Human Foods that Cats Shouldn’t Eat

Often cats are so curious that when you are eating, they will come to see what you are having and see if there is anything they can share with you.  A lot of the time, this isn’t a problem but there are some human foods that cats shouldn’t eat for one reason or another and here are some of the most common.

Drinks

It sounds funny to think of your cat having a drink of alcohol and ending up drunk but the side effects can be a lot more serious than a bad head the next day.  Problems can range from severe liver or brain damage to slipping into a coma from consuming as little as a tablespoon of alcohol and more than this can be fatal.

Coffee, tea and energy drinks can also be dangerous for cats, anything that has caffeine in them can cause harm.  This is because they have the same effect as with humans but can be fatal for a feline – restlessness, raid breathing, palpitations and tremors in the muscles.

Foods

Most cats enjoy an occasional drink of milk or other dairy products but some cats can be born with a lactose intolerance just as humans.  If a cat has this, eating or drinking dairy products can lead to vomiting and diarrhoea at the very least.

Chocolate is a lovely treat for humans but is dangerous for many animals and birds.  This is because it contains a substance called theobromine and this can lead to an irregular heartbeat, seizures or muscles tremors.  Chocolate also includes caffeine, as mentioned before.

Onions and garlic are usually not too much of a problem in small amounts but in larger amounts, can cause problems.  Eating a clove of garlic or a green onion can cause digestive problems while regularly eating onions can lead to anaemia.  Many baby foods use these substances so if you are feeding this to your kitten, check the ingredients beforehand.

Grapes and raisins are avoided more as a precaution than from any evidence of direction problems, due to the effect the have on dogs.  Eating either can lead to acute kidney failure, so most vets err on the side of caution and advise against feeding either of these to cats.

In many sugar-free foods, a sweetener called xylitol is used in its place and again, there are no records of it causing problems in cats but has caused a severe drop in blood sugar in dogs and can even lead to liver failure.

What to do

If you think your cat has eaten something that may cause them to be ill, firstly try to judge how much of the substance they have eaten.  Then get in touch with your vet who will advise you if any further steps need to be taken.  If you cannot contact your vet, get in touch with the nearest animal hospital or other emergency service for the advice.

 

In many cases, if a cat consumes something unhealthy for it, the treatment will involve monitoring until the substance is metabolised and the danger is passed.  In more extreme cases, hospitalisation may be required, treatment with an IV or monitoring of organ functions to ensure no long-term damage has been done and that they will make a full recovery.