You love your cat, and she’s an important part of the family, so it’s only natural to want to share the foods you love with her. While there are plenty of human foods that cats can eat, use these foods as treats and not a complete diet, to keep her healthy.
Baby Food
Your cat can eat most kinds of baby food, as long as it doesn’t contain anything that is toxic, but her favorite will probably be the meats. Cats enjoy plain meat, meat mixed with vegetables and the toddler meat sticks that look like tiny hot dogs. Baby foods are especially helpful if your cat is sick, since you may be able to entice her with some of these goodies when she won’t touch anything else. Check the label and make sure there’s no onion powder or minced onions in the food, since those can harm your cat.
Meat
It’s safe for your kitty to eat all kinds of lean meats, including chicken, boneless fish, liver and beef. While some folks advocate feeding your cat raw or partially cooked meat, the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals advises that you always cook any meat or meat products. It’s also a good idea to cut up meat into small pieces, so your cat is less likely to choke on it.
Produce
Cats can hang out in the garden with you, or share the goodies you bring home from the farmer’s market every week. While not all cats will eat plain veggies, some will, and most will eat them when you mix the veggies in with other foods, especially meat. Try feeding her green beans, cucumbers, zucchini and carrots. Your cat may also enjoy bananas, apples and baked potatoes.
Other Yummies
Small amounts of cooked pasta, bread and unsalted pretzels can be added to your cat's diet if she will eat them. Some cats will eat these foods plain, but others like to have them mixed with meat or meat juice, to give them more flavor. Bland foods such as these can add some bulk to your cat’s other people-food treats, but don’t give her so much that she isn’t getting a balanced diet.
Toxic Foods
Some foods should never be given to a cat, no matter how good they might taste to you. At the least they will make your cat sick, and certain foods can even kill her. Among these are chocolate, alcohol, avocados, onions and raisins. If you bake, don’t share the dough with your cat, because the yeast can actually rupture her intestines. Avoid giving her anything you aren’t sure about, and if she does eat something she shouldn’t, call the vet immediately.