Whether your veterinarian has recommended switching to hydrolyzed protein cat food or you’re researching dietary options for a cat with a medical condition, we’ve rounded up everything you need to know about this type of diet.

What Is Hydrolyzed Protein Cat Food?

Hydrolyzed protein food for cats is a prescription diet that is prescribed for cats with specific medical conditions. Hydrolyzed protein food is not beneficial for every cat; instead, it is available only on the recommendation of a veterinarian. 

In a hydrolyzed protein cat food, the proteins have undergone a process known as hydrolysis. This process uses water to break proteins down into their smallest building blocks. Instead of containing normal beef, chicken, or fish proteins, hydrolyzed protein cat food contains protein fragments that cannot be recognized by the immune system. These protein fragments serve as a valuable source of nutrition, but they are too small to trigger an allergic response in cats who eat these diets.  

Why Vets Might Recommend Cat Food with Hydrolyzed Protein

Veterinarians typically recommend hydrolyzed protein diets for cats who have had a confirmed or suspected immune response (allergic response) to their diet. This typically includes two categories of cats: cats with food allergies and cats with inflammatory bowel disease. 

Hydrolyzed protein diets are often used to manage food allergies. In cats, food allergies are one cause of allergic skin disease, which may result in red, itchy skin and recurrent ear infections. These cats experience an immune reaction to proteins in their diet, and this reaction causes skin and ear inflammation. Feeding these cats a hydrolyzed protein diet (with no other food or treats) prevents that immune reaction. This typically alleviates the signs of food allergy, without a need for other medications or treatments.  

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is also often treated with hydrolyzed protein diets. Cats with IBD may experience a number of gastrointestinal signs, including vomiting, diarrhea, and weight loss. Many cats with IBD develop intestinal inflammation as an immune response to proteins in their diet. Feeding a hydrolyzed protein diet (without any other food or treats) can aid in the management of IBD by reducing intestinal inflammation.

Pros and Cons of Hydrolyzed Protein Cat Food

Hydrolyzed protein cat food can offer significant benefits for cats with food sensitivities. However, there can also be disadvantages to feeding hydrolyzed protein cat food. Let’s look at both the pros and cons:

Pros

• Successfully manage common conditions like food allergic dermatitis and IBD 
• Nutritionally complete and well-balanced
• Available in dry and canned formulations
• Manufactured by several trusted diet manufacturers

Cons

• Cost is often significantly higher than over-the-counter diets
• Limited number of flavor choices
• Limited number of texture choices

Switching to a Hydrolyzed Protein Cat Food

If your cat may have food allergies or IBD, talk to your veterinarian about the use of hydrolyzed protein cat food. Many of these diets are available only with a veterinarian’s prescription, so you will need your veterinarian’s approval to start your cat on a hydrolyzed protein diet. 

In order for a hydrolyzed protein to offer benefits, you need to be sure that it is the only food your cat is eating. Cats with dietary sensitivities are often sensitive to very small quantities of ingested allergens. Feeding a hydrolyzed protein diet while continuing to offer table food and over-the-counter cat treats is unlikely to offer any benefits for your cat. Instead, consider avoiding typical cat treats and using hydrolyzed protein treats. Some pet parents choose to bake their own treats, using hydrolyzed protein wet cat food. 

When switching to a hydrolyzed protein cat food, it is best to make this transition gradually. Transition your cat from their old food to a hydrolyzed protein cat food gradually, over a period of approximately one week, to reduce the risk of diarrhea and other gastrointestinal effects. Each day, feed your cat a little bit more of the hydrolyzed protein cat food and a little bit less of their original diet, feeding a 50/50 mix of both foods by mid-week and transitioning entirely to the hydrolyzed protein cat food by the end of the week. 

In some cases, your veterinarian may advise making a more abrupt transition, to more rapidly alleviate your cat’s clinical signs. If this is the case, follow your veterinarian’s advice when transitioning to a hydrolyzed protein cat food. 

Cats with food allergies or IBD will often remain on a hydrolyzed protein for the rest of their life. These diets offer a safe and balanced source of nutrition, and they are appropriate for long-term, lifelong feeding. 

Hydrolyzed Protein Cat Food Brands to Consider

Hydrolyzed protein cat foods are available from a number of different pet food manufacturers. Veterinarians often recommend prescription diets made by Hill’s, Royal Canin, or Purina Pro Plan. These three brands are known for their nutritional quality and their extensive research on pet foods. Hydrolyzed protein diets available from these three pet food manufacturers include:

Hill’s Hydrolyzed Protein Cat Food

Royal Canin Hydrolyzed Protein Cat Food

Purina Hydrolyzed Protein Cat Food

If you are looking to purchase a hydrolyzed diet from an alternative brand, Blue Buffalo hydrolyzed protein cat food is also available:

Talk to your veterinarian if you are interested in feeding your cat a hydrolyzed protein diet. Your veterinarian can help you determine whether a hydrolyzed protein diet is necessary and can help you select the best diet for your cat.

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According to a report released by the Pet Poison Helpline, three out of the top five pet poisons for cats in 2023 were common ingredients found in most homes — chocolate, onions, and garlic!

To protect your feline friend from poisonous foods hiding in your own home, here’s what you need to know about foods harmful to cats. Plus, we’ll share helpful tips about how to prevent accidental ingestion.

Dangerous Foods for Cats

The best thing pet parents can do to prevent cat poisoning is to prevent cats from gobbling down toxic foods in the first place. 

That requires understanding what foods are poisonous to cats and adopting tactics to restrict your cat’s access to these foods. 

Here are 16 foods you should keep away from your cat:

Alcohol

In addition to vomiting and diarrhea, even small amounts of alcohol can cause neurologic symptoms in cats. These include stumbling, trouble breathing, tremors, coma, and even death.

Caffeinated drinks and foods

This stimulant can cause vomiting and diarrhea, hyperactivity, abnormal heart rhythm, tremors, seizures, and possibly death.

Cannabis-containing items

Not only is nibbling on the cannabis plant a no-no for cats, but they should also avoid consuming any items that contain cannabis. This includes baked goods, gummies, and even second-hand smoke. In cats, cannabis often causes dribbling of urine, nausea, and sensitivity to noise and light. It can also trigger decreased heart rate, shallow breathing, impaired consciousness, and death.

Chocolate

When it comes to leading causes of toxicity in cats, chocolate is one of the most common culprits. Chocolate contains a double dose of stimulants — theobromine, which stimulates the heart, and caffeine, which stimulates the brain and central nervous system. The higher the percentage of cacao in the chocolate, the greater the risk to your cat. Felines are generally more sensitive to chocolate poisoning than canines. Symptoms of chocolate toxicity in cats include vomiting, diarrhea, restlessness, and hyperactivity. More severe cases can cause tremors, frequent urination, and seizures. Severe or untreated cases can end in coma or death.

Citrus

Eating small amounts of citrus fruit, such as lemon slices or orange segments, could cause your cat mild stomach upset. However, the stems, leaves, peels, and seeds of citrus fruits pose a greater danger to your cat because they contain concentrated amounts of citric acid. In large quantities, citric acid can irritate your cat’s stomach and impact your cat’s behavior and consciousness.

Coconut

The flesh and milk of fresh coconut contain oils that can cause stomach upset and diarrhea in cats. While coconut water is rich in potassium, a mineral essential to your cat’s health, drinking it could lead to a dangerous potassium imbalance (hyperkalemia) that can cause low heart rate (bradycardia) and irregular heart rate (arrhythmia).

Garlic and onions

Garlic and onions (along with leeks, shallots, and chives) are members of the Allium genus of plants, which are toxic to cats. These foods all contain a compound that gives them their signature strong aroma. But the compound can also damage red blood cells in cats who eat these ingredients (in any form — raw, cooked, and even powdered spices). This can cause life-threatening anemia. Symptoms of toxicity in cats who eat onions or garlic include pale gums, discoloration of urine, vomiting, and weakness.

Grapes and raisins

In both fresh and dried forms, these sweet, petite treats may seem like a healthy option. But even in small quantities, grapes and raisins can be deadly to cats. Eating them can cause vomiting, lethargy, and diarrhea…or, worse, kidney damage and even kidney failure in cats. It is difficult to predict how severe any cat’s reaction will be. So it is best to prevent your cat from eating any grapes or raisins at all.

Milk and dairy products

What could be more wholesome than the image of a cat contentedly lapping up a saucer full of milk? Unfortunately, this common misconception could be hazardous to your cat’s health. After they are weaned from their mother’s milk, cats do not produce much lactase, the enzyme needed to break down lactose in milk. So consuming milk and other dairy items can cause stomach upset and diarrhea.

Mold foods

While the idea of eating moldy food might seem repellant to us, there’s no telling what a curious cat will consume if given the opportunity. Moldy or spoiled foods may contain mycotoxins that can cause harmful chemical reactions in your cat’s body. In mild cases, symptoms may include vomiting and digestive upset. In severe cases, your cat might act almost drunken — staggering about, exhibiting muscle tremors and even convulsions.

Nuts

In general, nuts are not a good choice for cats due to their high fat content, which makes them hard to digest and can cause pancreatitis. They can also be a choking hazard for your cat. However, some nuts pose an even greater risk, such as macadamia nuts, which are highly toxic to pets, causing lethargy, loss of coordination, and even paralysis.  Nuts that are prone to molding, such as walnuts, peanuts, and pecans, should also be avoided at all costs.

Raw eggs

Raw eggs can contain hazardous bacteria, including Salmonella and E. coli, which can cause vomiting, bloody profuse diarrhea, dehydration, and weakness in cats. Though the impact is not as immediate, raw egg whites contain an enzyme called avidin that could cause a vitamin deficiency over time.

Raw meat and fish

Salmonella and E. coli can also flourish in uncooked raw meat and fish. In addition to toxicity risks, these foods can also contain bones that could splinter and perforate your cat’s esophagus or intestines.

Salt

Trace amounts of salt in your cat’s diet are not a problem. But if your cat eats too much salt, it could be toxic. This includes salt from high-sodium human foods, such as meat jerky, table salt, as well as road salt used to melt ice. Signs of salt poisoning in cats include increased thirst, frequent urination, vomiting, diarrhea, and loss of consciousness. If your cat’s kidneys cannot get rid of the excess sodium fast enough, it could cause an electrolyte imbalance called hypernatremia. In extreme cases, salt toxicity in cats can lead to tremors, increased body temperature, seizures, and death.

Yeast dough

Uncooked dough expands due to body heat and can cause gas to build up in your cat’s stomach. This is very painful and may cause bloat which can lead to life-threatening consequences. In addition, yeast produces ethanol as a by-product and may cause alcohol poisoning, as well.

Protecting Cats from Harmful Foods

Awareness plays a big part in helping keep your cat safe from toxic foods. However, even knowing what toxic and dangerous foods to avoid feeding your cat may not be enough to protect them. 

Cats have a reputation for agility and resourcefulness. So, you’ll need to go the extra mile to ensure hazardous foods stay off-limits. Here are some pointers on how best to keep your cat out of harm’s way:

• If possible, keep your cat out of the kitchen while you cook. It’s too easy to drop dangerous ingredients on the floor or turn your back and risk your cat gobbling up something they shouldn’t.
• Store off-limits ingredients in cat-proof containers or behind closed doors. Cats can easily jump onto counters, remove lids, chew through bags, and even open some plastic containers. 
• Make sure guests know it’s not okay to share food and drink with your cat. Friends and family may mean well, but you know what is best for your cat!
• Use lidded cups for your drinks and do not leave them unattended…especially alcoholic beverages. Not only will this keep your cat safe from dangerous ingredients, but it also prevents them from sticking a paw in there or spilling it all over!
• Consider pet-proof locks for your kitchen and pantry. Some cats can open cupboards and even get into the refrigerator. If you have a feline Houdini in the household, locks that limit access to toxic foods could be a lifesaver!

Even with these precautions, it’s hard to eliminate the risk of foods toxic to cats completely. If you suspect your cat consumed something dangerous, or if you recognize signs of toxicity in your cat, seek emergency veterinary care immediately. Acting quickly could mean the difference between a mild reaction and a severe — or even deadly — outcome. 

When it comes to your cat and toxic foods, it’s always better to be safe than sorry!

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Hunger in Cats: What’s Normal?

cats should be satisfied after finishing a meal as long as the proper amount of food has been offered. Constant vocalizing or scarfing down food when that is not the cat’s typical behavior could indicate a problem. 

Kittens are more likely to be hungry because they are in the growth phase, which means they need more calories to meet their bodies’ demands. Pet parents may also wonder “Why is my senior cat always hungry?” Senior cats may have increased appetites due to normal physiological changes that occur as cats age. 

There are no cat breeds that are hungrier than others. However, similar to people, cats are individuals with unique feeding habits. What is normal for one cat may be abnormal for another. What’s most important is knowing what is typical for your individual cat. If you have any concerns, promptly bring them to your veterinarian’s attention so that appropriate treatment can be given.

Do Cats Get Full?

Cats normally stop eating when they are full. Unlike most dogs who will eat until they are miserable, most cats are not necessarily obsessed with food. The majority of cats eat slowly and stop when they feel content.

Signs a Cat Is Always Hungry

Normally, cats vocalize when they are anticipating a meal. Pet parents may hear long, loud meows until the food bowl is filled, and then the cat sits calmly and eats. 

Polyphagia, or extreme hunger, in cats can cause abnormal behaviors. If a cat is excessively hungry, they may ravenously eat their food, and then promptly vocalize for more. They may also become aggressive when a pet parent or other household pet is near their food bowl. Some cats may seek out food by rummaging through garbage cans. A cat may be found directly eating out of the cat food bag if it is left within reach. Stealing food from a housemate’s bowl or even the dog’s food bowl may also indicate a problem.

Why Is My Cat Always Hungry? 9 Possible Reasons

There are various reasons for cats to appear constantly hungry, which range in severity from mild causes, such as boredom, to more serious concerns, such as underlying health issues. Let’s take a look at the nine most common causes of increased appetite in cats.

Poor Diet

If a cat is not receiving a nutritionally complete diet, they may be lacking in certain nutrients or protein. Some lower quality foods contain filler ingredients, such as corn or wheat, that may initially fill a cat up but leave them unsatisfied shortly after. To avoid this, pet parents should choose a diet that meets AAFCO standards and has protein listed as the first ingredient. (Unless the cat has special dietary needs, in which case pet parents should work with their veterinarian to choose the right diet.) Likewise, if a pet parent is not feeding enough food, a cat may appear constantly hungry because they are not getting enough calories. To avoid this, pet parents should look at the label on the back of the cat food and feed according to the cat’s weight.

Boredom

Cats may be seeking out food simply to give themselves something to do. Cats need mental stimulation throughout the day to prevent boredom and improve well-being. This can be achieved through play, climbing, socialization, training, and quality time with a pet parent.

Increased activity

Cats who are more active burn more calories and therefore need more food. If a cat is provided more vertical climbing space or a new cat is introduced into the home, for example, calorie needs will increase as play time increases. 

Age

Kittens are growing fast so they require more calories than adult cats and tend to eat more frequently. Likewise, as cats age, their metabolisms and body processes also change, which can result in increased appetites in seniors.

Hyperthyroidism

Senior cats are commonly diagnosed with hyperthyroidism, which is an endocrine disorder that causes high levels of thyroid hormones in the body. Thyroid hormones increase metabolism, which results in increased appetite for hyperthyroid cats.

Diabetes

Middle-aged and older cats may be diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, a condition marked by insulin deficiency. Without enough insulin, cells in the cat’s body do not receive adequate glucose for energy. Since the cells are essentially starving, a cat feels excessive hunger. 

Cancer

Many types of cancers in cats can alter metabolism and increase hunger. For example, gastrointestinal lymphoma can prevent nutrient absorption and increase caloric needs thereby increasing appetite.

Intestinal parasites

These parasites may prevent nutrient absorption and lead to vomiting and diarrhea. A cat may feel increased hunger as the parasite feeds on what the cat eats. Tapeworms are a type of intestinal parasite that may cause increased hunger.

Medications

Certain medications can cause hunger as a side effect. Appetite stimulants, corticosteroids, benzodiazepines, and vitamin B are examples of medications that may make cats more hungry.

How to Deal With a Cat That Is Always Hungry

Having a cat who is always hungry can be concerning as well as a bit frustrating. If your cat suddenly seems like they can’t get enough food, it’s time to visit the veterinarian to determine the underlying cause of your cat’s hunger. A veterinarian can rule out medical conditions, such as hyperthyroidism, diabetes, and cancer that may be contributing to your cat’s increased appetite. To do so, blood work and urinalysis may be completed. Additional imaging tests, such as radiographs (X-rays) or ultrasound may also be necessary. If a medical condition is diagnosed, it can be treated with appropriate medication so that your cat’s appetite will return to normal. 

If medical conditions are ruled out, pet parents may benefit from discussing appropriate feeding guidelines with their veterinarian, including choosing a well-balanced diet and feeding the proper daily amounts at the right frequency. 

Additional measures that can be taken include ensuring your cat is getting enough mental stimulation and exercise throughout the day to stave off boredom.

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Read on for everything you need to know about cats and carrots. 

Can Cats Eat Carrots?

Cats can eat carrots, but they should be considered a special treat rather than a main course. “Cats are obligate carnivores and carrots do not hold any of the essential proteins that they need to thrive. You should always offer carrots in moderation,” explains Emily Swiniarski, DVM, medical director at the Anti-Cruelty Society in Chicago, Illinois.

Dr. Swiniarski notes that treats should constitute less than 10 percent of a cat’s daily food intake and that for an average 10-pound cat, one baby carrot is the maximum you should offer per day.

Can cats eat raw carrots?

Yes, cats can eat carrots raw or cooked – you’ll just have to see which they prefer. “It depends on the cat,” Dr. Swiniarski says. “Some cats really enjoy crunchy, others like softer textures. It’s a matter of individual taste.”

It’s also important to note that raw carrots and cooked carrots do have different nutritional profiles. “When you cook a carrot, some nutrients become more bioavailable for digestion, other nutrients less,” Dr. Swiniarski explains. However, since carrots should only be given as treats, it really doesn’t matter how you serve them to your cat.

Can cats eat carrot greens?  

Dr. Swiniarski does not recommend feeding your cat carrot greens, noting that it will almost certainly lead to stomach upset. “They’re very high in fiber and not a plant that cats typically eat,” she says.

Can kittens eat carrots?

Yes, kittens can technically eat carrots, but the amount should be minimal. “Kittens have very specific nutritional requirements and need a diet that is high in protein and fat. If you feed a kitten too many treats or foods that do not meet those standards, that kitten is not getting the nutrients she needs,” notes Dr. Swiniarski. 

“A kitten could certainly taste a baby carrot, maybe a quarter of a baby carrot,” she adds, “but you should really focus on serving your kitten a high-quality kitten diet and keep the treats to a minimum.”

Are Carrots Good for Cats?

Carrots are not bad for cats, but, generally speaking, they don’t offer much in terms of nutrition that the cat isn’t getting elsewhere. “All of the nutrients that carrots have, cats should be getting from balanced cat diets,” Dr. Swiniarski says. 

That said, raw carrots can be good for a cat that is having trouble pooping. This is because carrots are high in fiber, which assists in digestion and can combat constipation.

Are carrots good for cats who need to lose weight?

Carrots are not necessarily beneficial for cat weight loss. Dr. Swiniarski says that while carrots are a popular treat for dog parents who are looking for Fido to shed a few pounds, she wouldn’t recommend a similar approach in cats. “Since cats have such specific nutritional requirements, you don’t want to start replacing the small amount of cat food they get each day with carrots,” she says. “Baby carrots are not a substitute for nutritious cat food.”

Are Carrots Safe for Cats?

Carrots are very safe for cats to eat in small quantities. The exception to the rule is if you have a diabetic cat. “Diabetic cats should avoid carrots altogether because they have very high protein and low carbohydrate requirements,” Dr. Swiniarski explains. “Carrots contain sugar and carbohydrates that are completely unnecessary for cats, and that could throw off their blood sugar.” 

Tips for Feeding Carrots to Cats

Cats are notoriously picky eaters, so if you would like to introduce carrots to your cat, take it slow. Offer tiny pieces to see if they enjoy it. Try both cooked and raw to see if they have a preference. And don’t force it if your cat vomits or experiences some other type of stomach upset. 

“Every cat has their own sensitivities,” Dr. Swiniarski notes. “Foods that are high in fiber can be difficult to digest, so start very small, way less than a baby carrot in amount. If they don’t have any stomach upset, try a bit more the next time.”

Dr. Swiniarski once again stresses that carrots should be treats, not diet staples. “Carrots are an add-on to an already balanced diet. If your cat likes carrots, cut them up and put them on top of their food. Or put some pieces inside of a food puzzle. Make them a fun snack they get on occasion, not a part of their daily diet.”

Reference:

1. Statistica.com. Retrieved from: https://www.statista.com/statistics/257333/per-capita-consumption-of-fresh-carrots-in-the-us/

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In this article, we will explain whether cats can eat tomatoes, if tomatoes have any benefits for cats, and what pet parents should know before feeding their cats tomato-based dishes.

Can Cats Eat Tomatoes? 

Ripe tomatoes are non-toxic to cats and can be fed to them in small amounts as an occasional treat. However, knowing what parts of the tomato can be fed to cats and how tomatoes should be prepared for cats is important, as there are some health concerns with feeding cats tomatoes. 

Can Cats Have Tomatoes Raw? 

Raw, ripe tomatoes of all kinds can be fed to cats in small quantities as long as the leaves and stems are removed (more on this later). When feeding tomatoes to cats, especially small varieties such as grape and cherry tomatoes, it’s important to chop them up into tiny pieces so that your cat doesn’t choke. And as with any unfamiliar food, it’s possible that some cats may not like or tolerate eating tomatoes. 

Can Cats Eat Green Tomatoes? 

Unripe green tomatoes should not be fed to cats, as they contain much higher levels of solanine, a compound that is toxic to cats, humans, and many other animals [1]. You may be wondering why you haven’t felt ill after eating fried green tomatoes, a staple food item in the southern parts of the United States. Solanine is destroyed when it is cooked, which allows for the enjoyment of this food. So, theoretically, cats should also be able to eat cooked green tomatoes in small quantities, but they should not be fed fried green tomatoes, as the salt and fat content may cause an upset stomach. 

Can Cats Eat Tomato Sauce? 

Certain kinds of tomato sauce may be fine to feed your cat, but you must be careful that it doesn’t contain certain ingredients. Tomato sauce often has high levels of sodium, which can upset your cat’s stomach and may be risky if they have a health condition such as heart disease. 

Toxic ingredients often found in tomato and pasta sauces include onions and garlic, which can cause anemia in cats [2]. Many tomato sauces also contain added sugars, which can lead to tooth decay and obesity in cats.

Due to the potential risks associated with these common ingredients in tomato sauce, it’s safest to skip feeding it to your cat. This goes for ketchup and tomato soup as well. 

Are Tomatoes Good for Cats? 

Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they require certain compounds contained in meat in order to survive. For this reason, many cats are not even interested in eating tomatoes or other fruits and vegetables. 

However, some cats like to eat a variety of foods and may benefit from nutrients contained in plant-based options. While cats cannot convert the beta carotene contained in tomatoes into vitamin A, they can benefit from the fiber, water, and antioxidants. In fact, tomato pomace, a byproduct of tomato manufacturing consisting of tomato peels and seeds, is a common additive in dry cat food. One recent study found that cat food containing a blend of fiber sources, which included tomato pomace, improved the beneficial gut bacteria in senior cats and reduced levels of certain harmful compounds associated with aging and kidney disease [3]. 

Tomatoes are also rich in a compound called lycopene. High lycopene consumption has been linked to a reduced risk of certain cancers in humans [4]. However, it is unknown whether cats can also benefit from this compound.

