Foods harmful to cats

Any food not specifically formulated for cats can affect the digestive system, causing vomiting, diarrhea, or loss of appetite. Here are some foods of particular concern:

• Alcohol. Yes, cats too can get drunk, but it can also easily cause severe liver and brain damage. As little as a tablespoon can put an adult cat in a coma; a little more can kill her.

• Chocolate. The compound in chocolate that is of major concern is theobromine. It is in all forms of chocolate, and most concentrated in dark chocolate and unsweetened baking chocolate. Consumption can cause heart arrhythmias, muscle tremors, or seizures. Chocolate also contains caffeine.

• Coffee, Tea, Energy Drinks. These and other caffeinated drinks and foods can cause your cat to become restless, have rapid breathing, heart palpitations, muscle tremors.

• Dairy Products. Cats can become lactose intolerant when they become adults. If ingested by these cats, dairy products can cause vomiting and diarrhea.

• Fat Trimmings, Raw Meat, Eggs, Fish. Please consult your veterinarian or a veterinary nutritionist first before adding these foods to your cat's diet, as there is a risk vomiting, diarrhea, Salmonella or E. coli associated with these foods for some animals, especially when given improperly.

• Grapes and Raisins. Cats are not likely to eat these, and there are no reports of cats becoming ill from these foods. However, dogs can suffer acute kidney failure from eating grapes or raisins, so it is best to not to risk your cat's health and not let him eat these foods.

• Onions and Garlic. All members of the onion family can cause problems if eaten in sufficient quantity. A little bit of onion or garlic in some sauce is not likely to cause any problems. However, eating a clove of garlic or a green onion may cause digestive upset. Eating some type of onion on a regular basis could cause anemia. Baby food made from meat is often seasoned with onion or garlic, so read the labels carefully if you feed these to your cat.

• Tuna. Tuna when made into cat food is perfectly fine for cats. On the other hand, tuna sold for human consumption may cause digestive upset when given as an occasional treat in small amounts. It can even cause a painful condition called steatitis, or inflammation of the body's fat, when fed to cats on a regular basis.

• Xylitol. This is a sweetener used in a lot of sugar-free foods, especially chewing gum. There are no records of cats becoming ill from this product, but in dogs it can cause a severe drop in blood sugar followed by liver failure. Therefore it is better to be safe and not let your cat eat foods that contain this ingredient