Good pet nutrition is important for your cat's well-being. While you may be tempted to "treat" your cat with occasional human food it's best to avoid this temptation. Cats don't need the same kinds of foods we do for good health. In addition, there are several human foods that can cause health problems with your cat. These include:
- Onions and garlic. Your cat probably won't be attracted to the scent of onion and garlic, but if s/he is, avoid feeding these foods to your cat. Onion and garlic can destroy red blood cells in cats, which can lead to anemia.
- Green tomatoes and raw potatoes. Believe it or not, these plants come from the same nightshade family. They are very dangerous for cats. One green cherry tomato can can gastrointestinal distress and have a fatal effect on your cat due.
- Milk. It's true - too much milk can harm your cat. It's not toxic or poisonous, but many cats are lactose-intolerant, and are allergic to milk. If you must feed milk, do so on an every-other-day basis. You can also add cream to the milk, which has less lactose.
- Chocolate. Simply put, the ingredients in chocolate can be deadly for cats.
If you're in doubt about a certain food, don't attempt to feed it to your cat. If you think your cat has eaten a potentially dangerous food, contact your vet immediately.
You and your cat can enjoy food together, however. Give your cat some cat treats next time you cuddle up on the sofa with a bowl of popcorn.
