Feeding – Top 5 foods you should never feed to your cat

Some ‘people food’ is safe for cats in small amounts, but certain items, such as raw fish and eggs, are definitely hazardous.

Human-grade sushi is generally safe for people, but it can cause gastrointestinal upset in cats. There is thiaminase in raw fish that could break down an essential B vitamin called thiamine in cats.

Thiamine deficiency can cause neurological problems, and even lead to convulsions.

The toxic allium components found in onions and chives can damage red blood cells, even if your cat only consumes a trace amount. It doesn’t matter if the onion is cooked, raw or powdered, cats do not metabolise these compounds.

For this reason, do not offer human baby food to your cat to stimulate appetite, because it can contain onion powder, which could cause anaemia in felines.

Cats benefit from protein, but raw eggs may expose them to salmonella and other parasites that could lead to an inflamed pancreas, known as pancreatitis. It is safe to serve your cat cooked eggs, but only on occasion, and in small amounts.

Cooked bones can splinter and cause a cat to choke, as well as block the intestinal tract, possibly even perforating the intestines. Never give a bone to a cat, and never give them anything that is as hard as their teeth, because it can cause dental fractures.

In general, a cat’s digestive tract becomes somewhat lactose intolerant once a cat reaches adulthood, causing diarrhoea and other stomach upsets.

On occasion it is safe to give your cat a little canned tuna or a small bit of cheese, but go easy on the portions, limiting treats to about 10 percent of their daily intake needs.