Last Updated on January 31, 2023 by admin
Food fried in oil is generally not good for your cat. If the fried food is prepared for humans, like fried chicken, it’s even worse for your cat. Also certain cooking oils used for your cat might be bad for them.
Most experts agree that you should never give your cat human foods for any reason and keep their intake to a bare minimum. If your cat snatches a bite from you, be sure to look the food up or know what foods are bad for your cat. As long as the portions are very small most serious problems can be avoided as long as it doesn’t include ingredients that are toxic for your cat.
With that out of the way, let’s take a closer look at fried foods for cats.
Fried Chicken and Cats
If your cat gives you a longing stare every time you eat fried chicken, it’s best to ignore them. If you do feed them a bite, be sure to remove the crust and skin because they contain a high amount of fat and lots of seasoning that isn’t good for cats. Also remember that the sodium content of most fried chicken is way too much for your cat’s small body to handle. Cats do not need any kind of seasoning to enjoy their food.
If you absolutely must feed your cat fried chicken, only feed them a very small portion of the meat only and do not give them bones. Even though they might enjoy gnawing on the bone it can cause dental problems for your cat. Too much oil and fats from the fried chicken might also upset your cat’s stomach. If you want to feed your cat “real” food, it should just be the good stuff cooked plain without burning. If you want to prepare all your cat’s meals be sure to do proper research on nutritional balance to ensure your cat gets everything they need from your meals including a healthy amount of taurine which is essential for your cat’s health.
What Oils Are Safe for Cooking Your Cat’s Meals?
Frying your cat’s food in oil is generally not recommended. Some people add oils to their cat’s food to help with hair balls but this is far from ideal. There are far better options if you consult your veterinarian. The safest oils for cats in very small quantities is olive oil and coconut oil. However, giving them too much oil through their food can cause gastrointestinal issues and diarrhea among other problems. It’s better to just have them get their fats from a balanced diet.
Can Cats Eat French Fries?
French fries served with most fast food offerings are the most unhealthiest option you can eat as a human. It is heavy in salt content and the grease used to fry them are overused compared to homemade or served at proper restaurants. Now for cats, these problems are magnified even more. Cats are primarily carnivores so you should avoid feeding them something that is highly caloric (from the grease and carbohydrates) but low in nutritional value along with too much salt. Even though they might be a bad choice for cats, accidental consumption or small amounts are not going to have a huge detrimental effect on your cat so there’s not much to worry about on that end, unless your cat happens to develop a craving for them.
Cats Eat Different from Humans
It’s natural for us to want to share our tasty treats with our precious fur babies. Also, when people change their diet or discover something that works well for them, it’s natural to wonder if it would benefit your cat. However, cats and humans have very different dietary needs dictated by their biology. It’s also important to be mindful that the latest health trend for humans are most likely not going to benefit your cat. Regarding oils in your cat’s diet, you shouldn’t really add oils unless it is recommended by a veterinarian and always make sure the quantities used are suitable for cats. For meal preparation plain cooking (cooked with heat only) without any charring or searing and served at room temperature or close is far superior.
Just because you see a viral video of a cat eating human food, understand that these are usually random moments captured by accident or created by people would rather sacrifice their pet’s health for the sake of more followers on social media. Always put your pet first.