As a cat-loving pooper scooper, you must want to give your beloved cat the best care possible. But did you know? Some seemingly harmless foods are deadly poisons for cats! Today, we'll reveal 10 foods that cats should never eat to help you better understand your cat's dietary taboos and keep them healthy and happy.
1. Onions, Garlic and Shallots
Allium vegetables are extremely toxic to cats, as some of their components can cause oxidative damage to their red blood cells, leading to cell rupture, which can lead to anemia.
Other consequences of onion plant poisoning include:
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Weakness
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listlessness
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vomiting
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Diarrhea
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Nausea
Ps: As soon as you realize that your cat has accidentally ingested an onion plant, you should contact your vet for prompt treatment. Prevention is better than cure, please make sure to keep your cat away from onion plants.
2. Grapes or raisins
Grapes and raisins are extremely toxic to cats. These fruits contain an unknown toxin that can cause acute kidney failure and even death in cats even if ingested in small amounts.
Symptoms in cats after consuming grapes and raisins:
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Vomiting
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Diarrhea
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Loss of appetite
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Lethargy
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Listlessness
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Decreased urine output or no urine
Ps: For the health of your cat, make sure to keep grapes and raisins out of your cat's reach.
3. Chocolate
Chocolate contains two compounds - theobromine and caffeine - both of which are toxic to cats. Theobromine and caffeine poisoning can affect several major organ systems in cats, including the gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular and central nervous system.
Symptoms in cats after eating chocolate:
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Vomiting
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Diarrhea
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Rapid heartbeat
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Muscle tremors
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Seizures.
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Elevated body temperature.
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Coma.
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Even death
Ps: How to prevent: keep the chocolate out of your cat's reach; educate family and friends not to feed your cat any human food, especially chocolate. If you find that your cat has eaten chocolate, contact your veterinarian immediately to inform him/her that your cat has eaten chocolate and follow the doctor's instructions.
4. Cheese
Like humans, many cats are lactose intolerant. Lactose is a sugar found in milk, and cats lack the enzyme lactase in their intestines to digest lactose. If you feed your cat too much cheese, it can lead to diarrhea, vomiting and other indigestion symptoms.
Adverse symptoms in cats after consuming large amounts of fed cheese:
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Diarrhea
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Vomiting
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Flatulence
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Long-term intake may lead to obesity
Ps: Whether or not your cat can eat cheese depends on the individual cat and the type of cheese. Always consider carefully and consult your veterinarian for advice before feeding cheese to your cat.
5. Any alcohol-containing liquors
Any drink containing alcohol including eggnog is not acceptable for cats. The cat's liver is unable to break down alcohol as quickly as a human's, and even a very small amount of alcohol can cause serious health problems or even be life-threatening for the cat.
Symptoms of accidental alcohol consumption in cats:
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Vomiting
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Diarrhea
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Drowsiness
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Poor coordination
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Difficulty breathing.
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Coma
Ps: How to prevent alcohol poisoning: Keep alcoholic beverages out of your cat's reach; clean up alcohol stains on the floor; don't feed food or drinks containing alcohol to your cat. If you find that your cat has accidentally consumed alcohol, please contact your veterinarian immediately.
6. Seasonings and spices
Cats should not eat seasonings and spices, including cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and five spice seeds. Although these spices are rich in flavor for humans, for cats, they are highly irritating to the cat's stomach and intestines and can easily cause vomiting, diarrhea and other digestive problems.
Cats that accidentally ingest seasonings and spices may experience the following symptoms:
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Vomiting
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Diarrhea
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Loss of appetite
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Drowsiness
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Slowed movement
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Itchy, red and swollen skin
Ps: If your cat accidentally ingests a small amount of seasonings and spices, closely observe its reaction. If your cat develops symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea, please seek medical attention.
7. Raw potatoes, potato skins and potato plants
Properly treated potatoes are non-toxic to cats. However, raw potatoes, potato skins and all parts of the potato plant contain a toxin called lycopene, which is toxic to cats.
Ingestion of lycopene can cause the following symptoms in cats:
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Vomiting
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diarrhea
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Lethargy
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Vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, loss of appetite, and other symptoms of poisoning.
Ps: Although boiled potatoes are not toxic to cats, potatoes are carbohydrates, and it is difficult for such specialized carnivores to get nutrients from potatoes, which may even disrupt their digestive system, so feeding them is not recommended.
8. Xylitol
Xylitol is safe for humans, but is a highly toxic substance for cats. Xylitol is an artificial sweetener that is commonly used in products such as candy, chewing gum, and toothpaste.
When a cat ingests xylitol, it can quickly cause a sharp drop in blood sugar, triggering hypoglycemia. Also, xylitol can cause damage to the liver.
Symptoms of xylitol consumption in cats:
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Vomiting
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Diarrhea
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Drowsiness
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Loss of coordination
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Seizures.
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Coma
Ps: If you find that your cat has eaten xylitol, contact your veterinarian immediately to inform him or her that your cat has eaten xylitol and follow the doctor's instructions.
9. Milk
While many people think that cats love milk, most cats actually suffer from lactose intolerance. This means that they lack the enzyme in their gut that breaks down lactose (the sugar in milk).
When these cats consume milk, it can cause severe gastrointestinal distress, which can lead to:
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Vomiting
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diarrhea
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Flatulence
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abdominal pain
Ps: It is not recommended to allow cats to drink milk even if they are not lactose intolerant. Milk contains a fair amount of fat, and letting your cat drink milk regularly will only add fat and sugar to their diet, causing them to eat an unbalanced diet and making them more likely to be overweight.
10. Citrus fruits such as lemons, limes and oranges
Citrus fruit peels and pulp contain high levels of citrus oils, a substance that is toxic to cats. Ingestion of citrus oil may affect the cat's digestive system or central nervous system disorders.
Cats can experience the following symptoms after accidentally ingesting citrus fruits:
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Vomiting
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Diarrhea
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Loss of appetite
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Coma
Ps: For your cat's health, always keep citrus fruits and their products out of your cat's reach. If your cat accidentally ingests citrus fruits, contact your vet immediately.
In addition, foods that contain large amounts of ingredients such as salt, pepper, and vanilla are not recommended for cats.
What else can cats eat besides cat food?
Cats are specialized carnivores, so in addition to cat food, we can also feed them some skinless and boneless white chicken meat. However, be aware that cats have sensitive digestive systems and cannot tolerate many human foods such as leftovers, over-seasoned foods, bones, fish spines, etc. For some special treats for your cat during the holidays, prepare some healthy, cat-friendly holiday-themed snacks or provide fun catnip toys.