Although cats are primarily carnivores-i.e. meat-eaters, a healthy portion of vegetables in their diet is an excellent source of vitamins and fiber, which are harder to find in meat. Learn what vegetables can cats eat to boost their health and what you need to avoid feeding them. Before diving into the list, it is necessary to understand a cat’s body. Be careful not to put your cat on an all-vegetable diet, as it deprives it of the essential nutrients. A diet with more than recommended veggies will do them more harm than good. Let’s get into the list of what do cats like to eat, and things to avoid while feeding kittens.
What Vegetables Can Cats Eat?
Cats require veggies in their diet to make up for nutrients lacking in their regular meat-based meals. Learn how they affect your pet’s overall well-being here. You may wonder that can cats eat vegetables? A big yes, Cas love to have veggies in their diet but you must mix it with thier favorite foods. Let’s know what vegetables are good for cats and what to avoid.
Can Cats Eat Broccoli?
Yes, Broccoli are powerhouses when it comes to antioxidant properties. Not only are they tasty, but are also extremely safe for your companion to eat. Broccolis can be used as a key weapon in your arsenal to fight any digestive issues your cat might have, as they ease bowel movement and make their digestive systems healthy.
How to serve Broccli to Cats?
- Boil the broccoli a little, and make sure to let it cool before feeding it to your cat.
- Make sure you don’t season them with salt, pepper, and so on. Do not feed it raw as well, as it would be harder to digest.
Can Cats Eat Peas?
Peas contain good levels of fiber, protein, vitamins and potassium. It is also high in vitamins B1, K, C, and iron. Being low-calorie treats, peas are an excellent option to feed your cat if battling obesity issues.
Tips to Feed Peas to Cats
- Ensure that you use only fresh or frozen peas. Canned peas usually contain high levels of sodium, which are unhealthy for cats.
- Avoid feeding your cat peas in a pod, as it is a choking hazard. Make sure you shell out the peas from the pod before feeding them the snack. You can feed them these as an individual snack or add them to their regular meals.
Can Cats Eat Cabbage?
Cabbages are nutritious treats for cats, aiding digestion, improving coat health, and fighting cancer. Note that cabbages should only be fed in moderation, as larger cabbage might cause thyroid issues.
How to Serve
- Slice the cabbage into shreds and boil/cook it, as it provides a soft texture that helps your cat chew and digest these easily.
- Do not use any spices or oils when cooking the cabbage.
Can Cats Eat Cauliflower?
Cauliflowers are high in vitamins and antioxidants, which help reduce inflammation and joint pain, especially in older cats or cats dealing with arthritis. It helps the digestive system due to its rich fiber content as well. Make sure that cauliflowers should only be fed in moderation as overconsumption leads to digestive issues.
How to Serve Cauliflower to kittens?
- You can steam /cook the cauliflower and dice it into tiny pieces before feeding it.
- Make sure you trim the stem and the cauliflower leaves before feeding it to your cat.
- Add the diced pieces into one of your cat’s meals if it’s picky with the veggie.
Can Cats Eat Green Beans?
These green peas are protein-rich and pack high amounts of fiber, aiding digestion. Use it as a healthy snack for cats to lose weight due to their low-calorie, high protein combination. Again, as it applies to any food item in general, this should be fed only in moderation.
How to Feed Green Beans to cat?
- Feed your feline companion only fresh or frozen beans. Avoid using canned beans, as it is usually high in sodium.
- Soften the beans by steaming or boiling. If your cat is picky about eating as a whole, chop it up into tiny pieces and add to one of their meals.
Why Cat Should Eat Vegetables?
Felines require a healthy dosage of vegetables to make up for certain vitamins that are lacking in their usual meat-based diet. Many vegetables consist of antioxidants, potassium, magnesium and so on to boost your pet’s immunity. It also contains good amounts of fiber which keeps their digestive system healthy and eases bowel movement. Certain vegetables help cats on the verge of obesity lose weight effectively when incorporated into their diet.
What Vegetables Can Cats Not Eat?
These vegetables are very harmful to your pet, as it causes potentially life-threatening gastrointestinal problems and can damage your cat’s red blood cells, causing anemia. Avoid feeding your feline these foods in any form. Another important thing to be noted is that any vegetable, for this matter, can be dangerous if consumed in large and unhealthy amounts, regardless of its mentioned health benefits. Here is the list of foods can cats not eat.
- Onions
- Garlic
- Wild Mushrooms
- Chives
- Shallots
- Leeks
- Scallions
- Tomatoes
- Avocados
How to add vegetables to your cat’s diet?
Here are a few tips on how you can smartly incorporate vegetables to your feline’s diet: We know that cats can be picky eaters, so inserting vegetables into their diet needs to be done smartly and also a bit sneakily. Here are a few tips on adding vegetables to your pet’s diet.
- Prepare the veggies in a manner that your pet would like- cats generally like soft and mushy food, as it enables it to chew and digest better.
- Steam, boil or cook the veggies; your cat may not like the taste or texture of raw veggies.
- Chop the veggies into tiny pieces and add them into their meals, as fussy eaters would stray away from vegetables when presented to them as an individual snack.
- Figure out which veggies your cat likes, and incorporate it into meals accordingly
- Watch out for any adverse reactions from your pet 24-48 hours after feeding your pet new vegetables, and plan the meals accordingly.
- Measure the number of vegetables you feed your cat; it should only be an addition to their meals and not a meal in itself.
- Consult your vet before feeding any new vegetables if your cat has existing health issues, as fresh veggies might aggravate their problems
- Ensure the significant portion of their diet comes from nutritional meat-oriented foods.
Be careful not to season the vegetables with salt, pepper, spices, etc.
Conclusion
Though vegetables can’t provide all the nutrition that cats require, it holds additional benefits that meat might be lacking. It is necessary to understand that vegetables are only addition and not a whole meal. Knowing when to and when not to incorporate vegetables into your pet’s diet can be a game-changer for their overall health. After all, our pets deserve only the best! Equipped with the aforementioned points, you can create the perfect diet for your furry companions. So this is all about what veggies can cats eat and what to avoid, make sure to check the list before feeding.