Cat Nutrition

An act of kindness or love on your part can hurt or even kill your cat.  Cats stomachs and digestive systems have very little in common with those of humans.  For instance cats are primarily meat eaters.  Vegetables can actually make them sick.  Cats love the taste of milk, but cats are naturally lactose intolerant and so milk can make your cat sick.  The tips below explain what you should and should not feed your cat.

Bad breath, allergies, health problems and even death can be a direct result of giving cats human food.  No to mention diahrea, wet stool and urinary problems that can make a mess around your house.  The golden rule is no human foods.  But if you insist on giving your cat some human foods at least take a minute to read the list below of some of the most dangerous human foods for cats.

Cats are meat eaters.  Not vegetarians.  In nature cats do eat vegetables.  Cats will eat some vegetables if you feed them to them, but these vegetables can cause build ups of substances in the cats body that they have trouble getting rid of.  For example:  ammonia.

Onions destroy red blood cells in cats.  This in turn causes anemia and causes the cats blood to circulate properly. Garlic can cause similar problems to a lessor extent. Symptoms include weakness, laziness and panting.

In the wild cats catch their own dinner. It's fresh, unprocessed and has not been exposed to salmonella and other diseases. Eating store bought meat that has not been cooked can make them very sick.  Oh sure, they'll beg you for it, but it can make them very sick. Uncooked meats can contain bacteria and parasites that can cause serious health problems. such as stomach pain, vomiting, diahrea, fever, lethargy, shock and dehydration.

Raw fish can contain tapeworms that can interfere with the cat’s digestive functions. Raw fish can also reduce thiamin which can make the cat sick.  Simply, do not feed cats raw fish.

Cats are born lactose intolerant.  They do not have the enzymes to break down the lactose in milk.  Drinking milk can irritate their skin and cause diarrhea.  If your cat is used to drinking milk then try switching to lactose free milk products.  Do not give your cat baby formula.

Baby foods are unhealthy for cats because many of them contain onion powder that can lead to anemia.

Never give a cat bones that are cooked and tender. They can easily splinter and cause choking in the animal. Raw bones can be a great treat for the cat. They contain calcium and phosphorous, and are a good way to help clean the animal’s.

Liver is bad for cats.  Liver is so high in vitamin A that cats can actually overdose on it.

Tuna is bad for cats because tuna can contain high amounts of mercury  which can cause mercury poisoning.  Canned tuna is bad for cats because of the high levels of fat that the tuna is packed in which can lead the cat's ystem to lose vitamin E resulting in impaired mobility, fever and flaking skin.

Raw eggs can contain bacteria and salmonella, and can actually hurt the growth and appearance of your cats fur.  On the other hand, cooked eggs are a great sources of protein for your cat.  So eggs are okay.  Just cook them first.

Other human foods that can cause health problems for cats include nuts, alcoholic beverages, yeast dough, rhubarb, tomato or potato leaves, coffee and coffee grounds, tea and foods containing citrus oils. So be cautious next time you think about feeding your cat something from the table. You never know what can happen.

There are a huge number of pet foods and so we will not attempt to rate or rank all of them here.  Instead we would simply like to explain that "not all cat foods are the same".  Some are poor in quaility, nutrients, etc and can have negative affects on pets starting with gas, bad breath, diarhea, moist soft stool and can have even worse side effects that can affect your cats health.  While it might sound smart to buy cheap cat foods today, you may regret this decision as you start spending money in the future on things like having your carpet and furniture cleaned, trips to the veterinarian, and find yourself face to face with a cat with bad breath and gas.... Make the right choice.  Buy pet foods that are specifically recommended by veterinarians for your pet.

For cats living in Southwest Florida we recommend Hills Science Diet (if your cat is having some kind of health problem related to nutrition) and distilled water (helps your cat avoid getting life threatening crystals). Feel free to stop in and we will help you select the right selection (kittens, older cats, overweight cars, etc) and type of food (canned, moist or dry) for your cats lifestyle (outdoor, active, indoor, lazy, etc).  You and your cat will both be happier if you make the right decision for your cats nutition.