Human Foods Your Cat Can Enjoy Too

Your cat’s diet should mainly consist o highly nutritional cat meals, but she can sometimes use the extras from your plate. Besides the additional nutrient, your meal prep and eating time can become an extra opportunity to bond further with your feline.

Are you thinking of letting your feline taste some of your meals but unsure which foods are feline-friendly? You’re in the right place. We’ve compiled a list of healthy human foods you can feed to your cat in this article. Before you begin, however, remember that every feline is different. This means they may need other foods or dietary requirements, so contact your vet before changing your cat’s diet or eating pattern.

Foods That You Can Share With Your Cat

Whole Grains

Whole grains are just as great for cats as they are for humans. They contain lots of vitamins, fiber, and iron that make them highly beneficial for your cat, unlike their refined counterparts. So, next time you eat foods like oatmeal, maize, and brown rice, it would be perfectly fine to serve some to your feline. 

Grains are particularly beneficial because of the fibers they contain; however, try not to give your cat too much of it as they are equally high in carbs. A little as a treat once in a while is all your cat requires. 

Also, because cats are different and with different preferences, some may not enjoy the grains even when others have no issue eating them, so ensure you try with a sample before serving it to them. 

Meat

Cats are carnivores and so love meat naturally. They need the protein from meat for optimum wellness. Some great options your cat can enjoy with you include turkey, beef, chicken, and even small quantities of deli meat. Now, it may be tempting to toss spoiled old meat to your cat, but it’s a harmful practice. If you can’t eat it yourself, then don’t give it to your cat.

Eggs

Eggs contain high amounts of protein, iron, and many other minerals and so would make great additions to your furry friend’s diet. You may want to avoid serving your feline raw eggs because of the bacteria they can sometimes contain. The best thing would be to scramble those eggs properly before you feed some of it to your cat.

Dairy

As cats grow older, a good deal may start to tolerate dairy poorly. Because of this, your cat requires only small amounts of dairy or dairy-based food, if any. The dairy products you can offer your cat include low lactose cheeses /cottage cheeses, hard cheeses/cheddar, and plain low-fat yogurt.

Vegetables

Not every cat enjoys the taste of vegetables and fruits. While they can’t taste sweet flavors, they can enjoy these rich sources of vitamins, fiber, and water (super essential as most cats drink a little water). For a start, you can try fresh cucumber, steamed broccoli, cantaloupe, or some slices of asparagus.

If getting them to eat these veggies directly fails, sharing a veggie burger with him may work the magic. Just make sure they include no onions or garlic in the dough.

Fish

Cats love fish, a good thing, as they are good sources of omega-3. They need this fatty acid for their overall well-being and balance the required fraction of fatty acids. Omega-3 is present in these fishes; tuna, herring, salmon, and trout. You can choose to make fish a treat once or twice every week. Many cat foods already have fish as the primary protein source.

Fruits 

As said earlier, cats cannot tell “sweetness” and so may not naturally enjoy eating fruits. If your cat enjoys it, you can make some nice treats with fruits. These fruit treats can also be helpful for when your cat is suffering from digestive issues like constipation. 

Some fruits include: bananas (it can be frozen, blended, and served to your cat on warm days)

  • Raw or frozen blueberries
  • Honeydew/watermelon without the seeds
  • Peeled and sliced apples
  • Avocados can also be included as they are not only tasty and safe; They are rich in different essential vitamins – needed for the health of your cat.
HUMAN FOODS YOUR CAT CAN ENJOY TOO

Human Foods You Should Not Feed Your Cat (When Sharing Is Not Caring)

While you may mean well by wanting to share all you eat with your cat, there are, however, several human foods cats shouldn’t eat. One such food is chocolate; all forms of it contain theobromine, a bitter tasting stimulant. This stimulant can trigger seizures, muscle tremors, and even severe heart issues for your furry friend.

Caffeine also has a similar effect on felines, so you want to avoid feeding your cat with foods or drinks that contain this compound. When you bake or brew, keep the cat away from the kitchen. Raw dough can cause pancreatitis and other digestive issues in cats.

Other human foods your cat should steer clear off even when it begs for it include; alcohol, grapes, seeds, raisins, coconut milk, and onions/garlic. Others are fat trimmings, nuts, cooked bones, raw fish, gums/candy, artificial sweeteners/preservatives, and human medications. Ingesting any of the above will cause your cat to throw up and potentially a lot worse.

Final Words

With kittens, all calories count! Feeding your cat “extras” should only be done occasionally and probably as a treat. If you regularly feed your cat human food (cat meals should be a high-quality cat food), you should talk to your vet about the exact foods you add to his diet. 

Also, cats can quickly become overweight from food, and a fat cat is prone to many health issues. You love your cat and probably believe that food good for you will be just as good for your cat, but this isn't always the case. Know the acceptable and safe human foods your feline can enjoy and stick to those.

We hope this article helps you better know some types of food your cat can and cannot eat and help you act accordingly. We'd like to know what are some of your feline's favorite treats? Please share in the comments!

About the Author

Kirsten Heggarty
Website | + posts

Kirsten created The Pet Handbook with the aim of sharing her knowledge about pets, pet food, healthy habits, and more. All of her advice is based on years of her own experience with her pets, and feedback that she has received from grateful readers about her tips. If you want to know more please read the About Me page.