Can cats eat steak?
Can Cats Eat Steak? What You Need to Know!
The information is current and up-to-date in accordance with the latest veterinarian research.
Your cat is probably one of the most persnickety eaters that you know of. She will turn up her nose at even the most decadent cat food. This begs the question, “Can I feed my cat steak?”
One of the most savory meals available, a well-prepared steak dinner should be a dish that every carnivore craves. However, recent research has revealed that red meat can increase your risk of heart disease, certain cancers, and other health issues. But is it bad for your feline?
In this article, we’ll explore if steak is safe for your cat to eat, as well as the health benefits and drawbacks of this delicious dinner.
Yes, Cats Can Eat Steak!
The simple answer to this question is yes. Your kitty can eat steak in moderation. In fact, red meat is one of the safest meat selections for your furry friend. Flesh from a cow doesn’t have any known poisons to cats, is easily digestible, and does not include the same heavy metal contaminants that many kinds of fish can be afflicted with.
What Are the Health Benefits of Feeding My Cat Steak?
Felines are carnivores, plain and simple. Steak contains many nutrients for a healthy, thriving cat. However, it is critical to ensure that your cat does not have any nutritional imbalances, so never replace their pet food with a steak-only diet. If you are considering changing your cat’s diet to only include whole foods, it’s important to seek the advice of your veterinarian first. Steak, while healthy for cats, will not meet all of their dietary needs as well as pet food that is specifically formulated for felines.
Many folks try to steer clear of eating red meat. However, unlike humans, felines are biologically designed to eat meat every day. Lean, cooked steak contains numerous vitamins and nutrients that can boost a cat’s health, including iron, niacin, protein, selenium, zinc, and vitamin B12.
Since their ancestors were all meat-munchers, cats will efficiently absorb these nutrients from the steak, far better than they would from a meal which is crafted from plant-based foods, such as kale or spinach. Green veggies may be a great source of nutrients for omnivores like us, but not so much for our feline companions.
Why Is Vitamin B12 Important for Cats?
Also known as cobalamin, vitamin B12 is critical for a cat’s health, including their nervous system, immune system, and their digestive tract. While felines do not produce their own B12, they can absorb this vitamin through their food.
Sick and elderly cats may not be able to absorb enough vitamin B12 that’s present in their food. The absorption process is a complex one that takes the work of the small intestine, liver, stomach, and pancreas. If one of these organs is not functioning properly, the less vitamin B12 is absorbed by your cat.
Additionally, the vitamin only exists in your cat’s body for a limited amount of time. In a healthy feline, their tissues will retain B12 for about 13 days. In a sick cat with gastrointestinal or other health complications, the vitamin will only stick around for five days. Reserves of B12 will quickly get depleted.
Some signs of a vitamin B12 deficiency in cats include vomiting, severe weight loss, lethargy, or diarrhea.
If your cat isn’t absorbing Vitamin B12 properly, one of the best plans of action is to give her B12 supplements, as well as some well-cooked, plain, lean steak occasionally, as a treat. Ask your vet before you change her diet or give her supplements.
- See also: Can Cats Eat Chia Seeds? What You Need to Know!
- You might also like: Can Cats Eat Pears? Are Pears Safe for Cats?
Things to Consider When Feeding Your Cat Steak
While there is nothing wrong with giving your cat steak as a treat or in moderation along with their normal feline food, you need to feed them plain steak that contains no fat or bones. Both of these meat products can be rather dangerous to cats. Fat, both raw and uncooked, can cause a myriad of health issues, including diarrhea, vomiting, and other intestinal upsets. Additionally, too much fat (or worse, fat trimmings) can lead to heart attacks, strokes, and high blood pressure. Cats can also choke on bones or splinters can cut them internally or cause obstructions.
Keep in mind, also, that most cats can live on less than 300 calories each day. A single three-ounce serving size of plain steak can be packed with up to 178 calories. If you’re not careful about how much steak your cat is ingesting, they can pack on the pounds quickly. Obesity can lead to diabetes, arthritis, and even cancer.
Another important note is that you should avoid feeding your cat raw meat if you are not sure of the source or how fresh it is or how it has been handled. Raw meat could potentially be infected with bacteria such as E. coli.
Overall, plain steak in moderation is fine. It is rich in vitamins and minerals, such as Vitamin B12, that cats need to flourish. However, watch how much steak you’re feeding your animal and never feed them fat, bones, or cooked with oil or spices.
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Featured image credit: Shubhankar Sharma from Unsplash, mali maeder from Pexels
Can Cats Eat Steak? What You Need To Know!
