Are Raw Eggs OK?

Just the other day I noticed that my 1 year old female likes to lap up my beaten eggs (before I cook them)! She is always very curious to watch me prepare things on the kitchen counter, but rarely tries to nibble anything. So, when I turned my back to grab a dish, I noticed she had sneaked up and was lapping the beaten egg! Of course, I would never eat raw egg myself for fear of salmonella. But eggs are very inexpensive, and a great source of nutrition (protein, Omega-3, vitamine D), I would have no problem feeding her a beaten egg once in a while, or as a treat.

Does anyone know if there are safety concerns with a cat eating a raw egg? Does anyone actually feed their cat(s) raw eggs, as an occaisional treat, or mixed with food??

My understanding is that raw egg yolk is O.K. but raw egg whites contain avadin and that interferes with the absorption of some vitamin.

Someone with more knowledge will probably give you a better answer.

Yeah I heard the whites are bad too. My vet recommended scrambled eggs once in a while to the cats but said to make sure the whites are cooked completely.

I wouldn't feed at cat a whole egg but I don't see why you can let her lick out the bowl after you're done beating them or since the whites aren't the best, you can separate the egg and just add the whites to the eggs you're making for yourself and give her the yolk.

The nutrients found in eggs are great for your cats fur and skin. Tasja, the old lady of the cats at my parents, used to constantly raid the neighborhood bird nests for eggs. She always had the most beautiful coat and healthy looking skin and fur. She never had dandruff and really never shedded until after she started getting old enough where she decided it wasn't worth the climb. I would recommend small amounts of egg but don't give her too much. Like people, if a cat eat too much raw egg than she could get sick.

You can always call your vet and ask over the phone. He or She would be able to give you more acurate advise.