Can cats eat cranberry sauce?
Cats can eat cranberry sauce in very small amounts. Cranberries themselves are a rich source of vitamin C, antioxidants and fibre, promote urinary health and can make a healthy snack for cats, However, cranberry sauce is high in sugar, making it an unhealthy food choice for cats. Cats cannot taste sweet, so if he or she shows an interest in cranberry sauce, it is more likely due to the cranberries themselves and not the sugar content. A healthier choice is to feed dry cranberries, which have a lower sugar content than cranberry sauce.
Can all cats eat cranberry sauce?
Not all cats can eat cranberry sauce, which includes:
- Unweaned kittens
- Cats on a food trial
- Obese cats
- Diabetic cats
- Cats on a prescription diet to prevent or manage a disease
- Cats with known allergies to cranberries
How to feed cranberry sauce
In most cases, it’s fine to share a small amount of Thanksgiving and Christmas meals with our pet family. But remember, cats are obligate carnivores and their diet must be primarily made up of a complete and balanced cat food. Treats should make up no more than 10% of a cat’s diet.
Safety
Many human foods are toxic to cats, and can potentially be lethal. Do not feed the following:
- Garlic
- Onion
- Cooked bones
- Food that has gone off
- Raisins
- Grapes
- Alcohol
- Chocolate
- Stuffing
- Mushrooms
- Xylitol (a common ingredient in sugar-free food)
- Nuts
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