Many of us feed our cats tiny morsels of food from our bowls. But have you ever stopped to think whether the food you are eating is good for your cat? Cats’ digestive systems are built differently, and while they may show no serious symptoms at the time of consumption, serious complications may develop later. To avoid emergency vet trips, we have put together a list of safe human foods for cats.

Human foods that are safe for cats

Meat and chicken

Cats cannot digest fibrous foods as easily as dogs. They are meat-eaters that derive protein from meat to maintain a healthy reproductive system, good vision, and strong heart. Cooked chicken, beef, and turkey are some good options. Avoid meats with high sodium content, as too much salt is toxic for cats.

Whole grains like oatmeal

Whole grains like oatmeal are a great source of vitamin B and energy for your feline companions. Cats tend to like smaller and coarse grains, like cornmeal, millet, and couscous. However, it is essential to make sure that all of these are properly cooked so it’s easy for them to digest. You can also give your cat brown rice, barley, and wheat berries, but mash them properly before serving.

Fish

Fish is present in a majority of commercial cat food for good reason. It contains necessary vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids that keep your cat healthy. Make sure the fish is boiled and cut into bite-sized pieces. Avoid any kind of seasoning. Pick freshly caught fish and remove the bones to prevent choking.

Carrots

Beta carotene in carrots is good for your cat’s eyes and coat. You can feed your cat this vegetable as long as it is peeled and cooked. Cut the carrot into bite-sized pieces, or opt for baby carrots to avoid choking. Other cooked vegetables that are safe for cats include celery, cucumbers, green beans, lettuce, peas, broccoli, and asparagus. You can feed them a veggie burger, but ensure that it doesn’t contain any onions or garlic.

These human foods are safe options to add to your cat’s main meal, but they cannot be the only source of nutrition. When it comes to keeping your cat healthy, it is important to pick good quality foods products from reliable brands. Some of the most popular brands are mentioned below:

IAMS

Iams is known to craft high-quality and nutritious food for cats of specific life stages and activity levels. They have a dry cat food selection called the ProActive Health line, and their wet food is divided into three lines: Purrfect Delights, Purrfect Delicacies, and Perfect Portions. Most of the food is manufactured in the country, and the products are quite affordable.

Natural Balance

This brand offers a wide range of cat food, including wet products in pouches and tubs and dry products. They have segmented their products into certain categories, such as grain-free, healthy weight, high protein, indoor, and limited ingredient foods. Natural Balance’s cat food mostly comprises salmon, chicken, venison, lamb, bison, buffalo, and duck, which are all excellent sources of protein.

Royal Canin

Royal Canin is a global company. It is one of the most commonly recommended brands by vets for cat food. This brand sells over 100 different varieties of food formulated for cats of specific life stages, bodies, and lifestyles. Royal Canin has both wet and dry food options.

Purepet

Purepet is a well-known pet food brand that specializes in creating the perfect blend for cats and dogs. When it comes to cat food, they offer a wide range of options both in terms of flavor and type. They also offer different foods for adult cats and kittens. Unfortunately, they do not have too many treat or snack options for cats.

PURINA Friskies

PURINA Friskies focuses on packing nutrition and flavor into the foods they create. They offer a large selection of cat foods to provide health benefits. Popular flavors include tuna, salmon, whitefish, crab, and even shrimp.

Blue Buffalo

Blue Buffalo offers a wide range of foods for both dogs and cats. When it comes to cat food, Bluebuffalo has more than 125 products, including dry food, wet food, and treats. When choosing the food for your cat, you can opt for foods with high-quality, high-protein foods with limited ingredients and grain-free formulas or health support food.

NUTRO

If you’re looking for perfectly portioned foods for your cat, you may want to check out NUTRO. The popular pet food brand focuses on creating foods that have different meat sources that are high in protein. Nutro offers a range of dry and wet foods, and their popular flavors include beef, shrimp, catfish, and salmon.

If you have a pet dog, you may want to consider looking into Pedigree and Ketona. These popular brands focus solely on dog foods and have an inclusive and extensive catalog.

HolistaPet

HolistaPet is a pet care brand acclaimed for creating natural remedies to improve a pet’s mental and physical condition. The brand offers a range of products for dogs, cats, and even horses. A few of their product categories include oils, soft chews, treats for dogs and cats, and pet capsules. HolistaPet also offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. All the details can be found on their official website.