Are Tomato Plants Toxic to Cats? 

The leaves and stems of tomato plants (like the green version of the fruit) also contain solanine, which is toxic to cats. However, according to the Pet Poison Helpline, the amounts of the plant that a cat would typically ingest are unlikely to cause severe illness, and its toxicity level is considered to be low [2]. 

If your cat ingests any green parts of the tomato plant, they will likely develop symptoms of gastrointestinal upset, including vomiting, diarrhea, and a reduced appetite. If you suspect your cat has eaten tomato plants, keep a close eye on them and be sure to contact your veterinarian if they develop any abnormal symptoms. 

Precautions When Feeding Tomatoes to Cats

Start slow. If your cat does show interest in eating tomatoes, only offer them a small bit of a fresh tomato to start. If they like it and don’t have any stomach upset symptoms afterward, it’s okay to offer tomatoes as an occasional low-calorie treat. 

Keep portions small. When feeding your cats tomatoes, make sure to dice them up into bite-size pieces to prevent choking and stick to small servings of no more than about one quarter of a cup per day. 

Go simple. It’s best to feed raw or plain cooked tomatoes to your cats without the addition of any salt, oil, sugar, or other seasonings. 

Consider other conditions. If your cat has any chronic health conditions, speak to your veterinarian first before feeding tomatoes to your cat. 

References: 

1. ASPCA. Toxic and Non-toxic Plants. Retrieved from: https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/toxic-and-non-toxic-plants/tomato-plant
2. Pet Poison Helpline. Garlic. Retrieved from: https://www.petpoisonhelpline.com/poison/garlic/ 
3. Ephraim, Eden and Jewell, Dennis. “The Influence of Fiber Source on Circulating Concentration of Age-Related Metabolites and the Gut Microbial Composition in Senior Cats.” Current Developments in Nutrition vol. 5 (Jun. 2021). doi:10.1093/cdn/nzab033_013. Retrieved from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2475299123105312 
4. Story, Erica N et al. “An Update on the Health Effects of Tomato Lycopene.” Annual Review of Food Science and Technology vol. 1 (2010): 189-210. doi:10.1146/annurev.food.102308.124120. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3850026/#:~:text=Lycopene%20is%20a%20non%2Dprovitamin,source%20in%20the%20United%20States

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In this article, we’ll discuss the domestic cat digestive system in detail, including its anatomy, how food is digested, and how to optimize your cat’s gut health.

Understanding the Cat Digestive System

Before we get into how it works, let’s first break down the parts of a cat’s digestive system.

The “alimentary system” includes the:

• Mouth
• Esophagus
• Gastrointestinal tract 

The gastrointestinal system (or GI tract) is made up of the:

• Stomach
• Intestines
• Rectum
• Anus

Lastly, the GI tract receives further digestive support from abdominal organs, such as the:

• Pancreas
• Liver
• Gallbladder

As a whole, these organs make up the digestive system of a cat.

Differences Between Cat and Human Digestive System

The digestive system of cats contains the same organs and produces the same digestive enzymes as us humans. However, although certain enzymes (such as hydrochloric acid) are the same, cats’ stomachs produce six times more hydrochloric acid than humans do.

The feline intestinal tract is also not as long or coiled as it is in humans (or dogs for that matter), and cats lack an appendix. Additionally, the transit time of ingested food (ingesta) through the intestines is much longer in humans, reaching up to five days, whereas ingesta may move through a cat’s intestines within 12 to 24 hours.

How Do Cats Digest Food?

Next, let’s get into some specifics about how the feline digestive system works.

The alimentary system is constantly at work to help cats ingest and digest food, absorb nutrients, eliminate waste and toxins from the body, and assist the immune system (in part by keeping ingested bacteria out of the bloodstream). The digestive tract also secretes various chemicals, enzymes, and hormones to assist with digestion and nutrient use.

Mouth

The process of digestion initially begins in the mouth when the teeth begin to break up large chunks of food, and the salivary glands produce amylase to help tackle any starch your kitty may have ingested (however limited in a predominately carnivorous diet). 

Esophagus

Ingesta then slides down the esophagus to the stomach where it undergoes the most significant aspect of digestion as it is immersed in a chemical vat of hydrochloric acid and various enzymes in the stomach to help break it down into tiny usable nutrient molecules. 

Stomach

Once ingesta enters the stomach, it is inundated by a variety of enzymes and other chemicals to further break it down into usable nutrients. Ingesta is also mixed and squeezed to further aid in mechanical digestion.

Small and Large Intestine

Ingesta continues its cruise down the digestive tract to the small intestine, where it is broken down further by additional enzymes and bile. By this stage, the majority of ingesta has been broken down into small enough nutrients that can be absorbed through the small intestinal lining into the bloodstream, which carries them off to cells all over the body. 

These nutrients act as cellular building blocks to help construct tissues and organs and carry out their vital functions to keep the body working as well as possible.

Products that cannot be digested, such as insoluble fiber, and any additional waste products are then further processed by the large intestine. Such waste is dehydrated when excess water is reabsorbed through the large intestinal lining into the bloodstream to maintain hydration, and then the solid waste exits from the body during a bowel movement.

Rectum

The rectum is a small holding area at the end of the large intestine that stores feces until exit through the anus.

Pancreas, Liver and Gallbladder

While ingesta does not enter the pancreas, liver, or gallbladder, these organs produce substances to help support the stomach and intestines with digestion. 

The pancreas contains digestive enzymes that enter the small intestine, and it also produces insulin to help utilize and regulate glucose, the body’s top nutrient for energy use. 

The liver is a large organ in the upper portion of the abdomen that, among its many functions in the body, is involved in metabolism, detoxifying the body, storing nutrients (such as glycogen and fat), and assisting in protein and glucose synthesis. 

The liver also produces bile, which aids in fat digestion. Bile is then stored and later released when needed by the gallbladder, a small sac off the liver. 

The pancreas, liver, gallbladder, and small intestine are all in close proximity to one another, so infection or inflammation of one can often affect the others.

How Long Does It Take for a Cat to Digest Food?

In the average domestic feline, digestion occurs more quickly than in humans. The entire duration of food from entry to exit can reach 26.5 to 35.7 hours. [1] During this time, ingesta spends approximately 10 to 24 hours being digested (by the stomach for four hours and then the intestines for 12 to 24 hours), then is further processed before waste is eliminated.

The average timeline of digestion varies depending on a cat’s age, breed, size, weight, and diet. Kittens and smaller-sized cats tend to digest food more quickly, whereas digestion time is more variable among senior cats. (And speaking of kittens, very young kittens are initially unable to digest anything other than their mother’s milk or a similar substitute. They gain more digestive function by weaning age, which is 8 weeks old.)

Digestion also occurs more quickly with smaller meals. For instance, multiple mini meals throughout the day can decrease digestion time, while feeding larger amounts less frequently can lead to increased digestion time (as well as an increased risk of “scarf and barf,” in which cats can regurgitate their food if it’s gobbled up too rapidly). Additionally, wet food diets are digested more quickly than dry kibble.

Caring for Your Cat’s Digestive System

There are many ways you can care for your cat’s digestive system. Let’s go over some of the most common ones.

Diet

As cats are obligate carnivores, they require particular nutrients that only an animal-based diet can provide. A vegetarian diet can be deadly to cats, as deficits in taurine, arachidonic acid, vitamin A, and vitamin B3 occur when cats are solely fed a plant-based diet. That’s why it’s important to choose an appropriate cooked commercial cat food or other veterinary-guided diet to optimize your pet’s nutritional health.

Reputable quality cat food brands include Purina, Hill’s, Iams, Royal Canin, and Eukanuba. These companies have a veterinary nutritionist on staff to formulate diets, conduct extensive studies and feeding trials, and ensure good quality control. 

For kitties with sensitive tummies, ask your veterinarian about:

A sensitive skin and stomach diet:

A lower fat diet:

Diets higher in fiber:

Kitties with hairball concerns can also benefit from a specialty hairball control diet, along with regular coat brushing. 

Always seek nutrition advice from your personal vet before making a switch, and if you’re greenlit with advice to make the change, slowly transition from your cat’s current diet to a new one over 10 days to prevent GI upset.

Supplements

Certain supplements, if recommended by your vet, can be helpful to certain kitties. For instance, those with pancreas issues (such as exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, or EPI), may require digestive enzyme supplementation. Most healthy cats do not need this supplement, however. 

Furthermore, probiotics and prebiotics can be helpful to many cats, especially those with chronic diarrhea as caused by dysbiosis (an imbalance of good and bad bacteria in the gut). Not all probiotics are created equally, so always seek counsel from your veterinarian before introducing them to your cat.

Cat-Safe Grass

Although your cat is a carnivore, they may occasionally like to nibble a bit of cat-safe grass. Consuming cat grass in small amounts can aid your cat’s digestion, improving hairball concerns and constipation. Moderation is key, however, since kitties lack enzymes to fully break down a lot of grass, and too much can cause harm.

Mini Meals

If your cat eats too quickly and upchucks their food, switching to multiple mini meals or canned food can help. Additionally, switching your cat’s food bowl to a slow feeder can slow down their food ingestion to help improve overall digestion.

Weight Management

Aside from feeding your cat a good quality diet, the most important thing pet parents can do to protect their cat’s digestive and overall health is to keep their cats at a healthy weight. Obesity can not only worsen digestive issues, but it can further impair your cat’s health. Maintaining a healthy weight is an ideal way to keep your kitty’s tummy soothed and them purring for longer.

References
1. Peachey, S E et al. “Gastrointestinal transit times in young and old cats.” Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. Part A, Molecular & Integrative Physiology vol. 126,1 (2000): 85-90. doi:10.1016/s1095-6433(00)00189-6

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Scheduling regular veterinary exams for your cat can help you track your pet’s weight fluctuations. But if your cat faces certain risk factors for obesity, a proactive approach to weight management could help you avoid larger health implications in the future. 

Some cat breeds, such as American and British shorthairs, may have an increased likelihood of obesity compared to other breeds. Your cat’s sex may also be a factor, as male cats are more likely to gain weight than females. While the benefits of spaying or neutering your cat far outweigh any potential negatives, the procedure can alter feline metabolism rates, which may lead to weight gain. And though experts agree that keeping your cat indoors is safer, indoor cats do face a greater risk of weight gain than outdoor cats.

Even if your cat does not have any of these risk factors, the potential health issues associated with obesity in cats can be daunting. Feline obesity can increase the risk of osteoarthritis, feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD), diabetes mellitus, and various cancers. Obesity can also complicate the management of chronic kidney disease (CKD), liver disease, heart disease, as well as asthma, and other respiratory disorders.

Research shows that cat obesity can reduce lifespan by nearly two years. [3] So, if your cat is overweight, switching to a weight management cat food diet could help increase both the quality and longevity of your cat’s life.

Our Top Picks

All featured products are chosen at the discretion of the Great Pet Care editorial team and do not reflect a direct endorsement by the author.

Best Prescription Weight Management Cat Foods

• Hills Prescription Diet Metabolic Weight Management Cat Food
• Royal Canin Satiety Support Weight Management Cat Food
• Royal Canin Weight Control Cat Food
• Hill’s Prescription Diet r/d Weight Reduction Cat Food
• Hill’s Prescription Diet w/d Multi-Benefit Cat Food
• Purina Pro Plan OM Overweight Management
• Blue Natural Veterinary Diet W+U Weight Management + Urinary Care Cat Food

Best Non-Prescription Weight Management Cat Foods

• Royal Canin Weight Care Cat Food
• Hills Science Diet Perfect Weight Cat Food
• Purina Pro Plan Weight Management Cat Food

What Is Weight Management Cat Food?

While portion control and increased exercise are proven tactics in the battle of the bulge (both for felines and their human counterparts), some cats may require a different approach, especially if they have more than a few pounds to lose. So if the scale isn’t budging (or is moving in the wrong direction) for your cat, it’s a good idea to chat with your veterinarian about switching your pet to a special weight management diet.

Weight management cat food comes in both prescription and non-prescription (over-the-counter) options that are specially formulated to help cats lose weight. Both types typically contain fewer calories than standard cat food formulas, with macronutrient ratios that are lower in fat while maintaining high levels of protein. 

These diets usually work by optimizing fat metabolism and helping to induce a state of ketosis, which is when the body burns fat instead of glucose (sugar from carbohydrates) for energy. Weight management cat diets also tend to contain more water and/or fiber than other cat food. This increased volume or bulk helps cats feel full so they don’t eat as much.

Prescription Weight Management Cat Food vs Non-Prescription

Non-prescription weight management formulas can benefit cats with smaller weight loss goals, but primarily function as a maintenance diet to help cats stay at a healthy weight. In contrast, prescription options (also known as veterinary therapeutic diets) work both as a treatment to help facilitate substantial weight loss, as well as a diet to help maintain a healthy weight once those pounds are shed. Prescription formulas also contain added ingredients to help improve metabolism. 

Although they may whittle as many pounds off your cat’s waist, non-prescription options are also easier on your wallet. Prescription diets tend to promote more dramatic weight loss, but they typically come with a bigger price tag. 

Why Your Vet Might Recommend a Weight Management Cat Food

Some pet parents may be tempted to take a DIY approach to helping their cat lose weight. But it’s best to involve your veterinarian in your plan, no matter how simple it may seem. 

While reducing the amount of regular cat food you serve up at mealtime could help your “fluffy” feline slim down, veterinarians caution against substantial portion reduction, especially in very obese cats. That’s because drastically reducing portion sizes not only cuts calories, it can also inadvertently cause malnutrition by limiting vital nutrients that your cat needs to thrive. 

Additionally, if you suddenly switch a morbidly obese cat to a calorie-restricted diet, they can face an increased risk of developing a fatal liver disease called hepatic lipidosis. 

Your veterinarian can help you make changes to your cat’s existing diet and lifestyle to promote healthy, gradual weight loss. But, if smaller portions, fewer treats, and more exercise don’t move the scale, or if your cat has a substantial amount of weight to lose, your veterinarian will likely advise a weight management cat food.

In addition to promoting healthy weight loss, specialty weight management cat food can also make the process of losing weight easier…for both you and your cat. Because the formulas contain fewer calories, you can still feed your cat a “normal” portion size, so they don’t feel deprived. And, thanks to extra fiber, weight loss cat food tends to expand in the tummy, giving cats a sense of fullness. The formulas are also designed to be quite tasty and palatable.

As a result, cats often feel more satisfied and less “hangry” when they eat weight management formulas. That can also help reduce the risk of unwanted side effects that often accompany restriction diets, such as begging for food or destructive behavior.

What Weight Management Diet is Best for Your Cat?

There is a wide variety of weight management cat food options designed to work for a wide range of cats — from very obese and overweight cats, to those on the cusp of being overweight, and those who have lost weight and need help maintaining their new healthy physique.

Your veterinarian will determine what type of weight management diet is most appropriate for your cat’s specific needs. First, they’ll calculate your pet’s ideal weight, daily calorie needs, and weight reduction pacing using a variety of factors specific to your pet. These include breed, age, metabolic rate, activity level, nutritional requirements, and any physical or internal ailments that may require careful monitoring throughout the weight loss process.

Top 10 Vet-Recommended Weight Management Cat Foods

There’s no shortage of cat food diets on the market promising to help your cat achieve or maintain a healthy weight. To help pet parents navigate the sea of choices, here are the options veterinarians most commonly recommend. Most are available in both dry (kibble) and canned (wet) food options. And many also offer low-calorie treats your cat can enjoy without jeopardizing their weight loss journey. Ask your vet if one of the following diets is optimal for your cat’s specific health and weight management needs.

Best Prescription Weight Management Cat Foods

Hills Prescription Diet Metabolic Weight Management Cat Food

Hill’s Prescription Diets are well known as trusted mainstays when it comes to disease management through veterinary therapeutic diets. The Hill’s Metabolic Weight Management formula promotes healthy, effective weight loss in cats who are overweight or obese using a proven blend of high-quality ingredients. And the results speak for themselves: According to Hill’s, 88 percent of pets fed this diet at home lost weight in two months. It is available in a variety of textures to keep cats interested and also helps support urinary tract health by minimizing urinary crystal formation.

Pros

• Clinically proven formula developed by Hill’s veterinarians and nutritionists
• According to the brand, 88 percent of pets lost weight in two months when fed this diet at home
• Supports both healthy weight loss and weight maintenance
• Comes in a variety of flavors and canned food textures, including a tasty stew
• Made with a unique blend of fibers to help cats feel full and L-carnitine to help metabolize fat and support lean muscle mass
• Available exclusively through veterinarians
• Contains S+OXSHIELD to promote urinary health 
• Also available as Hill’s Prescription Diet c/d Multicare + Metabolic for cats with clinical urinary issues 

Cons

• Among the most expensive weight loss diets
• Formulated to support adult and senior cats only

Royal Canin Satiety Support Weight Management Cat Food

As a brand built on a solid foundation of scientific research, Royal Canin is known for its precision approach to nutrition, offering formulas tailored to a pet’s age, size, and even breed. The brand’s Satiety Support Weight Management diets are similarly tailored to meet the weight loss needs of cats with body condition scores of 7-9. This prescription diet is specially formulated to support substantial weight loss in cats that face an increased risk of health issues due to being overweight or obese. Made with quality, veterinarian-recommended ingredients and high fiber, to help keep cats satisfied between meals. It also optimizes bone and joint health, which is key in heavier cats, as extra weight increases stress on the musculoskeletal system which can worsen osteoarthritis. 

Pros

• Formulated to facilitate weight loss in overweight to obese cats
• According to the brand, in a clinical trial, 97 percent of cats lost weight in three months, and the diet effectively controlled begging in 82 percent of cats
• Reduces calories while ensuring adequate nutrient availability
• Low fat, high protein, high fiber
• Helps prevent regain of weight lost
• Helps cats stay full (satiated) to reduce unwanted overeating and begging behavior
• Contains glucosamine, chondroitin, and omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil to help support joint health  
• Helps improve urinary tract health by preventing struvite and calcium oxalate crystal formation
• Available in wet and dry formulas

Cons

• Pricier than most other prescription weight formulas

Royal Canin Weight Control Cat Food

Not all cats require a heavy-duty diet designed to help drop pounds. Specifically designed to support weight management, Royal Canin Weight Control cat food offers a balanced blend of nutrients, as well as high levels of protein and fiber, to aid in gradual, healthy weight loss. This prescription diet helps maintain a leaner weight in spayed and neutered adult cats, who often have a tendency to gain weight due to hormonal changes. It also supports urinary health by reducing urinary crystal development.

Pros

• In an internal study conducted by Royal Canin, over 90% of cats lost weight within two months
• Helps spayed and neutered adult cats with an increased risk for weight gain maintain a healthy weight
• Made with high protein (plus extra L-carnitine), high fiber, and balanced fats
• Promotes a feeling of fullness to help reduce overeating
• Available exclusively with a veterinarian’s prescription
• Helps improve urinary tract health by preventing struvite and calcium oxalate crystal formation

Cons

• Premium price
• May not be appropriate for very overweight or obese cats

Hill’s Prescription Diet r/d Weight Reduction Cat Food

While this veterinarian-recommended prescription diet from Hill’s is not intended for long-term use past 6 months, it is designed to help cats substantially whittle their waistlines within 4 to 8 weeks. The clinically tested formula contains therapeutic levels of L-carnitine, plus an optimized blend of fibers to help your cat metabolize fat, maintain lean muscles, and feel full longer.  

Pros

• Clinically proven to help cats lose weight within 4-8 weeks
• Requires veterinarian approval to purchase
• Formulated for safe and effective weight loss
• Helps induce ketosis to burn fat while maintaining muscle mass
• Contains L-carnitine to aid fat metabolism in the liver
• Made with optimized levels of soluble and insoluble fiber
• Contains antioxidants, such as Vitamins E and C, to help support immune system health

Cons

• Less expensive than other prescription diets, but still pricey
• Does not also function as a long-term maintenance diet
• For intermittent feeding only; not intended for long-term use over 6 months duration

Hill’s Prescription Diet w/d Multi-Benefit Cat Food

For cats who struggle with excess weight in addition to other health conditions, Hill’s offers a multi-tasking prescription cat food designed to tackle more than just extra pounds. In addition to helping cats lose weight, Hill’s Prescription Diet w/d Multi-Benefit cat food also helps promote healthy digestion, urinary health, and blood sugar management. Since obesity can lead to type 2 diabetes mellitus in cats, that’s great news for cats with blood glucose readings on the high end of normal. Cats prone to gastrointestinal issues that respond to fiber and urinary tract diseases can also benefit from this extra-helpful formula.

Pros

• Unique formula benefits cats on multiple fronts
• Clinically tested nutrition for weight management, digestive health, urinary health, and blood sugar management
• Reduced-calorie, low-fat formula helps metabolize fat
• Packed with fiber to help manage blood sugar and promote healthy digestion
• Lower magnesium and sodium to promote urinary tract health
• Contains antioxidants, such as Vitamins E and C, to help support immune system health
• Also helps fiber-responsive GI issues, including aiding in maintaining formed stools

Con

• Some pet parents find the cost prohibitive

Purina Pro Plan OM Overweight Management

Purina Pro Plan OM Overweight Management is a prescription weight loss diet for more impactful weight loss and long-term management of a trim feline physique. It’s formulated with a high protein-to-calorie ratio to ensure cats get the proper balance of nutrients, even when losing or maintaining weight. Plus, its yummy variety of flavors will help entice your cat’s tastebuds while reducing their body fat and maintaining muscle mass. 

Pros

• For weight loss or maintenance
• Low calorie, high protein, low fat, high fiber
• Promotes loss of body fat while maintaining muscle mass during weight loss
• Helps improve urinary tract health by preventing struvite and calcium oxalate crystal formation
• High in antioxidants
• Highly palatable
• Comes in a variety of flavors

Cons

• Less expensive than most prescription diets, but still steep

Blue Natural Veterinary Diet W+U Weight Management + Urinary Care Cat Food

One of the more budget-friendly prescription diets, BLUE Natural Veterinary Diet W+U formula delivers the dual benefit of weight management and urinary care in one delicious diet. The grain-free formula features natural ingredients, including deboned chicken and wholesome, fiber-rich fruits and veggies to help cats feel fuller longer. Plus, the diet contains carefully controlled mineral levels designed to prevent bladder stones and promote urinary health. 

Pros

• Ideal levels of fat, calories, and fiber to promote weight loss and help cats feel full
• High in L-carnitine to help support the maintenance of a healthy weight
• High in omega-3 fatty acids to promote immune health
• Helps improve urinary tract health by preventing struvite and calcium oxalate crystal formation due to lower magnesium and sodium content
• Made with LifeSource Bits, BLUE Natural’s blend of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals that help support immune health

Cons

• May not be effective enough to facilitate weight loss in very overweight or obese cats
• Not all brand products meet World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) guidelines

Best Non-Prescription Weight Management Cat Food Picks

Royal Canin Weight Care Cat Food

Good news: No prescription is required to provide your kitty with the weight management benefits of this over-the-counter diet. And because it’s formulated by Royal Canin, a company known for extensive feeding trials, nutrition research, and quality control, you can trust that it will help keep your kitty in shape. While not intended for significant weight loss, this basic weight support diet can help the average kitty (with a body condition score between 4-6) lose a bit of weight or maintain a healthy weight.   

Pros

• Benefits cats that are either slightly overweight or standard-sized with a tendency to gain weight maintain a healthy size 
• High in protein and fiber to help cats feel full
• L-carnitine aids in fat metabolism
• More budget-friendly than prescription options

Cons

• May not be effective enough to facilitate weight loss in very overweight or obese cats
• No mention of added urinary tract support unlike the other Royal Canin feline weight-loss products

Hills Science Diet Perfect Weight Cat Food

Hill’s is another pet food company with boarded veterinary nutritionists on staff who formulate balanced and nutritious diets, perform feeding trials, and ensure quality control. This non-prescription option has added antioxidants and vitamins to support a cat’s immune system while simultaneously helping slightly heavier cats maintain a healthier weight.  

