Bacon is our favorite treat. Smoked bacon sandwich, sliced bacon, cracklings. It all sounds delicious! And it smells, by the way, so amazing that it cannot be hidden from our furry friends.
Felines love to steal human food from the table, but can they eat everything? Can cats eat bacon? Can I treat my cat with a piece of bacon? Would such a treat be beneficial? Let’s know here can cats eat bacon?
Can Cats Eat Bacon?
If you are also wondering if the cat can eat bacon, the answer is yes. A small bite (and only as a treat) doesn’t hurt!
Cats by nature, as we know, are obligate predators, therefore meat in all forms and manifestations is an integral part of their main diet. Moreover, according to experts, cats experience real food delight by eating tasty bacon or bacon.
This food is not harmful to the feline, but paying attention to the quantities would be advisable.
In fact, being a food rich in salt and fat, it is necessary to occasionally give the cat only a small piece of cooked bacon and not make this food a daily meal or a supplement to the cat’s daily diet.
This is because frequent consumption of bacon by the cat could cause various health problems for our four-legged friend.
How Much Bacon A Day Is Safe For Cats?
Do you want to spoil your family pet occasionally? Offer him a small piece of bacon like a small bite-size pencil eraser. As for the fat, not everything is so simple here.
Many people cook it with pepper, other spices, and often add garlic. And these foods are toxic to cats! When giving lard to your pet, make sure it is free of any additives or spices.
Cooked Or Raw Bacon – Which Can Cats Eat?
Raw bacon is recommended; in its freshly prepared, natural form, it is even healthy. But we immediately warn about the possible risks. When giving raw bacon to your pet, you must be completely sure of the quality of the meat.
A cat can eat cooked and raw bacon, the latter under the advice of the specialist, as a “reward” and not as daily food or as a supplement to the cat’s daily diet.
Before feeding your cat any type of raw meat, always check with your veterinarian. Raw bacon can be good for your cat if the meat is really raw and uncured.
The meat must also be fresh. Be sure to take the necessary precautions when feeding raw meat, such as making sure your knife, cutting board, and your cat’s bowl are clean.
What Are The Possible Health Issue Cats Can Face Eating Lots Of Bacon?
Like humans, the biggest concern about bacon for cats is the extremely high amount of salt. A small slice of cooked bacon contains approximately 137.4 milligrams of sodium, which is almost ten times the recommended daily intake of sodium for cats!
Healthy branded cat foods provide all the sodium content a cat needs and the extra sodium is never needed in a cat’s diet. The extra sodium, in fact, can be a huge detriment.
We agree with you – bacon, although very tasty, is strictly suitable as a delicacy. As a rule, there is a lot of salt in this gourmet meal. Plus, one small piece of bacon from a supermarket bag contains about 137 mg of sodium.
This is, for a minute, more than the daily norm established for cats by 10 times! Excess sodium in the body will cause significant harm to the health of the animal.
- As previously stated, bacon contains large amounts of fat, leading to obesity, digestive problems, and other health problems.
- In addition, bacon also contains a lot of salt. The latter can be really harmful to the cat, in fact, it can cause the following health problems:
- About raw bacon finally, it is advisable to consult the vet.
- It’s also good to know that raw bacon, as well as raw meat, can contain trichinella, a parasite that can cause trichinosis in your cat.
- You may also be interested in: The cat and the pig: it can be included in the diet but beware of the risks
- If your furry friend ate a piece of bacon that contains this parasite, he could have:
High blood pressure, overweight, dehydration, blockage of blood vessels. And let’s not forget how much salt these foods contain.
Moving on, bacon is typically made from the side and back of a pork carcass. Simply put – it contains a lot of fat! This fat, which we love to savor in our mouths, is very bad for cats in and of itself.
We can say the same words about turkey bacon – such a product recently appeared on the shelves of our stores. Delicious, but … not useful.
Continuous consumption of fatty bacon will lead to digestive problems, obesity, and related ailments. Too much salt can lead to:
- High blood pressure
- Clogged blood vessels
- Dehydration
- Obesity
- Salt poisoning
Along with salt, bacon is extremely fatty. Coming from a pig’s belly (or side and back), the bacon is completely covered in fat and is often prepared without all of the fat being trimmed.
This fat is extremely unfortunate, particularly for a body as little as a feline’s. Indeed, even turkey bacon, which is viewed as a better option in contrast to pork bacon, contains significant degrees of fat and sodium that can be inconvenient to your kitty’s wellbeing.
Too much fat in your cat’s diet can lead to digestive problems, obesity, and other more serious health problems.
Conclusion:
Large amounts of bacon should be avoided due to the high salt and fat content of the meat. Too much salt or fat can lead to clogged arteries, obesity, high blood pressure, and even salt poisoning.
Cats are better off sticking to cat food from the grocery store, but a little bacon here and there should be well. So go ahead, share the love, Be healthy!
FAQ:
Can you feed cats raw bacon?
A cat can eat cooked and raw bacon, the latter under the advice of the specialist, as a “reward” and not as daily food or as a supplement to the cat’s daily diet.
What kind of meat to feed a cat?
Raw beef is lean meat. It contains the protein and iron that cats need. The structure of the beef is fibrous and soft, suitable for feline teeth. While eating, the veins that come across in the beef clean the pet’s teeth, and, accordingly, have a beneficial effect on their health.
Chicken, turkey, and their by-products can also be given, but individually, paying attention to the reaction from the digestive system and skin. It is undesirable to feed chicken skin to cats.
Meat, both beef, and chicken is always given raw, pre-frozen, it is not necessary to pour boiling water over and heat the meat.
What Foods To Feed Cats?
A balanced diet is the main indicator of a cat’s health. Evaluating feed quality alongside such metrics as body temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate. However, how to feed a cat to keep it healthy is not always clear. After all, a pet may have special needs, be picky about food or react to necessary foods with allergies.
Should I Give The Cat Raw Meat?
Although our pussies are predators, raw meat for a cat or kitten cannot make up a complete diet for a cat. Let’s start with the fact that in “wild” conditions, a cat does not hunt for pieces of beef flesh, a mouse, or a chick, or even a lizard can become its prey, and in terms of nutritional composition, they will differ from a piece of raw meat – including by-products.
What Will Happen If Feeding The Cats With Raw Meat?
Feeding cats raw meat, mainly beef, can lead to a serious condition called secondary foodborne hyperparathyroidism, which is characterized by low blood calcium and impaired bone growth.
This disease develops due to the fact that beef contains a lot of phosphorus and very little calcium, which leads to a calcium deficiency in the animal’s body.
It manifests itself in the following symptoms: lameness, pain, the curvature of bones, pathological fractures, and neurological disorders.
How To Cook Meat For Cat?
Boiled meat is best cooked in its own juice or in very little water and used with broth. This way, more vitamins, and taurine are retained. Boiled meat will be better absorbed by the cat if it is chopped up. You can boil vegetables and cereals in the broth, then the cat eats them more willingly.
What happens when a cat eats bacon?
By ingesting bacon, your feline could wind up with a furious stomach that could bring about heaving and diarrhea. Another reason that your feline doesn’t have to ingest the bacon oil added to his bowl of kibble is that cats don’t need the additional calories. Felines, particularly indoor ones, are extremely inclined to weight.
Is bacon harmful to cats?
No, but continuous consumption of fatty bacon will lead to digestive problems, obesity, and related ailments.
