What are toxic foods for a cat?
One of the questions that pet owners normally ask is what are the toxic foods for a cat or dog. In this article we will focus on felines and the list of prohibited foods in their diet:
- Caffeine, theobromine and theine
- Milk and lactose
- Alcohol
- Onion and Garlic
- Salt, sugar and spices
- Avocado
Caffeine, theobromine and theine
Caffeine, theobromine and theine, or in other words, Coffee, chocolate and tea are highly harmful to the cats' organism. They speed up your pulse and can cause vomiting, diarrhea and other digestive problems. In case of large ingestions the result can be fatal, so avoid these foods at all costs.
Milk and lactose
Despite the popular belief that cats love milk and that it is healthy for them at any stage of their life, this is a mistake because The adult cat is lactose intolerant. Dairy consumption can cause significant digestive problems.
Although it seems obvious, sometimes veterinarians have to attend urgent consultations for alcoholic beverages in cats. We must avoid at all costs that our cat ingested alcohol, since it is a very dangerous drug And the result of the intake can be fatal to our pet's organism.
Onion and Garlic
Onion and garlic, as well as leek, are related to the destruction of red blood cells, that is, they can cause anemia in our pets. That is why we must prevent our cat from eating them and this includes the leftovers of our food, which usually contain some of these foods even in small proportions.
Salt, sugar and spices
Salt, sugar and spices are part of our diet, but they do not have to be part of that of our furry companion. These foods are related to hypertension, digestive problems and other diseases that we can avoid if we exclude them from our pets' diet.
Avocado is a very fatty fruit and, although in the human diet it is considered to provide aporta good fats ’, we must avoid it at all costs in the feeding of our pets, because in addition to the caloric intake it contains persina, which is very harmful. It is preferable that our cat acquires the necessary caloric intake of other substances such as salmon oil.
Bones and bones
Despite the typical image of the cartoon kitten that gnaws a fish bone, bones and bones can only cause problems. They are the main cause of death by asphyxiation in pets and are related to other problems such as perforations and ulcers.
The list of dangerous foods could be endless depending on the expert with whom we speak, so to conclude We recommend that you consult your trusted specialist. It goes without saying at this point that Do not give your pet anything that has not been specially designed for its breed, age and size.
1. Chocolate is one of the most toxic foods for cats:
How to give chocolate to our cat? Well, it is best not to give anything at all. The chocolate It is a highly toxic food for cats and dogs, as it contains theobromine. Theobromine belongs to a group called methylxanthines, and is a central nervous system stimulating alkaloid.
Theobromine is a chemical relative of the caffeine, and even if it has a somewhat softer effect, it takes longer to be removed from the body of cat. The more toxic is dark chocolate and chocolate cover, since they are purer. Relatively small amounts of dark chocolate can cause a good breakdown to your cat.
What effects causes the chocolate in cats? As toxic cat food, a not very large dose of chocolate can cause them:
- TOceleration of the heart rhythm, state of excitation
- Diarrhea, vomiting,
- And in sufficient quantity, the coma and even death.
When eliminated slowly, continued intake, even in very small doses may result in intoxication of your cat. -Ah, and a note. Some people say that this is not a danger because cats do not like chocolate. This is not true, I have cats that try to eat chocolate (I just don't let them). So no chocolate for cats!
2. Caffeine is a cat poison:
Caffeine stimulates the nervous system of cats, dogs and humans. But in a cat the reaction is much greater than in us because they weigh so little. The Caffeine is toxic to cats, and can cause nervous system disorders and symptoms such as:
- restlessness,
- rapid breathing> 3. Cooked, boiled, roasted chicken bones are bad for cats:
Some parts of chicken bones can be given to catYes, but you have to warn of the potential danger that can arise for a cat to eat a cooked chicken bone (if it is not minced or ground, of course).
Cooked or roasted bones, do not is that they be toxic food for cats, But they are easily splinters. Upon splitting, they can wreak havoc on the digestive system or in your cat's mouth, an emergency visit to the veterinarian may be necessary.
