Cats have evolved to tackle a mainly meat diet, but they also can digest small amounts of vegetables and roughage which would normally be found in the guts of their prey, small rodents, birds etc. This is quite a limited diet, so you must remember that a cats digestive system is simply not designed to tackle a wide range of foods as in a human diet, and there are many households foods that are actually very bad for them, and in some cases can cause serious harm to their health. Therefore it is important that you think carefully about your cats diet and avoid feeding them foods, which could upset their systems.

Milk and Cream
Cats love rich cows milk and cream, and will lap it up if you put it out for them, however cows milk contains complex sugars and fats that some humans actually find hard to break down (lactose intolerance), and cats completely lack the enzyme needed to break down these components and so cows milk can actually cause them stomach ache, diarrhea and vomiting. You can buy special lactose free milk however from the pet shops which they should be able to enjoy without any side effects.

Tinned Tuna
Tinned tuna can often be an emergency food that fills the gap if you run out of cat food, but too much tuna can actually cause a painful inflammatory condition called Steatitis, because it is high in unsaturated fatty acids. If your cat likes tuna then it is much better for you to buy them a commercial produced tuna flavoured cat food, that will not have all of the excess unsaturated fats included.

Chocolate
Cats don’t normally like chocolate, but you should make sure it is kept away from them just in case as it contains several ingredients that can be quite harmful to them including theobromine, which in small doses can cause vomiting, diarrhea and seizures, and in large dose can actually be fatal.

Onions
Onions and related vegetables such as garlic contain thiosulphate, which is actually toxic to cats and dogs and can cause severe breathing difficulties, vomiting and diarrhea, so make sure you avoid feeding cats any leftovers which contain these ingredients.

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