MOST IMPORTANTLY:
-No garlic, no onions, no shallots no chives and no leeks in any form (raw, cooked, dried, powdered, or dehydrated).
-No grapes, raisins, sultanas, or zante currants. They’re not as toxic to cats as they are to dogs, but they’re still toxic.
-No alcohol, chocolate or caffeine
-No artificial sweeteners or sugar substitutes (xylitol, aspartame, sucralose, saccharine, and others)
-No penny royal or wintergreen
-No raw yeast or raw yeast doughs (yeasted uncooked bread, rolls, or pizza dougs)
All of the above foods are extremely toxic to cats.
-No to some mushrooms.
Cats can eat plain, commercially grown edible mushrooms (such as white button or portobello mushrooms) so if you have a little meat that’s got those mushrooms along with it don’t be afraid to give it to a cat. Wild foraged mushrooms should not be fed to cats.
-No citrus fruits or flavorings. The fruit pulp itself is unlikely to kill them, but will cause digestive issues. The seeds, peels, zest, oils and leaves are of greater concern.
-No cooked bones (they can splinter)
-Anything that is spiced or herbed is probably a no
Specifically nutmeg, mace, cinnamon, allspice, tarragon, oregano, hot peppers, any mints, or any mustards beyond trace or very small amounts are likely to cause stomach upset and digestive issues.
Salt and black pepper only in small
amounts (high salt is bad for multiple organs, black pepper causes stomach upset)
-Processed meats such as bacon, hotdogs, sausage, ham, salami, and other deli meats have too much salt and fat in them to be safely fed to cats consistently. And even if you do want to give them a little piece as a treat, you have to be sure that it does not contain any of the spices known to be toxic to cats.
-No raw eggs
This is due to risk of salmonella poisoning and because they interfere with the absorption of vitamin B7 in cats. Cooked eggs are fine.
-Most adult cats digest lactose poorly, and some are intolerant.
This means that anything but a small amount of plain milk or other dairy products that have not been fermented might give stomach upset.
-No blue/mold cheeses at all
Even long fermented cheeses, like an aged cheddar, should only be given in very small amounts.
Most cats can safely have unflavored yogurt and Kefir and goat milk but cats that are extremely lactose intolerant might develop diarrhea even from those foods.
-No raw fish or shell fish (Has both immediate and long term risks. It’s difficult for cats to communicate to you if they’ve picked up a parasite or food borne illness. And consistent eating of raw fish will make cats deficient in vitamin B1)
-Raw meat carries the same risks as raw fish. Raw meat and raw pet foods can carry bacteria, parasites and, depending on the source and outbreak conditions, viruses. Freezing, freeze-drying and dehydration do not reliably eliminate all pathogens. Some manufacturers use high-pressure processing or other pathogen-reduction steps, but these methods do not necessarily sterilize the product. Thorough cooking provides a more reliable pathogen-reduction step.
This is of special concern when pathogens that cause conditions like bird flu are widely circulating.
If you are determined to feed your cats raw fish or meats, then do so by purchasing cat foods made with those ingredients by a cat food producer who uses techniques like high-pressure treatments and acid washing to reduce the risk of pathogenic contamination, and who also tests every batch of their food for pathogens.
Some raw meat cat food producers might list that information right on the label but in many instances you’re gonna have to call or email the cat food producer to see what their safety processes entail. And again, freezing, freeze drying and dehydrating are not adequate practices alone for killing off pathogens.
-Liver is OK, but it must not be fed to cats excessively otherwise you risk vitamin A toxicity.
-Avocado flesh in only small amounts. Avocado flesh is not considered highly toxic to cats. A small amount is unlikely to cause poisoning, although its high fat content may cause vomiting or diarrhea. Do not offer large quantities. Keep the pit away because it can cause choking or intestinal obstruction, and avoid the skin, leaves and bark because they contain persin and may cause gastrointestinal illness.
-Tuna that is cooked and intended for human consumption is OK but it should not replace complete cat food because it is nutritionally incomplete and frequent feeding can contribute to dietary imbalance. Avoid tuna packed in heavily salted brine, oil, sauces or seasonings.
-Dog food is not toxic to cats, but if fed to cats excessively it can lead to nutrient deficiencies.
-No fat trimmings, greasy meats or fried foods. They are calorie-dense and may cause vomiting or diarrhea. They are especially inappropriate for cats with gastrointestinal, pancreatic, hepatic or weight-related disease.
-Apple seeds in large enough quantities can poison cats. Just one or two apple seeds swallowed whole probably won’t cause any issues, but if your cat eats a lot of apple seeds, especially if they chew them up and crush them, then they could have a serious poisoning effect.
