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1361799 tn?1277667591

Dairy Products and meat

Is it ok to give a cat ice cream and some meat like bacon and hambuggers? Because I don't know what it will do to my cat.
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506791 tn?1439842983
Pip here...as long as I have owned cats they have liked certain so-called "human food."  So I am definitely not an absolutist on the matter =)

Tuna, of course, loved "people tuna," all-beef bologna, cheddar and saltines.

Queen Victoria would lie in front of the stove when I roasted pork until it was done and she got hers.

Her sister Calamity loved ham.

Dancer loved mashed carrots, made with a bit of butter.

Chesapeake likes a taste of 1/2 & 1/2.

Hildie loves beef, even stole a leftover cooked burger patty off the table..

Kestrel likes sweet corn and most any  cheese.

Teia seems to quite like Cheddar and Gloucester cheeses.

All of my cats have lived between 15 and 21+ years...thus far, and we've never had any feline diabetes show up.  All died of the natural ravages of aging, save Dancer, who succumbed to anaphylaxic shock during a veterinary procedure.

The key, like our own eating, is that these are once in awhile Treats, just like cake and ice cream should be for us.  Also, if I am preparing something that one or more of the kitties like, I will make a small portion without any seasoning.

Queen Victoria once ate a piece of lasagna (sauce, sausage filling, cheese and noodle) while I was distracted by a phone call, and was in obvious intestinal distress for a couple of hours while it passed through her system.  That was when she was only a couple of years old; we both learned from the encounter.
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Avatar universal
NO HUMAN FOOD!!!!
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1180147 tn?1288220924
my cat she loves ice cream
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611067 tn?1458591483
I wouldn't give my cats ice cream and definitely not bacon.  But, I suppose if it was a tiny bit every once in awhile it wouldn't hurt them.  

My cats love yogurt.  I allow them a couple licks of my yogurt from time to time, but the plain yogurt only.  My husband will not allow me to give them even a little bit of scraps from the table.  It does keep them from begging for food.

I always makes sure that along with their regular food (Natural Balance) that I also give them some of the wet food from Natural Balance as well.  That's their treat and they love it!  

:)
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Avatar universal
did you know that a cup of milk has as many calories to a cat than 4 1/2 hambugers or 5 chocolate bars to us???? its ok to give some meat but not a lot. i wouldnt give a cat ice cream. and if it is chocolate ice cream it could cause a lot of problems. chocolate is poison to cats and dogs.
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541150 tn?1306033843
By the way...cute kitty!!
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541150 tn?1306033843
I would not feed my cats bacon or ham, or even milk.

You want to treat them every once in a while? That's fine as long as you don't over do it. I treat my cats from time to time and it makes them happy. But be very cautious, as these foods are sometimes even tough on our digestive systems. Imagine what it can do to their theirs, starting with the fact that it could make them addicted to those foods if they really like it and you don't want that.

PK
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Avatar universal
Cooked meat is fine as long as it isn't seasoned.  Some cats are lactose intolerant so I would go easy on the ice cream, but a lick or two probably won't hurt.  Same with the pork.  It is hard to digest.  I'd stick with cooked chicken or turkey, ground beef, or fish.
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1232362 tn?1333135406
I agree with all of the above-especially the chocolate! It's very bad for all pets. I do give my cats ice cream, bacon, and yogurt but only in tiny amts as a very special treat (less than 1x every couple of months) and they're fine. Make sure you dispose of the packaging safely though, you know how smart they are! Oh, and the pre-roasted chickens that come with the string are a serious safety hazard, the string can bind the intestines. i know you didn't ask about that, I just happened to think about it so if you like those, make sure you toss those very carefully. I wrap mine in a bag and take straight out to the trash so they (cats) don't even get a chance to try and get the container open. Ps-my name's Staci, too-short for Anastacia-I don't usually see it spelled the same way we do! Happy 4th!
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242912 tn?1660619837
COMMUNITY LEADER
Hey Staci and welcome to the cat forum!  I couldn't agree more with Swampys personal take.  He gave you excellent advice.  I suppose my personal take on any dairy products would to not even get kitty started on it, that way there's no begging for it, but a few licks of ice cream certainly won't hurt.  

We grilled fresh halibut a few nights ago and my husband made Jade a little piece of her own without any seasoning.  

Staci, unless you're talking about rarely, if it were me, I wouldn't give my cat bacon just because bacon is...bacon...and not even good for Us, but I'm sure a few tiny bites wouldn't hurt on an irregular basis.  

Your kitty is beautiful.  Thanks for sharing her picture.  
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389974 tn?1331015242
So this is just advice from having cats for a long time.

Many people counsel against giving cats any human food. Their arguments have serious merit. No doubt that will be one of the responses.


Cat food is a modern invention. Fifty or more years ago, cats lived off the mice they caught in the garage and table scraps. Cats also didn't live as long then!


Swampy's personal take -- what he does for his cat --

As long as the ice cream does not contain chocolate the cat have a lick or two as a treat, less than 1/2 a teaspoon. She is not allowed to have any more than that. Too risky for her digestive system.

In terms of meat, Swampy's cat can have a bite of Thanksgiving turkey, and when Swampy fixes his famous roasted whitefish dinner she can have a little bite of that. Swampy leaves part of the fish saltless for her, and cuts her a little bit of that.

You don't typically want to give cats lunch meat because of the high salt content. Cats seem to be very sensitive to salt. Swampy has heard of some cat owners buying a slice or two of deli low salt meat for them, but he has never done this.

Cats get digestive problems just like people do and giving them food that isn't right is a great way to end up with a constipated or otherwise hurt cat. Swampy recommends extreme caution.
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