4. Beer and alcohol in general are toxic foods for cats:
Cats, in addition to being smaller and weighing less than us, have a faster metabolism and do not process alcohol correctly. In small doses it is not lethal, but we will make the cat suffer because it will get nervous and will vary your behavior. The cat could be sleepy and disorientated or even aggressive and can attack.
In addition to causing urinary incontinence, in higher doses alcohol can leave in coma and even kill a cat. Moral, it is not funny to give alcohol to a cat!
5. Onion and Garlic are toxic foods for cats in high or continuous doses over time:
If we give garlic or onion to our cat in large doses, or continuously (almost every day), they can cause anemia and cause gastrointestinal problems.
The culprit is the thiosulfate, which is difficult for our pets to process and damagesred blood cellsof the blood.
Symptoms of anemia in cats include:
- weakness, vomiting,
- little interest in food and
- apathy.
Onion, chives, leek:
Onion is another of the toxic food for cats. But the levels of thiosulfate on the onionto they are taller than garlic, which makes the onion isA foodmore dangerous for cats than garlic So when we prepare homemade cat food, we should not include onion, ok.
And if I have a meat with sauce and some onion inside, can I give it to my cat? Well, not every day, but one day a little sauce nothing happens. What you need to avoid giving your cat are large amounts of onion or give it to him every day.
6. Grapes and raisins are toxic foods for cats and dogs:
The reason is unclear, but both grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure in some dogs. The fact that the dog vomits after eating raisins would be a clear warning sign.
It is not clear what effects raisins cause in cats, but as a precaution knowing what causes dogs, keep raisins and grapes out of your cat's reach.
-I have an experience in this regard. One of my cats ate a handful of raisins and gave him enough diarrhea for a whole day. So to prevent, it is best to keep grapes and raisins out of your cat's reach.
7. Avocado can be toxic to your cat:
Avocado is a case similar to the previous one. It contains a substance called Persin which is harmless to humans but it can be Toxic for dogs and other pets and livestock.
Not only does the avocado meat contain it, but it is present throughout the plant: seed, bark and leaves. Although I have not read specific cases of any cat, as a precaution, it is better to avoid feeding your cat avocado or guacamole.
8. Toxic lemon for cats:
The Lemon is cat poison, especially due to its strong essential oils. What effects does lemon cause in cats? It will depend on the dose, but if your cat eats lemon, and above all, if he licks lemon essential oil, he may have diarrhea, vomiting, and you will also see that your cat is sad and lethargic.
The sugardo not is a toxic cat food, but it has consequences similar to those it causes in humans, such as tooth loss, obesity and even diabetes.
The difference is that with a lot less sugar, a cat can affect his health. So when we make homemade cat food, it is better not to include any sugar. (Although if a loose day your cat tastes a little sugar, nothing will happen).
10. Products sweetened with xylitol:
Products sweetened with xylitol if they are toxic foods for cats and dogs. Xylitol is used to sweeten gum. There are no known cases in cats, but in dogs may cause an increase in insulin, which could lead to a significant drop in blood sugar.
Initially the symptoms of xylitol poisoning they would include vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy or loss of coordination. As a precaution, since it is toxic to dogs, do not leave gum or candy with sweetener or saccharin within your cat's reach.
Cow milk:
If you are going to give milk to your cat, it is best to give lactose-free milk (lactose free) or lowered with plenty of water. If what you have is a nursing kitten, you should buy special milk for kittens, which is marketed in the market (usually powdered and reconstituted with water). You can read more about this topic, including what types of milk you can give your cat in milk for cats
1. Salty foods
Salt is not good for cats because, if taken in excess, they can end up accumulating in the kidney and this causes problems when draining and eliminating toxins, in addition, excess salt can also cause hypertension. For this reason, foods that contain a lot of salt such as sausagesFor example, they are not recommended to give to these animals. The turkey or low-salt york ham can be given to your pet from time to time.
