Bad for my cat?

Question

I have an odd cat and I wanted to know if this was bad for him. He likes to eat human food. For example, I would get some salad and happen to drop a piece of lettuce and he would pick it up and run off with it and eat it. He also eats bread, siblings in the house for some reason give him pieces of bread and he eats it! I wanted to know if things like this would harm him? I haven't seen anything wrong with him after he eats the stuff but I would like to know if it is actually bad.

Thank you all for the information. My cat is somewhat big, last time I took him to the vet I was told he was 13 pounds but the vet said that was normal. He needs to go back soon for his booster shots, I guess that is what it is called, I shall ask the vet what foods are dangerous to him.

Answer 1

Cats digestive systems are completely different to humans, they are stictly carnivore, they find it very difficult to digest vegetables etc, they should only be fed meat as they are carnivores.

Answer 2

A little greenery isn't bad for your cat and the odd piece of bread won't hurt either. I would have a chat with your siblings about giving him too much of anything (to much of anything, as we know is a bad thing). The bread will actually adhere to the teeth and you may be encouraging tartar growth, so I would try to cut down on bread otherwise you may end up having to go to the vet to get his teeth cleaned, long before he should actually need it. You don't want to have that kind of expense and anytime an animal goes under anesthesia is a risk that they might not come out of it.

So I know I went off on a tangent, but I hope it helps somewhat...:)

Answer 3

depends on the type of food he eats and the amounts
as well as his weight and his other over-all health and diet

there are alot of human foods that are toxic to cats; most commonly known is chocolate but did you know most cats and dogs are actually lactose intolerant, so milk and other diary products are bad for them as well? Also, things like tomatoes, grapes and raisins, avocado, onions, macadamia nuts, coffee, and yeast dough are all poisonous to cats and dogs. Plus, you have to be wary of the "packaging," meaning things like cooked chicken and turkey bones can shatter and cut the inside of your pet so if you were to give your cat a piece of baked chicken, you'd first want to remove it from the bone.

Also, if this is a daily habit then it is bad for your cat, however, if this is something that happens less often then it's not so bad. So if every couple of months you gave your cat a small piece of lettuce or bread then it should be ok.

You also want to keep in mind your cats health; you said he seems fine after receiving human food so that's good, however, besides watching him after he has his human food snack, you also should watch his weight and his bowels. If his bowels are normal, and he's not throwing up then that's a good sign that he is not rejecting the food; for that same token you wouldn't want to give human food to a cat that is over-wieght.

And another thing to consider is his overall diet: Is he on foods that are well-balanced and healthy for him? Most vets will urge you to feed your cat the best brand food you can afford because buying cheap foods tends to sacrifice their health. I even know some people who have consulted their vets about home-cooked foods for their cat or dog (a common option when your pet has food allergies, however it is impossible to create a balanced diet without first consulting your vet and an extremely costly option over-all)

so my answer to your question is, as long as your cat is eating a well-balanced diet of cat food and as long as your cat is healthy (not over weight or having any other health concerns) and as long as you are very careful to not feed him anything toxic to him and to not feed him too much human food or too often then, yes it's fine. A lot of people use human foods to treat their cats every now and then (I do it for my cat too), you just have to be responsible about it. If it becomes a problem then there are a lot of moist and dry cat treats out there I'm sure your kitty would love. (If your cat likes lettuce, then he wouldn't probably also love "cat grass.")

Answer 4

Any dairy products will give your cat diarhhea (not pretty at all).

I think you are pretty much fine, but you should stop allowing your cats to eat human food. He might become so addicted to it he won't the cat food anymore. Cats need a lot of protien, and human food will not give them enough nutrients. Cats have way different nutritional needs than humans and other animals, and if you continue this they may become vitamin and nutrient deficient (makes them weak). Be sure you don't allow him to sneak any of the following (these can make him very ill):
*Onions
*Grapes
*Chocolate
*Raisins
*Avocadoes
Good luck, hope this helps!

Answer 5

My mom's cat will eat just about anything, and he begs for everything. He always gets a bite of my chicken. He eats his cat food real well too.

Answer 6

Actually fruits and vegetables are very healthy for your cat. Preferably raw, but even cooked they won't hurt him, they just aren't as nutritional. Dairy products will not give your cat diarrhea unless he has a sensitivity to it or gets too much. Yogurt is very good for cats, especially if it has the live active cultures. Cats especially need the greens, and no it doesn't have to be cat grass. I have at least 3 that love lettuce. Raw egg yolks are also very good for them, not the white just the raw yolk.

Answer 7

i don't know if its bad for him, but if u ask me he might get a little fat off of it, but i would have to say try not to make it a routine to feed him this because a cats digestive system isn't as strong as ours so the best advice i can give is just to give him little bits once in a while, but not all the time.

Answer 8

Human food is the worst for cats and dogs. They do not have the same digestive system we do and its harmful to them. Its hard to not feed them of course because they are so cute when you do but just try to have cat treats on hand all the time for those lovely moments with your cat

Answer 9

It won't hurt him, but it isn't real good for him, either. He'll get fat eating people food, so I 'd keep it to a minimum. (I used to have a cat that LOVED animal crackers - she'd actually steal them out of my hand!) Also, watch your drinks, because cats love to drink tea, milk, juice, or anything else you're drinking. At least, mine does!

Answer 10

Although some cats will beg for scraps of human foods at the table, it is best to limit their food to their cat food.