Considering cats eat pretty nasty things in the wild, and this includes mice and rats both of which carry quite a few diseases, you would think their digestive systems would be able to handle all sorts of foods. The truth is that cats have much more sensitive and delicate metabolic systems than a lot of other animals, and this means you have watch what they eat or they could get very ill.Cats might look at you with loving eyes as you devour the food on your plate, and you might be tempted to give in to them. You may offer them a little bit of what you are eating just to keep them happy. However, this could be the worst thing you could do.Even though cats can be very fussy eaters, they will turn their noses up at certain foods that might smell a little 'off', the fact remains they do not know what is good for them – that's up to you to find out about. You have to make sure your cat never gets hold of anything that's harmful to their health.

Foods That Are Extremely Dangerous For Cats

Chocolate and cats do not go together – ever. People love chocolate, it's something we all have in our homes whether it's a bar of chocolate or biscuits as well as many other products that contain cocoa.Chocolate contains a substance called 'Theobromine' which is extremely poisonous to animals including cats. This substance prevents blood flow to the brain – it can cause a cat to have a heart attack as well as many other life-threatening issues.Darker chocolate contains more 'Theobromine' than lighter chocolate, so the rule of thumb is that the darker the chocolate happens to be, the more dangerous it is to cats and other animals. If a cat eats any chocolate, you need to take them along to see your vet as soon as possible so the correct treatment is administered to them.As a general rule, cats are not that fond of chocolate but will try it when they are encouraged to do so. This is particularly true if younger members of your family offer them some. The festive season and other times of the year like Easter, are the sort of occasions when you need to make sure your cat does not get offered any chocolate by mistake.

Small Bones Can Prove to be Deadly

You should avoid giving a cat any small bones because they might splinter and this can cause serious damage to your cat. Poultry bones are the worst – they can get caught in a cat's mouth, throat or even further down in their digestive systems causing lacerations that can prove to be fatal.If you think your cat might have a splintered bone stuck in their throat and they are chocking, there are certain signs to look out for:

• Your cat might start gasping for air
• Their gums turn very pale or blue
• They start drooling
• They have very laboured and loud breathing
• They start pawing at their faces
• The lose consciousness

If you notice any or a few of these systems, you have to check if there is an obstruction either in their mouths or throats, which is not that easy to do if your cat is panicking. If you think you are capable then you need to do this as soon as you can. If you are unable to do it, you need to rush your cat to the vets immediately.Cats often get into bins to help themselves to any food they find in there. The best way to prevent them from doing this is to make sure your bins have good lids on them that cats can't get off. This will stop them from helping themselves to any left-overs with bones in them.

Avoid Giving Your Cat Any Dog Food

You might also have a dog in your household and you could be tempted to offer your cat a little bit of their food, which is a mistake. Dog food may have similar ingredients as cat food, however they are formulated very differently. Cat food is specifically made up for cats, and it meets all their nutritional needs.Higher concentrations of protein and B vitamins, niacin, fatty acids and vitamin A are included in cat food than in dog food. Also included in the formula for cats is a substance called taurine, which is an essential amino acid that cats need because they are unable to produce this naturally.

Are Eggs Bad For Cats?

Cooked eggs contain a lot of protein and make a great occasional treat for cats. However, raw eggs are very bad for cats to eat because they contain something called avidin. This can cause a decrease in the B vitamins (biotin) that a cat needs to stay healthy. Signs of biotin deficiency in cats are as follows:

• Dermatitis
• Hair loss
• Slow growth

If you notice that your cat suffers from any of these symptoms and you are worried about it, then you need to get your pet to the vet as soon as you can.

Cats Do Like Fish – What About Raw Fish?

Cats need vitamin B to stay healthy, raw fish contains an enzyme called thiaminase which destroys vitamin B1. Feeding raw fish to cats is bad and can cause all sorts of neurological disorders which include:

• Weakness
• Stupor
• Loss of appetite and weight
• Cats become uncoordinated

If a cat suffers from any neurological problem and this goes untreated, the cat may start convulsing and then finally fall into a coma. If you think your cat is suffering from any sort of neurological disorder, you need to get them to the vet as a matter of urgency.

Cats Love Liver – But is is Good For Them?

In small amounts there is nothing harmful in feeding liver to your cat. However, if you feed too much liver to a cat it can cause all sorts of health problems for them. Liver contains lots of vitamin A and if a cat eats too much of this, it can cause what is known as vitamin A toxicity and this can have an adverse affect on their bones.

Raw Or Cooked Onions Are Bad For Cats

Both cooked or raw onions are bad for cats to eat. Onions contain N-propyl disulphide which destroys red blood cells in cats and other animals including dogs. The result is a condition known as Heinz body hemolytic anemia. Only a very small amount of onion can be harmful to your cat, so you must always avoid giving your cat anything that might contain onion.

What About Tuna?

It's perfectly okay to feed small amounts of tuna fish to your cat as a treat – but in large amounts, tuna can cause all sorts of health problems and this includes mercury poisoning. Tuna fish contain lots of methyl mercury – especially canned red tuna.The oil in canned tuna is not very good for cats either. It can lead to an illness known as steatitis. The reason is because oil in canned tuna hasn't got the right ratio of antioxidants to polyunsaturated fats.

What About Milk – Is this Bad for Cats?

Although many people are tempted to offer their cat a bowl of regular milk, this is a mistake because many cats have a lactose intolerance which means they are unable to produce the enzyme called lactase.If your cat likes to drink a small amount of regular milk, you may have noticed they often suffer from diarrhea afterwards. This is caused by the fact they are lactose-intolerant. It is best to avoid offering them any regular milk again but instead buy some specifically formulated cat milk which they will enjoy just as much without the nasty side effects.