It’s a fair assumption that at least once in your life you’ve seen a cat beg for food. With those glowing eyes and gentle purr that seem to say “may I please have a little bit of your food, please?”, it is very hard to resist giving your food to these cats; especially if they begin to try to climb or jump to your chair or table to ask you with a little more force!
Cats are very much aroused when they see humans eat, and to be fair they’ll probably eat most of the meats you give them. However, this can lead to bad habits for the cat, because it will encourage them to beg for more food next time. And who knows? Maybe the next time they’ll be fed something that can be dangerous to cats, and it can spell trouble for the cat.
As a precautionary measure when dealing with cats, it’s important to understand that a cat’s nutritional needs and food tolerances are very different to humans. Cats are also much smaller than a human, so while a bite of something dangerous to humans might not put our lives in danger, a similar portion consumed by cats can be more deadly for them.
One of the foods that we’ve been told can be deadly to dogs is chocolate, and turns out it is also something that cats must avoid. Chocolate contains theobromine, which is a bitter compound found in cacao seeds. Theobromine can be toxic to cats if consumed in large amounts. It can cause simple symptoms like hyperactivity, but it can also cause severe symptoms like seizures, tremors and even death!
Green tomatoes and raw green potatoes are also something that will be dangerous for cats. This particular type of tomatoes and potatoes can cause violent lower gastrointestinal symptoms. However, if you find tomatoes in pre-made cat food, rest assured that the tomatoes used are safe, ripe tomatoes used in very small amounts.
Common cooking ingredients like onions, garlic, and similar related root vegetables can also be fatal for cats. Onions and garlic have similar substances inside it that can destroy a cat’s red blood cells and will cause the cat to have Heinz body anemia. Be especially aware of this, as onion and garlic found in powder form in chips, biscuits or other snacks can also negatively affect cats.
While avocadoes are very healthy for humans, they can be toxic for cats. The leaves, seed, tree bark, and the fruit itself contain a substance called persin. Persin can unfortunately cause vomiting and diarrhoea in cats. Avocadoes also contain a rich and high level of fat, and this can cause gastroenteritis or pancreatitis if consumed by cats.
In general, a lot of foods that we usually consume can be mildly dangerous for cats; and as we can also see above some foods can also be fatal for them. That is why it is advised to give specially prepared cat foods for cats.
Let’s not forget that cats can steal food too! So, keep these dangerous foods away from cats so that they will not be able to eat them.
If you suspect your cat might have eaten some of these foods that can be dangerous for them, contact a veterinarian immediately to figure out the best plan of action for your cat.