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TOP 10 THINGS TOXIC TO CATS

12/30/2012

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by Eva Everything

Pickiness can be an annoying cat trait but it could actually be saving feline lives. Only 11%-20% of reported poisonings involve cats. However, if your cat is vomiting, has diarrhea, or is unable to poo after your holiday party, there’s a possibility of accidental poisoning.
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If a cat gets under a car that drips radiator antifreeze onto its fur, it will eventually lick it off. Spilled anti-freeze sickens and kills more cats than anything else during the winter in cold climates.

Rotten smelly fish parts are the kind of garbage that appeals to cats. Rotten food is a hotbed to bacteria that can make kitty very sick.

Mouse and rat poison kills rodents but also kills cats and dogs if they eat enough of it. Traps loaded with peanut butter are a better idea, though nut butters are toxic to cats too – though probably not in mouse-sized portions on a loaded trap.

Most cats won’t eat onions, chives and garlic but those that do suffer intestinal upsets and blood problems.

Cat lovers pamper their pets with baby food when they’re not feeling well. Whether the cats get better or worse depends on the flavour. Manufacturers started adding onion powder to baby food years ago. Check the label. If it contains onion or garlic, don’t feed it to your sick kitty.

Many cats nibble of indoor plants or flowers and can get ill. Some of the common indoor plants toxic to  cats include aloe, amaryllis, holly, mistletoe, and corn plants (lucky bamboo).

Cats don’t have sweet receptors on their tongues so they’re not terribly likely to eat  grapes, raisins, apple cores or peach pits (toxic seeds) but if your cat does, these are a serious hazard to its health.

Chocolate isn’t usually a cat snack, but it does make them sick. Sharing coffee, tea or colas that contain caffeine with a cat can cause problems, including irregular heartbeat.

Cats are more susceptible to avocado poisoning than dogs. Avocados are lethal for birds and rodents. Keep the guacamole or green tomato salsa away from all the pets at the party.

Giving milk to cats is an age-old tradition but it really isn’t a good idea because adult cats are actually lactose intolerant. As far as I know, no one has tested adult cats with cat milk which might be OK. Most people give them cow or goat milk which are very different from cat milk. So unless you plan to milk a cat…

For more information on toxicity symptoms, see my previous blog: Top 10 Foods Toxic to Dogs.

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    Eva Everything is the author of 2 fun science quiz books and an award winning science writer/TV producer.

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