Cooked Ham

Hello,

I'm new here and I have a question about ham.  Tis the holiday season, and my cat goes crazy for the smell of ham.  He even likes the cold cuts from the deli.  I have been told that it is "poison" or not good for them, and I need to know if this is a true statement.  I don't feed raw, (even shrimp), so I don't know where this is coming from.  Also, he craves everything dairy.  Ice cream, cottage cheese, whipped cream.  He has never been ill in his life and he is coming up on his 2nd birthday.  I really want to feed him some ham on Christmas.  Is it safe? 

Hams are usually smoked or cured in a saline solution with nitrates. The deli hams definitely are. None of these are healthy for cats, especially the extra sodium.

I feed my cat homemade raw food, and I feed them pork once or twice a week - but uncured pork that doesn't have more than 70mg of sodium per 4 oz serving (that's how it's listed on the package - I don't feed four ounces at a time. :lol3: ).

If you're in the US or Canada, raw pork is safe. If you're in Europe, it's safe if it's not from Spain or France or any countries "recently" considered European. I don't know about Australia or NZ, but South Africa is also safe.

Hi there. Welcome to TCS.  As long as the ham doesn't have onions or garlic (they are toxic to cats) I think it's fine to give him a little Christmas treat. Ham and cold cuts have nitrates, sodium and preservatives. A little bite once in a while is ok but I wouldn't feed on a regular basis. It would be a lot healthier to give him some plain chicken, turkey or beef instead. It's not unusual that your cat likes these things. Lots of cats like dairy too. Ice cream would be bad for his teeth but a tiny taste of cottage cheese is okay. Mine love it.

Have a Merry Christmas!

as long it don't have spices in it like garlic or onion or pepper or hot seasonings it should be fine as a treat