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As a cat owner, it can be hard to resist giving your feline friend a treat once in a while. Whether it’s for doing a good deed, or just being a nice companion to lean on, rewarding our pets is something we as humans love to do. However, the treats that you may be giving your feline companions may be doing more harm than good.
Before you decide to give in to those big and mesmerizing eyes, be sure that you know which household foods are suitable to use as a healthy treat. We will also highlight some household items that can be harmful for your pet. Understanding these cat nutrition tips regarding treats for your feline friend can be crucial to your pet’s longevity.
The Treats You Should Be Giving Them
First off, let’s go over the cat treats that are healthy and a good choice for your feline friend. The first healthy treat on the list is canned fish. While they may be a little smelly to open up and give to your cat, canned fish contain a host of important and vital nutrients for your friend. Canned fish contains extremely important proteins and fatty acids such as Omega 3, which help build your cat’s physique, as well as provide them with a shiner coat. However, keep the canned fish portions small in order to avoid giving your cat too much!
The next item on our list is a melon. That’s right! This one may come as a surprise to some, but melons are great for cats! As an occasional treat, melon can help cats in regards to their digestive system. They contain healthy amounts of fiber, vitamins A and C, and potassium! Next time you have some leftover melon, try feeding some to your feline friend.
The next food item on the list is an egg. Scrambled or hard-boiled eggs are an excellent source of protein for your cat. However, you must avoid using any butter or cooking sprays when giving these eggs to your cat. The oils and fats found in these product can often lead to complications later on in their life.
Lastly, there are vegetables. While we understand that cats are carnivores, there are some benefits when feeding your cat some vegetables during dinner. Giving your cats a small amount of vegetables can provide them with vitamins that they would normally not be receiving if they were on a strict meat-based diet. Vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli, green beans, squash, and chopped greens are loaded with vitamins K, A, and D! These veggies also are a great source of fiber!
The Treats You Should Avoid Giving Them
With all that being said, our cat nutrition tips wouldn’t be complete without a list of some treats to avoid. Some of these foods may be surprising to some. However, we as cat owners must realize that our feline friends have a different body makeup than us. Therefore, some foods that we take as a treat may not translate the same for our feline friends.
The first treat to avoid is cow’s milk. While many movies and other forms of pop culture have shown cats drinking cow’s milk in their food tray, it’s something that we should avoid as pet owners. Cats love milk, but their digestive system isn’t so keen to it. Surprisingly, most cats are lactose intolerant, and the intake of milk can result in an upset stomach and diarrhea.
The next treat to avoid is chocolate. While chocolate is often associated as a bad treat for dogs, the same goes for cats. The toxins found in chocolate, particularly dark chocolate, can cause serious health complications for your feline friend, including seizures and tremors. The next time you have a candy bar in hand, don’t share it!
Lastly, there are grapes and raisins. These sweet fruits are a great snack for humans. However, the same cannot be said for cats. The toxins that are found in these fruit can cause sudden kidney failure within 48 hours of snacking. Research is still being made as to why this happens so suddenly, but be sure that your cat avoids any contact with these fruits.
Think Carefully Before Rewarding Your Feline Friend
Hopefully, these cat nutrition tips will help when deciding how to reward your feline friend. If you’re unsure whether or not a food you have is good or bad for your cat, the best course of action is to avoid giving it to them until you have done the proper research. More cat nutrition tips can be found at our website today!