Pros

• Lower in calories to aid cats in gentle weight loss or to support a healthy weight in cats who tend to pack on pounds
• Antioxidants and vitamins help support immune system health
• Free of artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives
• More budget-friendly than prescription options

Cons

• May not be effective enough to facilitate weight loss in very overweight or obese cats
• No mention of added urinary tract support unlike some other Hills feline weight loss products

Purina Pro Plan Weight Management Cat Food

Designed for slightly overweight or less active cats, this Weight Management formula is a non-prescription option in Purina’s Pro Plan line of products designed to help cats achieve or maintain a healthy weight. It has 10 percent fewer calories than most other regular adult formulas, plus it’s 20 percent lower in fat. Best of all, it’s highly tasty to keep cats happy while assisting in mild weight loss and maintaining muscle mass. This product also contains live probiotics to optimize a happy gut.  

Pros

• Contains fewer calories and lower fat than regular adult cat food formulas
• High protein to help maintain muscle mass while promoting weight loss
• Highly palatable formula keeps your kitty’s taste buds happy
• Contains live probiotics to support gut health
• More affordable than a prescription weight loss diet

Cons

• May not be effective enough to facilitate weight loss in very overweight or obese cats
• No mention of added urinary tract support unlike some other Purina feline weight loss products

Switching to a Weight Management Food for Cats

Ready to make a switch to ensure your fluffy feline gets or stays fit? Here are some additional factors to consider when switching to a weight management diet for cats:

• Transition gradually. To help minimize GI upset, such as vomiting or diarrhea, don’t switch your cat’s diet abruptly. Allow their gut to get used to the new food by gradually mixing in increasing amounts of the new diet during a 7- to 10-day transition period.
• Speaking of GI changes, be prepared for increased flatulence (gas). Due to the high amounts of natural soluble and insoluble fiber in most weight management foods, your cat may be extra stinky for a while. Some cats may also have a change in their stool consistency. Fortunately, GI changes tend to stabilize after a few weeks on the new diet. If you have any concerns, discuss them with your vet. 
• Don’t cut calories too quickly. As discussed, nothing too fast or drastic! To ensure your cat’s weight loss is safe and healthy, don’t eyeball their portions. Be sure to use an accurate, consistent measuring device (either cup or scale) as instructed by your vet to dispense your cat’s food. 
• Limit treats. Calories from treats add up and can completely skew your cat’s weight loss results. Either cut out treats completely or reduce them significantly, and be sure to include their caloric content in your daily plan. If you do choose to treat your kitty now and then, look for low-cal options offered by many weight management cat food manufacturers.  
• Get physical! Pair food changes with exercise and playtime for the biggest positive impact.
• Explore the best feeding options for your feline. Some cats may fare better with free choice feeding or multiple mini meals (while maintaining the same daily caloric intake) versus one or two large meals per day.
• Pro Tip: The same psychological tricks that can help humans in their weight loss efforts may work for your cat. Many cats prefer their food in a smaller bowl instead of a large bowl because the smaller bowl looks fuller when filled with the same amount of food. This tactic can help improve your cat’s mental satisfaction at meal times.

Questions to Ask Your Vet About Weight Management Cat Foods

Structure, accuracy, consistency, and regular tracking are important for any weight loss plan. Before and during your cat’s weight loss journey, here are some question prompts that pet parents can ask their veterinarian. The answers may vary based on your cat’s specific weight loss needs, health status, and lifestyle.

• What is my cat’s current weight, and what does a healthy weight look like for him? The ideal cat should have a body condition score (BCS) of 5/9. This means a cat’s frame should be well-proportioned, a tucked waist can be observed behind the ribs, his ribs can be felt with only a slight fat covering, and he should have only a minimal abdominal fat pad.
• What diet plan is best for my cat? Every cat is different, so be sure to ask your vet for guidance on what brand of weight loss or weight management cat food would be best for your kitty. They can advise whether your cat needs a prescription or non-prescription diet and how much they should eat to lose weight. Remember, the number of cups or cans of food may vary, depending on the brand you choose and how many calories your cat needs per day. 
• What are the anticipated costs of my cat’s new diet?
• What if other cats in the house eat diet cat food? A few bites are unlikely to cause harm to other cats in the household, but avoid consistent or sole use in kittens, pregnant and nursing cats, as well as those with certain health issues (such as cancer, kidney disease, hyperthyroidism, and liver disease).
• How quickly should my cat lose weight? Cats should lose 0.5-1.5% of his or her body weight weekly until the goal is met. Your vet may wish to weigh and reassess your pet every 2-4 weeks to ensure the current plan works as intended.
• Once my cat has met their goal weight, how can I help them maintain it?  through diet and activity? Is this a temporary or long-term consideration?

Best of luck on your cat’s weight loss journey. As a pet parent, you’re now empowered to speak with your vet about how to aid your kitty in safely achieving their weight loss goals. With some time and effort, you could help add life to her years and years to her life!

References

1. “2022 U.S. Pet Obesity Prevalence Survey.” Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, Retrieved from www.petobesityprevention.org
2. “2013  Summary of the Veterinary Clinic: Pet Obesity Prevalence Survey.” Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. Retrieved from https://www.petobesityprevention.org/2007-2013
3. Teng, Kendy T et al. “Strong associations of nine-point body condition scoring with survival and lifespan in cats.” Journal of feline medicine and surgery vol. 20,12 (2018): 1110-1118. doi:10.1177/1098612X17752198 

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“When your cat has kidney disease (also called chronic renal failure), the food you feed them is extremely important,” says Dr. Carly Fox, senior veterinarian at Schwarzman Animal Medical Center in New York City. “Feeding a kidney-friendly diet has been shown to almost double survival time in cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD).”

Dr. Fox says kidney disease foods for cats contain less protein, phosphorus, and salt than a normal maintenance adult cat food, as well as increased omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil.

“If your cat is diagnosed with kidney disease, speak to your veterinarian about which foods they recommend,” Dr. Fox explains. “Often, it will be a prescription diet, as commercially based diets generally have too much phosphorus and salt.”

Why Your Cat Might Need a Kidney Disease Food

If your cat has been diagnosed with CKD, you may notice they’ve lost weight, lack energy, urinate more frequently, and don’t have an appetite.

By feeding them specially formulated cat food for kidney disease, you can help protect your cat’s kidney function, while also ensuring they get the essential nutrients they need. One study found that cats with kidney disease who were fed a special diet restricted in phosphorus and protein survived longer than cats with kidney disease who weren’t fed a special diet [1].

Feeding your cat a kidney-support cat food can also help to relieve any nausea they may experience, increase their energy levels, reduce phosphate levels in their blood, and minimize protein loss through their kidneys.

Best Cat Food for Kidney Disease: Top Picks

All featured products are chosen at the discretion of the Great Pet Care editorial team and do not reflect a direct endorsement by the author.

• Best Overall: Royal Canin Vet Diet Renal Support Canned Cat Food
• Best Dry Cat Food for Kidney Disease: Hill’s Prescription Diet k/d Kidney Care Cat Food
• Best Wet Cat Food for Kidney Disease: Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets NF Kidney Function
• Best Grain-Free Cat Food for Kidney Disease: Blue Buffalo Natural Veterinary Diet Kidney and Mobility Support Dry Cat Food

How We Ranked Our Picks

We spoke to veterinarians to find the best kidney-support cat foods on the market, taking into consideration factors including taste, availability, and value. 

4 Best Vet-Approved Cat Foods for Kidney Disease

There is no one specific diet that is appropriate for all cats with kidney disease. Since some cats are picky eaters, and others experience a reduced appetite with kidney disease, it’s important to find cat food your feline will consistently enjoy eating.

Here are some top-tier options to discuss with your veterinarian.

Best Overall Kidney-Support Cat Food

Our Pick: Royal Canin Vet Diet Renal Support Canned Cat Food

A reluctance to eat is a common symptom of kidney disease in cats, so Royal Canin decided to address this right out the gate by offering a tasty formula that cats find hard to resist. Their renal support canned cat food contains D-morsels, made from slices of pork and chicken soaked in gravy. The D stands for “delectable” and may help stimulate your cat’s appetite. We love that this formula offers fatty acids from fish oil, antioxidants, and targeted protein levels, all designed to support your furry loved one’s kidney function.

Key Benefits

• Served as a low-phosphorus pate in gel form that appeals to cats
• Designed to stimulate your cat’s appetite
• Some reviewers say it’s the only CKD food their cat will eat consistently
• Available in 3-ounce cases of 24 cans

Best Dry Cat Food for Kidney Disease

Our Pick: Hill’s Prescription Diet k/d Kidney Care Cat Food

While it can sometimes be hard to get a cat with kidney disease excited about a meal, Hill’s does a good job of enticing even the pickiest cats. This dry cat food for kidney disease is formulated with the brand’s Enhanced Appetite Trigger (E.A.T.), which is shown to stimulate appetite in cats.  This veterinarian-endorsed cat food contains the important nutrients needed to support their kidney health.

Key Benefits

• Targeted levels of high-quality protein
• Low in sodium
• Uses a proprietary blend of ingredients designed to stimulate a cat’s appetite
• May boost vitality and energy

Best Wet Cat Food for Kidney Disease

Our Pick: Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets NF Kidney Function

If your cat has just been diagnosed with kidney disease, this Early Care wet cat food with reduced phosphorus and sodium levels is a good starting point to help them better manage their disease. Cat owners can feel good knowing Purina employs full-time veterinary nutritionists and strives to deliver high-quality food. Over time, as your cat’s kidney disease progresses, Purina Pro Plan also makes an Advanced Care formula to continue supporting your feline’s kidney health.

Key Benefits

• Contains antioxidants and a prebiotic fiber that help to nourish a healthy GI tract
• No artificial colors
• Pate texture
• Contains B-complex vitamins to support your cat’s metabolism and energy levels
• Good taste for cats with limited appetites

Best Grain-Free Cat Food for Kidney Disease

Our Pick: Blue Buffalo Natural Veterinary Diet Kidney and Mobility Support Dry Cat Food

If your cat turns their nose up at canned cat food, Blue Buffalo offers a delicious dry kidney-support cat food. This grain-free formula offers controlled levels of protein (high-quality deboned chicken) and minerals to aid kidney function. It’s also low in phosphorus and sodium. We like this diet for aging cats with kidney issues because it also contains glucosamine and chondroitin to benefit joint health and mobility. 

Key Benefits

• Controlled protein and mineral levels to aid kidney function
• Contains glucosamine and chondroitin to support joint health and mobility
• Pet parents may like that this food is grain-free

Kidney Disease Cat Food Buyer’s Guide

If your cat has been diagnosed with kidney disease, it’s important to work with your veterinarian to find the right kidney care diet. Here are some tips and things to consider when making a choice for your feline family member:

Follow your vet’s recommendations. A veterinarian will guide you to a choice they recommend based on your cat’s health needs and lifestyle. However, if you’re interested in a dry food vs. a wet food, a specific texture or flavor, or are concerned about cost, you can have a conversation with your veterinarian to come up with a few options. 

Ask for samples. Some cats with kidney disease may have a decreased appetite, so finding a food that your cat enjoys and wants to eat is important. “It might just be a matter of finding the right one for your cat,” Dr. Fox says. “Many cats prefer certain textures or flavors, so trialing diets with different textures, tastes, and forms will likely find the right diet if your cat is picky.”

Most veterinary clinics have samples of feline kidney diets because of this issue. Ask your vet if they have any samples of kidney diets for cats that you might be able to try at home before purchasing a larger amount of food.

Transition your cat to a new food slowly. When starting your cat on a new food designed to support their kidney function, it’s beneficial to transition slowly to avoid gastrointestinal upset. Start by mixing 25 percent of the new food with their current food and gradually increase the quantity of new food over the next week.

Monitor your cat’s weight. Diets designed for cats with kidney disease are often high in calories, which can help picky felines maintain their weight. However, it’s important to monitor your cat for unwanted weight gain. If your cat is gaining weight on a kidney-care diet, talk to your veterinarian about adjusting their portion size. 

References:

1. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1748-5827.2000.tb03932.x

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The best urinary cat foods are formulated to help resolve the nagging issues that cause your cat to pee more frequently and painfully, as well as stop blockages that can be potentially life-threatening. 

What Is Urinary Cat Food?

The goal of most urinary cat food formulas is to acidify urine. Dr. Victoria Guillen of Pleasant Ridge Pet Hospital and Cat Care Clinic in Cincinnati says, “Prescription diets used for cats by veterinarians are usually to help prevent urinary stone development, lower irritation to the bladder, and dissolve bladder stones.” In many cases, this goal is achieved through the production of acidified, dilute urine. However, urinary diets may also offer other benefits.

Dr. Byron De La Navarre, the chief of staff at Animal House of Chicago, says, “Urinary diets will also restrict some minerals like magnesium, potassium, and calcium, which can stop the development of an infection or more broad conditions that lead to feline urinary syndrome, or FUS.”

Cat food that touts urinary health benefits is available in both prescription and non-prescription form. De La Navarre recommends consulting with your veterinarian before deciding to put your cat on a urinary diet. Different foods are designed to help with different specific urinary problems.

Top Prescription Urinary Cat Food 

All featured products are chosen at the discretion of the Great Pet Care editorial team and do not reflect a direct endorsement by the author.

• Best Overall: Hill’s Prescription Diet c/d Multicare Urinary Care Stress Dry Cat Food
• Best Wet Urinary Cat Food: Royal Canin Urinary SO Canned Cat Food
• Best for Management of Stones: Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets Cat UR Urinary St/Ox
• Best For Urinary Care and Joint Support: BLUE Natural Veterinary Diet K+M Kidney + Mobility Dry Cat Food
• Best For Urinary Care and Weight Management: Royal Canin Urinary SO Moderate Calorie Dry Cat Food

How We Made Our Selections

The following dietary advice, including specific product recommendations, is being offered after consultation with practicing veterinarians who see feline patients with urinary problems on a regular basis. 

General recommendations are also supported by scientific studies, which are cited where appropriate. 

Your veterinarian will determine the best diet for your individual cat, based on your cat’s individual risk factors.

Best Urinary Cat Food Diets

Best Overall Urinary Cat Food

Our Pick: Hill’s Prescription Diet c/d Multicare Urinary Care Stress Dry Cat Food

Hill’s offers a number of different urinary formulas to treat specific urinary problems, according to De La Navarre, including k/d (a kidney health diet) and s/d (a diet for cats with urinary stones). This formula, c/d, is more of a catch-all that acidifies urine, makes the urinary tract more hostile to unwanted bacteria, and helps dissolve stones and prevent their long-term formation. 

Additionally, the multicare formula touts stress-reducing benefits. Stress is known to cause urinary health problems, including cystitis, which is an inflammatory condition in the bladder. 

Key Benefits

• It helps a wide variety of urinary symptoms and conditions.
• It controls minerals that can lead to stone formation.
• Protein content is higher than most comparable products.
• Long-term stress reduction has added benefits, including preventing infections and maintaining a healthy weight [1].

Best Wet Urinary Cat Food

Our Pick: Royal Canin Urinary SO Canned Cat Food

This prescription wet food from Royal Canin Canin offers many of the same benefits as the Hill’s formula above but without the added stress-reducing benefits. It increases the amount of urine produced by your cat and lowers the ion concentration in the urine – both of which help prevent crystals and stones. 

Key Benefits

• It controls magnesium levels for stone dissolution and prevention.
• Parents suggest their cats absolutely love the taste.

Best for Management of Stones

Our Pick: Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets Cat UR Urinary St/Ox

If your feline companion is prone to stones, this diet from Purina may be recommended by your veterinarian. In addition to diluting the urine, Purina Pro Plan UR Urinary St/Ox helps to dissolve struvite stones and can reduce the formation of both struvite and calcium oxalate stones. This formula is available in both dry and wet versions, so pet parents have a choice based on their cat’s preferences. 

Key Benefits

• Can help dissolve struvite stones.
• Prevents the formation of struvite and calcium oxalate stones.
• Purina Pro Plan diets are developed by nutritionists, researchers, and veterinarians.

Best for Urinary Care and Joint Support

Our Pick: BLUE Natural Veterinary Diet K+M Kidney + Mobility Dry Cat Food

In addition to urinary issues, many cats also suffer from arthritis and joint problems – especially as they age. This veterinary diet from Blue Buffalo helps control phosphorus and sodium levels to support kidney function and it’s formulated with glucosamine and chondroitin to protect your cat’s joints. 

Key Benefits

• Features glucosamine and chondroitin to help mobility.
• Grain-free food, which may be important to some pet owners.
• May be more affordable than other prescription urinary cat foods

Best for Urinary Care and Weight Management

Our Pick: Royal Canin Urinary SO Moderate Calorie Dry Cat Food

Royal Canin offers a standard dry formula that touts a variety of urinary health benefits, including increased urine production for flushing excess stone-creating minerals, but this tweaked version of the formula is ten percent less caloric. 

“Many urinary cat foods will pack in fat and calories in order to make them more appealing taste-wise, so it’s great when one actively tries to manage weight and urinary health at the same time,” Dr. De La Navarre says.

Key Benefits

• It controls magnesium, calcium, and phosphorus levels for robust stone and crystal prevention.
• Formulated with less calories than the regular Royal Canin Urinary SO formula.
• Can help manage and control weight in addition to providing urinary support.

Tips for Switching Your Cat to a Urinary Diet

Dr. Guillen says cats generally don’t need diets designed for urinary health unless their vet recommends it for treating a specific problem. If cat parents want to look out for their feline’s urinary health, adding more wet food to their regular diet may increase the amount of moisture their cat consumes on a daily basis. This, in turn, can dilute their urine and help flush out unwanted bacteria from the urinary tract and help prevent the formation of stones and crystals. 

That said, Dr. De La Navarre says dry food can still have a place in a cat’s diet. It’s generally less expensive than canned food, which will be a factor for some cat parents, but other cats just like to graze on dry food. “I think a mix of wet and dry is a good way to go for a lot of cats, but if the cat has urinary problems, and they really like dry food more, they should be on a urinary diet, which the cat’s vet can help with,” he says.

Another reason cat parents should speak with their vet before changing to a urinary diet for their cat is that urinary diets sometimes reduce the amount of certain nutrients. If your cat has any other underlying health problems, Dr. De La Navarre says, a sudden decrease in the amount of calcium or potassium they consume on a daily basis can be a problem for them. 

In any case, after switching to a urinary food, it’s important to monitor your cat for any unusual symptoms and contact your vet if you notice anything concerning.

References:

1. https://avmajournals.avma.org/view/journals/javma/240/5/javma.240.5.570.xml 

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Ensuring your cat gets the right amount of calories is key for her growth as a kitten, keeping her energy up as an adult, and, most importantly, maintaining a healthy weight throughout her life. Over 60 percent of cats are classified as overweight or obese, according to 2022 survey results from the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention. And, despite the viral appeal of chubby cat videos on TikTok, weight control problems in cats often lead to reduced lifespans and increased risk of expensive health problems like diabetes, mobility issues, and cancer. 

No matter your cat’s current weight, you can ensure she’s getting the calories she needs with a quick lesson in cat nutrition and some help from your veterinarian. Learn about how many calories cats generally need, how to figure out the best calorie goal for your pet, and what you can do if you suspect it’s time for a weight-loss plan. 

Calories in Cat Food: A Brief Overview

Calories measure the energy released when your body breaks down food. The calories in cat food are calculated the same way as calories in human food. The type of calories a cat eats matters, too. Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they need lots of protein and fat from meat sources with only moderate amounts of carbohydrates. 

You can ensure your cat gets the nutrients she needs by checking the nutritional adequacy statement on her pet food for the phrase “complete and balanced nutrition,” a standard set by the Association of American Feed Control Officials. If you see that statement and follow the instructions on the label, you can rest assured that you’re giving her the calories, nutrients, and protein she needs to thrive. 

Different types of cat foods can have different calorie levels. And, sometimes, comparing nutrition labels can create more confusion than clarity. For example, canned cat food is generally lower in calories per volume than dry cat food — but that’s simply due to their higher water content. Limited research exists on raw cat food diets (which might pose health risks for cats and pet parents alike) so it’s unclear how calorie counts in raw cat foods compare to more traditional cat foods. As you may have guessed, kitten food has more calories than adult cat food.

Because a cat’s energy needs are so individualized, talk to your veterinarian if you’re concerned about how many calories your cat gets from her food. They can help direct you to the best choice for your cat’s unique needs and your budget. 

How Many Calories Should a Cat Eat?

“The ballpark calorie needs for an average 9- to 10-pound cat are around 200 calories, or about half a cup of food, per day,” says Dr. Nancy Welborn, an assistant professor of veterinary clinical sciences at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine in Baton Rouge. She says pet parents are often surprised when they hear such a small estimate, but cats typically need far fewer calories than many might assume. 

That said, this is a very rough estimate. Welborn says many factors can impact a cat’s energy needs, including age, size, activity level, and underlying health conditions. 

How Many Calories Do Kittens Need?

Life with a kitten looks like life with an adult cat — nap, play, eat, repeat — all on fast forward. 

“Kittens have a higher metabolism than adult and senior cats and are usually more active, so they will need more food per pound of body weight,” says Dr. Kelly Gehlhaus, managing clinic veterinarian at Animal Humane Society, a nonprofit organization with adoption and veterinary centers in the Twin Cities. 

For example, a 6-week-old kitten that weighs ⅔ of a pound may need ¼ cup of dry food for about 129 calories per day. By the time she’s 5 months old and weighs 5 ¾ pounds, she could be up to ¾ cup of dry food for about 386 calories per day.  That’s far more calories than her adult counterpart would need. 

Because kittens grow fast and their calorie needs can change drastically quickly, it’s important to give a kitten food specifically formulated for their age and follow pet food label feeding charts carefully to avoid under or overfeeding. 

How Many Calories Should Senior Cats Eat?

As they grow older, cats’ calorie needs change in interesting ways. Mature cats between the ages of 7 and 10 often gain weight and may need about 20 to 30 percent fewer calories due to age-related dips in their metabolism. Senior cats (11+) start having higher calorie needs because it’s harder to digest calories from proteins and fats as they age. 

Choosing the right cat food for a senior can be incredibly challenging because there’s no agreement on what counts as a “senior” label-wise, and calorie counts may be lower or higher depending on the age of the cat they’re intended for. Sometimes, there’s no difference in calorie counts between adult and senior foods. In other cases, foods for cats aged 7+ may be lower in calories. In contrast, those for cats aged 11+ may be higher in calories, according to a 2020 review of senior cat foods published in the Journal of Internal Veterinary Medicine. Moreover, Welborn says senior cats may also have health problems like chronic kidney disease, which requires a prescription veterinary diet. 

For these reasons, it’s best to choose a senior cat food and daily calorie goal based on your veterinarian’s recommendation rather than relying solely on generalized calorie counts and arbitrary marketing labels to guide your choice.

Calories for Cats Trying to Lose Weight

If your cat is overweight or obese and you want to help her get back to a healthy weight, step one is to know how much you’re feeding her now versus how much you should feed her with help from your veterinarian and a cat calorie calculator. 

“Cats should lose weight over a very long period—anywhere from six months to a year,” says Welborn. While you might be tempted to drastically reduce your cat’s kibble rations, doing so could lead to a life-threatening health problem called fatty liver syndrome (hepatic lipidosis). 

While it might also seem like you should start with a cat food specially formulated for weight loss, Welborn says veterinarians generally try to stick with the food your cat is already used to and gradually reduce her calorie intake. 

