Monday, May 13, 2013

4 Foods to Avoid Giving Your Cat

Today's topic is a familiar one to you, since we have often posted about human foods that are toxic to your pets.

Normally we don't have guest posts on our blog, but we wanted to share this one with you because the author zeroed in on something we'd never considered: it's not just common foods that can be poisonous to your pet....
***

You love your feline friend. Sometimes you might decide to let your cat try some of your human food. Maybe Fluffy jumped on the counter and started eating something she shouldn't. Be very careful what your cat eats. Cats and humans may seem alike in many ways, but our bodies are quite different. Cats are carnivores and true meat eaters. Many plants and human foods are very poisonous to your cat. Keep your kitty protected by knowing some common household foods and plants that may be a hazard to your friend.

1. Caffeine
Caffeine is in many products that are commonly found in the home. Soda, coffee, chocolate and tea can all be harmful to your cat. Cats are much smaller than humans and caffeine works more intensely on a cat. Caffeine can overwork your cat's heart and nervous system. Do your best to not let your cat sip on your caffeinated human drinks.

2. Onions and Garlic
Onions and garlic are often left on top of your counters. They are also popular ingredients in human dinner dishes. Do your best to keep these far from your kitty's mouth. Onions and garlic contain a substance that destroys your cat's red blood cells. This leads to anemia and eventual death. Keep your onions and garlic locked up away from kitties who enjoy vertical exploration.

3. Alcohol
Alcohol is kept in many houses around the world. It also leads to people not thinking correctly and being a little more forgetful. Don't leave full beer glasses lying around after a party. Alcohol is very dangerous to a cat and they don't know not to drink it. Keep your cat safe by making sure your cat can't get into any alcoholic beverage. Don't even joke around with your friends about giving your cat a beer. The idea of a drunk cat may be amusing, but you could be killing your feline friend.

4. Poinsettia
Poinsettias are beautiful plants with brilliant red flowers. They are often given as gifts around the holidays and your house can fill up with them. They may be a great centerpiece accent but they are also poisonous to your cat. This plant can cause vomiting and make it difficult for your cat to breathe if they ingest it. Make sure to place your holiday Poinsettias out of reach.

There are literally hundreds of common household plants that poisonous to your cat. If you see your cat acting weird after introducing a new plant, take your pet to the vet immediately. Poisoning needs to be taken care of as quickly as possible so do not hesitate!


About the author: Andrea Booth is a blogger for Smith Monitoring, and expert in security systems for Dallas. She enjoys spending her time taking pictures of her two kitties. I know...

20 comments:

  1. The warning on onions and garlic is especially useful, because kitties like to lick the leftovers of dinner on the human plates. Had never thought of the possibility of a cat eating the raw versions if they are available.

    ReplyDelete
  2. We have those Poinsettia things at Christmas, Alfie is so fussy with food, if it's not ham, slop or chickun he won't touch it xx00xxx

    Mollie and Alfie

    ReplyDelete
  3. That was a good list. The other one we know about are Lilies. Have a marvellous Monday.
    Best wishes Molly

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh geeze! This means Cody's trips to Starbucks and Pizza Hut are OVER!!
    xoxoxo

    ReplyDelete
  5. And mom's mocha latte? not just because it's caffine, not just because it's chocolate, but because its MOMS!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks for the reminder. I rarely think about any onions or garlic that may be in a recipe when one of the kitties heads for an empty pan to lick it clean before I wash it. Janet

    ReplyDelete
  7. Great list - I couldn't imagine feeding a cat caffeine... that would just be complete chaos!

    ReplyDelete
  8. You have to me on your toes! Those kitties can get into everything that isn't good for them!! Argh! :)

    the critters in the cottage xo

    ReplyDelete
  9. Thanks for that very important reminder.

    ReplyDelete
  10. We learned the hard way that eggplant can also make dogs (not sure about cats) sick. A piece fell on the floor and Pip ate it and was pretty sick.

    ReplyDelete
  11. These are very very important information,
    thanks for let us know.

    ReplyDelete
  12. OMC! Nicky once drank a sip of TW's Baileys one St. Paddy's Day. She didn't find it cute at all.

    ReplyDelete
  13. So many kitties love trying new things! We think the onions and garlic one is the hardest to enforce because it may not be apparent they are in the food. Thanks for the info. And thanks for celebrating at my party!

    ReplyDelete
  14. This is important information. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  15. LOL @Caren! But yes, this is a really informative post.

    ReplyDelete
  16. So does the onion and garlic thing mean Austin's a vampire?

    Seriously thanks for the reminder xx

    ReplyDelete
  17. We don't have indoor plants because we can't resist them. MOL.
    Thanks for the post. It's very informative!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Great Post!
    Thanks yous!
    Kisses
    Nellie

    ReplyDelete
  19. I don´t eat any human food at all and I don´t think I like Coffée and the only alcohol we have around in the house is for wounds and that bottle is looked up in a box and all the plant´s are catsafe so I guess I have nothing to be worried about :)
    It´s a good reminder though !
    XOXO

    ReplyDelete

Coolio! A comment? For US?