What Table Foods Can Cats Eat?

Since cats are carnivores, lean meat or fish is an excellent table food for your cat to eat.  It should not have any additional salt or spices on it and the bones must be removed.  Some cats love corn, melon, and cooked broccoli.  Dairy products should be avoided since cats are lactose intolerant.

Cats may enjoy:

• Cooked lean meat or fish without bones - Bones can cause damage to the cat’s mouth and teeth and can be a choking hazard.
• Food without salt or spices - Excess salt is just as bad for your kitty as it is for you. Some spices are toxic to cats.
• Food without fat - A lot of fat is not healthy for your cat and is difficult to digest.
• Some fruits and vegetables - You might also want to try your cat on melon, corn, or cooked broccoli.

Now we need to look at table foods that cats should not be allowed to eat.  

Things Your Cat Should Not Eat

There are many table foods your cat should not eat. Here is a list along with any specific problems the food causes.  

• Daily products like milk - Most cats are lactose intolerant, so dairy products cause gas and intestinal problems. If your cat really loves milk, there is a product sold in many stores called CatSip.  It is milk with an added enzyme that helps the cat digest the lactose.
• Candy, gum, and baked goods - These can cause loss of coordination, vomiting, and can lead to liver damage.
• Alcoholic beverages - These can cause drunkenness, tremors, gastrointestinal irritation, difficulty breathing, coma and death.
• Avocados - Eating these can cause respiratory distress and fluid around the heart.
• Chocolate - Theobromine in chocolate can cause: diarrhea, vomiting, hyperactivity, seizures, excessive thirst, raised blood pressure and stimulate the nervous system.   
• Coffee and tea (caffeine) - Theobromine and caffeine are members of a drug class called Methylxanines. These substances over stimulate the cat's cardiovascular system and nervous system.
• Raw eggs - May have salmonella and can cause hair and skin problems.  
• Raw fish - May cause seizures or death because of a thiamine deficiency.
• Grapes and raisins - These toxic foods cause everything from vomiting to kidney failure. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center advises you not to give an animal any amount of these foods. 
• Macadamia nuts - May adversely affect the muscles and the nervous and digestive systems. 
• Mushrooms - These are very toxic and can make a cat go into shock and die.          
• Onions, garlic, and chives - If your cat ingests an excess of these, they can cause gastrointestinal problems and may damage red blood cells.  They have a substance that will cause a kind of anemia.
• Potatoes - These can affect the nervous, urinary, and digestive systems.
• Rhubarb - Like potatoes, these can cause problems with the nervous, urinary, and digestive systems.
• Salt - An excess of salt can result in sodium ion poisoning.  Symptoms include: tremors, regurgitation, high fever, excessive thirst, diarrhea, and seizures.
• Spices - A large amount of spices can lead to gastrointestinal problems and can damage red blood cells, the same as with onions and garlic.
• Tomatoes - Ripe fruit is not usually a problem, but the stems, leaves, and unripe fruit can be.  Symptoms include: drowsiness, dilated pupils, gastrointestinal upset, excess salivation, and weakness.                
• Xylitol sweetener - This will cause a sudden drop in blood sugar which can lead to depression or seizures.
• Yeast - Any foods made with dough can expand in the GI tract and cause the intestine to rupture.  As it rises, it makes alcohol, which can lead to alcohol poisoning.
• Spoiled food - This could have mold, pathogens, and mycotoxins that can cause irritation to the GI tract, seizures, tremors, and even death.
• Antifreeze, cleaning products, and drugs:  Some of these substances will taste good to your cat, and can cause severe problems or death.  Keep them out of reach of your pets.

It's important to know before you give your cat any food whether it is a table food your cat can eat, since there are certain foods your cats can dine on and others which can do him harm. It is always best to check with your veterinarian before providing your cat with any food which is not a commercially prepared cat food.