Gradually switching to a weight-loss cat food is another option. In many cases, weight-loss formulas are higher in fiber because this may help cats feel full and satisfied with fewer calories. You might also ask about metabolism-boosting cat foods like Hills Prescription Diet Metabolic, which may help your cat burn more calories with a revved-up metabolism. 

Besides slowly lowering her daily calorie intake, replacing your cat’s bowl full of food with new options that better imitate life in the wild can also help support weight loss. 

Welborn recommends feeding your cat multiple small meals with the help of automatic feeders or food-dispensing toys hidden throughout your home. As a bonus, your cat will get extra mental stimulation and exercise—a plus for maintaining that weight loss and boosting her overall health and wellness. 

The bottom line with cat weight loss and calorie counting is that it’s essential to do it under the guidance of a professionally trained veterinarian. With one call and a quick consultation, you can skip hours of label-reading, price comparisons, and complex calculations to get personalized advice based on your cat’s unique needs.

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Fortunately, we’ve got answers to those questions and many more, including some that might surprise you. Diet plays an important role in the health and happiness of senior felines. With this helpful guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about selecting a senior cat food that fits your feline family member’s specific tastes and needs.

Senior Cat Nutrition: Why It’s Important

Senior cats experience many changes in their golden years, and nutrition impacts how they tolerate those changes. 

Appropriate senior cat nutrition may prevent some health concerns in older cats. For other cats who go on to develop various conditions, their diet may alleviate symptoms. For all senior cats, we want their nutrition to promote overall wellness.

To understand the importance of senior cat nutrition, it’s helpful to know how your cat’s health and needs may change in the years ahead, as well as the role diet can play in managing those changes. 

Here are some of the most common challenges cats face as they age:

• Increased energy needs: While most adult cats are prone to obesity and may require calorie restriction, senior cats tend to face the opposite problem. Many aging cats have trouble keeping weight on. This is because their digestive system becomes less efficient, meaning they don’t absorb as much energy from their food. As a result, they have a higher energy requirement. 
• Weakened immune system: The immune system of a senior cat may not be quite as effective as a younger cat’s at fighting off infections. Senior cats also have an increased risk of chronic health conditions that weaken the immune system.
• Increased likelihood of chronic health conditions: Several diseases, such as chronic kidney disease or hyperthyroidism, are more common in senior cats. Some of these conditions require specific diets as part of their treatment.
• Dental disease: Senior cats are more likely to have dental disease, often leading to tooth extraction or loss. In fact, some senior cats don’t have any teeth left, which can impact their desire and ability to eat.
• Increased need for water intake: Many senior cats will have changes to their kidney function that predispose them to dehydration. 
• Decreased appetite: Senior cats commonly have a lower appetite than their younger counterparts. In some cases, this may occur because their abilities to smell and taste aren’t as good as they once were. For others, this can occur because of an underlying disease that affects their appetite, such as chronic kidney disease.

Should You Change Your Senior Cat’s Diet? 

The answer to this question isn’t as simple as you might think. Here’s why.

While kitten food and adult cat food formulas generally adhere to nutritional standards set by the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), no standardized AAFCO guidelines exist for senior cat diets.

This means that pet food manufacturers can create their own formulas to market as senior cat food. So it’s not as if any old cat food with the word “senior” on the packaging will suffice once your cat hits a certain age.

There’s no guarantee that formula will provide what your cat needs in their senior years. Your best bet is to work with your veterinarian to pick an appropriate diet for your aging cat.

When Should You Change Your Senior Cat’s Diet? 

Another myth in need of busting is that your aging cat’s nutritional needs change once they celebrate a specific birthday. Despite what you’ll see on pet food bags, there isn’t a particular age at which your cat should switch to a senior cat diet. 

If you look closely, you’ll notice that not all commercial senior cat diets use the same age cutoff for when a pet is senior. Some say 7+, others say 11+, and some won’t have a specific age listed at all. 

Instead of basing dietary changes for senior cats off the age listed on the food bag or cans, you should work with your veterinarian to determine if and when a dietary change is necessary. Issues that may indicate you need to change your cat’s diet include:

• Appetite changes
• Weight loss or gain
• Loss of muscle mass
• Vomiting
• Changes to stools, such as diarrhea, loose stools, or constipation
• Excessive drinking or urination

These warning signs could indicate it’s time to switch to a diet better suited to your cat’s needs. Or, they could point to a wide range of other health issues. So, it’s best to have your veterinarian conduct a thorough exam to ensure you know precisely what your aging cat needs. 

What to Feed Your Senior Cat

Since we now know that you can’t just pick any formula with “senior cat food” on the label, exactly what should you consider when deciding how to nourish your senior kitty?

If your senior cat isn’t showing any signs of slowing down or other age-related health issues, you may be fine feeding them any cat food formulated for adult cats. However, the symptoms of age-related health conditions in cats can be subtle and easy to miss. So, it’s a good idea to talk with your veterinarian before you decide on any dietary changes.

Questions to ask your veterinarian include:

• Does your cat have any special nutritional needs due to a specific health condition?
• Does your cat’s dental health affect the kind of food they should eat?
• How can you increase your cat’s water intake?
• How can you make food more appealing for a cat who won’t eat?

Depending on your cat’s unique needs, here are a few options your veterinarian may recommend.  

Prescription diets

For cats diagnosed with certain health conditions or nutritional needs, veterinarians may recommend a prescription diet that’s specially formulated to help them thrive. These options, also known as veterinarian-authorized or therapeutic diets, can only be purchased with special approval from a veterinarian.

Examples of common senior health conditions that may have dietary therapies available include:

• Chronic kidney disease
• Diabetes
• Dental disease
• Hyperthyroidism 
• Obesity

If your veterinarian prescribes a therapeutic diet for your senior cat, your best bet is to go with the formula they recommend. However, a variety of brands offer prescription diets. So, if your cat won’t eat their new food, it is worth asking your vet if the prescription diet is available from another brand and whether it would be appropriate to switch. 

You may also want to ask your veterinarian how long your senior cat should be on a prescription diet. For some conditions, feeding a therapeutic diet is part of a long-term treatment plan. For other conditions, such as obesity, it may be a temporary fix until your cat achieves a healthy weight and can switch to a diet designed to help maintain that weight.

Commercial diets

If your veterinarian does not recommend a prescription diet for your senior cat, then there are plenty of viable cat food options available to sustain your elderly feline in their golden years. 

However, not all formulas are created equal, and some may be better for senior cats than others. Here are some important considerations to remember when choosing a diet that will help your elderly cat thrive.

• Meets AAFCO standards: Any diet you choose should have an AAFCO statement near the nutrient label which says the food is approved for adult maintenance.
• Protein-rich: Your senior cat is an obligate carnivore, which means they need animal products in their diet to get all their essential nutrients. Look for options with meat or fish as the number one ingredient and check the percentage of protein content listed on the label. According to the American Animal Hospital Association, most senior cats should eat a diet with a minimum protein allowance of 30–45% dry matter. Avoid plant-based (vegetarian or vegan) diets, which are inappropriate for cats of any age.  
• Kibble vs. canned: While both kibble and canned food can provide senior cats with the nutrition they need, canned food may be a better pick for some older cats. The extra moisture in wet cat food helps combat dehydration in senior cats, and the softer texture is easier on senior cats with dental pain or fewer teeth. 
• Portion sizes: A cat’s weight can be challenging to manage in their senior years, so working with your veterinarian to develop a weight management plan is a great idea. If your cat is obese, consider reducing their amount of food by 10 percent and reweighing them every two weeks for a month. But what if they’re underweight?

If your cat is underweight, you should determine if they have any underlying health conditions. Assuming all is well, you have several options to consider:

• Increase their food amount by 10 percent and reweigh every two weeks for a month to ensure they are gaining weight. If there’s no progress, try increasing it by another 10 percent. 
• Try switching to a food with more calories in the same amount (higher caloric density), so they’re getting more energy from their food even though they’re eating the same amount.
• Switch to a canned food to see if this is more enticing.
• Heat the food to increase aroma and appeal.
• Add a small amount of canned food to their kibble as a topper.

If you are working to manage your cat’s weight, consider signing up for a GreatPetCare account, which has access to health management tools such as a pet weight tracker. 

Supplements

While it’s not necessary to supplement your senior cat’s diet if they are eating food that meets appropriate AAFCO standards, some nutritional supplements may help address age-related health issues. For example, joint supplements that contain extra glucosamine and chondroitin may help improve mobility in some cats with joint pain.

However, nutritional supplements do not replace appropriate veterinary treatment. If you’re considering supplements for your senior kitty, speak with your veterinarian before starting your cat on them. 

Hydration

Senior cats are often more susceptible to dehydration. This may be due to reduced sensitivity to thirst, disease, or mobility issues that make it harder to get to the water bowl. 

If your cat is a kibble-eater, consider switching to canned food to help keep them well hydrated. You can also coax your cat into drinking more by introducing water fountains and placing multiple water bowls on the levels of your home. 

Senior Cat Nutrition: Other Tips and Advice

Once you and your veterinarian decide what your senior cat should eat, there’s still the matter of ensuring they’re eating properly. Here are some expert tips to ensure your cat gets the nutrition they need to help keep them happy and healthy.

• When changing your senior cat’s diet, make that change slowly over several days. Changing the diet too rapidly can lead to stomach upset, which could result in diarrhea, vomiting, and appetite changes. To make the switch successful, follow the schedule below:
  • Day 1: 25% new food, 75% old food
  • Day 2: 50% new food, 50% old food
  • Day 3: 75% new food, 25% old food
  • Day 4: 100% new food

• If your cat is not finishing their meals, consider feeding smaller meals more frequently.
• If your senior cat is losing weight and is getting pickier, consider leaving kibble available at all times. This may not be feasible if you have other pets in the home who like to steal from their senior friends.
• Treats are safe for you to give your senior cat but should make up under 10% of their diet. If your pet is on a prescription diet, check with your veterinarian before feeding treats to ensure they do not pose any danger to your cat’s health. 
• Safe human foods that could be given to your cat as a treat include thoroughly cooked lean meats and fish, cooked eggs, cucumber, carrots, peas, and more. Always ensure that food is safe before offering it to your pet. 
• If your cat has multiple health conditions that complicate your dietary options, consider asking your veterinarian for a referral to a veterinary nutritionist. 
• If you are interested in a homecooked diet for your senior cat, you must work with a veterinary nutritionist to develop a nutritionally balanced diet.

Feeding your senior cat does require a slightly different approach than many pet parents may be used to, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Now that you know how your aging cat’s nutritional needs may change and how that impacts their health, you can have thoughtful conversations with your veterinarian about the best diet for your senior cat’s overall health and wellness. 

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But if you’re wondering: can cats eat corn? You’re not alone. Many feline pet parents have the same question. 

Before you feed, hold onto that cob. Read on to learn whether or not cats can eat corn, if corn has any benefits for our feline friends, and what you should know before sharing corn-based dishes with your pet.

Can Cats Eat Corn? 

Yes! Cats can indeed eat corn. “Corn is a highly nutritious carbohydrate source that’s found in many manufactured cat foods,” says Dr. Nancy Welborn, an assistant professor of veterinary clinical sciences at the LSU School of Veterinary Medicine in Baton Rouge. 

However, just because corn is found in well-balanced, veterinarian-approved cat foods, that doesn’t mean it’s something you should go out of your way to feed your pet. “Cats are obligate carnivores,” explains Dr. Welborn, “which basically means they need a higher concentration of protein in their diets.”

A little bit of carbs in a cat’s diet, corn included, is okay. But a lot is not. To live her best life, your cat needs kitty chow with the right balance of macronutrients and a hearty portion of high-quality protein. Additional treats or supplements are rarely beneficial.

Can Cats Eat Corn on the Cob? 

Cats can technically eat corn on the cob. That said, it’s best to keep this treat in the “human food” category. Most of the time, corn on the cob is covered in salt, oil or fat, and seasonings—none of which are great for cat consumption. 

In this case, even a couple of licks can be a calorie bomb, especially considering how few calories the average cat’s compact body needs. Cats aren’t going to a job or the gym with you every day, so those extra calories can add up quickly. In fact, more than half of cats in the U.S. are overweight or obese, and overfeeding can lead to additional health problems over time like diabetes, says Dr. Welborn. 

But there’s a reason why videos of cats eating corn on the cob are a rarity. Compared to dogs, cats are much less likely to beg for a taste anyway—so they won’t even know what they’re missing. Keep corn husks and cobs off the menu, too; toys designed for cats to gnaw on are a safer option for a happy cat. 

Can Cats Eat Corn Tortillas? 

Keep corn tortillas off the menu for cats, too. They’re a high-calorie snack and don’t offer the right balance of proteins, fats, and carbs for the optimal feline diet. 

Can Cats Eat Corn Chips? 

Corn chips are another no-no for cats. Processed foods tend to be high in calories and contain ingredients your cat doesn’t need in her diet. 

Can Cats Eat Cornbread? 

While we all want to treat our pets and make them feel included, cornbread is another human food you can skip sharing with your cat for the same reasons you’d keep these other corn-based dishes out of her diet. 

Are There Benefits of Cats Eating Corn? 

Corn is found in many cat foods because it’s an inexpensive, healthful source of kitty fuel. The grain offers up nutrients including fiber, protein, and fatty acids, says Dr. Welborn. And corn byproducts found in kibble can help boost the palatability (a.k.a. tastiness) of food and support healthy digestion.   

Is Corn Bad For Cats? 

As the base for high-fructose corn syrup and other high-calorie, highly-processed foods, corn doesn’t always get the best rap in the human diet or the feline diet. 

But the good news is, corn and corn products are rarely bad for cats. Here are the answers to some of the most common corn-related concerns. 

Does corn provide empty calories for cats? 

There’s a common misconception that corn’s just a “filler” in pet foods that crowds cats’ bellies with empty calories. But the research does not back up this belief, per an article published in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. As mentioned above, corn can be a nutritious part of a cat’s diet and is found in many veterinarian-approved cat foods.

Is corn gluten meal bad for cats? 

With the rise of “grain-free” diets and human concerns like food allergies and gluten intolerances, you may wonder if similar health problems could affect your pet. However, veterinary reports show the main cause of allergies in cats is actually from protein-based foods; grain-based foods are at the root of less than 1.5% of all food allergy cases. Honestly, “grain-free” is just a marketing term, says Dr. Welborn. (And even pet foods that claim to be grain-free may not be! One supposedly grain-free cat food, for example, was found to contain barley, according to a study by veterinarians at Tufts University.)

Feeding Cats Corn: Tips to Consider 

When it comes to cats and corn, there are two key rules to keep in mind, according to Dr. Welborn:  

1. Everything in moderation. Avoid extra corn products in your cat’s diet, especially if she is overweight. Occasionally, plain corn is okay as long as there’s no salt, butter, oil, or seasonings on it. 

2. But generally, just stick with cat food. For enrichment and training, opt for veterinarian-approved treats that are designed specifically for cats. Another cost-effective option? Simply take a portion of your cat’s kibble out of the bowl so you know she’s getting in the usual amount of calories she needs to stick with a healthy, balanced diet. 

The Bottom Line on Corn for Cats 

All in all, corn is rarely bad for cats. In fact, it’s a common ingredient that provides nutritional value in many high-quality cat foods. But if you’re worried something in your cat’s diet could be making her sick due to concerning symptoms like an upset stomach or diarrhea, by all means, contact your veterinarian. It’s better to figure out what’s going on together with a full exam than to try to rework your cat’s diet on your own. 

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Here’s a list of eight common cat food mistakes and how to fix them.

Mistake #1: Free Feeding

Leaving a bowl of dry food out for your cat to eat whenever he wants might be convenient – and it might be necessary at times, such as when you won’t be home for a while.

However, according to Dr. Jessie Markovich of NorthStar VETS in New Jersey, free feeding all the time isn’t a good idea. “Free-choice feeding your cats is the most common mistake that I see, which often leads to overweight cats,” she says. Overweight cats have a higher risk of developing chronic health conditions, such as diabetes or arthritis, and live shorter lives on average than their lean counterparts.

An unhealthy weight isn’t the only risk of free feeding your cat. “The other mistake that I often see is owners who, due to free-choice feeding, try to have all cats in the household eat the same diet irrespective of their age or disease states,” Dr. Markovich adds. “It would be better to train your cats early to eat two or more times per day, which will allow you to feed them the correct amount per day and monitor the amount that each cat is eating.”

Dr. Karolina Holda, an expert in canine and feline nutrition whose work includes writing, lecturing, and offering online courses, agrees. She says food that’s left out might spoil, and cats might eat out of boredom and gain weight. Instead of free feeding, she recommends portion feeding.  

Mistake #2: Not Feeding a Complete and Balanced Diet

When selecting your cat’s food, make sure it’s complete and balanced to ensure your pet is getting the right number of calories and nutrients. Dr. Markovich says a food label should feature an AAFCO statement “defining whether a diet is complete and balanced or to be used as a supplemental diet.” Treats should not be used as your cat’s main source of calories and nutrients.  

You can contact manufacturers directly to ask them about the quality of their foods. Also, Dr. Markovich and Dr. Holda recommend reading the WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee: Guidelines on Selecting Pet Foods.

Mistake #3: Not Feeding for the Correct Life Stage

It’s wise to consider your cat’s age when selecting a food because a pet’s nutritional needs change over time. AAFCO statements will indicate if a diet is nutritionally balanced for growth and reproduction or for adult maintenance. Some diets are approved for all life stages.   

Dr. Holda explains that an active and growing kitten will require kitten food with more calories per cup or can compared to an adult cat’s food. Therefore, an adult who continues to eat kitten food might gain too much weight. Also, senior cats might have specific dietary needs, especially if they develop health problems. Your senior cat may benefit from a prescription diet in some cases, such as if they have hyperthyroidism or chronic kidney disease.

Mistake #4: Switching Up Cat Food Too Often or Too Quickly

Sure, there may be times when you need to change your cat’s food. For instance, if a food is discontinued or your cat stops eating it, you’ll have to find a new diet that meets your pet’s preferences and needs. Also, you might have to switch foods if your cat has been diagnosed with a health concern or food allergy.

However, if you just want to give your kitty some variety with different flavors and brands, don’t overdo it. “I would actually recommend limiting your rotation and brand switching as much as possible because it promotes pickiness (now your kids know about all of the flavors!), which makes things difficult when they become ill and we need to change the diet, or if we need to be able to tempt them with something different,” advises Dr. Markovich. 

When transitioning to a new food, introduce it gradually over days or weeks. Making the mistake of switching too fast may lead to digestive upset.

Mistake #5: Too Many Treats or Table Scraps

When it comes to treats, Dr. Markovich recommends limiting them to 10 percent of the total daily calories. This can reduce the risk of unbalancing your pet’s complete and balanced primary food. Feeding too many treats or table scraps also increases the likelihood of obesity. If you aren’t sure, you can ask your veterinarian for calorie recommendations.   

Dr. Holda warns that many human foods are toxic to cats. Examples include grapes, raisins, and chocolate. So, if you’re going to give your kitty some of your food, make sure it’s totally safe.

Mistake #6: Not Providing Enough Moisture

Dr. Holda explains that cats are desert animals who drink small amounts of water because they get much of the hydration they need from prey. Therefore, only feeding your cat dry food might result in your kitty not getting enough moisture, especially if he isn’t drinking enough water. Plus, wet cat food may better satisfy a cat’s appetite, while also helping to support urinary health.   

“Canned foods contain a higher moisture percentage (78 to 82 percent water) as compared to dry diets (10 to 12 percent water), which can be helpful to manage certain disease conditions, such as kidney disease or lower urinary disease,” says Dr. Markovich. 

No matter what, make sure your cat always has access to fresh, clean water. “If you feel your cat is not drinking enough water, consider changing to wet food or mix wet and dry,” says Dr. Holda. You can also encourage your cat to drink more water by having multiple water dishes or small automatic water fountains throughout the home.        

Mistake #7: Making Food at Home Without Veterinary Support

Some pet parents want to gain more control over the quality of their cat’s food by preparing recipes at home. If you want to take this route, work closely with a veterinarian or board-certified veterinary nutritionist to ensure the diet will be properly balanced.

What about all those recipes that you can easily find in books and online? They may not give your cat exactly what he needs to thrive. “The majority of recipes found online or in books are not complete and balanced,” says Dr. Markovich.  

“There are many recipes on the internet or in books, but one should always be careful about the quality of these sources,” adds Dr. Holda. “The food should not only be palatable but also balanced and complete. Lack of, or even excess of, nutrients can cause various health problems.”

Mistake #8: Feeding Incorrect Amounts of Food

Feeding your cat the right amount of food every day is important. If you aren’t sure how much your cat should be eating, consult with a veterinarian.

“If you find that you are feeding less than 80 percent of the volume that your pet food bag recommends, then you are likely restricting nutrients (vitamins and minerals) in addition to restricting calories,” says Dr. Markovich.  

You can use the information on a pet food label as a guide, but Dr. Holda states that a cat might need more or less food based on his unique needs. She also recommends dividing the daily dose of food across multiple small meals per day.  A cat’s energy level spikes around the time they are expecting a meal, so feeding your pet multiple times per day also encourages your pet to be more active.     

Final Tips

Read pet food labels closely.  Keep the pet food fresh by following the label’s directions on proper storage. It’s often recommended that the food remain in its original packaging and that it’s sealed between uses.

Save pet food bags. Consider saving food bags and labels for potential pet food recalls. In the event of a recall or other concern, you’ll have the information you need.

Reevaluate your cat’s diet regularly. Pay attention to your cat’s changing needs and discuss your cat’s nutrition with your veterinarian. Regularly reevaluating your cat’s diet will help ensure he’s getting the highest quality food that meets his needs for overall wellness and a healthy weight.

The post 8 Cat Food Mistakes You Might Be Making appeared first on Great Pet Care.

In 2018, 4 percent of cat owners were feeding raw cat food to their cats, and it’s likely that more were buying ‘human’ food from supermarkets with the intention of sharing it with their pets. 

But humans are advised against eating raw chicken due to Salmonella and other potentially harmful pathogens. But can cats eat raw chicken? We’ll take a closer look at whether raw chicken is safe for cats and whether this trend could spell trouble for your feline friend.

Can Cats Eat Raw Chicken?

Yes, cats can eat raw chicken, but there are health risks associated with feeding cats raw meat. 

Chicken, whether raw or cooked, is a good source of protein for cats, and you’ll find it in most pet foods. However, cooked meat is much safer than uncooked meat. Uncooked meat can host nasty bacteria that can cause illness. This is especially true for chicken, which is why humans should never eat raw or undercooked chicken. 

Having said this, cats do show some resistance to the effects of eating raw meat. While most humans will get ill if they eat raw chicken, cats are less likely to show immediate signs of illness. Sometimes they’ll show symptoms of illness such as vomiting and diarrhea, but more often than not they simply carry on as normal. 

However, it’s still very difficult to say that raw chicken is safe for cats. While we know they don’t get as ill as we do, some cats will still get ill, and some illnesses carried by raw meat can be serious and long lasting. 

Those that recommend raw-feeding suggest that cats receive a lot of benefits from raw meat that they don’t get from cooked meat. Raw food enthusiasts believe it’s more digestible and more nutritious because it’s “biologically appropriate” (in other words, what cats evolved to eat). Unfortunately, there are no studies that demonstrate a clear improvement in any aspect of a cat’s health when being fed a raw diet. 

As a vet, I wouldn’t ever purposefully feed raw chicken to my cat. Cooking meat makes it safe, so I usually recommend boiled chicken for cats. But, if a piece of raw chicken fell on the floor and the cat ate it, or if the cat got into the fridge and ate a few pieces of raw chicken breasts, I wouldn’t rush to treat them for illness, either. 

