As you inadvertently crinkle the wrapper of your favorite candy bar, your cat’s built-in radar picks up the tempting sound, prompting her to awaken from a deep snooze to join you in an instant with pleading eyes. While it may be challenging to resist her charms, many foods that are a savored treat for you are in fact toxic foods for cats. As a loving pet owner, you only buy the best cat food. Harmful food for cats abounds in your kitchen, however.
While some human foods for cats are acceptable and safe in strict moderation, there is plenty of poisonous foods for cats that pet owners should be aware of. Despite the reputation of the finicky feline, many curious cats will show a propensity for sampling the very foods that they should avoid.
Foods Toxic to Cats
- Is chocolate bad for cats? Chocolate is deadly for cats. Chocolate contains theobromine and caffeine, both of which affect blood flow and cause fluid loss, affecting your cat’s central nervous system and causing heart failure. All varieties contain these substances; however, darker chocolates contain higher concentrations of the toxins, with baking chocolate being the most hazardous.
- Is avocado bad for cats? Next time you prepare an avocado, think twice about allowing your cat to dip into the guacamole. Avocados contain persin, a toxin that can cause severe gastrointestinal upset, respiratory distress and heart failure.
- Cats and onions Sulfoxides and disulfides found in onions attack your cat’s red blood cells when consumed, leading to anemia. These toxins are found in all onion products, including onion powder and onion flakes. Use caution when someone recommends feeding baby food to address your cat’s diminished appetite. Many baby food preparations contain some form of onion product; read labels carefully.
- Raisins While you have made a responsible and healthy choice to offer your child raisins to snack on, raisin consumption has been proven to cause kidney damage in cats. Once renal function is compromised, kidney disease is degenerative and will ultimately lead to kidney failure. Be watchful of snacking toddlers who mean well in their generosity to share with their furry friend.
- Cats and chicken bones Remove all bones from any tidbits of cooked chicken. Although cats miraculously survive in the wild on a diet consisting of birds, rodents and other prey, bones from meat or poultry cooked at home are harmful food for cats. Cooked bones can become lodged in your pet’s throat and can cause intestinal punctures, splintering and obstruction.
The best cat foods are not primarily human foods for cats. Choose a premium quality, all natural commercial diet that is specifically formulated with a cat’s nutritional requirements in mind. By keeping the aforementioned harmful foods for cats away from prying paws, you will divert an unwanted and potentially tragic consequence. Owning a dog too? Go here to learn about poisonous foods for dogs or if your dog is vomiting learn what to do.