Can Cats eat Eggs? Benefits, quantity and precautions


Can I give the cat eggs? This is a common food in our homes and full of benefits for us but is it so for the cat? Here’s how it works for him.

Eggs are certainly among the foods most present in our diet, since we consume them in different ways both alone (soft -boiled, fried, hard-boiled, etc.), in recipes in which they are one of the basic elements such as Russian salad (a chunks) or carbonara pasta and finally in many doughs and creams.

This is because they are a healthy, tasty food with a ‘binding’ consistency. So, especially if we are used to feeding our cats healthy foods, we will have wondered if they can eat eggs and benefit from this food as we do. Furthermore, it is the cat himself who wants to taste it because he is attracted to its shape. Can we consent without fear?


Can I give the cat eggs?

Eggs have a good protein content while carbohydrates and sugars are present in a negligible amount. They are also rich in potassium, phosphorus and calcium but there are so many other nutrients present such as zinc and practically all known vitamins.

The proteins are mainly contained in the egg white, that is in the white part, while in the yolk we find a fair amount of fat. At one time the egg, indeed its yolk, was demonized as it was believed to lead to an increase in cholesterol which we know to be dangerous because it clogs blood vessels but has recently been reevaluated.

The proteins contained in this food constitute the amino acids that the cat absolutely needs since it does not synthesize them but takes them through food. So the egg is something that the cat should consume, obviously like all foods without overdoing it.

Raw or cooked eggs and how to wash them

Even the egg in cooking tends to lose many nutritional properties so it is good to give cats raw eggs from time to time but obviously these contain, as for us humans, a big risk. We must be sure that the farms, from which we or the supermarket buy them, undergo periodic medical and food checks to avoid the risk of salmonella, which is an extremely harmful bacterium for the cat’s health.

The eggs must be washed carefully to remove any presence of earth or sport only with water given the nature of the egg shell which could cause the detergent to pass through the food. The ideal is to wash the surface of the egg only when it is about to be consumed because given its porous surface we could make it pass by washing it, especially if we rub it for a long time, any bacteria from the shell inside the food contaminating it.

If we cannot buy controlled eggs or we are not entirely sure that they have been, it is best to cook the eggs and serve them to our cats. In fact, once cooked we are sure that most of the bacteria that could possibly be present have been eliminated.

The egg contains avidin which is distorted with cooking. Avidin is a protein that prevents you from absorbing another one, biotin or vitamin H, so giving your cat an excessive amount of raw eggs can cause her organism to not assimilate biotin. Therefore advise you to give the cat raw eggs only occasionally while there is no danger for him if he consumes cooked eggs.

The egg should be included in the cat’s diet one or two days a week even if each cat should have a different diet determined by its age, its possible diseases and its size. The advice is always to ask the vet what are the ideal foods for your cat.

Remember, however, that he needs meat in his diet above all for the presence of vitamin B12, also called cobalamin, which is necessary for the functionality of the stomach and intestines, as well as having a role in the production of red blood cells and is important for the nervous system. It is also present in algae and supplements, so if you are considering getting your cat a vegetarian, talk to your vet.


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