Typical foods at Christmas such as seafood and smoked salmon can cause gastroenteritis and poisoning in cats
Christmas is coming and, with it, the transfer of special foods to celebrate it. Some of these Christmas foods can be harmful and toxic to the cat. This article provides a list of Christmas foods that your cat should avoid, such as smoked salmon, pâté, shellfish, chocolate, cold cuts, raw fish , onions, as well as coffee and alcohol.
At Christmas, the transfer of special foods to celebrate them can make you fall into more than one mistake. And is that some of the Christmas foods can be harmful and be toxic food for the cat. This article offers a list of Christmas foods that the feline should avoid, such as smoked salmon, pate, seafood, cured cheese, chocolate, cold cuts, raw fish, onion, as well as coffee and alcohol .
Dangerous foods for the cat at Christmas
Social and consumer habits change at Christmas. Meetings with family and friends invite you to throw the house out the window and bingeing on food takes its toll on your health.
Cats are no exception with Christmas excesses: a veterinary clinic can see its consultations increased by 20% with felines that suffer from health problems derived from incorrect feeding of the animal during Christmas. Safe, healthy and simple homemade recipes for cats to enjoy with the feline at Christmas.
Pussycats that eat more than usual and vary their diet with foods that come from Christmas tables can suffer from vomiting, diarrhea, indigestion or gastroenteritis . “Cats are usually smaller in size than dogs and, although they eat an amount that may seem small to a person, like three prawns, for a feline this portion is equivalent to a binge of food”.
1. Dangerous foods for the cat: smoked salmon, pate and cheese
Smoked salmon, pate, and aged cheese are high-fat foods that disrupt the cat’s digestive cycle and put a strain on her stomach.
“The consequences of the ingestion of these foods in large quantities by the feline are episodes of gastroenteritis, with vomiting , discomfort and diarrhea “.
2. Seafood at Christmas for the cat, a risk
The shrimps and prawns, typical food on Christmas tables are rich in protein. Therefore, ingested in large quantities, they can be indigestible for the cat. In any case, raw food poses a health risk for the feline, because it can contract intestinal parasites.
3. Chocolate, a sweet that can be bitter for the cat
Christmas candy with chocolate is toxic to the cat. The reason is that they contain theobromine, a substance that ingested in large quantities causes an acceleration of the heart rate, diarrhea and vomiting in the feline.
Theobromine in the cat’s body can cause death, because “it is eliminated very slowly and is toxic to the animal, even in small amounts”.
4. Christmas sausages and cats
Sausages have a higher concentration of salt than is recommended for the feline. The consequences for the feline that eats this type of food are hypertension in the animal and circulatory problems. In addition to salt, sausages have a high amount of fat, which can lead to acute pancreatitis in the cat.
5. Raw fish, source of parasites for cats
Raw fish can contain a parasite called anisakis, which is only killed when the food is cooked or frozen. The raw viscera of the fish are also not recommended for the health of the feline, since they have an enzyme that causes vitamin B deficiency in the body.
6. Onion, a dangerous vegetable for the cat
Onion is a dangerous food for the cat, as it causes anemia
One food that is very toxic to cats is onion. The reason is that it contains disulfide, a substance that causes the oxidation of red blood cells and their breakdown, which causes anemia in the kitten. For this reason, at Christmas it is convenient to keep the feline away from any food that contains onion, no matter how small the amount.
7. Coffee and alcohol, incompatible with the health of the cat
Alcohol, for obvious reasons, is not recommended for the cat, since it can be intoxicated, even if the amount it ingests is small. The same occurs with coffee, whose stimulant, caffeine, can cause serious disorders in the nervous system in animals.
In addition, the cat’s liver system lacks the ability to process stimulant and ethyl substances. Therefore, if the feline weighs little, even if it takes a small amount of this type of substances, it can have serious consequences for its health.
Other dangers for the cat at Christmas
Christmas plants pose a poisoning risk for the cat. Cats are curious and like to nibble on plants. However, the natural plant ornaments of the houses are mostly toxic for this animal. Christmas plants are no exception: among them, the poinsettia, fir and holly.
Another precaution to keep in mind at home with cats during Christmas is to keep them away from electrical decorations, such as light bulbs. This type of ornamentation is attractive to the curious feline, who may be encouraged to bite them, with the consequent risk of electrocution.
