Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Dangerous Foods for Your Cat

As I'm beginning to learn what foods my newest furry family likes and dislikes, I have to be careful and make sure I'm not giving her anything dangerous or unhealthy. Thankfully with my pet medical background, I already have a pretty good idea of what not to feed my cat. Still, I always learn something new everyday so I definitely don't know everything.

Depositphotos/docer2000

Last week, I was chatting with Callie's previous owner as she shared some things I might want or need to know about my new cat. What does Callie like to eat? Well, according to her former mom she loves to eat bananas. I thought it was weird, but bananas are tasty. Apparently, Callie also likes to eat Goldfish cheese crackers.

I've never seen a cat eat a banana before, so I had to give her a bite. She licked it for a while and then went on about her business.


Then, I had to make sure bananas were safe for cats to eat. What if I was feeding my cat a dangerous food? Working as a vet tech, I'd never heard of banana toxicity in cats so I assumed it was OK. But, I wanted to double check - just in case. The only information I can find says that yes, bananas are safe for cats to eat. Only in moderation however, because cats are carnivores and bananas aren't meat.

I've also had a lot of people ask me if it was OK to give their cat dog food. Well, a nibble of dog kibble here and there isn't going to hurt your cat. However, cats should not be fed solely on a diet of dog food. Dog food does not contain enough proteins or fatty acids for cats, and feeding your cat a dog food diet will lead to severe undernourishment over time.

What other dangerous foods for cats are there? Cooked bones, onions, garlic, chives, chocolate, and cow's milk just to name a few. If you'd like to see a more complete list, check out this infographic from Vet-Medic. It's titled "Cats: Treat vs. Poison" and is helpful in identifying dangerous foods for cats.

We all know someone who likes to give their cats leftovers. My mom was really bad about this. She would save every little leftover piece of food for her cats to eat. Sharing this infographic can help educate others and keep their cats healthy and safe.

Click here to see the full infographic about dangerous foods for your cat. 

The "Treats vs Poison" infographic also gave me some good ideas on new treats to try with Callie. I'm sure she'd love some canned fish, like sardines. Or maybe some melon? She likes bananas after all. I had no idea that melon could help with digestive issues, but apparently it can. (See - learning something new everyday!)

Vet-Medic's infographic also discusses the pros and cons of giving raw meaty bones to your cat. Something I've never personally tried, but it does interest me.

What about your cat - do they like to eat anything "weird"? What's their favorite treat?

This post is sponsored by Vet-Medic. I received compensation to help spread the word about Vet-Medic's infographic, but Pawsitively Pets only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. All opinions expressed here are our own and completely honest. Vet-medic is not responsible for the content of this post. 

24 comments:

  1. Yep, we all have to be careful what we eat but I don't think I would like bananas!

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  2. Interesting! I have never thought to give my kitties a banana!!! I'll have to try that one out lol!
    ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!

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  3. That's a great infographic.......The only "weird" thing I like is yogurt.....which has milk in it but it doesn't seem to bother me.....it's the only thing that I'll eat with my thyroid medication hidden in it so that's why Mom's glad I like it!

    Hugs, Sammy

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    1. Well, yogurt doesn't seem too too strange Sammy. But it's good that your mom can hide your medicine in there!

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  4. I've got to tell you - I never would have thought "dog food" was not good for cats. Makes sense once I think about it, but this was interesting stuff for me to read today. Thanks Ann.

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    1. My mom was the one who most recently had asked me about giving her cats dog food instead of cat food because dog food is cheaper. I told her the cats could eat dog food every now and then, but not all the time. Glad you learned something :)

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  5. My cat sis Sophie sticks to cat products, but cat bro Bert, another story. He eats anything and everything including dog food. He has his cat food diet, but he prefers to supplement it with anything he can get his teet on.

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    1. I don't know about Callie yet... but I did just see her stick her paw in a little bag of Frito's chips to try and get one out. MOL

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  6. I was just wondering the other day if cats had to avoid the same toxins as dogs.

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    1. I'd say that for the most part, you'd want to avoid the same things with dogs and cats.

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  7. great stuff! We just posted about Vet-Medic last week, great to get the word out!

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  8. callie....hope everee things settlin down for ewe now N ya GOTTA try trout....thanx for sharin thiz link...we apurreciates thiz....heer in de land oh trout ya can catch uz tryin ta sneek butter, donuts, & sghetti o's, cheerios, anda wee bit oh ice creem ♥♥♥

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    1. Oh yes... trout would be excellent! ;) She's been eating fish flavored canned food, you'd be happy to know.

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  9. Great post. We are glad Callie is doing so well.

    Moosey loves lettuce, if you can believe it!

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  10. Good information! I'm too picky to eat other stuff, then my natural food, but Granny's Angel ate lots of cheese :D Pawkisses for a Happy Week ahead :) <3

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  11. Great info ! Zorro loves bread and wants to eat everything that a human eats ! Purrs

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  12. Bananas? That's definitely strange! Rhette seems to just want his food unless I am getting a treat he wants one. Mom's first cat loved Wendy's frosty, french fries and chips and dad always had a crowd when he'd eat sardines! Love Dolly

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    1. That sounds like an interesting variety of food!

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  13. Good reminder that we need to be careful with the food we feed.

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  14. We agree a good reminder. Have a wonderful Wednesday.
    Best wishes Molly

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  15. Bananas - MOL! How funny. Delilah loves popcorn… she gets a piece or two whenever we have some (which is rare), but that is definitely not good for her!

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  16. I find it hard to believe the cats would eat melon, but I am going to try it sometime! Sam tries to steal dog food and treats all the time, as well as the human's crackers. Our cat Donny used to love popcorn and potato chips. We didn't let him eat a lot, just a little bit now and then.

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  17. Never heard about bananas and cats before!! I know grapes and onions are poisonous and also various plants, especially lilies!

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  18. Thanks for sharing these infos. I've never thought that Cows milk is bad for cats.

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