some say you are what you eat.
same thing applies to your feline.
note that this article is referring to a full grown cat, as cats or rather kittens – need different types of foods at different ages.
In general your cat’s diet should give him entails an appropriately formulated raw and home-cooked, and not forgetting grain-free canned diet.
Recommended foods
- Proteins for cats
with all due respect to human vegans – Cats (just like other felines as tigers and lions etc.) are carnivores.
they need meat to survive and thrive.
Meat is one of the greatest sources of proteins for cats but be mindful about the amount of meat fat as too much can cause stomach upsets.
best off to trim off excess fatty portions before cooking the meat thoroughly.
examples of meat protein:
Lean beef and liver
Skinless chicken
Lamb, cooked eggs (NOT RAW), and lean deli meats. - Veggies for cats
AS cats are carnivorous they don’t need excessive amounts of veggies. But you can give them some of it regarding snacks. This’ll help with their digestive issues.
The following are safe for your cat:
Pumpkin/squash and peas
Cucumber and cooked or steamed
Green beans and asparagus
Spinach, carrots, and broccoli
a word about spinach: If the cat has been having any urinary or kidney problems, don’t feed her spinach since it can cause crystal formation in the urinary tract. - Grains for cats
not all cats like grains foods so you should first try to give them a sample, see if they eat it, before you buy a full pack.
grains can be high-carb high calorie foods.
this is not recommended if you cat is already chunky.
Recommended grains:
Cooked Corn
Carrots and Bread/Breadcrumbs
Cooked Polenta and Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Oatmeal
Non-recommended foods
- Dry food
Don’t give your cat dry food.
Not even those grain-free dry varieties as these contain very high levels of carbohydrates.
You cat doesn’t need that. - Excessive fish-based foods
It’s true cats love most of the fish-based foods.
The problem is sadly, most of the fish-based pet foods are contaminated with very heavy metals as well as other toxins. In fact, they often contain whole fish, bones, plus guts that can increase the levels of phosphorus in pet food.
These can cause kidney diseases and urinary tract problems. - Milk and dairy products
When it comes to special treats, it seems that cats naturally gravitate toward milk the way dogs take to bones and mice go for cheese.
But while it’s true that many kitties love to lap up the white stuff, it turns out that they can’t always successfully digest milk without getting sick.
Standard cow milk has much more lactose and casein than many dairy-loving kitties can digest.
“Most adult mammals have at least some degree of lactose intolerance — and cats are no exception,” explains Dr. Heinze. “The amounts of lactase (the enzyme that digests lactose) that the body produces declines after weaning.”
Foods that are dangerous to cats
- Alcohol
Believe it or not: as little as a tablespoon of alcohol can lead to problems for your cat.
It can cause severe liver and brain damage. - Chocolate
Chocolate contains theobromine.
While this yummy bitter-tasting stimulant is found in all forms, it’s most concentrated in dark and unsweetened chocolate.
Ingestion can cause heart problems, muscle tremors, or seizures. Chocolate also contains caffeine which is also not good for cats which brings us to the next in the list. - Coffee, tea and energy drinks
These contain caffeine which can cause a cat to become restless, suffer from heart palpitations, rapid breathing and even muscle tremors. - Grapes and raisins
Although toxicity in cats is only anecdotal we would strongly advise that you keep these foods out of reach of your cat.
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