Thanksgiving is right around the corner! As you prepare decorations and meals for this yearly celebration, you’ve probably wondered if you could share the menu with your feline friend. Luckily, you can!
Cats can eat Turkey, sweet potato, pumpkin, and green beans, to name some of the protagonists of the Thanksgiving table. However, any of them should only be offered to your cat in moderation. Also, it would help if you took a few precautions starting from how you cook any of the foods to avoid any issues.
We’ll discuss safe Thanksgiving foods, their potential benefits, and the best way to serve them. At the end, you can also find the list of foods to avoid at all costs.
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Safe Thanksgiving Foods
Turkey
Did you know cats are obligate carnivores? In a nutshell, this means that they need meat in order to have a balanced diet and live a healthy life. This is mostly due to the high amounts of protein intake they require, turkey has plenty of it, and cats will not only love it but also benefit from consuming it.
The substantial amounts of protein that the staple of any Thanksgiving table can offer to cats help them maintain strong muscles and benefit their overall health.
However, this is only true if you serve your cat cooked, plain and unseasoned turkey. Many seasonings include onions and garlic, which are extremely toxic to cats and should always be avoided. Skin is very high in fat, so removing it before serving is also important.
Finally, bones are out of the question as they pose a choking hazard and could splinter as well, causing injuries to your cat.
Best way to serve Turkey to your cat: Small, bite-sized pieces of cooked turkey without skin or bones.
Pumpkin
Pumpkin is a very noble vegetable (although considered a fruit in the botanical sense) for humans and cats alike.
One of the biggest benefits for cats is that plain, canned pumpkins can be a great source of fiber, which aids with digestion, constipation, and overall gastrointestinal health. It also contains a great amount of nutrients and vitamins A, C, and E that support overall health.
We are talking specifically about canned pumpkins being good for your cat as pumpkin pie filling can be dangerous for them to eat as it usually contains sugar and spices.
You can slowly introduce pumpkin to your cat by adding small amounts of it to their regular food. Some treats contain pumpkin as an ingredient.
Best way to serve Pumpkin to your cat: Plain, bite-sized pieces of pumpkin with no added sugars, spices, or seasoning.
Green Beans
Another one of the safe vegetables for cats to eat regularly is present on the Thanksgiving table. Green beans can be healthy, low-calorie treats for your feline friend. Combine that with the high amounts of fiber this veggie contains, apart from vitamins A, C, and K and you’ll understand why!
Plus, many cats adore this treat and its crunchy texture aids with teeth cleaning.
However, before you share a nib with your cat, make sure green beans are plain and steamed, without any added salt, butter, or seasoning.
Best way to serve Green Beans to your cat: Plain, bite-sized pieces of steamed green beans with no added salt, butter, spices, or seasoning.
Sweet Potatoes
Let’s round up the list with another signature Thanksgiving veggie. Sweet potato is often included as an ingredient of commercial cat foods, and there are a few good reasons why.
This is another great source of fiber for felines, which can help with digestive health. It also holds a generous amount of water that can give a small hydration boost (and keeping your cat hydrated is quite a challenge).
Finally, there are numerous other nutrients your cat could potentially be absorbed if they consume sweet potatoes.
A slight drawback is the relatively high amounts of carbohydrates compared to other veggies. Cats don’t really need additional carbohydrates, as their main source of energy is protein. So it’s important to keep sweet potatoes as an occasional treat only to avoid gastrointestinal issues.
Best way to serve Sweet Potato to your cat: Plain, cooked sweet potatoes without any added sugar, spices, or butter. Mashed sweet potatoes can be mixed with regular cat food for a healthy treat as well.
These are some of the most popular and safe snacks for your feline friend present in most thanksgiving tables. If you are interested, we have a complete list of vegetables cats can eat.
Foods to Avoid
While we have some treats that are ok in moderation, there are many no-nos present in most Thanksgiving menus for kitties, These are some common foods that should be entirely avoided:
- Onions and garlic: These two have extremely toxic effects, Even small amounts can be harmful, causing symptoms like lethargy, weakness, reduced appetite, and pale gums (a symptom of anemia).
- Stuffing: Stuffing can be delicious for us humans, but the ingredients it usually contains are highly dangerous to cats. From onion and garlic to most species, you shouldn’t feed any stuffing to your cat as it can lead to digestive issues and conditions like pancreatitis in severe intoxication cases.
- Cranberry Sauce: This sweet and tangy accompaniment for Thanksgiving meals should remain away from your kitty. Sugar is very bad for cats and can lead to dental problems and obesity if consumed in high amounts. Did you know cats don’t have sweetness receptors? They can’t taste sweet, so they won’t be missing anything.
- Pies and Desserts: Common ingredients present in Thanksgiving desserts are sugar, chocolate, nuts, and spices, which are completely out of the question for cats. Chocolate and nuts are toxic, and the high amounts of sugar and fat can cause gastrointestinal discomfort, dental issues, obesity and even diabetes if consumed in high amounts.
Treat Ideas
Here are some great ideas we found for cat treats:
Homemade Leftover Turkey Treats
Pumpkin Cat Treats
Key Takeaways
We covered common Thanksgiving ingredients that are safe for cats to eat in moderation such as pumpkin and sweet potato. Remember, moderation! It’s key when it comes to feeding your cat anything outside their regular diet.
We also revealed toxic foods that should be avoided such as onion and garlic, stuffing, spices, and anything that contains sugar and seasonings.
- To stay completely safe, remember to serve your cat only the foods we cataloged as safe, and serve them plain, unseasoned, and in bite-sized pieces to prevent any choking hazard.
Have you tried making any Thanksgiving treats yet? did your cat like it? Let other cat parents know your experience so everyone can share these festivities with their feline family members.
