5 deadly foods for cats: what should they not eat?
Dog owners are used to sharing their food with their furry best friends or even letting them eat leftovers from dinner. However, it is important to understand that a cat is not a dog and, in general, we must be much more careful when letting them try some “human” food. Dogs are omnivores just like us, which is why our diets have more similarities. Cats are carnivores, and their liver has much more difficulty eliminating certain toxins that are harmless to us. For all these reasons, we bring you a list of 5 deadly foods for cats so that you never let your feline eat them under any circumstances.
1. Milk
We begin with a food that, although traditionally associated with cats, is actually one of the most dangerous foods for them: milk or any other dairy product such as yogurt or cheese. Although all mammals, including cats, consume their mother’s milk when they are young, once they grow older they no longer produce the enzyme necessary to break down lactose, which can cause severe and significant digestive problems.
2. Chocolate, coffee, or tea
Chocolate, coffee, and tea all contain high levels of methylxanthines (caffeine, theobromine, and theophylline), a type of natural stimulant. These can not only greatly alter your kitty but also cause dehydration, vomiting, diarrhea, or even ulcers. Luckily, cats lack sweet taste receptors, so it’s not very common for them to try these products on their own.
3. Allium vegetables such as onions, garlic, leeks…
This type of vegetable is equally toxic for both dogs and cats, although cats suffer much more from them. Onions, garlic, and leeks are among the most dangerous deadly foods for cats because they destroy their red blood cells, causing anemia. Symptoms of this type of poisoning include muscle weakness, loss of balance, fatigue, dark urine, lack of appetite, etc.
4. Dog food
We want to include dog food in this list of deadly foods for cats because many new owners may think that kibble or wet food for dogs and cats is essentially the same. Nothing could be further from the truth. Although dog food is not necessarily poisonous for our kitty, in the long term it can cause health problems for our cat because it lacks essential nutrients for their diet such as taurine or Omega-3. If you are interested in giving your cat the healthiest, most complete, and tastiest diet, we invite you to check out Onlyfresh cat food. Discover a fully varied catalog that will adapt to all your cat’s special needs while providing all the necessary nutrients for their development and happiness, such as vitamin C, vitamin E, taurine, Omega-3, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, and more. Discover tasty recipes made exclusively with natural foods, as well as 100% fresh meats and fish, without meat meals.
5. Citrus fruits
Fruits such as lemons, oranges, limes, or tangerines contain high levels of citric acid and essential oils that are irritating to your cat’s nervous system. Too much citrus not only can cause severe depression of the cat’s entire central nervous system but also convulsions, tremors, and, in the worst cases, death. For all these reasons, we strongly recommend that you never feed your cat anything unless you are sure of how it may affect them because, as you can see, cats are highly sensitive animals when it comes to their diet. And if you want to make sure you are providing the best foods, visit the Onlyfresh online store and enjoy a healthy and happy kitty.