I’m talking cat food this month, dear hearts. The other night while chowing down on a pork chop for dinner, it occurred to me that I’ve never seen a cat food can labeled “Pork Dinner” or “Ham ‘N Spam” or “With pork chop” for cats. I wondered why. So off to Dr. Google (the veterinarian version of Dr. Google) to find out why. Incidentally, I would NEVER feed my cats a food labeled “With.” My question has always been, WHAT with – – – roadkill with, veterinary surgical waste with, medical lab waste with??? I figure it’s anybody’s guess!
Anyway, apparently cats can have pork in small amounts. Pork is a great source of protein, but also a great source of fat which kitty does NOT need. Also, if you’re talking bacon or ham, it’s loaded with salt which kitty definitely does not need. As for giving them a taste of our prepared pork dishes, this “treat” could possibly be extremely toxic due to the salt, garlic, onion, and other spices we lavish on our pork recipes.
Let’s look at some “treats” that could mean that we’re helping kitty dig his/her grave with their teeth.
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Chocolate. Any amount could cause diarrhea, vomiting, muscle rigidity, seizures, cardiac arrest or coma.
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Dog Food. Not toxic per se but should never be substituted for cat food due to the nutritive value differences between dogs and cats.
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Grapes and Raisins. Contain a substance that causes kidney failure in cats.
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Liver. Too much can cause vitamin A toxicity that can affect a cat’s bones and lead to death in severe cases. Stands to reason; too much vitamin A is toxic to humans too.
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Milk and other Dairy Products. As cats age they become lactose intolerant and unable to digest dairy products, possibly causing gastrointestinal pain and diarrhea.
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Onions, Garlic and Chives. Be careful not to give your cat any food that has been prepared with these plants whether raw or cooked. They can cause a breakdown of your cat’s red blood cells, causing extreme anemia.
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Raw or undercooked Eggs, Meat or Fish. Raw eggs contain an enzyme that decreases the absorption of the B vitamin biotin, leading to skin and coat problems. Raw fish contains an enzyme that destroys thiamine, leading to neurological problems and could lead to convulsions and/or coma. And we all know about salmonella and E. Coli often found in raw meats.
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Raw Yeast Dough. Who with the intelligence of a pet rock would feed their pet (dog or cat) raw dough? You will find the answer to that by watching the evening news! Raw dough can actually rise in the stomach and intestines of the pet causing what has to be a torturously painful death!
I know, they tell us if we love them, we should feed them like family but, dear hearts I’d like to make the statement that this should be done WITH RESERVATION!!! Let’s just make a vow to Find Out Before We Feed and Be Discreet with that Treat! There are plenty of reputable places on the Web to find out about that and https://pets.webmd.com is one of the best.
P.S. If you’re wondering (as I did) if the raw eggs in egg nog have the same effect on humans, the answer is yes, but you’d have to drink gallons of it for it to have the same effect it does on your little 8 to 10 lb. cat. Speaking of egg nog, I forgot to add ALCOHOL to the no-no list above, but then who would give their pets alcohol in the first place? The answer to that question is undoubtedly somewhere on the web but I know not where since there already exists a website called “NUTS.COM” that has nothing to do with these less than idyllic individuals.
Allie