-Cats can safely eat corn, but you should not give them an entire corn on the cob because if they start chewing up the cob, they could choke on pieces of it, or they could swallow pieces of it, which could then become an obstruction in their digestive tract
-Macadamia nuts are often cited as being toxic to cats, but there’s actually no evidence of that. It’s dogs that they are extremely toxic to.
No food intended for human consumption in general if you’re going to try and use that as a substitute for food prepared for cats. Cats can have occasional treats from the human table, but they have specific nutritional needs that human food is not going to meet. Specifically, they need larger amounts of taurine, arginine, preformed vitamin A, niacin, and arachidonic acid and less salt and fat than typically found in human food.
You can make up your own cat food by mixing meats with nutritional supplements made specifically for cats, but you have to do it correctly and follow guidelines. If you do so you should make sure to also include enough beneficial fiber from appropriate vegetable and grain sources. It’s very trendy right now to feed pets an all meat diet, but both cats and dogs require fiber in their diet to maintain their health and meat alone does not provide that.
Here’s a tip. If I am cooking up some type of meat and I know that I would like to give my cats some for a treat I will make sure to cook a portion of that meat completely unseasoned and separated from other foods. That way I can give my cats that treat without having to worry. And it’s OK to grease the cooking surface with a little butter, olive oil, vegetable oil or seed oils to help it not stick. That wont harm your cats.
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE realize that just because your cat or some other cat that you know about ate or drank one of the things in this post indicated to be toxic to, or not digested well by cats doesn’t mean that its OK to give your cat that thing.
That cat may have gone and curled up somewhere and had a very bad and painful stomach ache or headache that you or their owner didn’t know about because a cat can’t say “Hey I’ve got a bad headache and stomach ache now” and because cats are well known for hiding the fact that they are in pain.
And finally: WHEN IN DOUBT DON’T FEED IT TO YOUR CATS
OTHER THINGS TOXIC TO CATS:
ALL ESSENTIAL OILS will make cats sick sooner or later, whether directly applied to the cat or diffused throughout the room. There is no essential oil that is good for cats. And just because a cat may seem to be tolerating it for the moment does not mean that they will not eventually get sick in the future.
MOST HUMAN BUG REPELLENTS will make cats sick or even kill them. Bug repellents like DEET or picaridin or citronella will sicken them.
The tick repellent Permethrin will kill them. This is especially true when it’s still in its wet form, but even after it has dried onto clothes if the cats lick those clothes enough they could get very sick or die.
If you wear Permethrin treated clothes when you go outside to protect yourself from ticks, you’re going to have to take those clothes off before you come back into your house or immediately afterwards and store them in some cat proof container.
And be aware that some dog tick and flea products have permethrin in it.
MANY HOUSE PLANTS are toxic to cats.
Anytime you’re thinking of bringing a new plant in your house you have to check first to see if it’s safe. All the different types of lilies are especially deadly to cats. Even just a single lick of the plant or the water it’s sitting in from some species of lilies can cause kidney failure and death. Never ever have them in the house.
MANY HUMAN MEDICATIONS are toxic to cats. Do not leave even over-the-counter medication’s, like aspirin or Tylenol around in a manner where cats could eat them.
The hair growth medication minoxidil deserves special mention. It’s toxic to both cats and dogs, but especially to cats. Even just a small amount of exposure to it can kill a cat. For example, if you massage it into your scalp and a cat ends up licking your scalp or hands that still have some minoxidil on them it can kill the cat. Even if a cat happens to lie on your pillowcase with just small amounts of minoxidil on it and then groom themselves afterwards that cat could die.
ANTIFREEZE IS EXTREMELY TOXIC TO CATS. Many antifreezes are now treated with a bitter agent so that pets and children won’t consume them, but not all. Besides storing the bottle safely you have to make sure that antifreeze has not leaked onto your driveway or your garage floor or a cat could lick it up. Even an antifreeze that has a bitter agent in it could kill your cat if they accidentally step in it, and then lick their fur to groom themselves.
And please be sure that your cats are spayed or neutered ,up-to-date on their vaccines and microchipped. This is especially important for outdoor cats but important for all cats.
And please bring your cats to see their vet at least once a year for a general wellness exam. This is especially important for senior cats, which is typically defined as cats 10 years old or older.
50% of cats 10 years old or older will at some point develop kidney disease and 10% will develop hyperthyroidism .
You will note that I have paid the cat tax with photos of my senior cats.
Balinese- Franny (The great huntress)
Black domestic long hair - Leo (The grumpy zen monk)
Himalayan mixed breed- Connie (The goddess of compassion)
I dedicate all merit from this post to my three cats
