As cat lovers, we all want to pamper our feline friends, but we also want them to be happy and healthy. While your cat may show interest in your human food, not everything on your plate is healthy for her, and you may want to think twice about sharing it.
We know that cats are primarily meat eaters, but what about the fattier meats we enjoy, like sausage? Is it safe to give your cat sausage? While technically the answer is yes, you'll have to jump through a lot of hoops to find the right sausage. Read on to learn more about what types of sausage you can offer your cat.
Is sausage too fatty for cats?
It's no secret that sausage is not that healthy for us, and one of the main reasons is the abundance of trans fats contained in most sausages. Dr. Jennifer Coates of PetMD says that saturated fats and trans fats are actually good for our cats. However, Dr. Coates also states that these fats are only good for cats in moderation.
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Sausage may be tasty, but it is not a good example of a food that contains moderate amounts of what we commonly call “unhealthy fats.” Although cats can safely consume some trans and saturated fats in their diet, an abundance of sausage is not a good source for your cat.
Vegetables and fruits
A small amount of vegetables helps saturate the body with fibers that stimulate the evacuation function of the intestines, vitamins and elements. But they can also pose a danger to the cat’s health.
Potatoes, corn and bananas - the starch from these foods is not processed in the cat's body. It reduces intestinal motility, causing constipation and serves as a substrate for bacterial growth. These products cause fermentation in the intestines and the formation of large amounts of gas. The same effect is obtained when legumes are introduced into the diet - peas, soybeans, beans.
Other plants are also dangerous:
| Types of plant foods | Consequences of use |
| Fruits | Increased gas formation, obesity |
| Citruses, pineapple, kiwi | Vomiting, diarrhea |
| Grape | Severe poisoning |
| Persimmon | Enteritis |
| Rhubarb | Renal dysfunction, diarrhea |
| Nuts, spinach | Urolithiasis disease |
| Soybeans, alfalfa | Hormonal imbalance |
| Garlic, onion | Anemia |
| Nightshades (tomatoes, eggplants) | Poisoning. |
You should not exceed the amount of even healthy vegetables in your diet. They are mixed with meat and fish, since cats only rarely eat them with pleasure.
Is sausage too salty for cats?
Sausage tastes good because it's fatty and salty, so now that we know that fats aren't necessarily good for our cats, what about the salt content?
High salt content in food can be a problem for cats, but it's actually less of a problem than you might think. One of the major pet food suppliers, Yams, notes in this article that while high amounts of sodium are not necessarily good for your cat, excess salt is usually deposited in cat urine. They also note that it's healthy enough that veterinarians will likely only suggest limiting salt intake if your cat has a health problem.
Sausage contains a high concentration of salt, and while this may not be terribly harmful to your cat, it is best to reduce your salt intake to prevent problems.
Dangerous influence
Additives included in store-bought meat products can cause allergies in cats and disrupt the process of mechanical and chemical processing of food in the gastrointestinal tract. Scientists have noticed that animals get used to sausages and demand them regularly, and this is dangerous due to various chronic pathologies and refusal of other food. Store-bought sausages have absolutely no nutritional value, they are nothing more than just a concentrate of substances unnecessary for the body, and plus, some varieties are quite salty, which is especially undesirable for purrs, since salt puts a huge burden on the kidneys. Therefore, it is strongly not recommended to feed them to pregnant cats, small kittens and lactating females.
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What about low fat sausage?
So if fat seems to be the problem, are pork sausages safe for cats? Turkey and chicken sausage tend to be lower in fat, which is something we try to avoid and limit with our cats. Therefore, sausage made with less fatty meat is generally healthier for your cat.
However, another health concern when feeding cats any type of sausage is the presence of sulfites, nitrates and other preservatives. Experts say these preservatives (which are especially abundant in sausages and deli meats) can be harmful and even fatal if ingested in large quantities by cats and other pets.
The combination of fats, sulfites and nitrates makes most sausages unhealthy and unsuitable for cats.
Composition of the product
If we are talking about homemade sausages prepared with your own hands, then the composition of such a product is as follows:
This sausage product consists of natural healthy ingredients and excludes any additives that are undesirable for the cat’s body, which cannot be said about sausages from the store. Their recipe contains a whole list of chemical elements, due to which the product acquires a pink color, homogeneous consistency, pleasant taste and has a long shelf life. The following components are included in the sausages:
- nitrous acid salts;
- phosphates;
- saltpeter;
- protein-fat emulsions;
- stabilizers;
- carrageenan.
Based on the composition of the product, you can determine whether to give it to your pet, but in most cases, sausages are harmful to health.
Looking at the recipe of the sausages, it is clear that, apart from harm to the health of cats, they cannot cause anything else. In accordance with the technical specifications (TU) and the state standard, there was about 10% real meat in the sausages, another 1/3 was skin, fat and meat residues. The rest is additives in the form of stabilizers and emulsions. Often, when eating a sausage product, you come across tendons, blood, cartilage and bones; of course, the manufacturer does not indicate them in the description of the composition. Emulsions contain soy protein, which should not be mixed with meat, as well as vegetable oil, water and a casein protein ingredient. Includes sausage flour, a mixture of polysaccharides amylose and amylopectin, and various cereals. Therefore, such a sausage product can hardly be called a meat product.
Can cats have sausages?
Since the main health concern when feeding your cat sausage is the high amount of fat and abundance of preservatives, the only acceptable sausage is one made without any preservatives and, ideally, low in fat. There are many options for sausage made without preservatives, and choosing a base meat with less fat than pork is a good idea. However, you will want to feed your cat this low-fat, preservative-free sausage in small quantities to avoid any problems. You should also avoid giving your cat spicy sausage, as the spices in the meat can cause stomach problems or discomfort, regardless of what kind of meat the sausage is made from.
