The cat is very greedy for ham but is this food recommended in their diet or is it absolutely to be avoided? Here are the risks and benefits.
Cats love to eat and the tastier the foods, the more tempting they are. On the other hand, how can you resist a nice fragrant and tasty slice of ham? But a tasty food is not always synonymous with health and well-being. So it is good to ask ourselves if and how much ham to give to our beloved four-legged friend. Furthermore, it is necessary to inquire about the risks of a cat that abuses meat and cured meats and perhaps make a list of all the absolutely forbidden foods in its diet. So here is the article that’s right for you!
The cat’s diet: what to feed it
The cat is carnivorous and consequently loves meat, so ham is certainly one of its favorite foods. From the earliest times, the favorite meal of cats consisted of other animals, or those that were more easily able to hunt: mice, birds, snakes, frogs, grasshoppers etc. Once the cat has become a pet, its diet has become more varied and complete: it has in fact started to eat everything. His body shape also adapted to this huge change as a result and his intestines stretched. Although in fact it is omnivorous, there is always a marked preference towards meat.
But is always giving him meat good? Absolutely no! A diet exclusively of meat would be harmful to his health also because the house cat, being sedentary and not very dynamic, hardly disposes of the toxins of the meat in the digestive process. The consequences on his health could be devastating and he could easily suffer from gastritis, arthritis, eczema and other more or less serious diseases.
On the other hand, even a vegetarian-only diet would not be suitable to fully satisfy his dietary needs. It would lack some essential substances for its growth and psycho-physical well-being. It would deprive your body of proteins and of two fundamental components such as taurine and amino acids. So it is good to vary with the diet and feed the cat a bit of everything. And what about the ham?
The cat and the ham: benefits or risks?
As in all things it is essential not to overdo it and not to be too generous in portions. In fact, given the distinctly carnivorous nature of the cat, we must consider that a ‘limited’ quantity of ham will in no way harm it: just know how to moderate! Certainly its tasty flavor and the scent of the ham will tempt your palate, however there are some dangerous elements that should not be underestimated. So talking about benefits seems excessive, there is rather a ‘tolerance’ about it.
Of course, as with the choice of other foods, it is essential that the ham is of excellent quality, to prevent poor brands from compromising its digestive process. In fact, it is the salt that makes ham so tasty , but also the preservatives and a high sodium content: all elements that are certainly not good for our cat. Continuous and excessive use of ham could in the long run lead to pressure and heart problems, such as hypernatremia.
The foods to be avoided in the cat’s diet
Although the cat is omnivorous, it is important to have a clear list of foods that absolutely must not be given to our cat. Ham is not one of these but certainly we will need to adjust with the portions, perhaps giving a piece or a slice as a positive reinforcement. In short, it is enough that it does not become a habit! Among the foods that are absolutely to be avoided in the feline diet are:
- sweets
- dairy products
- fish bones
- meat fat.
As you can imagine, the high quantity of sugars present in sweets, including chocolate, can create intestinal and diuretic problems (in particular chocolate contains theobromine). Excessive use of these sugary foods results in a noticeable increase in heart rate and risks causing dehydration in the cat. The effects of this abuse will be clearly visible: vomiting, diarrhea, flatulence, convulsions, not to mention the more serious situations that lead to death.
The lactose contained in dairy products is not an easy protein for a cat to digest, as it lacks the enzyme for this process, lactase. The use of dairy products leads to frequent episodes of diarrhea and dysentery. In short, if we have in mind the image of the kitten drinking milk, the same is not true for other dairy and dairy products.
There are also problems with catfish: it is preferable to always feed it cooked and discard bones and bones. This is because the sharper and more pointed parts of the inside of the fish risk causing internal injuries.
Finally, the fat contained in meats, including ham, can cause pancreatitis in cats. Cooked ham in particular is generally the favorite of our feline friends but, as it contains large amounts of protein, it tends to damage the kidneys.
