can kitten eat human food

Question
Dear Tabbi
I've got a 8 week-old kitten last week. I've heard that KITTEN can't have human food, especially salty food. But my boyfriend's mum keeps feeding him with her food. I am very annoyed and had arguments with her. could you please tell me whether kitten can have human food (chicken, ham)? thanks

Answer
Ning,

There is nothing wrong with a cat/kitten eating human food like chicken, ham, etc. as long as the kitten is also getting kitten chow. The kitten needs the protein, vitamins, minerals, etc. for the first year that the kitten chow provides. The only really toxic foods to a cat are chocolate, onions, and raisins/grapes. Cats are carnivores so they need meat also. At 8 weeks the food should still be chopped up VERY small so the kitten can eat it and not choke. And they have tiny tummies still so they can't eat a large amount of food yet. Also make sure there is lots of fresh water available at all times for the kitten.

The only problem is that the food should be a treat, not a steady diet, or the kitten will refuse to eat cat food. And it's not good to feed at the table either. It's cute now, but it won't be when the cat gets big, and it will be a hard habit to break. Put treats in the cats dish where it normally eats.

Tabbi