The Dangers of Raw Chicken for Cats

Raw chicken is commonly contaminated with Salmonella, E.coli, and other bacteria. 

In one small study, 80 percent of chicken-based raw meat diets were contaminated with Salmonella. While cats are naturally a little resistant to becoming ill with these pathogens, they aren’t immune. What’s more, the bacteria are then on their food bowls, in their mouths, on their fur, and in their poop, from where they can easily infect humans. 

To get around this, some raw food companies freeze their food or even freeze-dry it. Unfortunately, this does not necessarily make it safe. Salmonella can survive freezing (otherwise we could all eat raw chicken as long as it had been frozen first) and it has been isolated from freeze-dried diets too. 

The only way to stop chicken meat from being contaminated is to practice really good hygiene in the farm and abattoir, as well as any post-slaughter processing. But, as we know from the frequent cases of human illness, pathogenic bacteria slip through the cracks even in the human food chain. In fact, about 1 in 25 packs of chicken at the supermarket are contaminated with disease-causing bacteria.

To avoid potentially exposing your cat to Samonella, E.coli, or other dangerous bacteria, it’s best to cook chicken before giving it to your feline family member.

Raw Chicken for Cats: The Breakdown

Although humans prefer chicken breasts and occasionally the legs and wings, raw cat food with chicken could contain a whole host of different chicken parts. Chicken livers, chicken meat and other organs (like lung) are all regularly used in cat foods. 

Can Cats Have Raw Chicken Breast? 

Chicken meat, including chicken breasts, is the most common type of raw chicken your cat will be exposed to. Cats can eat raw chicken breast, but uncooked chicken breasts pose the same risks as other raw parts of the chicken. 

Can Cats Eat Chicken Bones? 

Chicken bones are generally a no-no for cats. Bird bones are thin and easily break into sharp shards, which can cause damage to the mouth and soft tissues of the throat and gullet. 

However, the risk is far greater with cooked bones than for raw chicken bones, as raw bones are much softer and less likely to splinter. The ‘long’ bones of the legs are also more risky than other bones – so if you’re going to try bones for your cat, opt for the bones of the neck which tend to be softer and less brittle. 

Ground chicken bones – such as the ‘bone meal’ – might be included in cat foods. This is fine for felines. Bone meal provides valuable calcium and phosphorus and is the safest way for your cat to eat chicken bones. 

Remember that bacteria like E. coli and Salmonella can be on raw bones just as on raw skin or meat, so the same risks apply as discussed above.

Can Cats Eat Raw Chicken Liver? 

Raw chicken liver is another common ingredient in commercial raw cat foods. Like other raw chicken portions, raw liver does pose some threats to cats – mostly the risk of bacterial contamination, or the spread of parasites. 

However, liver is a nutritious food and contains lots of iron, vitamin A, and protein. It’s a good food to include in your cat’s diet as long as it only makes up a small portion of the diet – too much vitamin A can cause illness. Other organ meats are also nutritious. 

However, as with all the other portions of chicken, I would never feed raw chicken liver to my cat, preferring instead to gently cook it to increase its safety. If you’re wondering “can cats eat raw chicken hearts” then the answer is the same – it’s best to cook the hearts to make them safer.

Can Cats Eat Raw Chicken Fat?

Cats get much of their energy from fat and have a high tolerance for it. Fat is also important in the diet for fat-soluble vitamins. However, fat is high in calories, and this can cause a problem if your cat struggles with their weight. It can be really hard to spot when your cat is getting overweight so make sure you ask your vet at every visit. 

For most normal-weight cats, chicken fat isn’t likely to be harmful. However, the same warnings about raw chicken fat (possible contamination with Salmonella and other pathogens) apply. 

Can Cats Eat Raw Chicken Skin?

Raw chicken skin, like other forms of raw chicken, is not recommended due to the risk of bacterial contamination. Chicken skin is the fattiest part of chicken and should only be fed to cats who are not overweight. 

How to Feed Cats Raw Chicken

If you decide to feed raw chicken to your cat, there are some things you should do. Firstly, it’s very important that raw chicken is not the sole ingredient in your cat’s diet, as it is not complete and balanced. It needs to be mixed with other ingredients to ensure your cat is getting everything they need. 

If you want your cat’s diet to be raw, it’s best to buy an AAFCO-formulated complete food that contains raw chicken. Don’t make a diet at home. Cats can quickly become ill with nutritional deficiencies. In addition, making raw food at home increases the risk of bacterial contamination for you and your family, as you’ll be preparing several raw ingredients. 

If you’re just feeding raw chicken to your cat as a one-off or as a treat, just make sure it’s not more than 10 percent of their daily calories – the other 90 percent of their calories should come from a balanced source, like their usual diet. You may need to reduce their dinner to take into account the extra calories.

Precautions When Feeding Cats Raw Chicken

When feeding raw chicken to cats, there are a few precautions to consider. 

Practice safe handling. Firstly, the risk of bacterial contamination with disease-causing bacteria is high. It’s therefore important that you handle your cat’s raw food with the same care you’d handle raw chicken. Wash your hands and any utensils thoroughly after handling any raw chicken for cats, and clean their food bowls immediately after use. Remember that your cat’s saliva and fur could be contaminated too – don’t allow your cat to lick you and wash your hands after touching your cat. This is especially true if there are any immunocompromised people in the house.

Start with small amounts. Secondly, raw chicken won’t suit all cats. Some cats may have a chicken allergy or intolerance, while others might struggle with the ‘raw-ness’ of it, or simply the change to their normal diet. It’s possible that some cats will get a digestive upset, such as vomiting and diarrhea, after eating raw chicken. 

A sensible precaution would be to start off with just a tiny amount of chicken (a teaspoonful) to give your cat the chance to try it and observe for any reactions for 48 hours before slowly increasing the amount of raw chicken in your cat’s diet.

Keep an eye on your cat’s calories. Thirdly, you should ensure your cat’s calorie intake stays within their recommended daily allowance. If you’re adding raw chicken to your cat’s diet as an addition to their usual diet, you should make sure you aren’t feeding too much by reducing your cat’s meal accordingly. Remember that any non-balanced additions to a diet (like raw chicken and any other treats) should not make up more than 10 percent of your cat’s daily calorie allowance or they risk unbalancing the whole diet and resulting in nutritional deficiencies. 

Conclusion

Feeding raw chicken to cats doesn’t have any proven benefit over feeding cooked chicken, but it does come with some additional risks. As a vet, I would never feed raw chicken to my cat or recommend raw meat for cats. However, if you do decide to feed your cat raw chicken, there are important precautions you should take so that you do so as safely as possible.

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But if your curious kitty wants to join in on lapping up this yummy frozen dairy treat, you might be wondering: can cats eat ice cream? 

Can Cats Eat Ice Cream?

The simple answer to this question is no. Ice cream is primarily made of cream, which cats shouldn’t have due to being lactose intolerant. Sugar is another major ingredient, which is just as bad for cats as it is for us. 

Additionally many ice creams have added ingredients, some of which are toxic for cats. Watch out for rum and raisin, chocolate, or coffee for some of the more common dangerous ice cream flavorings. Sugar-free ice cream may also contain the sweetener xylitol, which is toxic for cats. 

What about plain flavors – can cats have vanilla ice cream? While vanilla ice cream won’t cause toxicity in cats, you still shouldn’t feed it to felines due to its dairy and sugar content. Even if you avoid all of the harmful ingredients, ice cream is high in calories, which can lead to obesity.

Can Cats Eat Non-Dairy Ice Cream? 

Since cats are lactose intolerant, you may be wondering whether that makes non-dairy ice cream a safe option. However, there isn’t a simple answer, as it depends on the ingredients in the product. 

Non-dairy ice creams usually use nut milks (including coconut milk), soy milk, or oat milk to produce the ice cream, which are generally safe for cats. As long as none of the other ingredients in the ice cream are toxic, your cat can have a very small amount of non-dairy ice cream. 

The problem comes with the calories in non-dairy ice creams, which are similar in to those in regular ice cream. A cup of non-dairy ice cream may provide more calories than your cat’s daily recommended intake!

Can Cats Eat Frozen Yogurt?

Although frozen yogurt is marketed as a healthier option than ice creams for humans, it’s still really high in sugar. The main ingredients in frozen yogurt are sugar, milk, and yogurt cultures. 

Unless it’s specifically marketed as lactose-free, frozen yogurt will still contain lactose and therefore is not a suitable option for cats. 

As with the other ice cream options, a single lick of frozen yogurt won’t hurt your cat (unless it contains toxic ingredients), but large amounts can lead to an upset stomach and weight gain. 

Are Cats Lactose Intolerant?

Yes, adult cats are considered lactose intolerant. Like all mammals, kittens are born with the ability to digest lactose (a sugar in milk) because they produce lactase, an enzyme. 

But as kittens wean, they stop producing lots of lactase. Most cats older than 6-8 months therefore can’t digest much lactose. When cats eat dairy, the milk sugars can’t be properly digested and instead pass through the intestines causing diarrhea, flatulence, and abdominal pain.

Of course, cats don’t know that this will happen when they drink milk or eat cheese, so they’ll quite happily lap at a saucer of milk. 

It’s worth noting that a small number of cats do not become lactose-intolerant, and dairy products may not cause adverse reactions. However, the symptoms of lactose intolerance are present in many cats after eating dairy, suggesting that most cats are lactose intolerant to some degree.

Is Ice Cream Bad for Cats?

Unfortunately, ice cream is considered bad for cats. You probably already know that ice cream isn’t exactly good for humans. The tiny amount of protein and calcium it includes is quickly outdone by the large amounts of fat and sugar in the ice cream. And that fat and sugar doesn’t have any benefits for your feline friend. 

Aside from the potential gastrointestinal issues associated with dairy ice-cream, there’s also the risk of toxic ingredients. Raisins, nuts, chocolate, sugar-substitutes like xylitol, and coffee are all toxic to cats to some degree, meaning that you have to scour the list of ingredients if you’re thinking about letting your cat lick your ice cream cone. How sick your cat gets will depend on the amount consumed and the type of toxin, but these dangerous ingredients can cause serious problems and even be fatal.

Of course, eating small amounts of non-toxic ice cream is unlikely to cause any immediate harm, especially if the ice cream is dairy-free. 

However, it’s important to remember that ice cream is very high in calories. Even a small taste can cause your cat to exceed their daily calorie allowance. If this happens often, it will lead to obesity. Obese cats have a lower life expectancy than felines who maintain a healthy weight.  

Ice Cream and Cats: Helpful Feeding Tips

If you’ve got this far and you still want to feed your cat some of your ice cream, then here are some tips to make sure you’re doing so safely.

1. Only feed your cat ice cream as an occasional treat – no more than once every couple of weeks.

2. Don’t let your cat eat more than a tablespoon of ice cream at a time, to avoid them consuming too many calories.

3. Thoroughly check your ice cream ingredients list for allergens and feline toxins. The main ones to look out for are raisins, chocolate, coffee, macadamia nuts, alcohol, xylitol (also seen as E967 or birch sugar). However, it’s best to double-check any ingredients you aren’t 100 percent sure are safe.

4. Dairy-free ice cream prevents the risk of lactose intolerance and is the better option as long as it’s also free from toxins.

Try to avoid highly-flavored ice creams – not only do the extra toppings increase the calories, but more ingredients also increase the chance of an allergen or a toxin creeping in. 

There are also special frozen cat treats available that are marketed as ice cream for cats. These may be a better option if you’d like to offer your cat something special. These products generally use very little cream or milk, making them a safer bet. 

Even though ice cream designed for cats may be a better option, it still shouldn’t be offered regularly and should never make up more than 10 percent of your cat’s daily calorie allowance.

The Verdict on Ice Cream for Cats

Ice cream is not a healthy treat for cats and in some cases can be unsafe, depending on the ingredients used. If your cat eats ice cream with toxic ingredients you should call the nearest open veterinarian for advice. 

While a small lick of non-toxic ice cream every now and again is unlikely to do your cat much harm, consuming large amounts will likely lead to gastrointestinal problems and weight gain.

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The answer is yes! In appropriate quantities, plain, canned pumpkin can be a healthy addition to a cat’s diet. Read on to learn about the benefits of pumpkin and get suggestions for when and how to feed pumpkin to cats. 

Is Pumpkin Good for Cats? 

Not only is pumpkin good for cats, it’s even found in some commercial cat foods. Pumpkin is low in calories, and contains fiber and nutrients like vitamins A, C, and E. Pumpkin also contains antioxidants, which might prevent cell damage due to free radicals. 

Cats are obligate carnivores, which means that the majority of their diet should come from meat. However, small amounts of other foods, including pumpkin, may be beneficial in a cat’s overall diet. Fiber is found in varying amounts in cat foods, but some cats benefit from extra fiber in their diets.

When feeding pumpkin to cats, canned pumpkin puree is the simplest option. Make sure you are using plain, canned pumpkin—not canned pumpkin pie filling, which contains sugar and other ingredients cats shouldn’t be eating. If you prefer, you could roast the flesh of a whole pumpkin, then puree it yourself. Just be sure to skip the butter, oil, and salt—plain pumpkin is all your cat needs.

Though cats can eat pumpkin seeds—roasted or raw—they could potentially be a choking hazard, so should be ground or chopped up. Cats might not enjoy eating pumpkin seeds, but many cats will eat pumpkin puree. 

Benefits of Pumpkin for Cats

The soluble fiber in pumpkin offers many benefits to cats. For cats with mild diarrhea, pumpkin can absorb excess water and firm up the stools. Pumpkin can also help cats with constipation, as the fiber and moisture in pumpkin can help things move along again. 

Pumpkin can have a similar effect for cats that suffer from hairballs, with the fiber in pumpkin helping to move the hair through the digestive tract.

Adding a small amount of pumpkin to your cat’s food can also help cats who need to lose some weight. The pumpkin can provide a little bulk with few calories, helping cats to feel more full and satisfied. 

If your cat is suffering from digestive upset or excessive hairballs, it’s important to seek veterinary advice before attempting to treat the symptoms yourself with pumpkin. 

“Cats with severe diarrhea or constipation may not respond to pumpkin,” says Dr. Emily Swiniarski, medical director of the Anti-Cruelty Society in Chicago, Illinois. Also, your cat might require additional treatment depending on what is causing the symptoms.

How Much Pumpkin to Give a Cat

Pumpkin should only be given in very small quantities—no more than 2 tablespoons daily. “This is because we do not want our cats to fill up on pumpkin and not cat food, which would cause serious imbalances in their diet,” Swiniarski says. “The cat will not have room for sources of protein that are essential to their health. Any more than 10 percent of their diet could be detrimental.”

Too much pumpkin could even have the opposite of your desired effect, potentially causing stomach upset. “If a cat eats too much pumpkin, they may vomit or have diarrhea due to the change in diet and change in fiber,” Swiniarski says.

To avoid stomach upset, start off with smaller amounts at first—about 1 teaspoon—and work your way up gradually if you don’t see results from the smaller serving. According to Swiniarski, most cat owners feed about 1 tablespoon daily to their cats.

Pumpkin for Cats: 3 Ways to Use It

If you’re ready to start adding pumpkin to your cat’s diet, here are a few ways to serve it:

Feed canned pumpkin directly

Some cats might enjoy the taste of plain, canned pumpkin. If your cat is one who does, you can let him or her lick the puree right off a spoon as a treat.

Mix canned pumpkin into food

Most cats prefer the taste of meaty foods, so pumpkin might not be their first choice for a snack. If that’s the case for your cat, it’s easy to mix pumpkin puree right into your cat’s food (wet or dry). Most cats have no problem eating pumpkin once it’s been mixed into their food.

Whip up some pumpkin cat treats

If you like to cook, search the internet for one of the many recipes for pumpkin cat treats. To entice picky cats, look for treat recipes that incorporate meat in addition to pumpkin.

Pumpkin and Cats: Other Tips and Advice

Pumpkin for cats is not a miracle food, but it can help kitties suffering from mild diarrhea or constipation, assist with hairball control, and help cats on restricted-calorie diets to feel more full after meals. Remember always to use plain pumpkin (not canned pumpkin pie filling) with no added sugar, spices, or salt. Even small amounts of salt can be dangerous for cats, especially those with heart or kidney disease. 

Before adding any food or supplement—including pumpkin—to your cat’s diet, always talk to your veterinarian for advice. Swiniarski reminds us that some cats should not eat pumpkin. 

“Cats that experience any symptoms like vomiting or diarrhea after eating pumpkin should not be fed any more pumpkin,” she says. “If a cat is on a prescription diet, pumpkin will replace the important nutritive balance and is not advised. Any cat who does not have a robust appetite should not eat pumpkin either, as they require highly nutritive, balanced sources for what little they will eat.”

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But can cats eat honey? And if so, what sort of limitations should you put on honey consumption for your kitty companion?

Can Cats Have Honey?

“Yes, cats can eat honey,” says Dr. Emily Swiniarski, chief medical officer of PAWS Chicago in Chicago, Illinois. “However, they shouldn’t eat honey as a major part of their diet. It could be considered a treat.” 

Dr. Swiniarski explains that treats should only comprise about 10 percent of a cat’s diet, and because of honey’s high sugar content, she doesn’t recommend offering it often, if at all. “You want to give your cats treats with a higher nutritive value,” she says.

It’s also worth noting that studies have shown that cats do not have the capacity to taste sweetness, which means that honey is not likely to be a very enticing treat for kitties. 

Can Kittens Eat Honey?

Dr. Swiniarski notes that kittens can also have a bit of honey now and then if they show interest, but it should be restricted to an extremely small amount. “Kittens grow extremely rapidly and need good nutrition to support that growth,” she adds. “Honey doesn’t offer that nutrition.”

What About Raw Honey?

Raw honey is not recommended for cats or kittens. “Raw honey is not pasteurized, so there is a risk that it might have harmful yeast or bacteria in it,” Dr. Swiniarski says. “Cats, like humans, can get infections or food poisoning from eating unpasteurized honey.” 

Manuka Honey?

Manuka honey is ok for cats to eat, but cats can get more benefits from this type of honey if it’s used in other ways. “Manuka honey has fantastic antibacterial properties and has been shown to kill and prevent the growth of bacteria,” Dr. Swiniarski explains. “There’s not a strong medical basis for feeding a cat Manuka honey, but it is frequently used in medicine to help heal large wounds and even in some orthopedic and bone surgeries.”

Manuka honey has been used to preserve bone allografts and studies have shown that wounds treated with a wound gel containing honey have exceptional outcomes. Dr. Swiniarski adds that topical Manuka honey can also reduce edema in cats, which is swelling caused by excess fluid.

Is Honey Good for Cats?

In humans, honey does offer some health benefits. It has anti-inflammatory properties and contains essential nutrients like iron, zinc, and potassium. It’s also a natural way to relieve a sore throat. But what about in cats? 

“There hasn’t been much, if any, research into how many nutrients that cats are able to absorb from honey,” Dr. Swiniarski says. “So yes, it’s possible that cats can get some nutrition from honey, but no one has really studied that, so it’s an unknown area.”

She adds, “Since we don’t know if honey is actually offering health benefits to cats, I wouldn’t recommend that owners put it in their cat’s mouth or in her food or treats if the cat didn’t express interest.”

When Is Honey Bad for Cats?

While honey won’t hurt most cats, there are some felines out there who should not be eating honey. “As mentioned before, honey contains essential minerals. Cats with chronic illnesses should not be fed honey as it could upset the balance of minerals in their system,” Dr. Swiniarski explains. “For example, cats with chronic kidney disease could have elevated phosphorus levels. Phosphorus is in honey, and it would be dangerous to give that cat even more phosphorus.”

Also, cats who have diabetes should not be fed honey as it can cause their sugar levels to spike. “There is one exception, though,” Dr. Swiniarski says. “Honey can be an emergency remedy for a cat or kitten that has passed out from low blood sugar. You can rub it on their gums and they will absorb the sugar,” she describes. 

That said, you should always consult with your vet before administering any sort of emergency treatment.

Honey and Cats: Helpful Feeding Tips

While most cats can eat a small amount of honey without any health issues, it’s not something that should be in the regular treat rotation. There are a lot of options for cat treats that offer much more from a nutrition standpoint than this sweet goo. 

However, if you’re enjoying a yogurt or some other snack with some honey, and Fluffy sneaks a bite, don’t fret. A little bit won’t hurt!

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If you’re a fan of this tropical treat, you may be wondering if cats can have bananas, too. The answer may surprise you!

Can Cats Eat Bananas?

Short answer: Yes! “Cats can eat bananas safely and they are digestible,” says Dr. Emily Swiniarski, medical director for Anti-Cruelty Society in Chicago, Illinois. “While cats are obligate carnivores—meaning they must eat meat—their digestive systems can handle some carbohydrates and fiber.”

However, just because cats can eat bananas doesn’t mean it should be a staple of their diets. Bananas are best served as an occasional treat. 

“Treats, including bananas, should not constitute any more than 10 percent of a cat’s diet,” Dr. Swiniarski explains. She adds that if you’re serving your cat bananas, that would mean you’re feeding no more than 1-to-2 tablespoons per day, and that’s only if you’re not giving Fluffy any other treats.

So, now that we’ve established that bananas themselves are safe to eat, what about banana-based snacks?

Can Cats Eat Banana Bread?

Dr. Swiniarski doesn’t recommend feeding banana bread to cats. “Food items made with bananas can have added sugars, fats, or potentially toxic ingredients like chocolate,” she says. “Before feeding a cat anything made with bananas, pet parents should know what the ingredients are and feed very, very little,” she notes.

Can Cats Eat Banana Peels?

Unlike banana fruit, banana peels are not good for cats to eat. “The peels hold very little nutrition and are extremely fibrous,” says Dr. Swiniarski. “Besides being tough to chew, they will be tough to digest and cats’ tummies may become upset.”

Can Cats Eat Banana Chips?

Depending on how they’re prepared, cats may be able to eat banana chips. If the chips are simply dehydrated bananas with no added sugar, spices, or salt, they should be fine for cats to eat. If there are added ingredients—especially salt and sugar—pet parents should pass.

Can Kittens Eat Bananas?

Kittens can eat bananas. But it’s important to keep in mind that kittens have different nutritional needs than adult cats, so their banana intake should be limited. “Because kittens need high levels of protein and fat in their diet, [pet parents should] keep bananas to a minimum and ensure your kitten is eating a high-quality diet approved for kittens or all life stages,” Dr. Swiniarski recommends.

Are Bananas Good for Cats?

While cats can eat bananas, they aren’t necessarily good for cats. Most cats also don’t have a drive to eat sweet things like humans or dogs, and may not enjoy the taste of bananas. As stated above, cats are obligate carnivores and must eat meat to survive. In terms of nutrition, cats require a high-protein, moderate fat, minimal carbohydrate diet that mimics the prey they would eat in the wild. There are certain vitamins and minerals that cats need in a healthy diet, but those are typically covered if you’re feeding your cat a high-quality commercial cat food, ideally one that meets AAFCO standards.  

Are Bananas Bad for Cats?

While bananas are healthy for humans, they are high in carbohydrates and naturally occurring sugar, which are not a major part of a balanced feline diet [3]. They’re also high in potassium, which isn’t necessarily bad for a healthy cat, but it could be a problem for cats with underlying health conditions.

“Any cat with healthy kidneys will have no problem getting rid of extra potassium,” Dr. Swiniarski explains, “And some kitties with kidney problems actually need more potassium. But if a cat has kidney disease, and their potassium is too high, feeding your cat bananas would not be a great choice.”

Bananas and Cats: The Verdict

Bananas are safe to give a healthy cat in small quantities, no more than 1-to-2 tablespoons per day if you’re not giving your cats any other treats. Think of bananas as a “sometimes treat” for your cat, like a cookie or a candy bar might be for a human. 

