5,104 answers about cats
Cats keep their people guessing — why the 3 a.m. zoomies, what belongs in the bowl, when a vet visit can’t wait. This page gathers the cat library of KinsLe Answers in one place, organized by topic from feeding and litter to behavior, health and senior care. Every answer is original, written by KinsLe, and tied to a real KinsLe feature.
410 answers in Feeding & Nutrition — page 8 of 18
No — potato chips are not a cat snack, even though a single stolen plain chip is unlikely to be an emergency. Chips are fried in oil and loaded with salt, a combination that brings a cat fat and sodium she does not need and can leave her uncomfortably thirsty with an upset stomach. Many flavoured chips are worse,…
Cats should not eat oranges. Most cats detest the smell of citrus and will vote with their feet, but a curious cat who chews orange flesh gets an acidic mouthful that can upset her stomach, and the peel is worse — it concentrates the essential oils that irritate cats and can cause drooling and vomiting. A tiny taste…
A tiny drizzle of olive oil is usually tolerated by cats, and a few drops over food will not harm most healthy adults. It is not the gentle remedy it is sometimes sold as, though: olive oil is pure fat, so more than a little commonly loosens stool and adds calories a small animal does not need. Never pour it freely,…
A small lap of plain, unsweetened oat milk is usually tolerated by cats, and it has one real advantage over cow's milk: no lactose to upset a dairy-sensitive stomach. It still is not a cat drink — it is made for people, offers starch and calories with none of the protein a cat needs, and sweetened or flavoured cartons…
A cat who licks mayonnaise off a plate has not poisoned herself, but mayonnaise is not a food worth offering her on purpose. It is essentially oil and egg whipped into pure fat, with salt and lemon, and cats gain nothing from it while risking loose stool and steady weight gain if licking becomes a habit. Flavoured…
Yes — plain cooked mackerel is a treat most cats relish, bringing oily-fish protein and omega-3 fats in a few flaked bites. Serve it boneless, without salt, sauces, or the oil or brine from a tin, and keep it occasional: mackerel sits higher in mercury than smaller fish, so it should rotate with other foods rather…
Yes — plain cooked liver is a treat most cats love, and in small occasional amounts it is genuinely nutritious, rich in iron, protein, and vitamin A. The catch is that richness: liver fed often or in large portions piles up vitamin A, which over time can harm a cat's bones and joints. Cook it thoroughly with no…
No — do not feed grapes to a cat, and do not leave them where she can bat one off the bunch and bite it. Grapes and raisins are proven to cause sudden kidney failure in dogs, and while cases in cats are less documented, vets advise treating them as unsafe for cats too because there is no established safe amount and…
A plain cracker bite will not poison most cats, but crackers are a pointless snack for an animal built to eat meat. They are mostly starch and salt, with almost no protein, and flavoured versions can carry garlic or onion powder that cats should never eat. If your cat steals a corner of a plain cracker, do not panic —…
Yes — plain, thoroughly cooked crab meat is a safe small treat for most cats, and its strong seafood smell makes it very tempting. Serve only the soft meat, picked completely free of shell, with no butter, garlic, seasoning, or sauce. Never offer raw crab or imitation crab sticks, which carry additives and far more…
A small spoonful of plain cottage cheese is fine for most cats as an occasional treat, because the curds hold far less lactose than a bowl of milk. It is not needed in the diet, though, and cats whose stomachs dislike dairy can still get gas or loose stool from it. Offer a plain, unflavoured spoonful first and skip…
Yes, cats can eat plain cooked fish as an occasional treat — a small portion of boneless, skinless fish, cooked through with no seasoning, oil or sauce. Remove every bone you can find, because cooked bones are brittle and can splinter or lodge in the throat. Fish should not become his main diet: it lacks the full…
Yes, cats can eat broccoli in small amounts — plain florets, lightly steamed or boiled, are not toxic to cats and provide fibre and a satisfying crunch or chew. Most cats are indifferent to vegetables, but some enjoy batting and nibbling a floret, and that is fine as long as it stays a garnish. Skip butter, oil,…
Yes, cats can eat boiled egg — white and yolk together — in small amounts, and many cats love it. A boiled egg is cooked through, so it avoids the vitamin problem of raw white, and the yolk adds useful fats and nutrients. Serve a few chopped pieces of a plain, cooled egg with no salt or seasoning, and treat it as an…
Yes, a cat can eat plain boiled egg white in small amounts — cooked white is a lean source of protein and is safe for most cats. The important word is cooked: raw egg white contains a protein that interferes with absorption of a B vitamin, and cooking removes that problem. Serve it chopped, with no salt, oil or…
Some plain meat-based baby foods are safe for a cat in small amounts, but only if the ingredients list contains no onion or garlic in any form, which many recipes include. A spoonful can tempt a picky or recovering cat to eat, yet baby food is made for human infants and is not nutritionally complete for a cat, so it…
Yes, a cat can eat a small piece of fresh apple flesh as an occasional treat, as long as you remove the core, stem and seeds first and wash the skin well. Apple brings fibre and water but also sugar, and cats gain nothing essential from fruit, so keep pieces pea-sized and infrequent. Some cats will sniff and walk…
A cat can lap a small amount of plain, unsweetened almond milk without it being an emergency, but it offers her nothing she needs and can upset her stomach. Cats are meat-focused animals who cannot use plant drinks as nutrition, and sweetened or flavoured versions add sugars and additives she is better off without. If…
Work from the day's total rather than adding treats on top. Weigh or measure out the full day's food first, then take the training rewards out of that ration — a portion of her normal kibble plus a few pea-sized pieces of something special — and reduce the bowl meals by roughly what the session will use. On a heavy…
Keeping dry food in its original bag, folded down inside an airtight container, protects it twice: the bag's inner lining is made to block the fats that coat each piece from turning rancid, and the container keeps out air, moisture, light, and pests. Pouring food loose into a bin exposes it to oxygen, lets fats smear…
Little and often is how cats are built to eat — a solitary hunter taking many small prey across the day grazes in frequent small meals rather than two large ones, and her small stomach suits that rhythm. You can honor it on a workday by splitting her daily ration into a morning meal, a timed or puzzle feeder release…
Cold food straight from the fridge smells muted and feels unnatural to a cat, whose prey and whose mother's milk were warm, so room-temperature food releases far more aroma and reads as fresh and safe. Refrigeration also firms fats and changes texture, which picky noses notice. Take her portion out ahead of mealtime…
Your cat raids the dog's bowl because it is available, strong-smelling, and novel — not because it suits her. Dog food lacks the higher protein, taurine, and other nutrients cats must get from their diet, and its larger pieces and richer batches can upset her stomach, so regular stealing matters even though an…
Cats eat grass for several overlapping reasons — the texture and fiber, mild stomach discomfort, boredom, or simple enjoyment — and vomiting afterward is common because their stomachs cannot digest the blades well and the tickling action brings them back up. Occasional grass eating with a bright, normal cat afterward…
Can't find your question? Ask it here. We answer reader questions in KinsLe Answers — and we'll email you when yours is published.
KinsLe is launching soon — and the waitlist hears the date first. Join for launch updates and first access when the app opens.
We email you about the launch. Unsubscribe anytime.