A pet friendly community and blog
black cat looking at human food

What Human Food Can Cats Eat

Cats are obligate carnivores.

Ever wondered what cat safe human foods are available to give your furry little loved one. They cannot survive on vegetables alone. They don’t produce certain proteins and enzymes in their body, so they need meat to provide them. Your vet can tell you more about it if you ask them. Also, before putting your cat on a raw diet, please consult a professional first.

However, there are a number of human foods that you can feed your furry friends as a snack. Make sure any excess fat is trimmed off, as it can cause health problems if they have too much.

Cat looking at a cookbook

What human food can cats eat

Meats

These meats are generally considered good treats:

  • Chicken
  • Turkey
  • Beef
  • Liver
  • Boiled Eggs
  • Canned Tuna/Salmon

Fruits and Vegetables

Some fruit and vegetables can be good for your cat. Don’t feed them in excess, and make sure you supervise in case of choking.

These fruits and veggies are generally considered good treats:

  • Pumpkin/squash
  • Peas
  • Cucumber
  • Steamed Carrot/broccoli
  • Banana
  • Blueberries

Grains

Some cats won’t eat grains, and too many carbs are bad for your kitty. In moderation, some of these can be good for them (plain, of course!)

  • Cooked corn
  • Couscous
  • Oatmeal

Dairy

Dairy should mostly be avoided, as cats don’t digest lactose very well as they age. If you do give dairy, make sure it’s low lactose or very small amounts.

In small portions:

  • Hard cheese
  • Lactose-free milk

Avoid These!

These are some things your cat shouldn’t be given. Many of them, like grapes, can cause serious problems like kidney failure. Please take care to keep your kittens safe!

Things to avoid:

  • Fat
  • Garlic
  • Onion
  • Coconut
  • Alcohol
  • Coffee/caffeine/chocolate
  • Grapes/raisins
  • Raw meats
  • Bread dough
  • Nuts
  • Bones
  • Milk
  • Chives
  • Candy/gum
  • Xylitol
  • Human supplements
  • Spinach*

*Spinach can cause bladder stones in some cats

If you enjoyed this post on what human food cats can eat. You may enjoy are post on nutritional information and reading pet labels. Milo has recently published a new book if you would like to find out more about our cat contributor.

Written by
Milo Liet Hansen
Join the discussion