The one caveat is that if your cat has existing health issues, the potassium in bananas may be dangerous, so be sure that your cat has a clean bill of health before sharing your snack. 

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For humans, spinach is touted as a superfood and is known to have anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity and triglycerides-lowering properties [1].  

Since spinach is so beneficial to humans you may be wondering: can cats eat spinach? This article will let you know if you should be feeding your cat spinach, how you should prepare spinach for cats, the health benefits and possible risks of feeding cats spinach. 

Can Cats Eat Spinach? 

In general, cats can eat spinach. Spinach is non-toxic to cats and can be enjoyed by most felines without any issues. Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning that their diet must contain animal products in order to provide all of their essential nutrients. However, you can supplement your cat’s diet with certain fruits and vegetables. In fact, just as fruits and vegetables are beneficial to human diets, they can be beneficial when added to your cat’s diet in small quantities. 

At this time, there are no known studies that have specifically researched feeding spinach to cats but one study in geriatric cats did show that diets supplemented with added fruits and vegetables increased the cats’ lean body mass and improved their kidney function [2]. 

Can Cats Eat Cooked Spinach? 

Cats can eat small amounts of cooked spinach. The biggest concern that veterinarians have with feeding cats spinach is that spinach is high in oxalates, compounds that, when consumed in high amounts, may increase the risk of kidney or bladder stones. Based on studies, cooking spinach has been shown to decrease the amount of oxalates present, thereby decreasing the potential risk of feeding spinach [3]. 

When cooking spinach for cats, it is best to steam or gently saute this vegetable without adding oils, salt or spices. Boiling is not generally recommended because it decreases many of the beneficial nutrients in spinach. 

Can Cats Eat Raw Spinach? 

Raw spinach is also okay to feed cats in moderation. Feeding raw spinach to cats will ensure that the spinach retains the highest amounts of many vitamins. However, raw spinach does contain high amounts of oxalates and should not be fed to cats with a history of urinary tract stones or abnormal urinary symptoms. 

Is Spinach Good For Cats? 

Spinach is chock full of beneficial vitamins, minerals and other health-producing compounds. It is rich in vitamins A, B6 and K, fiber, magnesium, manganese, potassium, folic acid, iron and calcium [4]. These nutrients are essential for different cellular functions throughout our own bodies and our cats’ bodies. 

Listed are benefits of some of the nutrients found in spinach [5]: 

• Vitamin A: Crucial for vision, growth and immune function. 
• Vitamins B6: Important for red blood cell function, immune response and nervous system function. 
• Vitamin K: Allows for normal blood clotting. 
• Manganese: Supports the nervous system and bone development. 
• Fiber: The fiber in spinach can help to promote your cat’s healthy digestion and fiber-enhanced diets are often recommended for pets that need to lose weight. 
• Iron: Supports oxygen transportation throughout the body. 
• Calcium: Crucial for healthy bones and teeth, muscle contractions and nerve impulse conduction. 

Spinach is not a very common ingredient in commercial cat foods but can be found in certain varieties of Hill’s, Purina, and Fancy Feast brands of wet or canned cat foods. 

Is Spinach Bad for Cats? 

Spinach is not bad for cats and it can be a healthy treat or addition to your cat’s diet. However, as with most things, moderation is key. Any treats or foods that you feed your cat in addition to her regular cat food should make up no more than 10 percent of her daily calorie intake. Feeding a higher proportion will unbalance the diet and can lead to nutritional deficiencies and excesses. 

Most cats need to eat around 200 calories per day, which means that no more than 20 of their daily calories should come from extra foods. The good news is that spinach is very low in calories, with one raw spinach leaf containing only about 2 calories [6]. For this reason, it would be hard to give a cat too much spinach. 

For cats with a history of kidney stones, bladder stones, or any history of abnormal urinary symptoms, it is generally recommended to avoid feeding spinach, as this may increase the risk of calcium oxalate stones. However, one small study showed that feeding cats a diet containing high amounts of oxalates did not increase their urinary excretion of these compounds [7]. It instead showed that feeding high levels of low quality proteins increased urinary oxalate levels. 

In general it is best to discuss whether or not you should feed your cat spinach, or any non-standard foods, with your veterinarian. 

Spinach for Cats: The Verdict

In summary, spinach is a super healthy and nutritious vegetable. When fed in small quantities to a healthy adult cat, spinach can be beneficial to your cat’s health and may serve as a nutritionally dense low-calorie treat. 

Avoid feeding spinach to cats with urinary issues or cats with other medical concerns without first speaking to your veterinarian.

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This article covers why cats throw up, the difference between vomiting and regurgitation, how to interpret vomit, and when it signals a serious health issue.

Why Do Cats Throw Up Food?

Vomiting isn’t a specific disease or diagnosis. It’s a non-specific symptom caused by many things. Occasional vomiting (once a month or less) is usually not a sign of concern, especially if it includes hair. But vomiting more often indicates something is awry. At that point, your cat needs some sort of investigation and intervention. 

Cat Vomiting vs. Regurgitation

If your cat brings up food, it may not be vomiting. That’s why it’s important to know the difference between vomiting and regurgitation. 

Vomiting can happen at any time. It’s an active, strenuous activity often preceded by retching. Cats feel nauseous, may drool or vocalize and often won’t want to eat.

Regurgitation signals a problem with the esophagus, the part of a cat’s digestive system connecting the mouth to the stomach. Regurgitation is a passive process, the cat burps and undigested food comes out. It usually happens soon after eating, and the cat may regurgitate and then try to eat again. There is no nausea.

Why Do Cats Throw Up Undigested Food? 

Is your cat throwing up food but acting normal? The most common cause for cats to vomit undigested food is gorging. When cats gorge, they overextend their stomach, which triggers the cat to vomit. 

Eating grass can also cause vomiting. While we don’t know exactly why cats eat grass, we know that the shape and texture of it may irritate their gag reflex.

If your cat is vomiting due to gorging or eating grass, it is not a medical emergency. But there are other reasons why a cat will throw up after eating that need veterinary attention. These include:

Intestinal obstruction

Foreign objects that can lacerate or create a blockage in the gut, including small toys, bones, large hairballs, hair ties, ribbon or tinsel, can all cause vomiting. 

Allergies or adverse food reactions

Cats can have allergies to ingredients in their food that can cause chronic vomiting. The most common allergens are poultry, beef, pork, eggs, soy, turkey and lamb. Cats with food allergies usually have diarrhea and itchy skin as well. Adverse food reactions stem from issues like food poisoning, additives, lactose intolerance (cats can’t digest milk), or unsuitable human food.

Gut inflammation

Cats can vomit and have diarrhea from inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Chronic untreated IBD has been associated with a specific stomach cancer in cats called lymphosarcoma. Bacterial overgrowth in the gut can also cause vomiting and diarrhea. 

Intestinal parasites or viruses

Parasites, like hookworms and roundworms, can cause vomiting and diarrhea in cats. Cats with worms can also have a potbellied appearance. Cats with panleukopenia, feline leukemia or other viruses can also vomit. 

Problems elsewhere

Diseases that cause nausea, such as chronic kidney disease, liver disease, pancreatitis, neurological disease, hyperthyroidism, inner ear problems, and diabetes can all cause vomiting. 

Poisoning

Chewing on toxic plants or ingesting antifreeze, pesticides, herbicides, or human prescription drugs can all cause vomiting. Some cats can also vomit in response to medications prescribed to them.

Stress

Moving, visitors, changes in routine and adding new pets to the household can all cause stress in cats, which can cause vomiting. 

Cat Vomiting Food: When to Worry 

If your cat experiences frequent vomiting, consult with a veterinarian at your earliest convenience. Vomiting is never normal, but there are some specific symptoms that signal a potential emergency: 

• Acute vomiting
• An uptick in chronic vomiting
• Problems with eating or drinking
• Weight loss
• Acting tired or weak
• Straining to urinate or defecate in the litterbox, or inappropriate elimination elsewhere in the house
• Increased aggression
• Hiding more
• Drooling
• Fever 
• Diarrhea
• Yellowed skin or whites of eyes (jaundice)
• Fresh red blood in vomit or material that looks like coffee grounds
• Vomiting in conjunction with medication administration
• Worms in your cat’s stool in addition to vomiting
• Your cat has already been diagnosed with a disease like diabetes or kidney disease.
• You see evidence that your cat consumed something dangerous, such as chewed up hair ties, ribbon, tinsel, poisonous plants or other poisonous substances
• Your cat is very young or very old.

Chronic vomiting can lead to more rapid dehydration and weight loss in older cats. Cats of any age (and especially seniors) should receive regular physical exams, bloodwork, and urinalysis to rule out any emerging disorders that could affect your cat’s health and quality of life.

Treatment Options for Cats Throwing up Food 

Your vet will examine your cat, discuss their symptoms, and may recommend tests like bloodwork, urinalysis, parasite checks, or imaging (ultrasound or X-rays).

Bring a sample of the vomit, a stool sample, and anything else out of the ordinary you think your cat may have consumed to the appointment. Also, know the brand and type of food you feed your cat and how much and how fast your cat eats.

Treatment will depend on the cause of vomiting and may include:

• Medication to reduce nausea
• Deworming for parasites
• Treatment for diseases outside the stomach that can cause nausea
• Detoxification of poisonous substances
• Surgery to remove an obstruction
• Diet changes for food allergies or hairballs 
• Medication such as steroids to reduce inflammation in the gut

Usually after mild, acute vomiting, nausea medication and a bland diet for a couple of days will do the trick.

Pet parents often wonder if there are any home remedies for cat vomiting. Unless your cat is vomiting due to gorging food, there are no home remedies for cat vomiting. Don’t give a cat human medication for vomiting unless directed by a veterinarian. Also, never let a cat go more than a day or two without eating.

How to Prevent Cats Throwing Up Food

If you’re concerned about your cat developing a problem with vomiting, follow these steps to reduce its likelihood:

Slow your cat’s eating by using a food puzzle. If your cat gorges on their food, consider a puzzle feeder or an automatic feeder that feeds them throughout the day. Or, you can feed your cat several smaller meals throughout the day or spread the food out on a flat surface.

Switch your cat’s food. Consider changing your cat’s diet to a food formulated for sensitive stomachs. If your cat vomits food and hair, brush your cat more often and consider switching to a hairball food.

Minimize stress in your cat’s environment. Stress can cause vomiting. Keep your cat calm at home by providing enough litter boxes, water bowls and food. Also, offer plenty of scratching and climbing opportunities.

Bring your cat in for regular veterinary care. Have your cat checked out yearly by your veterinarian, and speak with them more often if you have concerns about your cat’s habits.

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You might not be the only one in your household who enjoys scrambled, hard-boiled or poached eggs – your cat might want a few bites as well. While you may be inclined to give your cat a few bites of egg, you might also be wondering if it’s safe to feed your cat eggs.  

Can Cats Eat Eggs?

The short answer is: yes, cats can eat eggs. 

“Eggs are a very high-quality source of nutrients. Cats can eat them, and they are used as a protein source in some commercial cat foods,” says Dr. Cailin Heinz, a board-certified veterinary nutritionist.

That said, while cats can eat eggs, there is much more to consider before making eggs a staple in your cat’s diet.

Can Cats Eat Cooked Eggs? 

Cooked eggs should be the only type of egg your cat eats. The yolk should not be runny, and the whites should be completely solid. It doesn’t matter if the eggs are scrambled, fried, hard-boiled or poached, they just need to be cooked. 

And if you sneak your cat a bite of cooked eggs from your plate, be sure that those eggs have not been seasoned with onions or garlic, both of which are unsafe for cats to eat. A little bit of salt or pepper should be fine, but don’t overdo it.

You should also avoid feeding your cat eggs that have been cooked in a lot of butter or oil, as they can cause weight gain.

Can Cats Eat Raw Eggs?

While you sometimes hear about bodybuilders or other athletes eating raw eggs, eating an egg without cooking it is generally not recommended, especially if you’re feeding your cat eggs. For an egg to be consumed safely, it needs to be cooked. 

“Eggs should always be cooked—for both human and pet consumption—because of the risk of salmonella,” Heinz says. Salmonella is a bacterium sometimes found in raw eggs that can cause food poisoning. If you’re interested in feeding your cat a commercial raw diet with eggs, some studies have shown that freeze-drying eggs and other protein sources can kill a percentage of bacteria.

Heinz also cautions pet parents against feeding their cats raw eggs because raw eggs can cause a biotin deficiency. Biotin is essential for digestion and helps break down fats, carbohydrates and other nutrients. Raw eggs contain a substance that decreases biotin absorption, but this substance is inactivated by properly cooking the eggs.  

Can Cats Eat Eggshells?

Eggshells are made of calcium carbonate, a common supplement used as a calcium source. “Calcium carbonate is very commonly used in animal food for all types of animals. So, in theory, yes, your cat can eat eggshells,” Heinz says.

However, Heinz says that giving your cat eggshells as a source of calcium isn’t necessarily the best or easiest way for a cat to get the nutrients it needs. She adds that there’s no reason to feed your cat eggshells if you’re feeding a commercial diet, as those diets will already be nutritionally balanced and include all of the calcium your cat requires. 

And if you’re looking to serve your cat a home-cooked diet, you should work with a veterinary nutritionist to make sure you’re adding the proper nutrients in the right amounts for your cat’s health.

“If you’re making a home-cooked diet for your pet and wanted to use eggshells as a source of calcium, you could, but that would require a lot of calculations to ensure you’re giving them the right amount,” Heinz says. 

Can Cats Eat Egg Yolks?

Yes, cats can eat egg yolks, the most nutrient-dense part of the egg. 

“Egg whites only contain protein,” Heinz says. “It’s a good quality protein, but it doesn’t bring any other nutrients with it. The yolk, however, brings fat, protein and a lot of other nutrients. A whole egg is more nutritionally complete than just the egg white.” 

She also says that egg yolks are higher in calories than just egg whites, which should be considered when incorporating eggs into a cat’s diet. “An average egg is 70 to 80 calories. The white accounts for just 17 of those calories. The rest is the yolk,” she says.

How to Feed Cats Eggs

Eggs can be given as an occasional treat for cats on a commercial diet. For example, if you make yourself a plate of eggs for breakfast, feel free to drop a few morsels into your cat’s dish as well.

However, there is a big difference between sharing a couple of bites of your eggs and cooking eggs specifically for your cat. 

“If you’re going to feed your cat a whole scrambled egg or you’re going to make them a homemade diet, you’re going to need a lot more than just eggs to meet their nutritional needs,” Heinz says. “If you feed your cat a homemade diet that uses egg as the main protein, you might need more than one egg, but you also need to add extra vitamins and minerals to make sure the meal is nutritionally balanced.” 

Heinz adds that if you’re feeding your cat high-quality commercial cat food, there’s no need to add eggs, at least from a nutritional standpoint. “The nutrients in the egg aren’t going to bring anything new,” she says.

Precautions When Feeding Cats Eggs

The most important thing you can do when feeding your cat eggs is to make sure they are fully cooked. Salmonella can be very dangerous, and you don’t want your cat to have to suffer through a bout of food poisoning. 

If you choose to feed your cat eggs, be careful not to overdo it. Heinz says that a typical cat should only eat about 250 calories per day, and a single egg has 70 to 80 calories. “Depending on the size of the cat and the size of the egg, a single egg could constitute anywhere from a third to a half of your cat’s suggested calorie intake,” she says. 

Additionally, if you’re transitioning from commercial cat food to home-cooked meals, Heinz strongly encourages partnering with a veterinary nutritionist. A nutritionist can formulate a balanced diet for your cat, while also creating a transition plan that will minimize the risk of diarrhea (which can accompany an abrupt diet change). 

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If your cat is itchy and has diarrhea or other unpleasant gastrointestinal symptoms, a dietary problem could be to blame. Let’s explore whether certain foods can cause allergies in cats and if so, how you can help provide relief for your pet.

Can Cats Have Allergies to Food?

Yes, cats can be allergic to ingredients in their food. However, these food allergies are actually uncommon in cats. They are much more likely to have allergies to things in their environment, such as mold and grasses. When cats do have food allergies, they are typically directed at a specific protein source. Common food allergens in cats include chicken, beef, pork, lamb, turkey, eggs, dairy, and fish. They can also be allergic to less common meat sources, such as venison or duck. 

Cats are very unlikely to be allergic to grains or gluten. In fact, although cats are carnivores, grain-free or gluten-free foods are no more healthy for them than foods with grains and gluten. Most cat foods contain carbohydrates, such as wheat, corn, or potato, because they are an important source of vitamins and minerals. The total amount of carbohydrates in the food is a much more useful metric of healthfulness than whether it is grain-free. This is because foods higher in total carbohydrate content are associated with weight gain in cats.

What Causes Cat Food Allergies?

We don’t really know why food allergies exist. But we do know what happens in the body when a cat has allergies. Allergies occur when the immune system mistakenly identifies a protein from a food as a cause for alarm instead of a benign source of nutrition. This causes the cat’s body to mount an immune response, attacking the “invader.” Immune responses cause inflammation, and it is this inflammation that we see as allergy symptoms, such as itching (inflammation of the skin) and diarrhea (inflammation of the intestines).

Cat food allergies usually emerge in young cats but they can develop at any time in a cat’s life. Allergies may also get worse over time. Neither sex nor breed are specific risk factors, although there is early evidence that Siamese cats and their cross-breeds may have increased risk (1). About 25 percent of cats who have a food allergy also have an environmental or flea allergy (2).

Cat Food Allergy Symptoms

Unfortunately, cat food allergy symptoms are common to many other conditions and can vary widely between cats.

When humans have allergies to something in the environment, such as grass or pollen, they may cough and sneeze. While cats with environmental allergies can have respiratory signs, they frequently will lick their feet and bellies. Cats with environmental allergies may also develop ear infections. Some veterinarians also believe that feline acne is also associated with allergies. Feline acne occurs on the chin and has various appearances, from black dirt to zits to swelling of the whole chin area. 

To make things complicated, cat food allergies can also cause excessive licking and ear infections just like environmental allergies. But typically, food allergic cats will also have gastrointestinal signs, such as vomiting, diarrhea, or decreased appetite. Unfortunately, there is no specific set of cat food allergy symptoms. The gastrointestinal signs of cat food allergies are common to many other ailments in cats, including most types of gastrointestinal disease (parasites, inflammatory bowel disease, cancer, etc.), pancreatitis, liver disease, kidney disease, thyroid disease, and others. Although many people think it is normal for cats to vomit occasionally, in fact this could be the first sign that your cat has an allergy or other problem. Therefore, if you notice any of these signs, it is important to have your cat examined by a veterinarian. 

Signs of food allergies in cats can include:

• Licking feet, face, or abdomen
• Vomiting
• Loose stool or diarrhea
• Decreased appetite
• Weight loss
• Ear infection
• Excessive gas
• Miliary dermatitis (crusty bumps all over the cat’s body)
• Breathing problems (rare)

Diagnosing Cat Food Allergies

The best way to diagnose a food allergy in a cat is through an elimination diet trial. The idea is that if you can completely exclude the source of allergen from your pet’s environment, then the symptoms should resolve. 

Importantly, since the signs of food allergy are common to other diseases in cats, your veterinarian is likely to start with testing for and treating other more common causes of your cat’s symptoms. These include various causes of gastrointestinal inflammation, flea allergy, and environmental allergy. Once these causes of your cat’s symptoms are excluded, then it is time to start a diet trial. While any veterinarian can conduct a food trial, veterinary dermatologists are specialists who focus on skin and allergies and are often the best resources for diagnosing and treating allergic disease.

Although it sounds simple, an elimination diet trial is difficult to do properly. First, your veterinarian will select a novel protein or hydrolyzed food. Hydrolyzed means that the protein source in the food has been broken down into short chains of amino acids. (Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins. Proteins can be thousands of amino acids long.) These short chains are not recognized by the body as containing an allergen. For some cats, a novel protein diet is also an appropriate choice for an elimination diet. Novel proteins are those your cat has never been exposed to, such as venison, rabbit, or kangaroo. However, some foods may cross-react, such as chicken and turkey or beef and bison, and therefore diets with similar proteins may not be appropriate as novel diets.

Selection of the food is the easy part. The hard part is remembering to not give your cat any treats, snacks, medications, or supplements that contain anything edible other than the elimination diet. This means other cats in the house will need to be fed separately or else everyone needs to be on the same elimination diet. If you accidentally allow your cat to eat anything other than the prescribed diet, you have to start the whole trial timeline over again.  

Diet trials last from 4-12 weeks. Every 2-4 weeks, your cat will be evaluated by your veterinarian and you will discuss how she is doing. It is important for you to keep a record of her symptoms at home. The reason that diet trials have a broad timeline is that some cats respond to their elimination diet quickly, while for others it takes more time. An elimination diet trial is not considered over until your cat improves OR at least 12 weeks have passed without improvement. If a cat responds, gastrointestinal signs will usually improve before skin signs. This is because cells turn over more quickly in the GI tract than they do in the skin.

According to recent research, “alternative tests of blood, serum, saliva and hair have been found to be unsatisfactory” in the diagnosis of food allergy in cats (3).

How to Treat Cat Food Allergies

The best treatment for cat food allergies is to eliminate the allergen from your cat’s environment completely. This means that none of the ingredients in your cat’s food can come from the source of your animal’s allergy. These are usually called “limited ingredient” or “novel protein” diets. 

But more than just looking at primary ingredients, an allergen-free diet means there should be no risk of contamination with the allergen. It is similar to how some human foods that don’t contain peanuts are made in facilities that also process peanuts, so are not safe for those with peanut allergies. Human food is required to state any possible allergen contamination on the box, but there is no such requirement for cat food. In fact, very few pet food companies can guarantee no contamination. It is expensive to completely shut down machinery and deep clean it between making different foods, and most food companies are not designing food to be truly therapeutic. The few companies that do make this guarantee for their limited-ingredient diets include Royal Canin, Hill’s, and Purina. These guaranteed diets are usually the prescription diets, so they can specifically be labeled as a therapy or treatment for your cat’s disease (allergies). If you want to use a different brand of food for your cat’s allergen-free food, talk to your veterinarian.

In addition to allergen-free food, all treats, dental chews, medications, and toys should be allergen-free. It is okay for you to eat the food your cat is allergic to, as long as you don’t give her table scraps or let her lick the dishes.

Medication is unlikely to be required for food allergies in cats as long as your cat is maintained on an allergen-free diet. However, if a flare-up of symptoms happens, then your veterinarian may prescribe a short course of medication to get her feeling better faster.

Food allergy is just one of the many causes of your cat’s itchy skin or GI discomfort, and in fact one of the less common ones. Therefore, it is important to have your cat seen by your veterinarian before you change her diet or try to do an elimination diet on your own. 

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But can cats eat chocolate in very small amounts? The fact of the matter is, chocolate is a known toxin to cats and other pets. Learn more about the risks and what to do if your cat eats chocolate.

Cats and Chocolate: What to Know

Chocolate is generally bad for cats. Once a cat eats more than just a small amount of chocolate, serious side effects can occur, and cats can die from eating chocolate.

Chocolate is poisonous to cats because it contains a compound called theobromine (which acts as a diuretic and heart stimulator) and caffeine. Each kind of chocolate has varying amounts of these compounds. The darker the chocolate, the higher the amount of theobromine and caffeine. Since most chocolate has much higher amounts of theobromine than caffeine, veterinarians usually calculate how poisonous the chocolate will be to cats based on levels of theobromine. 

Can Cats Eat Chocolate Ice Cream?

In theory, a cat would probably be more curious about your chocolate ice cream than a piece of chocolate, since cats are typically drawn to dairy products over sweets.

