My cat likes fruit

I know I'm probably horrible, but I will let my cats try human foods occasionally, so long as they're not toxic or otherwise bad for them. Both of them tend to beg a LOT and sometimes the only way to make them stop is to let them see that what I'm eating/drinking will not appeal to them. Only sometimes the food is unexpectedly something they like.

My male cat Kip has proven to like some odd things. He won't drink goat milk, but he likes things like sweet potato chips and Reese's Pieces. I've found he also has an affinity for fruit and fruit juices. He likes cantaloupe, and last week when I accidentally spilled orange juice on the floor, he drank some of it. I've even caught him trying to drink wine! He only got a couple laps by the time I caught him, but I wasn't even expecting him to drink any.

Is there something wrong with my cat or is he just weird? Never have I seen a cat that ate anything fruity. He's in otherwise good health and he eats just fine. And I'm familiar with what things cats can and cannot eat, and I know grapes and raisins are especially bad (which is why I didn't let him have any wine, funny as it might be to see him drunk). But I haven't found much regarding other fruits being bad for kitties.

What's Kip's history? Was he formerly a stray? 

I have seen stray cats and kittens eat anything to fill their hungry tummies  . Those that find homes, will tend to continue eating the stuff of their past, sad homeless lives. 

My kitty likes strawberries, apples yogurt . She's fan of olives big time).

yeah i've never seen a cat eat fruit before. Other stuff, but not fruit!

Mine likes some veggies - peas for example or sweet potato - or starches like rice, and baked goods like crackers, cookies, bread.

I couldn't believe it the one time he ran off with a ginger cookie I had on a plate and ate the whole thing before I could get it from him.

But yeah, fruit he shows no interest in.

lol

My cat loves fruit too. He goes crazy when he sees or hears us open a container of blueberries! They are his favorite, although he likes strawberries too. He also enjoyed licking the pumpkin when we carved them for Halloween.

Daisy loves strawberries.  She was a stray and I am guessing she ate them in the wild.  She just goes crazy if you bring any in the house.  The other day, I brought home some generic Special K type cereal that has these dehydrated strawberries.  I had never tried that kind of cereal and poured a bowl without thinking much about it.  Daisy was there immediately...sitting up like a prairie dog.  She smelled the dried strawberries in the cereal.  I always have to share them with her.  And Speck likes celery leaves.  He doesn't want people food at all (even shrimp or fish) so it surprised when he started begging for celery. 

A friend has a cat who will eat absolutely anything.  He was a former stray, and now he is a danger to himself.  Donuts, cereal, dried fruit, - pretty much anything.  He will chew through bags and boxes to get to it then gorge himself until he is sick.  The last incident involved an entire bag of dried apricots and a trip to the vet.  They have to be very careful not to leave anything on the table or counter.  There are some strange kitties in the world!
 

Aww, I'm glad to know my kitty isn't nuts in the head or sick. Kippy is a former stray - I found him in the backyard several years ago and took him in because he was such a little sweetie. Thankfully, Kip is not a counter jumper, so I don't need to worry about him chowing down on my aloe plant. I suppose his history as a stray makes it no surprise that he's great at catching the mice that occasionally get into the basement (and will leave them on the floor for me, half dead).

My old tabby cat also liked to eat odd things (also a former stray). Two of his greatest hits were: When he got up on the table and ate a chunk out of a freshly baked pumpkin pie. Mom had to cut out that spot and tell everyone she had to taste test it because she thought she forgot something. The other is when he managed to pry open a box of donuts and took a bite out of every single donut. My girl Caspurr would eat just about anything, from Doritos to sauerkraut and she had never in her life had to go without food or fend for herself.

Kitties are a silly bunch sometimes.

ha ha too funny

my mom used to have a cat that liked jelly donuts.

actually, my current cat did eat a bit out of a Boston Cream once, so maybe that is not so weird after all

(He always has to know what someone is eating so I was kind of doing the, 'it's a donut, you don't like donuts right?" and showing him a piece and of course he ate it.)

I have to watch where I lay my coffee cup as Mia likes to try it!  LOl

I saw a nutritionist who had a pure breed Abyssinian--her cat loved cantalope and lettuce.

Runekeeper, like you I sometimes let Ritz smell what I am eating so her curosity is satisfied.  Occasionally I'll throw down on the floor a piece of lettuce and let her sniff--but never taste--my hot chocolate or coffee.  And I read that raw green beans make fun toys for cats to play with and wouldn't hurt them if they ate it.  Ritz was bored.  Ritz is a counter jumper so I have to make sure meats are covered (I fed raw).  She will eat people food--but alas not the pill hidden inside the people food,

Ritz said:

And I read that raw green beans make fun toys for cats to play with and wouldn't hurt them if they ate it.  

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I can vouch for this. I threw one to magnus when I was cooking to keep him out of my hair and he  was playing socker all over the kitchen floor with it (as well as chewing on the ends).

And edamame works well in this regard as well.

About the only type of toy that Ritz likes is an object like a mouse or butterfly at the end of a wire or string--and sometimes the string interests her more than the object.

Maybe I should try a fruit that is small and round like a kumquat!  Or wait a kiwi fruit is kind of fury

my cat Sassy loves some fruits too. altho i don't give it to her very often.
she likes (very small amounts of mango..bananas..avocado..even a couple small bites of tortilla chips (which i lick the salt off of first).

i actually the idea of giving green beans. thanks for sharing that.

being on this subject..there may be a thread about it..if anyone would share it, that would be great.
are there any fruits and veggies that we should NOT give our kitties?
 

Our female cats will eat almost anything and are always pestering us while we're eating, but our boys aren't interested in any food, not even meats. 

One thing on the subject of things that we shouldn't give our kitties is garlic, which I was reading about recently. It is very toxic to them and can damage their red blood cells. Onions can have the same effect.

I agree - if there's not a thread already, we should start one!

Here is a list of foods you should not feed your cats.  Grapes, raisins, chocolate, garlic are all big no-nos.  No matter how much your cat begs.

I would add that people who feed Raw do occasionally feed raw egg yolks, and lightly cook the whites.  Raw bones are fine; cooked bones, never.

Basically, if it smells appealing to them, they will want to try it.  Tyrion and my Phoebe are especially not shy about this!  I really have to watch Tyrion, though... He will eat ANYTHING!  Phoebe and Tyrion both love the smell of my Starbucks coffee drinks and both have had sips of it before, which freaked me out.  I ran straight to my vet!!  He told me a sip or so is not going to hurt them.  It's mostly vanilla in a lot of the drinks and though the coffee itself isn't great, it isn't the end of the world if they have a sip.  Drinking a lot, is a different story. 

Tyrion loves tomatoes and all fruits.  Anything really.  So I have to really watch him and I can't leave any refuse on the counter even for a minute, or he's after it. 

I have a friend who feeds her cats papaya.  At first I was like "That can't be good for them" but I hear in moderation, it actually good for them and their fur and intestines as well.  She also feeds her cats onions, or used to until I showed her they cause anemia and other problems with kidneys.  But, her cats never had a bad reaction or anything happen to them as a result.  I guess in moderation things that are rumored to not be good for them is fine and even beneficial (tuna- good source of protein, taurine and the oils have joint helping agents)  However, that isn't saying that you should let your cat eat anything that is toxic (Chocolate, rasins, grapes... Etc.  Just look at the toxic effects is the best advice I can give and if in doubt, don't let kitty "taste" unless you are sure.)

for the links. i will definitely take a look.

another thing Sassy likes is peanut butter. i figure that if it is okay for dogs, that it is okay for cats. am i right, or totally wrong?

i have actually been reading the labels of all cat food...so i could come to a dission of what i feel will be the healthiest. i did see one or two brands that listed garlic. i am glad i didn't get those.

in fact, when i was at petco yesterday asking the lady about what SHE recommended, i was reading the labels and saying it is kind of ridiculous that companies put so much in the foods when they don't need to. as i was reading a label I literally LAUGHED when i read 'garlic' as an ingredient. i asked her, WTH would a cat need garlic for? she agreed that is was a very weird ingredient..and laughed too.

i am grateful that i asked the question..and the replies that have come along. i what to know exactly what my grrlz can and can not have. gotta help em live long, healthy, happy lives.

About garlic, some people recommend it as a treatment against fleas, but I don't think it's worth the risk since it can be toxic!

Ritz...thank you for sharing that link.

oops...i have to stop letting Sassy lick the inside of my avocado skins.

  i had no idea that milk was bad for cats. ugh! won't be giving that to em anymore either. altho i would only give it to em once in a blue moon.
Sassy doesn't like it anyway. Bella & Ivee do..but they won't be getting it anymore.