There are some Christmas foods that can be very dangerous for the cat: here are the foods to avoid during the holidays for the health of the cat.
With the approach of the Christmas holidays the house is filled with many tasty and fragrant foods that are certainly coveted by our feline friend: it is a pity that not all traditional Christmas foods are suitable for the cat’s diet, indeed they can prove to be particularly dangerous for the cat health.
In this article we will try to understand which foods to keep the cat away from absolutely during the days dedicated to the Christmas and New Year holidays.
10 dangerous Christmas foods for cats: list and risks
While many cats have a reputation for being particularly picky when it comes to food, there are some very greedy domestic felines that beg for a taste from their owners’ hands whenever they can.
Sharing our food with the cat, however, is not always a good idea, on the contrary: it is usually a bad habit, especially when Christmas and New Year holidays are approaching and the house is filled with heavy and elaborate foods that risk being definitely dangerous for the cat’s health.
In particular, you must pay close attention to some typical foods of the Christmas tradition that can be toxic or otherwise indigestible for the cat:
1. Grapes
Both fresh grapes and sultanas are dangerous for cats because they cause kidney failure, which is a very common disease for felines: the symptoms to watch out for are above all diarrhea and lack of appetite, which appear within 24 hours from taking this fruit.
2. Chocolate
Exactly as it happens for dogs that eat chocolate, substances such as theobromine and theophylline contained in this greedy food can cause serious problems for the cat: the overstimulation of the nervous system and heart can lead to symptoms such as vomiting, convulsions, heart attack and sudden death of the cat.
3. Raw fish
During the Christmas and New Year holidays it is likely that at the table there are foods based on raw fish that are dangerous for the cat: it risks destroying the vitamin B essential for the well-being of the cat, as well as serious ailments such as seizures and how.
4. Milk and cheese
Contrary to what they teach us as children, milk is dangerous for cats: the latter are unable to digest lactose, the sugar contained in cow’s milk and its derivatives, and risk running into digestive problems of various kinds.
5. Raw or cooked bones
At Christmas, many meat dishes of various kinds are eaten and one might think of offering the cat a bone to flesh out: in reality, bones are dangerous as they are too hard for cats’ teeth. Also, if fragments come off due to cooking, the cat risks perforation of internal organs or suffocation.
6. Lard
Usually present on our Christmas tables, lard is a food that is very bad for the cat because it is too rich in fat. A diet high in fatty foods can lead to obesity problems or cause dangerous diseases, such as cat pancreatitis.
7. Sauces and sauces
The condiments of traditional holiday dishes can be a real poison for our cats: they often contain ingredients such as garlic and onion that the cat cannot eat at all, under penalty of dangerous blood imbalances.
8. Pandoro and panettone
These Christmas sweets are not only dangerous for dogs: cats should never eat pandoro or panettone, both for the high sugar content and for the presence of ingredients such as raisins, candied fruit or chocolate which are highly toxic and can damage the kidneys.
9. Peanuts
Peanuts are part of the dried fruit that is typically the protagonist of the holiday table: exactly as it happens for humans, it is a food with a high risk of allergic reactions that are dangerous for the health of the cat.
10. Alcoholic beverages
You should never, ever give the cat alcoholic beverages in any way: it is a real poison for animals, harmful and potentially lethal, with very dangerous effects. The cat recalls alcohol intoxication which in the worst cases can cause the death of the animal.
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