The thought of cats often brings about the thoughts of picky eaters.
This may be a true statement or it may simply be a comparison to a dog's ability to eat virtually anything.
Cats do have an aversion to certain types of human food.
On the opposite side, there may be foods they are attracted to that are actually harmful to them.
These involve onions, garlic, bread dough, ethanol, chocolate and moldy foods.
Onions and Garlic If you're measuring the amount of a food that is toxic then garlic is more toxic than onions.
Keep in mind that it doesn't matter whether the garlic is raw or cooked (the level of toxins are the same to your cat).
Large amounts of onions can damage a cat's red blood cells.
This is not exclusive to yellow or white onions, it also includes scallions and shallots.
As unlikely as it seems that a cat may eat large amounts of garlic or onions, however, it is very possible if they are fed leftovers that contain garlic powder, soup mixes or dehydrated onions.
These types of ingredients can cause all sorts of poisoning issues.
Damage appears within 3-5 days after ingesting the unknown poison.
Signs of poisoning include lethargy, pale gums or even urine that is tinged with an orange or dark red color.
If your cat exhibits any of these symptoms they should be taken to an emergency room at the closest veterinarian clinic.
Bread Dough This refers to raw bread dough.
The yeast is still living and once inside the cat's stomach it begins to expand.
This causes the stomach itself to expand and can slow blood flow to the walls of the stomach as well as putting pressure on the lungs which causes problems with breathing.
The yeast will also use the sugar in the dough to produce alcohol.
This combination results in a drunken cat with a distended abdomen.
In certain extreme cases, cats have been known to have seizures, fall into a coma or even die.
If your cat demonstrates these symptoms they should be monitored by their vet.
The safest thing to do is to keep raw dough in an airtight container and away from your animals.
Ethanol Ethanol is not normally thought of when thinking of poisonous foods.
It's not actually thought of in regards to food at all.
It is actually ethyl alcohol, drinking alcohol or grain alcohol.
Because of how small cats are, they are very sensitive to the effects of alcohol (much more sensitive than humans).
While cats are not generally attracted to alcohol, they may be attracted to cream or milk in certain mixed drinks.
Intoxication often results in the same issues as with humans, specifically: loss of coordination, vomiting, and disorientation.
Cats should be monitored by their vet until they are no longer intoxicated as seizures, coma and even death could occur.
Chocolate Humans may love chocolate but cats can actually become intoxicated by it.
Veterinarians will tell you "the darker the chocolate is, the more dangerous it is.
" The intoxication is caused by the compounds in the chocolate such as theobromine and caffeine.
The chemicals cause both the nervous system and the heart to be over stimulated.
Signs that your cat has ingested chocolate are a severe agitation or restlessness, high body temperature, abnormal heart rhythm, possible vomiting and increased level of thirst.
If your cat is more than a little restless then you need to take them to a veterinarian as soon as possible.
Moldy Food While not every form of mold is the same, some of them produce toxins.
Tremorgenic mycotoxins can cause extreme and life-threatening problems if consumed.
Because these types of molds grow on dairy products, such as cream cheese or even regular cheese, cats are drawn to them naturally.
You will notice almost immediately if your cat has ingested some of these because of the intense muscle spasms that result.
These spasms can go on for weeks or result in sudden death.
An experienced vet should be able to apply the appropriate treatment and have a cat back on his feet in no time.
This may be a true statement or it may simply be a comparison to a dog's ability to eat virtually anything.
Cats do have an aversion to certain types of human food.
On the opposite side, there may be foods they are attracted to that are actually harmful to them.
These involve onions, garlic, bread dough, ethanol, chocolate and moldy foods.
Onions and Garlic If you're measuring the amount of a food that is toxic then garlic is more toxic than onions.
Keep in mind that it doesn't matter whether the garlic is raw or cooked (the level of toxins are the same to your cat).
Large amounts of onions can damage a cat's red blood cells.
This is not exclusive to yellow or white onions, it also includes scallions and shallots.
As unlikely as it seems that a cat may eat large amounts of garlic or onions, however, it is very possible if they are fed leftovers that contain garlic powder, soup mixes or dehydrated onions.
These types of ingredients can cause all sorts of poisoning issues.
Damage appears within 3-5 days after ingesting the unknown poison.
Signs of poisoning include lethargy, pale gums or even urine that is tinged with an orange or dark red color.
If your cat exhibits any of these symptoms they should be taken to an emergency room at the closest veterinarian clinic.
Bread Dough This refers to raw bread dough.
The yeast is still living and once inside the cat's stomach it begins to expand.
This causes the stomach itself to expand and can slow blood flow to the walls of the stomach as well as putting pressure on the lungs which causes problems with breathing.
The yeast will also use the sugar in the dough to produce alcohol.
This combination results in a drunken cat with a distended abdomen.
In certain extreme cases, cats have been known to have seizures, fall into a coma or even die.
If your cat demonstrates these symptoms they should be monitored by their vet.
The safest thing to do is to keep raw dough in an airtight container and away from your animals.
Ethanol Ethanol is not normally thought of when thinking of poisonous foods.
It's not actually thought of in regards to food at all.
It is actually ethyl alcohol, drinking alcohol or grain alcohol.
Because of how small cats are, they are very sensitive to the effects of alcohol (much more sensitive than humans).
While cats are not generally attracted to alcohol, they may be attracted to cream or milk in certain mixed drinks.
Intoxication often results in the same issues as with humans, specifically: loss of coordination, vomiting, and disorientation.
Cats should be monitored by their vet until they are no longer intoxicated as seizures, coma and even death could occur.
Chocolate Humans may love chocolate but cats can actually become intoxicated by it.
Veterinarians will tell you "the darker the chocolate is, the more dangerous it is.
" The intoxication is caused by the compounds in the chocolate such as theobromine and caffeine.
The chemicals cause both the nervous system and the heart to be over stimulated.
Signs that your cat has ingested chocolate are a severe agitation or restlessness, high body temperature, abnormal heart rhythm, possible vomiting and increased level of thirst.
If your cat is more than a little restless then you need to take them to a veterinarian as soon as possible.
Moldy Food While not every form of mold is the same, some of them produce toxins.
Tremorgenic mycotoxins can cause extreme and life-threatening problems if consumed.
Because these types of molds grow on dairy products, such as cream cheese or even regular cheese, cats are drawn to them naturally.
You will notice almost immediately if your cat has ingested some of these because of the intense muscle spasms that result.
These spasms can go on for weeks or result in sudden death.
An experienced vet should be able to apply the appropriate treatment and have a cat back on his feet in no time.
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