4. Onion, leek and garlic
Long-term consumption of onion and leek can lead to high toxicity in cats, as well as dogs. Likewise, it also favors the appearance of other pathologies, such as anemia. However, more and more studies show that controlled doses of garlic can be excellent natural dewormers.
5. Chocolate
It is another of the big banned in cats and dogs because it contains a substance that is toxic to these animals (known as "theobromine"). Chocolate can speed up your cat's heart rate, cause vomiting and diarrhea, failures in the body and can even cause the animal to die.
6. Avocado
It is a fruit that is very rich in fat, so you should not give it to your cat because it can cause stomach problems and even pancreatitis. In general, you should not give fatty foods because they do not digest them well and cause serious intestinal problems (sweets, pastries, fried foods, sauces, etc.).
8. Raw fish
Tartar, sushi or any recipe that includes raw fish should never be given to a cat because it contains an enzyme that causes vitamin B deficiency in the animal's organism. The lack of this vitamin can cause serious problems such as seizures and even become in a coma. In addition, they can also contain bacteria that cause food poisoning.
We have already said that foods with fat should not be given to cats and sweets are one of them but, in addition, it is not advised that you give this food because it can lead to the animal suffering from liver failure.
Other aspects of feeding in cats
In addition to the prohibited foods for cats that we have just listed, you must take into account other aspects in relation to feeding so that you get not to harm your pet.
- Never give him bones or thorns of fish: it could become drowned and can even damage the organs by perforating the intestine or blocking the intestinal tract. So be careful with what you give your cat!
- Plants such as lilies, poinsettia (the Christmas plant), ivy or oleanders are toxic plants for cats so avoid having them at home because the animal will be attracted to them and eat them.
- Do not feed your cat with dog food because the nutritional needs of both animals have nothing to do. Cats need an amino acid that is known as taurine and that if not taken in the necessary doses can cause serious heart disease.
- The tuna that people eat is not good for cats It is not a toxic food but it lacks taurine so do not pretend to feed your animal with this product because it will not provide the essential nutrients it needs to be strong and healthy.
In this Animal Expert article we give you more recommendations about cat feeding.
If you want to read more articles similar to Prohibited food for cats, we recommend that you enter our section on feeding problems.
1. FOODS PROHIBITED FOR CATS
There are a number of foods that are extremely dangerous for felines, and that can seriously harm their health. The main ones are:
- Chocolate: contains theobromine, which is a central nervous system stimulating alkaloid. Once ingested, it takes a long time to be removed from the cat's body, and can cause heart rate acceleration, excitement, diarrhea, vomiting, and even death.
- Caffeine: it is another stimulant of the nervous system of cats and, as such, can cause important disorders in it. Its effects are manifested by restlessness, rapid breathing, palpitations, seizures and diarrhea.
- Cooked, boiled or roasted chicken bones: they are not toxic to cats but they can be harmful, because the chicken bones are easily splintered, and can wreak havoc on the mouth or digestive system.
- Onion, scallions, leek and garlic: they contain thiosulfate, which is a compound that damages red blood cells. If you supply any of these foods to your cat, either in large doses or continuously, you can cause anemia or gastrointestinal problems, which are manifested by weakness, anemia, lack of appetite, vomiting and apathy.
- Beer and alcohol in general: in small doses it is not lethal, but if your cat takes it, it can suffer drowsiness, disorientation, urinary incontinence and even develop aggressive behaviors.
- Avocado: without becoming toxic, it is harmful because excess fat can cause stomach disorders or pancreatitis in cats.
- Nuts: regardless of whether they contain salt or not, it is not recommended that cats consume them due to the possibility of developing kidney failure, vomiting, diarrhea and other digestive problems.
2. TOXIC PLANTS FOR CATS
If your cat loves to nibble the leaves of the plants you should be careful, since there are many varieties that can be toxic or poisonous, causing eye damage, dermatitis, digestive disorders, kidney, and even nervous system disorders. For this reason, it is important that you immediately go to the veterinarian if you observe any of the following symptoms after ingestion:
- Irritations to the skin and eyes.
The relationship of the main poisonous plants for cats are the following:
