Feeding pork/ham

Merlin goes crazy over anything that I'm eating, especially if it's meat. I don't have a problem giving him bits of chicken, but I was wondering about ham or porkchops. I don't recall seeing pork in the lists of ingredients when I was researching cat food. Is that because it isn't good for cats, or was it there and I just missed it?

Pork isn't generally used in commercial pet foods. I don't know why.

Ham is very high in sodium, and it's not the best thing for a cat. A tiny little bite probably won't hurt, but it's best to avoid processed meats like that. A bit of a pork chop is fine (for most cats anyway. No guarantees as to your kitty's digestive system).

Originally Posted by Willowy

Pork isn't generally used in commercial pet foods. I don't know why.

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iirc it's because cats don't digest pork fat very well. Something about the molecule being larger? If you look at it for humans, pork even takes us a little longer to digest than some meats.

Maybe reason number two is that you don't see anything remotely resembling pig in a cat's natural diet? (yeah, I know beef isn't there either. )


A small taste of lean (not seasoned with salt, pepper, or garlic) pork from your plate would be ok. Anytime one of mine has gotten a hold of more than that, be it from out right stealing or DH being dumb, it gave them gas.

Pork really is not good for them - I think because of the curing process (its not that good for us either). And you are right - its not in dog or cat food. Maybe it doesn't keep well or spoils easily.

Our pets get a sample only of bacon, pork or ham - but no more then a bite or two.

I made the mistake of allowing Scarlett to sample a little bite of my pulled pork sandwich one time. Since that time, she gets in my face every time I serve a meal with even a micron of pork in it. There is something about it that attracts some cats (even if it has never been part of their natural diet), but I still try to avoid giving it to them.

I do know that cats love deli ham. When Stumpy was diagnosed with his auto-immune disease and had all of his teeth pulled, the only thing he would eat for a while was ham. DH was eating a ham sandwich one day and Stumpy walked up to him and grabbed a chunk of ham off the bread. While we hated to give it to him, it was the only thing he would eat at the time and we didn't like the alternative. Thank heavens that was short lived and he's gotten over it. The other night for Superbowl we served tortilla roll ups with ham inside. Bob Marley got a whiff of the ham and begged for some (in your face feed me now begging). Since we're about to lose him to cancer, we gave him all the ham he wanted. The ham perked up his appetite so that he ate more cat food. I don't recommend it as part of a diet, but there are extreme times when I'll give in to their cravings.

Thanks for the information. I figure it probably wasn't good for him, but he seems to like a lot of things that aren't necessarily good for him.

I rarely eat pork or ham myself, maybe twice a month for 2 or 3 months, then not again for 5 or 6 months. I've never given Merlin any of the porkchops, but if I don't dispose of the bone immediately after I've eaten he snitches it out of the sink. I don't know that he actually eats any, just hauls it around the house. I did give him three tiny bits of ham last week, but didn't want to give him more because of the salt.

Guess I'll just have to continue eating my meals standing up. When I sit down I have at least one cat trying to crawl into my plate, even if it's just salad.

Yeah - I get swarmed even if all I am doing is drinking some soda!!!

Lunch meat- forget it. I will often buy sandwiches at Whole Foods with their in-house roasted turkey or roast beef on it. It is not salty... and the boys go crazy for it. So ... shamefully ... I do share.

Royal Canin Renal LP - Modified P has pork meal as the first ingrediant. Found that kinda odd...

I'll give the outside cats leftover pork chop(or steak) if I can't finish mine. They enjoy it and whatever they don't eat the raccoon will. It isn't salted and doesn't have garlic or anything else on it, plus I'm sure they eat much worse things living outside. I know about the birds(the doves here are idiots) and squirrels(only because I've seen them eating them), I don't even want to think about what else they eat other than the cat chow I freed them.

Paul one night had an extra pork chop and left it on the stove(on a paper plate the stove wasn't on) overnight(I forgot about it and I think Paul did as well) and I came in in the morning and it was half eaten on the floor. Nuts had obviously had decided it was on the stove for him to eat and did so.

Taryn

Originally Posted by furryfriends50

Royal Canin Renal LP - Modified P has pork meal as the first ingrediant. Found that kinda odd...

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look up meal and you will have the answer ...

pork is the other white meat and when the fat is removed it is reasonable easy on the liver part of digestion.. oh and very very cheap

IMHO I will NOT serve any pork knowingly , I have a number of reasons