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Should cats eat "people food?"

post #1 of 34
1/4/01 at 7:05pm
Thread Starter 
Hi all,

My cat Zoe loves to sample whatever I am eating. For example, right now I am sitting at my computer eating cajun pork and rice and she's eating it faster than I am. I try to keep her away because it seems like all that spice wouldn't be good for her but she LOVES it! Should I just let her eat what I'm eating (not as her primary source of nutrition but more like as a treat) or is this just a bad idea?

Annie

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post #2 of 34
1/5/01 at 10:05am
Annie,

My cats love people food too. I don't give them anything spicy. They love ice cream, yogurt, muffins, cheese, chicken, tuna and mashed potatoes. I share it with them in very small amounts. To them it's a treat. My Sphynx Moo loves yogurt. The vet said it's good for him, providing it's plain. I give him a little of the flavored yogurt. Everytime I have breakfast of yogurt and a muffin, they are in my face. That's when I do "kitty jail" till I'm finished eating.
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post #3 of 34
1/5/01 at 7:40pm
My Tess loves potatoe chips--i usually give her a couple chips only because of the salt content. I have to put her up if i am eating them, she is relentless and determined to get in the bag. She loves cooked chicken and beef also. Sammy likes the chichen and beef but doesnt go for people snack foods like Tess. The other 6 show no interest in people food at all. Gee I could go for that Cajun pork and rice right now...lol
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post #4 of 34
1/5/01 at 7:54pm
I don't think it's a question of should they have people food. I would rather say what kind of people food they can have. Just like us, they gain weight. So giving them a lot of junk food is rather bad for them. When giving them their regular diet, figure out how much more you are adding with the snacks. Just like people, they have their likes and dislikes, I have cats who turn their noses at people food and 1 who sits and begs. If they get people food, I would try and give something that is nutritional and low in fats. They will love you for life!!

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post #5 of 34
1/7/01 at 7:13am
Some cats love to eat the strangest things, considering that they're meat eaters...

I once knew a cat who loved raw vegetables! Whenever his owners came home with bags of groceries, they had to put away the vegetables first I also know many cats that love olives and corn.

I guess that as long as you avoid very spicy foods, milk, chocolate and sweets and keep the treats at no more than 10% of the cat's diet - you're doing fine. The variety is important to most cats and makes life fun for them. Of course, a cat that is overweight or suffers from some medical condition is a different story. You have to be very careful with their diet.
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post #6 of 34
1/11/01 at 6:20pm
I have found that most cats love people food, as long as they see you eat it they want it. It isnt bad to give them a small amount but make sure that its not going to hurt them especially the spicey and hot foods, even tho they think they like it, their taste arent like ours. My Domino is very spoiled i have to share my meals with him also, but i do take caution in what is in it before i give it to him because his system isnt like ours and even tho he might want it sometimes it isnt in his best interest. Lisa F.
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post #7 of 34
2/1/01 at 12:29am
My cat also loves eating people food in small amts.His favorites are warm oatmeal with sugar and milk,yogurt,
cheez-its,deli meats,and chicken. I've been told by his new vet to stop all this because this might be why he's losing the fur on his belly-I don't really believe this. I was also told that his new elevated liver studies are probably do to the fact I fed him fish flavored food. So now he is on a special diet that he doesn't want to eat,losing weight, and I'm hiding in the bathroom to eat so he won't see me.
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post #8 of 34
2/10/01 at 7:32am
I have had many cats who totally ignore people food and those who try to climb into the plate and heaven help you if you turn your back on a glassof milk.

I think it depends on the health of the cat and their reaction to little snacks.

I have two milk drinkers now but of course, milk is taboo for most.

My Sam ate anything, spicy or sweet . Everything from a dollop of chocolate to a taco - ice cream to oatmeal.

There were a few times that
"snacks" saved lives. When illness struck and my Sam wouldn't eat, oatmeal, chicken soup (unsaalted) and a little hand fed favorites saved his life.

P>S> Sam lived for 171/2 years.

