your cat) anywho I’m really glad you found this helpful!

 

[KittyJ]

I am, too! Thanks again! Hmm. Interesting. My biggest thing is that some sources say that specific foods are fine but others say they're not. Like spinach. I have read that it's fine but I've also read that it some be avoided. Yes, plain cooked meat is the best thing to feed your cat. Ugh. Byproducts. I hate that they have to put that mess in cat food. Meow Mix is probably the last cat food I'd ever buy. *shudders*

 

[daftcat75]

Cats are obligate carnivores. They were evolutionarily designed to derive their nutrients from animals. So much so that they lack many of the enzymes to digest and absorb plant-based nutrients. Beta-carotene, for example, is a plant-based vitamin A precursor that cats cannot convert to vitamin A. They lack the enzyme. Omega-3's in flaxseed are in the wrong form for cats and they lack the enzyme to convert it. Dark green leafy vegetables, grains, and legumes have phytates which bind minerals making them unavailable. The best you can probably say about "healthy" fruits and vegetables for cats is that they are a good source of fiber and moisture. I would rather feed my cat responsibly sourced raw meat than cooked veggies (or raw veggies for that matter.) Raw meat is what they are designed to eat. Well, whole prey is what they are meant to eat. But that's a little too much for most cat parents. There isn't anything wrong with them eating responsibly sourced and handled raw meat. And unfortunately, that often isn't the same as grocery store meat. Grocery stores often mishandle meat to make a sale with the assumption that you will cook away their mistakes. The other trouble with feeding meat alone is that it isn't a balanced and complete diet. Cats don't just eat flesh. They eat the brains and eyeballs and the other organs. Byproducts is a regulated definition by AAFCO (the regulatory body that says what can and cannot go into pet food) that simply says whatever is still allowed by the USDA and AAFCO to be sold after stripping the meat away, this is the byproducts of the meat industry. It's basically a mixed bag of organ meats. Cats don't care. It's all the stuff they would be eating anyway. There are no byproducts when you eat the whole prey. There's nothing wrong with raw eggs either as long as they are consuming either the yolk or the whole egg. The white alone contains an anti-nutrient that binds a B-vitamin. But the yolk contains sufficient amounts of that vitamin that it's not an issue if the yolk is eaten. I used to let my Krista lick the scrambled egg bowl after I poured the eggs into the pan. In her senior years, she had IBD and chicken and egg had to be crossed off her diet. She would still come running to the kitchen every time she heard the fork scrambling the eggs in the bowl.

Of the fruits and vegetables, I could only really recommend pumpkin for the gut help; largely because of its fiber and moisture content (with no considerations for other vitamins and minerals that aren't bioavailable to cats.) Eggs can have a laxative effect that can be helpful with passing hairballs. Raw eggs or egg yolks can definitely be a healthy part of a cat's diet. I can only recommend raw meat if it is responsibly sourced and handled. Generally frozen meat does not suffer the same abuses as what you would buy from the refrigerated section. Even better if you are buying meat that is intended to be used in raw pet food like that sold from Hare Today. But unless you are supplementing the meat with organ meats and other supplements (because you aren't feeding brains and eyeballs), meat alone should be considered a treat and not a complete food.

 

[maggie101]

Would you recommend this for a kitten? (If they have kitten food)

If you compare kitten to adult there is no difference in cals,carbs,fat,protein. Kitten active will need more. Same as adults

 

[thatphysicsteacher]

I am, too! Thanks again! Hmm. Interesting. My biggest thing is that some sources say that specific foods are fine but others say they're not. Like spinach. I have read that it's fine but I've also read that it some be avoided. Yes, plain cooked meat is the best thing to feed your cat. Ugh. Byproducts. I hate that they have to put that mess in cat food. Meow Mix is probably the last cat food I'd ever buy. *shudders*

you’re right! some sources say it’s okay to feed cats somethings and others may not, double check any info by adding ASPCA at the end of the question so that google will bring you to an ASPCA site where the information is most accurate and I completely agree, feeding them the most natural diet is the best

 

[KittyJ]

Okay, I'll have to remember that! Thank you! It is, indeed.

 

[maggie101]

maggie101
I use some of the Go! by Petcurian.
The pates are not really too bad with fruits or vegetables. I normally buy the Lamb and Wild boar & remove a few small potato bits before serving.

I have been wanting to try Petcurean GO! Fit + Free Grain Free Chicken, Turkey + Duck Pâté Recipe Cat Food Review

One of my cats will not touch tiki after dark very strange she does not like it and can't stand the smell. She has trouble eating anything with shreds. Maybe it's her small mouth and smooth toungh. So only pate.

 

[maggie101]

Maybe not. I just noticed it has apples. It's probably apple powder,not apple piece,s

I read somewhere else that apples are OK. It seems there's no right answer to anything related to cat food