If you’re a cat owner, you know that there are plenty of foods that are toxic for cats to eat. But why is this? And what foods should you be avoiding?
The answer is pretty simple: Cats are carnivores—they eat meat. They don’t have the enzymes necessary to digest plant matter, so a lot of things that would be perfectly safe for humans or dogs can actually be toxic to cats.
Some common examples of foods toxic to cats include:
- Grapes and raisins (and anything containing grape seeds)
- Chocolate (you probably already knew this one!)
- Alcoholic beverages (beer, wine, etc.)
- Avocados (the leaves contain a toxin called persin)
- Onions and garlic (both contain thiosulfate which can damage red blood cells in cats) -Macadamia nuts (they contain an unknown toxin that can cause muscle tremors, vomiting, and weakness)
- Citrus fruits (grapefruit, lemons, limes, and oranges)
- Fatty foods (don’t feed cats too much red meat!)
- Tomato leaves and stems (contain solanine which is toxic to cats)
If you have more questions or need help putting together a nutrition-based diet plan for Fluffy, please don’t hesitate to call us, your local animal hospital Bellevue, WA today!
Helalth Care 