10 Foods That Are Toxic to Cats

10 Foods That Are Toxic To Cats

Cats are amazing animals and make wonderful pets. Did you know there are foods that can actually be harmful to them? Foods that many of us think are good for them, like milk! Let's review 10 toxic foods that you should never feed your cats. Before we jump in, please take a moment and pin this for your fellow cat lovers. 

10 Foods You Should Never Feed Your Cat

1. Onions and Garlic. Onions, garlic shallots, and scallions can cause serious damage to your cat's red blood cells and lead to anemia, which is a state when hemoglobin is below the reference point. It should never be eaten in large quantities, but exposure to concentrated forms of onion or garlic, such as onion soup mix or garlic powder, can also be toxic. Cats that are unusually inactive, have weakness, reduced appetite, pale gums, or orange to dark red urine should be taken to the vet immediately.
2. Raw eggs and raw meat. Just like people, cats can get infected with E. coli or salmonella. The symptoms are usually similar to people, but may vary.
3. Bones. Bones can damage your cat's digestive tract, harm their teeth or may cause them to choke. 
4. Chocolate. You have probably heard that chocolate is poisonous to dogs, but it is just as poisonous to cats, because it contains methylxanthines, which are also found in caffeinated beverages. Symptoms include vomiting and diarrhea, high body temperature, muscle tremors, abnormal heart rhythm, abdominal discomfort, increased thirst and seizures.
5. Alcoholic beverages. Alcoholic beverages can be super dangerous for your cat. Ingestion can cause vomiting, diarrhea, shivering, disorientation, trouble breathing, coma, and even death.
6. Raw dough. It is extremely important to keep your cat away from raw dough. Raw dough causes expansion in the stomach, and it can create alcohol in the stomach. If you think your cat has ingested even a small amount of raw dough, take them to the vet immediately.
7. MILK. You may think that it is good for cats to drink milk, but it actually isn't good for them. Their stomachs usually don't do very well with lactose, unless it is from it's mother, because their digestive systems are often not equipped for reintroduction to lactose.
8. Grapes and raisins. These can cause kidney failure in your cat. Even a small amount of grapes or raisins can cause your cat to become ill. Vomiting, diarrhea, reduced appetite, abdominal pain and decreased urination are common symptoms.
9. Raw fish. Raw fish can cause upset stomach or even poisoning because of the bacteria that a raw fish carries. It can also destroy a vitamin that's essential to cats, called thiamine. 
10. Green tomatoes and potatoes. Green tomatoes and potatoes contain a poisonous alkaloid called Glycoalkaloid Solanine. (Can you pronounce that?) It is extremely toxic and can lead to lower stomach problems. Some pet foods contain tomatoes, but it is in very small quantities and they are ripe, so they don't really cause a problem. But, if you suspect your cat ate tomatoes and is showing stomach problems, take it to the vet immediately.

It is essential to know what is dangerous to your cat. Many of us love our cats so much we want to share all our favorite foods with them. However, it isn't always a good idea because many of our favorite foods can be toxic to their health. If you are looking for what foods are dangerous for your dogs, check out our post about that here. 

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