Though most people associate begging for food with our canine friends, cats are no slouches when it comes to trying to manipulate their owners into sharing their food. And if they can’t charm their way into table scraps, many cats will just hop onto the kitchen counter and steal it for themselves!
Whether or not you appreciate your cat snatching a bite of your food, of course, you want to make sure they don’t eat foods that are dangerous or unhealthy for them. If your cat starts eyeing your next steak dinner, for example, is it okay to share? Can cats eat steak? Yes, steak can safely be fed to your cat but only if it’s cooked, not raw.
In this article, you’ll learn how to safely feed steak to your cat and why you should avoid feeding raw meat to your kitty. We’ll also discuss the basics of cat nutrition and how to ensure your cat’s diet is balanced and healthy.
Is Steak Healthy For Your Cat?
In moderation, steak can be a healthy treat for your cat. A cat’s diet should be high in protein and steak is an excellent source of this nutrient. Protein helps cats maintain their reproductive health and contributes to keeping their hearts strong and vision sharp.
The steak you offer your cat should be lean and free of excess fat. Fatty treats can lead to digestive upset and a painful, dangerous health condition called pancreatitis. Also make sure the steak isn’t cooked with garlic or onions, which can be toxic to cats. Treats, including steak, should only make up about 10%–15% of your cat’s total daily calories.
Some owners prefer to feed their cat a home-cooked diet and steak is one of the protein sources they may choose to offer. Home-cooked diets can be a healthy option for your cat as long as they are properly balanced. We’ll talk more about how to incorporate steak into a homemade diet later in this article.
Why You Should Avoid Feeding Raw Steak
If you’re a cat owner, chances are you’ve either seen social media posts or heard from another cat-loving friend or breeder that raw food is the healthiest and most natural diet for your kitty. Opinions on this subject can get heated and there’s some difference of thought even among veterinarians, especially holistic ones.
However, authorities like the Center for Disease Control (CDC), U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and the Center for Veterinary Medicine, do not recommend feeding raw food to cats for several reasons.
First, raw diets—either commercially prepared or just plain raw meat—are commonly contaminated with dangerous bacteria, like Salmonella and Listeria. These bacteria can cause food-borne illness in both cats and their human owners. Kids, the elderly, and immune-compromised individuals are particularly at risk. Cats who eat raw food, including raw steak, can be carriers of these bacteria without showing signs of illness themselves.
Another concern with raw diets is the potential for cats to accidentally swallow bones mixed in with the food or mistakenly left in a steak. These can cause a blockage in the cat’s intestine that may require surgery. The final major concern with raw diets is that they can be difficult to balance nutritionally, leading to your cat receiving inadequate nutrients from their food.
If you do want to feed a raw diet to your cat, make sure to discuss with your veterinarian and physician how to do so as safely as possible and what signs of illness or poor nutrition to look out for.
Feline Nutrition: The Basics
As obligate carnivores, cats developed to get all their essential nutrients from animal, rather than plant, food sources. Whatever food you end up choosing for your cat should be high in protein, contain a moderate amount of fat, and be low in carbohydrates. Cats with certain health conditions may require diets that stray from this recommendation but your veterinarian will be able to guide you to the right food in these cases.
Commercially-prepared cat food is usually the easiest and safest choice to ensure your kitty is receiving all essential vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. All commercial cat foods must follow strict nutrition standards to ensure they are balanced.
With so many different foods available, you can easily get caught up in trendy advertising or fads. Take some time learning how to read cat food labels and understanding what makes a healthy cat diet. Truthfully, your cat will end up having the final say on which food you choose, depending on which they actually eat!
As we mentioned earlier, some pet owners prefer to avoid commercial cat food and offer a homemade diet instead. Sometimes, veterinarians will recommend this option for a cat with severe food allergies or other medical conditions with dietary restrictions.
It’s certainly possible that steak could be one of the protein options used for your cat’s homemade diet. If so, your veterinarian may refer you to a veterinary nutritionist or offer other resources to ensure your cat’s homemade food is complete and balanced. If certain nutrients, such as the amino acid taurine, are lacking in a cat’s diet, serious health concerns may result.
Conclusion
Feeding our cats tasty foods is one of the many joys of sharing our lives with them. Now that you know that steak is safe to feed your kitty, you have one more delicious treat option to offer your whiskered friend. Just remember that obesity is just as unhealthy for cats as it is for people and don’t get carried away when it comes to the amount of any food, including steak, that your cat eats.
Featured Image Credit: ReinhardThrainer, Pixabay
- Is Steak Healthy For Your Cat?
- Why You Should Avoid Feeding Raw Steak
- Feline Nutrition: The Basics
- Conclusion