Chocolate ice cream often contains several kinds of chocolate. For example, recipes may include unsweetened cocoa powder as well as semisweet chocolate.

If your cat takes a couple quick licks of chocolate ice cream, it should not cause harmful side effects. However, if a cat eats more than two or three tablespoons of chocolate ice cream, they are likely to experience side effects from the chocolate.

Compared to eating a piece of chocolate, chocolate ice cream is much less toxic to cats since the chocolate is diluted with the other ingredients such as cream and eggs. That said, some cats are lactose intolerant or sensitive to milk products, so even a small amount of ice cream may cause stomach upset regardless of the chocolate flavoring.

Can Cats Eat White Chocolate?

White chocolate contains very low amounts of harmful theobromine and caffeine. As far as chocolate toxicity goes, your cat would need to eat pounds of white chocolate before seeing side effects. But as expected, white chocolate contains high levels of sugar that are very unhealthy for your cat. And eating that much white chocolate would cause an upset stomach.

While your cat is much less likely to eat so much white chocolate that they experience serious side effects, a diet high in sugar is likely to lead to obesity and possibly other health issues, like diabetes mellitus. 

It’s important to avoid sugary foods in your cat’s diet, but if they had a tiny bite of white chocolate, know that it won’t hurt them.

Cats and Chocolate: Understanding the Risks

Symptoms of chocolate poisoning in cats begin about six to 12 hours after they eat chocolate. Mild signs may include increased thirst, bloating so the belly appears more rounded, vomiting, diarrhea and restlessness.

If your cat ate enough chocolate to cause more serious symptoms, these symptoms will be initially mild and then progress or worsen. Serious symptoms of chocolate toxicity in cats can include:

• Hyperactive behavior
• Difficulty walking
• Tremors that cause twitching or uncontrollable shaking
• Seizures
• High blood pressure
• Elevated heart and breathing rate
• Elevated temperature
• Coma which can lead to death

Cats who weigh approximately 8 pounds will have chocolate poisoning symptoms after eating the following amounts of different types of chocolate:

• 1.25 ounces of milk chocolate (example: ¾ of a regular-sized Hershey’s bar)
• 0.5 ounces of chocolate chips (1 tablespoon)
• 0.2 ounces of unsweetened baker’s chocolate (1 teaspoon)
• 0.1 ounces of dry cocoa powder (1/2 teaspoon)

These amounts are an approximation, and every cat is unique. If your cat eats twice the amount of any chocolate listed above, they will likely experience severe side effects. Baked goods can also lead to symptoms of chocolate toxicity, and it can be challenging to know how much chocolate is in each baked good.

What to Do If Your Cat Eats Chocolate

If your cat eats chocolate and it is more than a single bite of a baked good or a couple licks of ice cream, you should either call a veterinarian or an animal poison control hotline immediately. They will help determine if the amount of chocolate requires monitoring at home or emergency treatment. 

Be sure to do your best to quantify how much chocolate and the exact kind of chocolate your cat ate. Look at the recipe or the container if it was a baked good. Call as soon as possible, as a veterinarian can help your cat vomit up the harmful chocolate but only up to three hours after the chocolate was eaten.

Unfortunately, there is no safe way to get a cat to vomit at home or treat chocolate toxicity’s harmful symptoms. While many dog parents have probably heard of hydrogen peroxide as a way to get dogs to vomit, this is not an option for cats.

If your cat is showing symptoms of chocolate toxicity of any kind, you should bring them to an emergency clinic right away. Symptoms can continue to worsen, and they will need care as soon as possible.

How to Prevent Your Cat from Eating Chocolate

Many of us enjoy baking, or at least eating freshly baked goods that someone else made, so it is common to wonder how to keep your cat from eating chocolate. Be sure to cover all baked goods or sweets left on counters with something a cat cannot get through (cats can easily remove plastic wrap or tin foil). And thoroughly rinse off and clean up dishes used to make baked goods.

Some cats are excellent at opening cupboards or even certain doors. Child-proofing mechanisms to keep cupboards and doors shut are useful in preventing cats from breaking into cabinets, too. 

And if your kids are having a tasty treat that could be harmful to your cat, let your child know not to share. As most kids accidentally “share” with pets by dropping food, it might be best to distract your cat or even put them in a different room temporarily while your child finishes that tasty treat.

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While it’s true that cats tend to require less water than dogs on a per pound basis and may also better tolerate mild cases of dehydration, it’s unsafe to assume they can exist under the same conditions as their ancestors.

Though they are both part of the same family tree, the lifestyle and diet of ancestral wildcats is very different from today’s domestic cats. Wildcats obtain most of their water from the prey that they eat and maintain high levels of activity. Meanwhile, many domestic cats eat kibble containing little moisture and are often quite sedentary. This may make domestic cats more prone to dehydration, which can lead to or exacerbate certain health conditions. 

But how much water do cats actually need and how long can a cat go without water? Continue reading to find out everything you need to know to keep your cat safe and well-hydrated. 

Why Cats Need Water

All life on earth needs water to survive, and cats are no exception. Roughly 60 percent of your cat’s body is made up of water (1), which sustains many of your cat’s basic bodily functions. Without it, cats would be unable to swallow and digest food. Water is also the main component of blood which is necessary to deliver oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. And water plays a key role in producing urine, which helps to rid the body of waste products. 

How much water do cats need? An average-sized healthy adult cat needs about 7 to 8 ounces of water per day. However, how much water your cat actually needs to drink each day can vary depending on the moisture content of their diet. Dry food contains only about 10 percent water, so if you’re feeding your cat a kibble-only diet, you’d want to make sure your pet is drinking plenty of water. Wet or canned food contains 75 percent water, so it would be normal for cats eating this type of diet to drink a bit less. 

Certain health complications could affect how much water your cat requires, as well. For example, cats with kidney disease cannot produce concentrated urine. That means they lose more water when they pee, so they have to drink a lot more water than a healthy cat in order to stay hydrated. Cats with diabetes and urinary disorders should also drink more water. 

How Long Can a Cat Go Without Water? 

Cats should always have plenty of fresh water available to them. However, since feline renal systems are quite efficient when it comes to producing concentrated urine, cats may be able to tolerate short periods without water better than other animals, provided they are healthy. So if you forget to refill your cat’s empty water bowl for a few hours, this will likely not cause an issue. But it’s not a good idea to make it a habit.

Generally speaking, if your cat eats only kibble and you haven’t observed them drinking water for 24 hours, you may not need to worry if your cat is otherwise acting normal. But if your kibble-eating cat hasn’t had any water for 24 hours or more and they’re acting abnormal (poor appetite, yowling, abnormal elimination habits, mentally inappropriate), that’s cause for concern and merits an immediate trip to the veterinary clinic.

If your cat is on a wet food-only diet and they are still eating normally, don’t panic if you don’t see them drinking water for a day or two. Remember that wet food is made up of mostly water, which makes it easier for cats to stay hydrated. Now, if you noticed that same cat wasn’t eating or drinking for a full day, that would be concerning. If such a pattern continued for three or more days, severe and potentially life-threatening dehydration could result. 

If your cat has advanced kidney disease, diabetes, or is on a diuretic for the management of congestive heart failure, dehydration can develop much faster and can become potentially severe within a day. Cats with these conditions should have constant access to water. Cats that are experiencing vomiting and diarrhea can also become dehydrated rapidly. 

Signs of Dehydration in Cats

It is important for pet parents to become familiar with the signs of dehydration in cats, especially if their cat has a chronic illness like kidney failure. The following are signs of dehydration: 

• Dry or sticky gums
• Thick, stringy saliva
• Sunken eyes 
• Skin becomes less elastic 
• Lethargy 
• Rapid heart rate 

If any of the above symptoms occur in your cat, consult with your veterinarian immediately. 

How to Get Cats to Drink More Water

Healthy cats will typically self-regulate their water consumption and drink as much as their body needs. However, cats that are chronically under-hydrated may be more prone to chronic kidney disease, obesity, idiopathic cystitis (abnormal urinary symptoms), or bladder stones. For this reason, pet parents may want to consider ways to increase their cats’ hydration at home. 

Feeding cats all or mostly wet food can help your pet stay better hydrated than cats that are fed kibble-only diets. Kibble-eating cats are likely to drink more water, but studies indicate that the amount of water they consume may still fall short of the hydration contained in wet food-only diets (1). 

But switching to wet food isn’t always a surefire solution to dehydration issues. Some cats may turn up their noses at a wet-food diet, especially if they were fed kibble their whole lives. In addition, some pet parents may consider wet food too expensive or inconvenient. 

Another way to increase hydration for kibble-eating cats is to add water into their kibble. But determining how much your cat will tolerate is a delicate balance. For best results, always start by adding a small amount of water to your cat’s kibble to see how they react to it. If they still chow down, add a little more water to the kibble every time you feed them, as long as your cat continues to eat their food. 

Some cats consider running water more appealing than a static water bowl, so you may be able to up your cat’s water intake with a cat drinking fountain or a dripping faucet. However, this is largely an individual preference so pet parents should experiment with different options to see what their cat likes most (2). 

The location and type of water bowl you use may also play a part in how much your cat drinks. In a survey commissioned by the pet food company Royal Canin, results indicated that, on average, cats preferred drinking bowls with smaller diameters and liked to drink from bowls that were located in a room away from their food bowls (2). 

Cat parents can also try adding small amounts of tuna water or chicken broth to their cat’s water to make it more aromatic and enticing.

Ensuring your cat stays properly hydrated is critical to maintaining their overall health and wellness. But even if your pet requires some coaxing to meet their daily water requirements, these simple steps can help you get your cat to drink more water and stay hydrated. Just remember, if you are worried that your cat is not drinking enough water or is not adequately hydrated, make sure you speak with your veterinarian and take your cat in for an exam immediately if signs of dehydration are present.

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Is it OK for Cats to Eat Celery?

Yes, cats can eat celery! However, celery cannot replace a well-balanced diet. Pet parents should consider celery an additional treat rather than a significant part of a cat’s routine diet. As obligate carnivores, meat-based diets for cats are a must. Without meat and a whole host of vitamins and minerals in the correct proportions, cats can become seriously ill. 

But as long as you serve up celery in the correct proportion to a nutritionally balanced diet, it’s fine to share this veggie with your cat.

Celery grows in marshlands all over the world in the form of a long narrow stalk that tapers into leaves. From this comes a narrow stem that flowers and produces seeds. These small, fragrant celery seeds are used as a cooking spice as well as a component of Eastern medicine. People tend to eat the stalk, leaves, and seeds—essentially the entire plant, minus the roots.

Is Celery Good for Cats?

Celery in moderation is good for cats. For one, it contains compounds called apigenin and luteolin—antioxidants that lower inflammation (1) and are used frequently in Eastern medicine. The compounds in celery have been suggested as a possible treatment for cancer, based on how they interact with cells (2, 3).

Celery seeds and extracts are natural diuretics—a substance that helps flush salt and chloride from the body in the form of urine. Excessive amounts of celery could potentially lead to dehydration in cats, albeit a very mild case. This diuretic property is often used in a beneficial way, however. In rats, celery extracts reduced high blood pressure (4).

Celery has also been shown to decrease cholesterol and triglycerides in rats (5). In vitro studies have shown that celery extract can regrow nerve cells (6). Celery is also high in fiber, which helps regulate the production of feces and promotes regularity. Higher fiber intake helps cats feel full.

Many cats demonstrate a preference for certain textures or shapes that are fun to chew on. In fact, some cats become obsessed with chewing on things like wooden furniture! Celery is an excellent enrichment tool. Its crunchy, wood-like texture makes it a fun chew toy of sorts for cats. You could even hang it from the ceiling on a string to provide your favorite feline with a moving target to practice pouncing upon. 

Celery is not common in commercially sold cat food diets or treats. It is primarily composed of water and, secondarily, fiber, which makes it a difficult ingredient to incorporate. You may find it as an ingredient in recipes for homemade cat food posted online. However, always check with your veterinarian before whipping up any homemade cat food recipe. Unless the recipe has been thoroughly vetted by a veterinary nutritionist or prescribed by your veterinarian, there’s no way to confirm that it is nutritionally complete and balanced. 

Is Celery Bad for Cats?

In some cases, celery can be harmful to your cat. If your cat ingests a large quantity of celery stalks or leaves, they could suffer an upset stomach, vomiting, or diarrhea. While having high fiber content is beneficial, it can also be difficult to digest.

Celery may also be cross-reactive with certain allergens. If your cat is allergic to things in the environment such as mugwort or other grasses, they may also be allergic to celery.

Celery and Cats: Feeding Tips

On average, only 10 percent of your cat’s daily diet (at most) should come from sources outside of their nutritionally-balanced cat food. With that in mind, about 1 tablespoon of celery per day would be considered a suitable serving.

When you are serving up celery as a special treat, you can leave it as a whole chunk or dice it up, depending on your cat’s preference. If you are offering celery as an enriching play option, leave it as a whole stalk for your cat to grab and chew.

Celery juice is not harmful to cats in small quantities. There are no specific guidelines about how much celery juice is too much for cats to drink, but pet parents should not offer more than about a tablespoon per day. As a natural diuretic, celery juice can trigger your cat to lose extra fluids. But as long as your cat has plenty of fresh water available at all times, they should be fine.

Celery seeds are sometimes used therapeutically in Eastern medicine. Before giving your cat any herbal supplement, you should consult your veterinarian. Some herbal supplements contain high doses of compounds that may be harmful to your cat, depending on their medical history and conditions.

As long as you follow these guidelines, you should be able to share the crunchy, yummy benefits of celery safely with your cat. 

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But can cats eat strawberries? Even better question—SHOULD cats eat strawberries? Read on about the nutrition and related research around strawberries for cats.

Can Cats Eat Strawberries?

The short answer is that cats can eat strawberries! However, strawberries cannot replace a well-balanced diet and should be considered an additional treat more than a part of a cat’s routine diet. Without meat and a whole host of vitamins and minerals in the correct proportions, cats can become very ill. As obligate carnivores, meat-based diets for cats are a must.

On average, a cat should only eat approximately 10 percent of their total diet as other food besides their well-balanced cat food. For example, eating strawberries as 10 percent of a cat’s diet would add up to approximately 1 tablespoon of strawberry per day.

Are Strawberries Good for Cats?

There is no evidence to show that cats specifically benefit from strawberries. However, multiple studies show benefits to a variety of other species, especially humans. Research shows that strawberries:

• Have many vitamins, antioxidants and polyphenols known to reverse damage to cells due to aging and other factors [1].

• Are associated with decreased risk of hypertension (high blood pressure) [1].

• Help maintain a steady blood glucose (sugar) level [1].

• Animals fed strawberries (2 percent of their diet) demonstrated better motor skills and increased cognition, or mental ability for logic [2].

• May protect against cancer, heart disease, diabetes, obesity and neurologic disease (disease of the brain and/or nerves) [3].

Are Strawberries Bad for Cats?

Strawberries are not poisonous to cats. Allergies to strawberries are suspected but not proven in dogs as well as cats. Cats that are allergic to birch and alder pollen can be allergic to strawberries, so cats with a history of allergies should be monitored for increased itching after feeding strawberries.

Strawberries do contain a lot of sugar, and they should never be fed as more than 10 percent of the diet. High sugar content can lead to obesity, which is linked to diabetes and many other health issues in cats.

In addition, strawberries are one of the most contaminated crops with pesticides [4]. There are no reports of poisonings of animals having reactions to strawberries due to pesticides. However, limiting the amount of strawberries that are fed to your cat is wise due to the high likelihood of contamination.

Do Cats Like Strawberries?

Individual cats will vary on whether or not they appreciate the taste of strawberries. Most humans enjoy strawberries for their sweetness, but cats cannot taste sweet things—they lack the sweet taste receptor all together [5]! The tartness and texture may be appealing to some cats, and not to others.

Pet parents can feed strawberries daily to their cats if they show no symptoms of an upset stomach and 90 percent of what they are eating is a well-balanced food made for cats. Any increase in weight in your cat should be taken seriously and treats that are lower in sugar should be considered. 

Can Cats Eat Strawberry Leaves?

Yes! Strawberries and their leaves are not poisonous to cats. However, eating the stems and leaves may cause gastrointestinal (stomach) upset such as vomiting, so it’s a good idea to monitor your cat for signs of upset if they consume strawberry leaves.

Can Cats Eat Strawberry Yogurt?

Yogurt can be fed to cats, but stomach upset is a relatively common consequence. Dairy products—such as milk, cheese, and yogurt—may cause stomach upset including vomiting and diarrhea since cats do not have much enzyme to break down lactose.

Plain unflavored yogurt would be preferable over flavored, strawberry yogurt since the sugar content should be lower in plain yogurt. Cats do not need any extra sugar in their diet. 

One possible difference between strawberry yogurt and plain yogurt may be the content of xylitol. Xylitol is an artificial sweetener in place of sugar. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Animal Poison Control has had no reports of cat toxicity to artificial sweeteners before, but pet parents should still be cautious as xylitol is very toxic to dogs. Toxicity is typically similar between dogs and cats.

Can Cats Eat Strawberry Ice Cream?

Ice cream is a dairy product, and due to the lack of an enzyme to break down lactose, cats may have gastrointestinal upset after eating strawberry ice cream. Ice cream in general contains a high amount of fat and sugar. Food high in fat can result in stomach upset as well as obesity, pancreatitis, and diabetes if fed in high amounts.

Strawberry ice cream is not toxic to cats, but it is likely to upset the cat’s stomach and should only be fed on occasion, if ever. Pet parents should avoid any product that contains xylitol.

Cats and Strawberries: The Verdict

Strawberries are a generally safe treat to give to your cat. Cats should not be eating more than approximately 1 tablespoon of strawberries (or any other food!) per day if pet parents choose to feed their cats with this fruit. 

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Nutrition is key for kittens in preventing serious health consequences and promoting healthy growth. Read this article to understand what kind of food your kitten should eat, how much, and how often.

What Do Kittens Eat? 

Kittens require higher levels of nutrients than adult cats do simply because they are growing. 

Some of these nutritional needs include:

• Energy (calories)
• Protein
• Fat
• Minerals (such as calcium and phosphorus)

Newborn kittens (3 weeks old and under) get adequate nutrition from their mother’s milk or from commercial kitten formula. It is very important that kittens only drink their mother’s milk or a commercial formula made for cats because each species has very different milk properties, and kittens require specific nutrient balances. Certain amino acids such as taurine that cats require are not found in dog milk or goat milk, for instance. Without taurine cats develop severe heart disease and blindness.

After kittens turn 3-4 weeks old, canned and dry commercial diets will provide complete nutrition for kittens. The food should either state it is formulated for kittens or for all life-stages. If a food is formulated for all life-stages, this means that the higher nutrients kittens would require are included in the food.

Kittens should not be fed adult cat food as it will not contain sufficient fat, protein, or minerals for healthy growth. However, if a kitten eats some adult food for a day or two until you can get to the store, it’s no problem!

If your kitten has specific health or nutritional needs, such as sensitive skin or stomach, your veterinarian may recommend a diet that’s specially formulated to help address these issues. Such diets are often more expensive than standard kitten food. However, a CareCredit credit card can help you manage pet care costs, including food recommended by your veterinarian to keep your kitten healthy.*

The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) has developed minimum standards for what nutrition foods must contain for dogs and cats. Look for a small AAFCO statement on the bag or cans of food. If there isn’t one, another brand of food should be chosen.

How Long Do Kittens Nurse? 

Kittens eat liquid-only diets until they are approximately 3-4 weeks of age. At that time, kittens slowly begin eating more solid foods. 

If you have a mother cat and kittens, simply leave out plenty of canned cat food so that kittens and the mother cat can eat as they please. The kittens will watch their mother eat and will try it on their own. A pate-style canned food is much easier for kittens than chunky foods. Mother cats naturally wean their own kittens by decreasing the amount of time the kittens are allowed to nurse.

If you have a very young kitten without a mother, at 3-4 weeks of age begin offering a shallow dish of kitten formula with a very small amount of canned pate food mixed in. Bring the kitten to the dish and entice them to eat by using a small spoon placed near their mouth. Most kittens at this age will begin chewing or suckling on the contents of the spoon. Slowly bring the spoon down into the bowl so the kitten tries some of the mixture. This stage is very messy!

Once the kitten begins eating out of the dish reliably, bottle feeding is no longer necessary. This occurs when they eat out of a dish without chewing the sides of the dish and without sucking on the food. 

Offer a new dish of formula and canned food at least twice daily, if not 3 to 4 times per day, out of a clean dish. Every couple days, increase the amount of canned food mixed into the formula for about 2 weeks. Kittens should be fully off formula (or their mother’s milk) by 6 to 9 weeks of age.

When Can Kittens Eat Wet Food?  

Kittens can eat wet kitten food as early as 3 weeks of age. Since kittens are not usually fully weaned until 6 to 9 weeks of age, there is ideally a gradual change from formula or their mother’s milk to a solid-food diet.

However, some kittens younger than 6 weeks old—as young as 3 weeks old—are already onto solid foods. If a kitten refuses to eat from a bottle, and is 3 weeks of age or older, set out a plate of canned food and see what happens! The kitten may very well chow down.

When Can Kittens Eat Dry Food? 

Kittens can be offered dry food whenever they have fully transitioned to canned food—approximately 6 weeks of age and older. Your kitten will choose whether they prefer mostly canned food or mostly dry food. The important thing is to provide as much canned and dry food as your kitten wishes to eat!

What Human Food Can Kittens Eat? 

Cats are obligate carnivores, so really your cat can eat plain, well-cooked meat of any kind. Raw or undercooked meat is not good for your cat, as bacteria and parasites can cause serious health concerns in your cat including diarrhea and vomiting.

Cats should only eat up to 10 percent of their daily food requirements as food other than their main balanced diet. 

If you choose to feed human food to your cat, it would equate to approximately 1 tablespoon in total per day. As long as the human food is safe for your cat and all treats including human food are kept to a total of 1 tablespoon per day, your kitten can enjoy some human food!

Examples of safe human foods for kittens include:

• Meat, plain and well-cooked
• Eggs, cooked
• Vegetables (other than onion, garlic or chives), fresh and plain
• Fruit (other than citrus fruit or grapes), fresh and plain – including strawberries!
• Starches, plain and cooked such as rice, potato, bread or noodles
• Popcorn, cooked without salt or butter

Can Kittens Eat Tuna?

Kittens can have small amounts of tuna each day. In total, kittens should be fed no more than 1 tablespoon per day of foods other than their main diet. If tuna is fed in this amount or less, your kitten should not experience any ill effects. 

Tuna itself is not a particularly beneficial part of a cat’s diet.

Kittens that are fed larger amounts of tuna have developed serious health issues, including:

• Nutritional deficiency, particularly a lack of calcium.
• Thiamine deficiency, since tuna contains enzymes that break down thiamine which cats need to survive.
• Pansteatitis, a painful and potentially lethal inflammation of the fat throughout the body.
• Lower urinary tract disease, inflammation of the bladder leading to discomfort.
• Abnormal bleeding, due to tuna decreasing effective vitamin K.

Homemade Kitten Food 

Feeding your young feline homemade kitten food is very challenging and not recommended by veterinary nutritionists. This is particularly true in kittens, as growing animals have even higher nutritional demands.

Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they must eat meat to survive. This does not mean that cats only need meat, however, and without proper supplements added to a mixture of proteins and carbohydrates your cat will not do well. Kittens are particularly susceptible to nutritional deficiency, meaning they are not receiving adequate nutrition even if the amount of food is adequate. 

An example of this is nutritional secondary hyperparathyroidism, a condition that occurs in kittens not fed balanced diets related to calcium and phosphorus levels. Their bones become paper-thin and break without any trauma, causing significant pain and discomfort. 

