If you are a Siamese cat owner, you must know that one of the best ways to keep your furry friend healthy is by providing them with the best nutrition. But the majority of people are not aware of the foods that cats can eat and cannot. You will be wondering if your furry friend can eat vegetables.
Read on ahead to find out if your cat can have vegetables and if they can become a significant part of their diet.
Is it Safe to feed Siamese cats with Vegetables
The simple answer here is that they can eat vegetables even though they’re cautious with some vegetables, but they can eat some of them. Therefore, it is okay to supplement the cat with veggies like cooked carrots or broccoli. Still, you should avoid giving them certain vegetables like onion or garlic as they are toxic and can lead to health issues.
Cats should never be given a full-fledged vegetable diet and should always have a meat-based diet because they are carnivores. The protein your feline from meat is the only protein that will align with their nutritional needs.
Some Safe Vegetables for Siamese Cats
Broccoli
It is not just yummy but also entirely safe for your cat to eat. It is pretty easy to prepare and also contains several antioxidants. In addition, it is an excellent source of roughage which will help the cat with perfect bowel movements and keep the digestive system healthy.
Carrots
Carrots contain high proportions of vitamins and minerals. In addition, they are a fantastic source of vitamin A, essential for your cats to remain healthy. Carrots also make a perfect snack, but you should always give your cat a moderate amount of carrots. It would help if you did not give carrots to cats having calcium oxalate bladder stones or crystals in urine since they contain a moderate amount of oxalate. Carrots should be cooked or can be given raw, but you should cook them first to avoid any choking risks to the cat.
Green Beans
Several other green vegetables are safe for the cat to eat, and they play a crucial role in a healthy diet, like green beans. Frozen or fresh green beans can have several health benefits. However, you need to ensure that the green beans are low in sodium, and too much of it can be unhealthy for the cat. So this factor is essential, provided you are choosing canned green beans. Green beans would be beneficial because they serve as a good source of fibre and can help the cat’s digestive system, also helping them to lose weight. Besides carrots, green beans also have some oxalate, so you should limit feeding it to your cat if they have any bladder problem history.
Spinach
Spinach is loaded with vitamins and minerals and has an anti-inflammatory effect on your Siamese cat. But you need to know that you must give them spinach in low amounts because it contains calcium oxalate. Small doses are harmless, but huge quantities can lead to severe urinary tract problems for the cat.
Side Effects of Feeding Vegetables to the Cat
Cats are carnivores, so they need the digestive enzymes essential to break down some vegetable fibre. However, too many vegetables lead to problems in the digestive tract. Vegetables contain fibre, which is undoubtedly beneficial for the digestive system, but certain vegetables contain carbohydrates. Excessive calories from carbohydrates can lead to obesity for the cat, and also obesity is one of the ever-growing problems for cats.
Some Vegetables that Cats Should Avoid
Onions
Onions are toxic because they contain sulphur-containing oxidants and face challenges trying to break them down. The amount which causes toxicity varies depending on the concentration of the oxidant agents. Symptoms of toxicity include vomiting, fatigue, diarrhoea, yellow gums, and red-coloured urine.
Tomatoes
Tomatoes are not dangerous for cats’ health, but tomato leaves and other parts of the tomato plant can be toxic. In addition, if the tomato is unripe, it can lead to gastric problems for the cat.
You can add these vegetables to their standard diet in small amounts. Ensure that treats and supplements make up no more than 10% of your cat’s total diet or calorie intake.
Conclusion
Hence, from the article above, you might have gotten a gist about the edible veggies that Siamese can have in their diet. It is essential to be aware of the vegetables the cats can consume to avoid any health issues.
