Is there any reason cats shouldn't be fed Swiss chard?

Question

(NOT "and nothing else.")

A bit fell on the floor while I was making soup recently; it got gobbled up. So did more that was deliberately left in the bowl.

We have a bit of a plant-chewing problem with one of the two (though they'll both eat the chard), so I'm inclined to keep garnishing their food with greens.

Their dry food is this stuff:

http://www.bluebuff.com/products/cats_in...

Note "Healthy Fresh Veggies & Fruit – Whole carrots, sweet potatoes, parsley and cranberries contain phytonutrients..." -- apparently, not enough.

No digestive problems have turned up; litterbox habits, etc, are the same.

Are there any particular people greens that cats shouldn't eat, though?

Answer 1

My vet wanted me to add some vegetables to my old cat's raw meat diet and chard was mentioned among some other things. She said you shouldn't use spinach (I forget the reason why-though I know their is a difference in the nutrients available in cooked and raw spinach for humans). The vegetables added to the raw meat were to be lightly sauteed.

So I don't think a small piece of chard would harm a cat. If they seem to want some greens the "cat grass" available in the stores would probably be better to have around. Fruits and vegetables do sit well in a cat's stomach in any sizable amounts.

Answer 2

Just to be sure, ask your vet, but I don't think so. I also have a plant-eater. Yeah, go ahead and lol, but he ate my entire Ficas tree--and that didn't make him sick or kill him. I cannot have any plants in my house. He loves regular yard grass, he'll ocassionally eat parsley, if it's fresh, green leaf (not iceburg) lettuce, so I see no reason why Swiss chard should hurt your cat.

Answer 3

ask a vet to be sure but don't give too much at once!