We all know there are some “people foods” we should not give to our pets. Some are obvious—no one thinks it’s a good idea to offer your cat alcohol—but some may be foods you wouldn’t consider… Did you know that onion powder can cause anemia in cats and dogs?
Here are nine foods the Purrington Post advises against giving your cat…
1.) Chocolate – Chocolate contains Theobromine, an alkaloid that is highly toxic to cats that can cause vomiting, diarrhea, and heart attacks.
2.) Dog Food – If you live with both cats and dogs, make sure Kitty’s not eating out of Fido’s dish. Dog food doesn’t have the specific dietary requirements a cat needs from their food.
3.) Cow’s Milk – Forget what you’ve seen on TV! Once a cat is no longer a kitten, they lose the ability to properly digest lactose which means consuming dairy can cause diarrhea.
4.) Avocados – Ingesting any part of an avocado can result in vomiting or diarrhea for cats.
5.) Onions & Garlic – Both of these foods (especially onions) contain dangerous chemicals that can damage a cat’s red blood cells, rupturing them and/or making them lose the ability to carry oxygen. Keep this in mind before you give your cat table scraps.
6.) Raisins & Grapes – These are toxic for cats and can result in sudden kidney failure.
7.) Macadamia Nuts – How the macadamia nut toxicity affects cats is unclear, but 24-hour emergency vet hospitals will tell you how many visits they get after a cat has eaten macadamia nuts. Best to avoid them.
8.) Raw Eggs – Raw eggs can lead to salmonella, skin problems, and food poisoning.
9.) Raw Fish – Another television trope to forget. Raw fish contains Thiaminase, a toxic enzyme that will destroy your cat’s Thiamine (a B vitamin).