Nadine Gourkow Discusses Food You Should Never Feed Your Cat

Introduction

When it comes to our cats, we want to always please them. They look up at you with those loving eyes and give you the most pathetic little squeaky meow. If you are like Nadine Gourkow, your heart just melts, and you feel tempted to give them a few of your table scraps. While this may have been well and fine in the early days of domesticated cats, it simply will not do anymore. We know so much more about things they can and cannot eat, just like with humans and dogs.

Foods to Side-step

Cats have a way of working their way into our hearts and wrapping us around their little dewclaws. That does not mean that we should succumb to their every whim. If you want to keep your little cat healthy and happy, read over the following list of foods you should not, under any circumstances, give them.

1. Raw Eggs, Raw Meat, and Bones – When it comes to raw eggs and raw meat, think about the reasons we, as humans, should not consume them. The possibility for e. coli and salmonella are just as much a problem for our little four-legged friends as they are for us. As far as the bones are concerned, you need to realize that they can break them with their powerful jaws and bones have the ability to splinter. This could become embedded in their throat, stomach, or intestines and cause many health problems.
2. Chocolate and Caffeinated Drinks – Chocolate should not be consumed by any pet, including your little cat. Chocolate contains a substance called methylxanthines and it can be harmful to both cats and dogs. Consumption of chocolate can range from vomiting to death. Methylxanthines are also found in many caffeinated drinks and should, therefore, be avoided as well.
3. Alcohol and Raw Dough – Alcohol should go without saying, but there is always someone that wants to see what happens when they get their cat drunk. Truth is, you are not getting them drunk, you are giving them a substance that is poisoning them. As far as raw dough, it expands in their stomach and starts to ferment (baking powders and/or yeast).
4. Milk and Other Dairy Products – We have seen tons of cartoons where the person gives their cat a little saucer of milk. Truth is, their stomachs are only able to properly digest their mother’s milk and even that stops after a certain age. While this one will not kill them, your little cat will be in a fair amount of pain as they will have digestive problems leading to diarrhea.

Conclusion

We all want our pets to be happy, we just have to do it in a responsible way. Follow the advice of Nadine Gourkow and do not feed your cats any of the above foods. They have plenty of treats in the pet food aisle at your local store and even whole stores dedicated to everything your pets can use, have, play with, or eat. There is no reason to put their lives in jeopardy with these resources.