If you do decide to make a homemade diet for your kitten, you must speak with your veterinarian. The internet is full of people’s recipes, which are unfounded and could lead to serious health conditions in your kitten if not given under veterinary supervision.

What Not to Feed Your Kitten

There are many things that should not be fed to your kitten. These include the following:

Dairy Products

Dairy products, like milk, may cause stomach upset including vomiting and diarrhea since cats do not have much enzyme to break down lactose. 

Fatty Foods

Food high in fat can result in stomach upset as well as obesity, pancreatitis, and diabetes if fed in high amounts. 

Salty Foods

Salty foods can cause increased urination and drinking and may even cause toxicity if fed in high quantities including tremors and seizures. 

Undercooked Foods

Undercooked meat, eggs and bones may contain dangerous bacteria. Raw eggs actually decrease absorption of B vitamins causing skin and coat problems. Bones can splinter and become lodged in your kitten’s throat.

Other foods that should not be fed to your kitten include:

• Alcohol
• Chives
• Chocolate
• Coffee
• Caffeine
• Citrus fruits or plants
• Coconut or coconut oil
• Garlic
• Grapes or raisins
• Nuts
• Onion
• Xylitol (found in gum, candy, baked goods and toothpaste)
• Yeast dough

How Much Food Should a Kitten Eat? 

Young kittens primarily eating formula (4 weeks and under) should eat no more than their stomach can hold. Stomach capacity for food is determined based on body weight. This would equate to 20 ml of formula per pound.

Kittens under 4 months old require 90 calories per pound per day. But, the best rule of thumb for kittens between 2 and 6 months of age is to feed as much as they will eat of a balanced kitten diet. Some kittens will eat more than others, depending on their own individual metabolism.

Once your kitten reaches 6 months of age, their metabolism will begin to slow down. Most cats will require much less food and should be monitored closely for unnecessary weight gain. Each and every kitten is different, so amounts may vary considerably.

How Much Wet Food to Feed a Kitten

For kittens under 4 months old, one-half of a 5.5 oz can of cat food should be fed in total over a single day. 

For kittens over 4 months, most will eat approximately 1.5 to 2 cans of 5.5 oz canned food per day. 

How Much Dry Food to Feed a Kitten

For kittens under 4 months, approximately one-quarter cup of dry food would be fed in total over a single day. If offering canned food as well (which is strongly recommended), decrease the total amount of dry food by one to two tablespoons.

For kittens over 4 months, most will eat approximately one-half cup to three-quarters cup of dry food per day. Decrease by one-quarter cup if offering canned food, too.

How Often Should Kittens Eat?

Kittens eating formula should ideally eat 7 times per day if 1 week old, 6 times per day if 2 weeks old, 5 times per day if 3 weeks old and 4 times per day if 4 weeks old.

Kittens prefer to eat whenever they feel like it. However, meal feeding once your kitten is eating solid food can lead to healthier eating habits in the future. Feeding 2 to 4 meals per day is preferred.

When to Switch from Kitten Food to Cat Food 

Once a kitten is finished growing, it’s time to transition to an adult cat food diet. This usually happens around 10-12 months of age. However, kitten growth rates can vary widely depending on breed, so some kittens may need to stay on kitten food for up to 18 months. 

It’s always best to ask your veterinarian for guidance during this critical stage. The lower protein and calorie content in adult cat food helps prevent cat obesity. However, portion control also plays an important role in ensuring your kitten maintains a healthy weight. 

Your vet can help advise if your kitten needs to be on a specialty or therapeutic diet. If so, that could lead to an unexpected increase in pet food costs. Remember, having a health and pet care credit card, such as CareCredit, can help you manage your cat care budget. It can be used at any provider in the CareCredit network, and it allows you to pay over time with flexible financing options.*

To transition your kitten to adult food, it will be easier to do the switch gradually over approximately one week. Each day mix in a little more of the adult food and a little less of the kitten food. Choosing the adult version of the same brand of food will help as the taste should be somewhat similar.

Kittens have specific nutritional needs. Using tips from this article will ensure your kitten remains healthy and eats the quality food they deserve. You can always call your veterinarian if you are concerned. As long as you choose a balanced commercial kitten diet and keep treats to a minimum, your kitten will live a long healthy life!

*Subject to credit approval. See carecredit.com for details.

This information is shared solely for your convenience. Neither Synchrony nor any of its affiliates, including CareCredit, make any representations or warranties regarding the products described, and no endorsement is implied. You are urged to consult with your individual veterinarian with respect to any professional advice presented.

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But what exactly is taurine, and why is it such a big deal for cats?

We’re going to help you understand what you need to know about taurine so that you can keep your cat in optimal health.

What is Taurine?

Taurine is an amino acid, the building block of proteins. It is found only in animal-based proteins. 

For cats, taurine earns the additional classification of an essential amino acid. Essential amino acids must be obtained from the diet because they cannot be synthesized in the body. Cats cannot produce taurine, making it an essential amino acid for them.

It was first classified as an essential amino acid for cats in the 1980s. Since that time, all commercial cat foods have been supplemented with taurine.

Is Taurine Good for Cats?

Absolutely! Taurine plays a vital role in many body functions including:

• Vision
• Digestion
• Fetal development
• Healthy pregnancy
• Heart muscle function
• Immune system functioning

Common Sources of Taurine for Cats

Taurine is found only in animal-based proteins. Sources of taurine include chicken and beef. All regular commercial cat foods are supplemented with taurine. 

The amount of taurine in cat food varies between wet and dry foods. The processing required to manufacture canned cat food decreases the amount of taurine in the food. Therefore, the amount of taurine is higher in wet cat food than in dry food to account for what’s lost during heat processing.

Cats’ bodies metabolize taurine quickly, so cats need to have taurine in their diet every day. 

Taurine Deficiency in Cats

Given taurine’s many functions in a cat’s body, a taurine deficiency in cats has significant health consequences. 

First, though, let’s discuss why cats develop taurine deficiencies. 

Diet is the main reason. Cats that eat homemade diets without enough animal-based proteins are at high risk of a taurine deficiency. Also, cats that prefer dog food can become taurine-deficient because most commercially available dog food does not contain enough taurine.

Underlying illness is another reason for taurine deficiencies in cats.

Signs of taurine deficiency develop very slowly, taking anywhere from several months to several years to become apparent.

Now that you know why cats get taurine deficiencies, let’s explain what this deficiency can cause in a cat’s body:

Feline central retinal degeneration: Taurine helps maintain the health of the retina. With a taurine deficiency, the cells within the retina, called photoreceptors, start to degrade. This degradation is irreversible and leads to blindness.

Dilated cardiomyopathy: Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) occurs when the heart muscles become large and flaccid, making the heart unable to pump blood adequately. A taurine deficiency weakens the heart muscles, leading to DCM. Left unmanaged, DCM eventually leads to congestive heart failure.

Signs of heart disease include weakness and reduced appetite.

Digestive problems: Taurine is found in bile salts, which are produced in the liver and help with a cat’s digestion. A taurine deficiency leads to digestive problems.

Pregnancy and fetal development complications: Taurine is necessary for a healthy pregnancy in cats. Mama cats with a taurine deficiency won’t be able to provide enough nutrition to their unborn kittens. After birth, kittens born to mothers with a taurine deficiency have poor and delayed growth and low birth weights. Also, taurine-deficient mama cats tend to have small litters. 

Diagnosing a Taurine Deficiency

Taurine deficiencies in cats are not always readily noticeable. If your cat has any of the health complications listed above, take your cat to your veterinarian for a diagnostic workup.

Diagnosing a taurine deficiency is a thorough process.

Your vet will ask you detailed questions about your cat’s history, especially their diet. Expect questions like these listed below:

• Do you feed your cat commercial cat food?
• Does your cat eat a homemade diet? If so, what’s in the diet?
• Does your cat eat dog food?
• What symptoms have you observed, and when did you first notice them?
• Is your cat bumping into furniture, as if they’re having trouble seeing?

The physical exam will be a comprehensive observation of all of your cat’s body systems, especially the heart and eyes. For the heart exam, your vet will listen closely to your cat’s heartbeat and rhythm. Additional heart testing, such as chest X-rays and an electrocardiogram, will provide more information about your cat’s heart function.

For the eye exam, your vet will look closely at your cat’s retina, located in the back of the eye. They will look for any signs of retinal damage.

Beyond the physical exam, your vet will take a few blood samples to perform routine blood work and test specifically for taurine levels.

If your cat has a taurine deficiency, your vet will prescribe taurine supplementation, which could be lifelong. 

Taurine Supplements for Cats

The only way to correct a taurine deficiency in cats is through supplementation. Taurine supplements come in various formulations. There’s powdered taurine, as well as taurine capsules, tablets, and gels.

Taurine supplements are available over the counter. However, they are not regulated by the FDA, and thus do not have the requirement to undergo rigorous testing for safety and effectiveness. 

If evaluating the products yourself seems daunting, ask your veterinarian for recommendations. For whichever product you select, your veterinarian can instruct you on how much to give your cat.

Here are a few more things to consider about supplementation for cats:

• Retinal damage from a taurine deficiency is irreversible. Supplementation may slow or stop the vision loss but cannot reverse it.

• Taurine deficiency-related heart damage is also irreversible. Supplementation may help to slow the progression of heart muscle dysfunction.

• Other than retinal and heart damage, taurine supplementation may reverse the symptoms of deficiency if the deficiency is caught early enough.

The Importance of Taurine in Aging Cats

Sufficient dietary taurine from meat sources is as important to senior cats as it is to younger felines. Taurine helps optimize ocular, cardiac, and gastrointestinal health in cats of all ages and is especially important to geriatric cats who may be beginning to experience health issue with these body systems.

Taurine also assists with regulating blood sugar. Its antioxidant properties also theoretically help support your older cat from the effects of aging by assisting to preserve vision and overall multi-organ health, including that of the heart, liver, and kidneys, which may begin to decline in older cats. Taurine also helps support a healthy immune system, assisting your geriatric cat with warding off infections. Furthermore, taurine helps support a healthy coat and teeth and can help perk up your older cat’s energy level.

Consuming a well-balanced commercial cat food formulated for your cat’s life stage will provide sufficient taurine to enhance your aging kitty’s overall health.

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While peanut butter is arguably the number one food used to help with medication administration, treats, puzzle feeders, and toys like Kongs and LickMats in dogs, it is NOT regarded the same way for cats. So, can cats eat peanut butter?   

For many veterinarians, the question of whether peanut butter is a safe treat for cats is common and frequent. So, we’re here to set the record straight about whether cats can have peanut butter. 

Can Cats Eat Peanut Butter?

While pet parents will not find peanut butter on a list of poisonous foods for felines, it can be dangerous for cats to eat—even in small amounts. The thick, sticky texture of this food can increase the risk of choking. It can also cause weight gain, vomiting, diarrhea, and contain potentially toxic sugar substitutes like xylitol.   

Nutritionally speaking, peanut butter offers no benefit or value to cats. It can even be harmful because it is high in calories, trans fatty acids (harmful fats that can lead to the development of obesity and diabetes), and it can even be contaminated with aflatoxins. Aflatoxins are mold that, under the ground, contaminates peanuts and leads to cancer development.

If you do offer peanut butter occasionally to your cat, it’s best to give a few small licks under supervision, and follow up with fresh water. 

It’s also not recommended to encourage outdoor cats to develop a taste for peanut butter. This becomes dangerous for outdoor cats who may try to eat peanut butter that is actively wrapped around insect or rodent poisons or put into traps as bait.  

Do Cats Like Peanut Butter?

Overall, most cats do not have the same love affair with peanut butter as many dogs do. Cats are quite preferential when it comes to texture, temperature, shape, and size of their food. The texture of peanut butter—out of a jar, on a spoon, or on the tip of your finger—is not as popular with cats compared to tuna, sardines, salmon and even olives and marshmallows!  

However, some cats do enjoy the taste of peanut butter. For the few cats that do like it, I would encourage the use of peanut butter to be limited to medication administration. There are many other safer and healthier snacks and vehicles for medication delivery for cats! Please talk to your veterinarians about these safe alternatives.

Precautions When Giving Peanut Butter to Cats

Because of the numerous risks described above and the lack of nutritional value, I do not recommend giving cats peanut butter in any circumstance. However, there is one situation in which using peanut butter is accepted by some experts and that is as a delivery mechanism for administering medication if all other methods haven’t worked.

In these rare instances, there are a few important points to keep in mind.

Read the labels closely. Sugar-free peanut butters may include a sugar substitute called xylitol. Xylitol is severely toxic to dogs and cats when ingested, causing life-threatening low blood sugar and liver failure. 

Watch for added sugar. While we want to stay away from sugar substitutes like xylitol, peanut butters that contain large quantities of sugar are also detrimental to cats. Just like in people, excessive sugar intake can lead to obesity, inflammatory changes in the body, the development of diabetes and, in some cases, cancer.    

Monitor the sodium in a product. Look on the label for the salt content in the peanut butter. High sodium levels are bad for all species but can significantly impact feline heart patients and high blood pressure patients in a negative way. Instead, look for unsalted peanut butter for the safest option.

Keep an eye out for allergic reactions. While cats are known to have food allergies of varying severities, peanut butter allergic reactions can quickly become life-threatening. If your cat is exhibiting any of the following signs of an allergic reaction, please make sure to seek veterinary attention as soon as possible:

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Lack of appetite
• Severe itching
• Facial swelling
• Difficulty breathing
• Wheezing
• Chronic ear infections
• Hair loss
• Weight loss

Can Cats Eat Peanuts?

Many pet parents assume that because peanuts are high in protein, they are a good choice for their carnivorous (protein-loving) cat. However, while peanuts are technically not toxic and generally safe in small amounts for cats, they aren’t recommended on a regular basis. 

This is due to the same nutritional reasons associated with peanut butter—peanuts are very high in fat and can lead to obesity.

 If you are going to offer peanuts to your feline friend on special occasions, there are a few things to remember. It’s very important to only use raw, unsalted, plain peanuts.  Offering cats the commercially produced versions will only introduce extra salt, spices, seasonings, and oil into your cat’s diet, which can cause significant gastrointestinal upset. Secondly, only offer peanuts that have been removed from the shell. The hard shell can become a choking hazard or put your cat at risk of intestinal obstruction.

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Not only are avocados tasty, but they bring along a wealth of nutritional value as well. They are high in dietary fiber, low in sugar, and rich in minerals like iron and potassium. They are sources of fat-soluble vitamins A, E and K, as well as a plethora of natural antioxidants. They have a high ratio of polyunsaturated (good) fat to saturated (bad) fat, and avocado flesh is even known for having some anti-cancer properties (1). Avocados are also cultivated as an oil crop, yielding rich, vibrant and flavourful oil. 

No matter whether it is the flesh or the oil being consumed, avocados can be healthy dietary choices—at least for people. We know, however, that not all foods good for people are also good for pets. So can cats eat avocados? 

Is Avocado Safe for Cats?

This is a surprisingly controversial question. Depending on where you look, there are numerous statements both supporting and refuting the feeding of avocado to pets. To make matters even more confusing, there is some truth to both sides of the argument. 

In the 1940s, the first reports of possible toxic effects of avocado plant leaves fed to farm animals were published (2). Birds appear to be particularly sensitive, and not just the leaves but even the fruit itself may be toxic to some bird species. A report of two dogs suspected to have avocado toxicity has also been published, with both dogs living on farms with avocado trees present where the dogs are thought to have consumed large quantities of the fruit (3). Though blanket statements warning of avocado toxicity often also include cats alongside dogs, case reports of cats suffering from avocado toxicity are lacking. 

In other animals, toxicity is most consistently related to the cardiopulmonary system, with signs including shortness of breath and cardiac dysfunction. In 1995, the toxin responsible was identified as persin. 

Persin is concentrated in the leaves and bark of the avocado tree, though it is also present in the seed and skin, from which small quantities may leach into the fruit. There are differences in the level of persin, and the level of toxicity, in different avocado varieties. Since avocado skins and seeds are known to contain persin, and contamination of the fruit is also possible, avocados are classified as mildly toxic to cats, according to Pet Poison Helpline.

If your cat enjoys avocado, feeding small pieces (no more than 15g) of ripe fruit is unlikely to be harmful. But that being said, no real serving of avocado to cats can be safely advised. Considering that avocado contains a known toxin, it is not recommended to intentionally feed avocado to cats. Just as there is a lack of data regarding toxic effects, there is similarly no data to demonstrate a safe intake level for cats. 

Is Avocado Oil Safe for Cats?

Avocado oil is also popular for the health benefits it may convey for people. The oil is predominantly derived from the avocado fruit, and would therefore likely be safe for feeding to cats. However, traces of oil from avocado seeds are found in commercial avocado oils. Considering that the seed is a more concentrated source of the toxin persin, this may pose more of a risk to cat health. 

Laboratory studies with rats have demonstrated harm when fed avocado oils containing fractions from avocado seed (4). It’s best to avoid feeding avocado oil to cats until safety has been demonstrated. 

Other oils including sunflower, safflower, and canola may be conservatively included in a cat’s diet as an alternative to avocado oil. 

Benefits of Avocado for Cats

There is no current evidence to demonstrate any benefits of feeding avocado to cats. 

However, one study from a prominent pet nutrition research institution looked at the use of avocado pulp in feline diets. In the experiment, avocado meal, derived from the pulp leftover after oil extraction, was fed to cats for three weeks. There were no adverse effects detected, and the research team concluded that avocado meal may be an acceptable ingredient for use in cat diets (5). 

It is possible that small amounts of avocado fed to cats or included in cat foods could convey similar beneficial properties as they do for humans, but veterinarians and veterinary nutritionists do not have enough information at this time to say whether avocado is beneficial for cats.     

Risks of Avocado for Cats

Just as there aren’t any known benefits to feeding avocado to cats, there also aren’t any documented risks of feeding avocado to cats. 

Though avocado fruit is known to contain small amounts of the toxin persin, there has been no evidence to demonstrate that this is as toxic to cats as it is to some other animals. The seed and skin have higher levels of persin, and these should be avoided. 

Though most avocado seeds are larger than could conceivably be swallowed by a cat, small seeds or fragments bitten off seeds could also pose a choking risk. 

Avocado is also high in fat and high in calories, so it shouldn’t be given to cats in large quantities and should never exceed more than 10 percent of a cat’s daily caloric intake. The risk of the fat itself for cats is relatively low, compared to dogs, and unlikely to contribute to pancreatitis in healthy cats. However, such fat-rich foods should be avoided for cats who are overweight.  

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Milk isn’t necessarily the best method of hydration for your feline friend, and some cats can’t drink it at all. 

So, can you give your cat milk? More importantly, should you? Let’s do a deeper dive.

Can You Give Milk to Cats?

Let’s cut right to the chase—you can give cats milk, but pet parents should take care and do so in moderation.

“You can give milk to some cats in small quantities,” says Dr. Sarah Wallace, a veterinarian based in the Washington, D.C.-area.“It should comprise less than 10 percent of your cat’s daily food intake. If you give them more than that 10 percent, then you may throw off their diet.” 

This advice is based on your cat getting all the nutrition they need from their food. Because more isn’t necessarily better. For instance, an excess intake of calcium from milk can cause a deficiency in phosphorus. So, you don’t want to let your cat drink milk often, and no more than 10 percent of their daily calories at any one time, to make sure their diet remains balanced.

Dr. Jon Rappaport, co-medical director of the Advanced Veterinary Care Center in Davie, Florida, concurs, adding that milk is not a nutritionally balanced food. “Providing a large portion of the cat’s caloric intake in the form of milk may dilute out essential nutrients,” he says.

Some cats digest milk better than others. Rappaport explains that giving milk to a cat who cannot digest it may have some adverse effects, including vomiting, diarrhea, gassy bowels, abdominal discomfort and cramping, and flatulence. 

Can Cats Digest Milk?

While many cats can handle a little bit of milk, that doesn’t mean it’s easily digested—or even digested at all.  

“Most adult cats are lactose intolerant, meaning they do not have the digestive enzyme—lactase—needed to digest the sugar in milk—lactose,” says Rappaport. “The sugar then remains in the digestive tract and can contribute to fermentation, which can cause problems.” 

Those problems, says Wallace, include pulling extra liquid into the digestive tract, which can cause diarrhea. 

“That happens in some cats more readily than others,” she notes. “In turn, diarrhea can cause dehydration and decreased absorption of vitamins and minerals.”

Kittens are better equipped to digest milk than adult cats, as they have more lactase in their systems. However, the enzyme disappears quickly as they get older. According to a 2019 study, most cats cease producing lactase entirely by the time they’re 12 months old (1). This means the vast majority of cats can only tolerate a very small amount of lactose before they get symptoms.

When Is Milk Okay for Cats?

If your cat can drink milk without adverse effects, it’s fine to give your feline some milk as a treat.  

“I’m generally a supporter of feeding our pets pet food and ourselves people food. I tend not to mix the two,” Rappaport notes. “With that said, feeding very small amounts of milk or milk alternatives to cats that have no adverse gastrointestinal effects is not expected to pose a great problem. Everything in moderation.” 

Beyond appealing to cats as a treat, milk can also have therapeutic benefits. “A low-fat milk can serve as a source of hydration for cats who have a hard time seeing water in their bowl and don’t drink that much to begin with,” adds Wallace. “I’ve also heard of doctors using it to entice cats with health issues to eat more.” Remember, though, that there are cat-safe milks out there without lactose, and these are likely better for your cat.

Some veterinarians might also recommend milk in small quantities for cats dealing with constipation. 

“The lactose in milk pulls water into the intestines and can help move things along,” says Wallace. “You don’t want to give them diarrhea, but if you can find the right balance, it can work really well and you don’t have to give the cat any medications.” 

However, it’s important to remember that there are lots of causes of constipation in cats. Before giving your cat milk at home, make sure to speak to your veterinarian to determine the root cause.  

What About Non-Dairy Milk for Cats?

There are many non-dairy milks out there for humans including oat milk, almond milk, coconut milk, cashew milk, and soy milk. But are these non-dairy milk products safe for cats? 

According to Wallace and Rappaport, the answer is, mostly, yes. 

“These products don’t contain lactose, and therefore there is not a lactose intolerance issue,” Rappaport says. “However, they might have artificial sweeteners, added sugars, artificial flavor additives, and/or preservatives, which may not be beneficial to your pets.”

Wallace agrees that additives in non-dairy milk products are what pet parents should avoid and watch for on labels. “As long as you’re offering milks without a lot of additives, I think they should be ok,” she says. “However, I would caution that every cat is different, and while one cat may not be sensitive to almond milk, another could be. There is a lot of variation from individual to individual.”

Some of the milks, in particular those made from nuts, can be high in fats. Eating nuts has been known to cause pancreatitis in dogs—so it’s worth being cautious in cats.

Reasons Not to Give Your Cat Milk

Beyond the aforementioned adverse effects, there are a few reasons you should limit your cat’s milk intake. First, milk has a lot of fat, which Rappaport cautions can cause cats to gain weight.

“Products such as 2 percent and whole milk contain higher amounts of fat, which can lead to weight gain, and many of our feline friends are overweight to begin with,” he says. 

Milk also contains sugar. “Sugar is bad for cats’ health just like it’s bad for ours,” Wallace says. In fact, cats are very prone to diabetes when overweight or on a high-sugar diet, so it’s best to take care. 

Milk with sugar substitutes, like xylitol, can also produce adverse reactions in cats. “Although cats may not experience the same toxic effect to xylitol that dogs do, that doesn’t mean I would advocate giving xylitol or any product with added sugar to cats,” Wallace adds. 

Other possible side effects of regularly ingesting milk could include acute gastroenteritis (inflammation of the digestive tract), colitis (inflammation of the colon), irritable bowel syndrome, loss of appetite, vomiting, weight loss, and dehydration.

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