In conclusion, a litte goes a long way but it all depends on the individual cat. a cat that can be hand fed and takes
non traditional nourishment can
be a godsend in times of illness.
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post #9 of 34
2/10/01 at 8:37am
Just for anyone out there with friends who LOVE milk, we can all give them some. The product on the market for people who are lactose intolerant..which cats are. They sell Lactaid at the grocery store. There really isnt much of a taste difference.
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post #10 of 34
2/10/01 at 9:03am
Very true. Supermarkets also have a 'pet milk' lactose free.
I have had lactose tolerent
cats. have two now. Usually, if they were, as cats generally are, intolerent, mine didn't seem to like any dairy products. I did
have one who loved his lactaid
it was so nice to give a treat
that wasn't harmful
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post #11 of 34
2/10/01 at 10:42am
I see nothing wrong with feeding cats our food, I feed them anything they will eat, thats not harmful to them, of course. I would hate to eat the same old cat food day in and day out all my life, I love my snacks & they do also. Its actually quite amusing to see what they will eat, sometimes its quite surprising. Cat food has not always been around to feed cats.
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post #12 of 34
2/12/01 at 5:03am
My Smoky loves Chilli and Bolognese... Sooty loves marmite and cheese but he is on a diet so he can't have it.
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post #13 of 34
2/12/01 at 1:07pm
Just a mention for everyone. Please dont give cats garlic powder. Also, if your cat got into a pack of lipton onion soup mix, it could be fatal.
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post #14 of 34
2/12/01 at 1:17pm
Sandie, whats wrong with garlic powder? What about real garlic?
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post #15 of 34
2/12/01 at 1:57pm
Sorry I meant to say onion powder. I just got home from work and was mentally challenged for a moment. Garlic is okay to give to cats, it actually acts as a natural relaxer. The onlion powder can cause anemia in cats. I could probably add a few to the list as well..
Sugar depletes the immune system
hydroginated fats..(fairly obvious)
these are the ones I know what it effects. The others I have been warned to avoid are chocolate (especially bakers),artifical sweetners,msg,white flour,raw egg white(depletes vitamin E),canned tuna, hotdogs,cake,cookies and dog food. It would be fairly safe to say, that they should get what we should with a few exceptions.
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post #16 of 34
2/12/01 at 3:05pm
Sandie,

Why didn't you tell me yesterday about hot dogs while I was feeding one to Maya Lin at the cat show yesterday? Of course she's living to tell about it, so no harm done. Thanks for the "earmite" tip I never would've known. Smart vet that Captain. Too bad he's married. Talk to you later tonight.
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post #17 of 34
2/12/01 at 5:06pm
Donna,

HEHE because Miss Mya Laquita Lynn beat my cat!!! No, It is just a food to avoid. It doesnt cause real harm unless given a lot. Most hot dogs have god knows what including onion powder. I knew she would be fine....it was you that was supposed to choke on the hot dog..
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post #18 of 34
3/12/01 at 6:55am
Why no canned Tuna? I only let Jasmine drink the juice of anned tuna in Water. She goes nuts as soon as I open the can. Most canned tuna only seem to contain Tuna, water, salt, and hydrolized plant/soya protein. What's wrong with that?

Jasmine's Dad.