If your cat likes the smell or taste of sausage, there are many sausage-flavored cat foods and treats available, and they are made especially for felines! So while some sausages may be safe for your cat, it's best to leave the diet to the professionals and choose a sausage-based or sausage-flavored cat food.
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What can you give your cat from normal food? (Except for food) The kitten is 3-4 months old. Can I have some sausages?
It is impossible to call sausages a normal food in our time. It is more like a chemical bomb, in which there is only 5% meat, everything else is starch, soy, thickeners, flavors, moisture retainers and other nasty things. It would be normal to give the kitten the following diet:
- 70% meat (beef, chicken, turkey, rabbit - to choose from); - 15% porridge from rice and buckwheat well boiled in water - 15% stewed vegetables (except potatoes and white cabbage); - a little fat, preferably vegetable oil; - three to four times a week, give cottage cheese and other low-fat fermented milk products as separate feedings; — vitamin and mineral supplements for kittens with taurine are required.
How can I feed my cat sausage?
As we've already discussed, too many treats can be detrimental to your kitty's health, so if you do choose a sausage that is low in fat and salt and made without preservatives, consider offering your cat a piece here and there as a special treats rather than as the main part of the meal. Make sure any piece you share with your cat is small enough that she won't choke or have difficulty chewing.
You should also remember that raw sausage can contain harmful bacteria such as salmonella, so always cook any pieces of sausage you offer your cat. A good rule of thumb when feeding your cat sausage is: if you don't eat it, your cat won't either.
Finally, sausage is made from meat stuffed inside a casing, and even when cooked, the casing can be fibrous and difficult to chew. Before giving your cat sausage, make sure it is a piece from the inside of the link and does not contain the casing. This will also help prevent your cat from choking.
Number of feedings for the kitten
How many times a day should a kitten be fed at 1, 2, 3 months? Answer: often, but little by little, giving relief to the stomach. The age of the pet plays an important role. The breaks between meals in older animals increase. How often should you feed your kitten?
Here's an example diagram:
- 4 - 8 weeks: 6 - 8 times a day.
- 2 months: 5 times a day.
- 3 months: 4 times.
- 4 - 5 months to a year: 3 times. Night feedings are cancelled.
- 13 - 15 months: 2 times.
Some owners, when asked “how much to feed a kitten,” make the mistake of reducing the number of meals. The reason is being busy at work. There should be no reductions; stick to the proposed scheme. Having trouble with frequent feedings? Use the “free method”: leave a little kefir or soft food so that your pet can satisfy his hunger.
What's the final verdict?
Sausage in small quantities is fine for your cat as long as it is made without preservatives. Also, be sure to choose lean, low-sodium sausages made from chicken or turkey rather than pork. Fat is good for cats, but its high concentration in sausage can be problematic, so moderation is key. Additionally, you should only offer your cat small pieces of fully cooked sausage without the casing, and it should be consumed in moderation as a treat, not as food.
Posted by Christian Adams An American expat living in Metro Manila, Philippines for over a decade, Christian is a lifelong cat lover and the proud father of two rescue cats, Trixie and Chloe. Both girls used to be among the crowds of homeless people who roam the cities and countryside. Three-year-old Trixie was rescued from a litter found under a neighbor's porch, and two-year-old Chloe was brought home by Christian's young son, Henry, who discovered the crying kitten in the parking lot.
Xylitol, sugar
Cats do not have a sweet tooth by nature: they have few receptors on their tongues that distinguish sweet taste. And they simply cannot digest fast carbohydrates, much less sweeteners.
A cat may eat chewing gum or candy out of curiosity.
Sweet foods lead to diabetes. Xylitol is even more insidious: it causes the release of insulin, and blood glucose levels drop sharply. This leads to seizures and coma.
Caries is nonsense, cats are not afraid of it. But digesting sugar is not an easy task.
Cake? No, I didn’t see it!
Echo
Kitten Woof and puppy played echo. They shouted words into the drainpipe, and the ends of the words popped back out of the drainpipe. - Curdled milk! - the kitten shouted, and out of the pipe flew out: “Yours...” “Do you hear,” the kitten was delighted, “ours.” Now you shout something. - Sausage! - the puppy shouted, and out of the pipe flew: “Wasp.” “The wasp,” said Woof, “can bite.” “Don’t worry,” the puppy reassured him, “it’s just an echo.” Now let's shout "cutlet." “It’s not worth it,” said the kitten, “this word is ugly.” There is no “errr” in it. - Well then, entrecote. - And what is it? - This is such meat. “It’s good,” the kitten agreed and shouted with all his might into the pipe: “Entrecote!!!” Then there was a noise and a rumble in the chimney, and the neighbor’s cat flew out. He was sitting on the roof at the very top of the chimney, eavesdropping, and accidentally fell into the chimney. The puppy and kitten rushed to run away and only came to their senses in the attic. When Gav caught his breath, he said: “Nothing surprising.” I shouted: “An-tre-cat!”, and the cat flew out of the chimney.
Well hidden cutlet
The puppy brought a cutlet to the attic, put it in a corner and said to the kitten: “Please make sure that no one steals my cutlet.” I'll play in the yard a little, and then I'll come and eat it. “Okay,” said the kitten, and the puppy ran away. The puppy was playing in the yard and suddenly saw the kitten Woof coming out of the entrance. “Woof,” the puppy got excited, “why did you leave my cutlet unattended?” - I hid it! - Gav answered. - What if someone finds her? - Don't worry! - Woof said confidently. - I hid it very well. I ate it.
