Your cat is watching you cook. Here is what is safe to share, what to keep out of reach, and when to call for help.
Cats are obligate carnivores. Their bodies are built to run on animal protein, and they need nutrients, such as the amino acid taurine, that a complete commercial cat food supplies. Human food should only ever be an occasional treat, and most veterinarians suggest treats stay under about 10 percent of a cat’s daily calories.
Safe in small amounts
- Cooked, plain meat: chicken, turkey or lean beef with no skin, bones, seasoning or sauce.
- Cooked fish: boneless salmon or white fish, as a rare treat.
- Cooked egg: scrambled or hard-boiled, plain.
- Plain pumpkin: a teaspoon of plain canned pumpkin, not pie filling.
- Some vegetables: a little steamed carrot, green beans or cucumber, if your cat is curious.
Keep these away
- Onions, garlic, chives and leeks, fresh, cooked or powdered. They can damage red blood cells, and they hide in soups, sauces and baby food.
- Chocolate, coffee and tea. They contain theobromine and caffeine, which are toxic to cats.
- Alcohol and raw yeast dough.
- Grapes and raisins. They are best known for poisoning dogs, and animal poison centers advise keeping them away from cats too.
- Xylitol, the sweetener in sugar-free gum and some peanut butters.
- Raw fish, raw eggs and raw meat from your own kitchen, which can carry bacteria and, in the case of some raw fish, destroy thiamine.
- Milk. Many adult cats are lactose intolerant, and the milk in a saucer often ends in an upset stomach.
- Cooked bones and fat trimmings, which can splinter or cause pancreatitis.
The one rule worth taping to the fridge: when in doubt, leave it out.
Not food, but just as dangerous
True lilies and daylilies are among the most dangerous things a cat can encounter. Every part of the plant, including the pollen and the water in the vase, can cause kidney failure. If you love cut flowers and cats, leave lilies at the florist.
If your cat eats something it shouldn’t
Call your veterinarian or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 right away, even if your cat seems fine. Have the packaging with you. Do not try to make your cat vomit unless a professional tells you to. Speed matters more than certainty.
The Cat House Foundation ■ Modeling for a Cause. Photo: Pexels.