Seven Foods NOT to Give Your Cat

Cats are famously fussy when it comes to food. But keeping her healthy often means avoiding some foods she loves.

Cats may be picky eaters, but that doesn’t mean they always know what foods are best for them. While any fare not specifically designed for felines can wreak havoc on your pet’s stomach, there are a few foods in particular that you should avoid feeding your cat:
 

1. Tuna: Tuna may be one of your feline’s favorite treats and it’s OK— but only in small doses. A steady diet of tuna prepared for humans can lead to a malnourished cat as it doesn’t contain all of the nutrients your pet needs. Tuna is also a mercury-rich food and when consumed in large enough doses, can cause mercury poisoning in both you and your feline friend.

 

2. Milk and other dairy products: Another feline favorite, milk can actually wreak havoc on your pet’s digestive tract. That’s because many adult cats are lactose-intolerant, leaving them with stomach issues such as diarrhea if they consume milk or other dairy products.

 

3. Fat trimmings and bones: Cats love these table scraps, but both cooked and uncooked fat and bones can be bad for your pet. Fat can lead to vomiting, diarrhea or an upset stomach, while bones can splinter, causing tears in Kitty’s digestive tract.

 

4. Grapes and raisins: Grapes, raisins and other similar foods such as currants can cause kidney failure in both cats and dogs. Even a small amount can make your pet sick, so watch for vomiting or hyperactivity as early signs that your cat may need immediate medical treatment if he’s consumed any of these forbidden foods.

5. Onions, garlic and chives: Onions and related roots contain a substance called N-propyl disulphide that can wreak havoc on your cat’s red blood cells. In large enough doses, this can cause anemia in your feline friend.

 

6. Chocolate: While chocolate is a tasty treat for humans, this sweet snack contains a stimulate called theobromine. The darker the chocolate, the higher its concentration of this bitter-tasting chemical that can cause heart problems, muscle tremors and seizures in cats. Chocolate also contains caffeine, another no-go for our feline friends.

 

7. Alcohol: This many seem like a no-brainer, but beer, wine, liquor and even foods containing alcohol are bad for our pets. Alcohol has the same detrimental effects on your cat’s liver and brain as is does in humans, but even two teaspoons is enough to kill a cat or leave him in a coma.

 
No matter how careful you are, pets sometimes eat something they shouldn’t. If you suspect your cat has consumed a toxic food or substance, call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 1-888-426-4435 immediately. The faster you get help, the better the possible outcomes for your pet.