Quote:
Originally posted by Sandie
Sorry I meant to say onion powder. I just got home from work and was mentally challenged for a moment. Garlic is okay to give to cats, it actually acts as a natural relaxer. The onlion powder can cause anemia in cats. I could probably add a few to the list as well..
Sugar depletes the immune system
hydroginated fats..(fairly obvious)
these are the ones I know what it effects. The others I have been warned to avoid are chocolate (especially bakers),artifical sweetners,msg,white flour,raw egg white(depletes vitamin E),canned tuna, hotdogs,cake,cookies and dog food. It would be fairly safe to say, that they should get what we should with a few exceptions.
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post #19 of 34
3/12/01 at 4:41pm
The only thing wrong with canned Tuna is that it will deplete Vitamin E. Lack Of vitamin E can lead to fatigue and stress and some cats can start overgrooming.
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post #20 of 34
3/12/01 at 5:22pm
Cinammon and Fluffy like to lick out of my empty yogurt cup! Tigger used to like a piece of plain donut..... Cinammon likes hamburger bun pieces, too!
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post #21 of 34
3/12/01 at 5:40pm
That is pretty funny Tigger. Lily loves to lick out of my yogurt cup also. She loves little pieces of donuts, and turkey dogs. She eats chicken only if it is plain and she absolutely loves Chili. I try to keep her out of it, because it is so messy and I am sure bad for her, but it makes her go crazy!!
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post #22 of 34
4/1/01 at 3:46pm
Wow! I always thought that giving people food to cats was really bad for them. I always feel guilty but never let them have my food. I try to buy different kinds of treats and stuff but it seems to always be the same.
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post #23 of 34
4/1/01 at 6:09pm
I heard that tuna can cause urinary blockage problems in male cats. Any truth to that one?
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post #24 of 34
4/2/01 at 12:25pm
As long as your cats (like ours) are healthy and receive the majority of their food from good quality cat food, I don't see any reason why they shouldn't get treats, just like us. Can you imagine eating the same thing every day for your entire life. How boring...and cats are not boring!
Avoid milk (unless you have a cat who tolerates lactose well), onions and chocolate. Their systems don't tolerate these things well.
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post #25 of 34
4/2/01 at 12:39pm
Before Grimmy went on his special diet, he never liked any kind of cat treats. The only thing we found (accidentally, when one escaped our dinner) that he'd eat was a garbanzo bean. It went rolling on the floor and he went nuts over it. Really, that's what most cat food smells like anyway so I can kind of understand it. Now he's our little garbanzo!
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post #26 of 34
4/2/01 at 5:15pm
It's my darling Chippy's 13th birthday today! And he is the love of my life!Ran out to the market to buy him his favorite turkey for a special dinner (along with the other three got to have some too!). Chippy's full name is Potato Chips, because when he was a kitten, he didn't like cat food, but ate away potato chips! Pheow, that junk food is out now.

Our kitty, Cindy loves rice cakes!, which none of the other kitties even want to smell. Ha ha. It's useful and helpful to know what foods are safe to give the kitties. =o)

New poster,

Hana
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post #27 of 34
4/2/01 at 9:21pm
Boy am I glad I took the time to read this one. My two know when I've been to the deli at the store, even if I carry in 6 bags - they must smell the deli meats. Mony has a fondness for German Bologna (that's a real special treat for both of us) and they will both sit at my feet for ham. They don't get much of either, but that is about the only things they will beg for. That, and canned tuna. I make the tuna last them at least a week and only give it to them a little at a time. If its in the fridge longer than 4 days it's trash. I wouldn't eat it & wouldn't expect them to. Am I too fussy?

I know Mony goes crazy when I break out the garlic to cook with and stays underfoot while using it. I guess I'll make sure they don't get anything I cook with onion powder in it, I didn't know and I love to use the garlic & onion combo.

Does anyone else have a cat that likes raw carrots? Mony surprises me every day. I was making a roast one day when part of one fell and she claimed it and ate it.
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post #28 of 34
4/6/01 at 4:19am
I grew up with 2 cats that used to like to beg for people food. Whenever Mom opened a can of tuna or salmon, they would come running even if they were upstairs. Every week when Daddy made omletes the cats and dog each got 2 slices of cheese (the only people food they were supposed to get according to him). Of course, I used to wait until he left the table after dinner and feed my cat pieces of carrot and peas I didn't like.She loved them.

Kitty won't touch most people food. I can leave almost anything on the counter and she won't even sniff at it. But if I am trying to eat cheesecake, she will do anything to get at my plate! Even if she was sleeping, she smells it and feels I need to share. She won't bother my husband for his, even if he offers her some, she only wants mine.
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post #29 of 34
4/6/01 at 9:38am
I was eating some ranch flavored corn nuts, when Lily started going after the bag. I gave her one and she ate it. Looks like she thought it was pretty good!! thought it was pretty funny.
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post #30 of 34
4/7/01 at 7:29am
Here's one more for the people food section. Last Saturday night after I brought my son home from the hospital (he fell in a department store & they wanted him checked out), I carried in all the stuff I had bought while out. This included leftover snack & our dinnner of cheeseteaks in the same bag as my bread. Apparently something leaked on the the bread bag & I didn't know it. I had to get both cats out of the bag (by this time there was only the bread in the bag). Anyway, I put the bread away and when I walked past it a second time, I noticed a hole eaten through the bag and part of the bread was missing. I think I know which one it was, becuase I've seen her go into bags before.

Other than that she won't touch bread while wer'e eating.
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