What foods are not good for cats?

Answer 1

It's okay to give a cat human food as a treat, but human food should never constitute the cat's entire diet.

Unlike dogs, which can live on an omnivorous diet, and can actually survive on a vegetarian diet, cats are strictly carnivores. So, usually, the only human food a cat will eat is meat and other animal products. There are exceptions, of course (for example, my uncle once had a cat that liked to eat Oranges), but generally, cats only like foods made from animals.

Chicken and turkey (any sort of fowl) are the healthiest meats for cats. You can feed your cat chicken/turkey off the bone, or you can feed it processed chicken/turkey slices (deli slices). However, processed food is full of salts and preservatives so it is not ideal for a cat to eat this often. You can also feed a cat roast beef, lamb, fish (but be careful to remove any bones from the fish), and shrimp. It is often claimed that pork and pork-related foods (ham, bacon etc.) shouldn't be given to cats due to the link that tapeworm may be carried by some pigs. However, my vet says that this is a total myth. Pork/ham is perfectly healthy for cats, as long as it is cooked properly.

Many cats also like eggs, especially scrambled eggs and hardboiled egg yolks. Don't feed the cat any raw eggs, though.

Many cats also like milk, certain cheeses (including cottage cheese), and butter, but dairy products like these can give cats gas and other digestive problems as many are lactose intolerant. So, if your cat likes to eat cheese, milk, and/or butter, you should only give it very small portions of these foods.

Answer 2

Alcohol, Apricot, cherry, peach pits, almond nuts, apple seeds, Avocado, Citrus, Chocolate, Coffee & Tea, Grapes & raisins, Milk, Macadamia nuts.

There are many human foods that are toxic to a cat:

Chocolate - Can affect the heart and nervous system causing excitement / nervousness / trembling, vomiting / diarrhoea, seizures, muscle spasms, coma and death.

Caffeine - Can affect the heart and nervous system and causes the same or similar symptoms as chocolate.

Alcohol - Giving a cat alcohol repeatedly (or a lot of) will cause liver damage, breathing difficulties, coma and even death.

Garlic (any form) - Can damage red blood cells and lead to anemia.

Onion (any form) - Can damage red blood cells and lead to anemia. Onions are more toxic than garlic.

Tomatoes (all aspects of the fruit and plant) - Can cause the digestive, nervous, and urinary systems, but mostly causes severe digestive upset.

Potatoes (Raw and plant) - Can cause the digestive, nervous, and urinary systems, but mostly causes severe digestive upset.

Mushrooms - Some species of mushroom are highly dangerous as the can cause shock and even death.

Grapes and Raisins - It is unknown why these are toxic, but even a tiny amount can severely damage the kidneys.

Macadamia Nuts - Can cause gastrointestinal upsets, lethargy, vomiting and muscle tremors or stiffness.

Foods that are potentially harmful:

Liver (in large amounts) - A small bit of raw liver on occasion is very beneficial to a cat.

COOKED bones and fish bones (including raw and cooked) - Cooked bones are very hard and brittle and will splinter which can cause obstruction or laceration in the digestive system. Raw bones are much safer as they are soft and do not splinter.

Dog Food - Dog food is vastly different to cat food so doesn't have the added Vitamins and Fatty Acids cats need, such as Taurine.

Foods high in Salt and Sugar - Too much of both can harm your cat's health (sugar can cause obesity and Diabetes and salt will cause a chemical imbalance, as well as dehydration).

Milk - Cow's milk, despite popular belief, is not tolerated by many cats as many are lactose intolerant. An adult cat gets no nutrition from any sort of milk, but specially formulated cat or kitten milk can be used as an occasional treat.

Answer 3

You should not give your cats people food on a regular bases. But on occasion raw and plain cooked meats such as chicken, turkey and beef are good foods. Oily fish and eggs such as pilchards are also very healthy foods that can be given as a treat.

Answer 4

Basically, all of them. Adult cats are lactose intolerant for the most part (although they will drink milk if offered, it causes diarrhea) and don't need the grease, salt and sugar in human foods. Any change in a diet can cause a cat to become sick.

Answer 5

Human medicines should not be given to cats and even very small doses can be fatal.

Large amounts of onion or garlic can be poisonous to cats.

Cats are lactose intolerant so they avoid sugary foods or too much milk.