‘Tis the Season! We all need some Christmas love, especially this year, so we’ll forgive you if you’ve already got the tinsel out and are basting the turkey! While the nation’s cats probably haven’t felt the effects of the national lockdown as much as we have, surely it’s only fair they get some treats at Christmas too? So today we have a list of some tasty Christmas nibbles for our kitties, as well as what they should avoid.

Tasty Treats

Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning their natural diet is primarily animal protein (though they can digest some plant matter). This makes knowing what to give them as treats quite easy – meat! 

The best treats for cats are little morsels of cooked chicken, ham, fish, liver, beef or (since it’s Christmas) turkey, as well as other meats. Human processed meat can have additives and be high in salt and fat. So, ideally, give them plain cooked meat. For example, cook your cat a tiny piece of plain chicken when you have your main meal, don’t add any salt or flavourings, and dry fry without oil to keep it extra healthy. 

Cats can also be lovers of cheese, cream, milk and other similar products. In fact, cheese is a veterinary favourite for hiding pills in! However, some considerations: many cats are lactose intolerant, and a lot of dairy can make them vomit or have diarrhoea. Feed a very small amount and stop if there are any signs of illness. Dairy is also high in fat, which can lead to obesity. As above, ensure these are without added flavourings (can’t go wrong with basic cheddar!).

If you want to go the extra mile, do some cat-friendly baking (perhaps as a Christmas present under the tree?). You can find many recipes for cat treats online, mainly made of cooked fish; other ingredients are usually added to make fish-flavoured biscuits. Ensure you check these ingredients are safe. Finally, pet food companies sell treats for cats that you may be interested in. Many of these can be quite unhealthy, however, so be mindful of the amount you give.

Naughty No-Nos

Unfortunately, cats do not have iron bellies, and some of the foods we eat every day can make them very sick – cats with toxicosis (illness after eating toxic food) may have vomiting, diarrhoea or constipation, anaemia, seizures, severe sickness requiring veterinary intervention, and it can even be fatal. Around Christmas, you should be extra vigilant of what your cat is snapping up off the floor. 

Onions, garlic, spring onions, leeks and other ‘aliums’ are toxic to cats and dogs

This includes food containing these vegetables, such as gravy or the skin on your Christmas turkey. Check the meat you are giving your cat is free of these. 

Chocolate is a staple at Christmas, yet highly toxic to cats 

The darker the chocolate, the higher the risk, so keep those fancy chocolates up high away from the cat! 

Grapes, raisins, sultanas, etc. are known to be somewhat toxic to pets

All are found in Christmas cake, Christmas pudding, chutneys and many other products. Please ensure your cat does not take a bite of any of these. 

Alcohol freely flows all December

Our pets have comparatively small livers. So what may seem like a small tipple to us could be fatal to your cat. Never give your cat any alcohol.

Raw or Roar?

You may have noticed above that the treats we listed earlier all include cooked meat. Raw diets are a hot topic in the veterinary world, and you may be wondering if little pieces of raw meat can be a good treat. Though cats in the wild will consume all their meat raw, modern-day housecats aren’t wild anymore and their digestive systems are not suited to this. 

Many raw diets are untested and may not contain appropriate nutritional content; there are cases of some animals becoming deficient in key nutrients after living on solely raw diets. Furthermore, raw food tends to have a high number of bacteria on them. These can spread disease to both your cat, as well as humans in the household. Never give animals raw food in a house with children or anyone who is immunocompromised. 

Some cats do very well on raw diets, and they may help improve some dietary or allergy issues. However, because so many diets are untested, if you are interested in giving raw treats to your cat, please discuss this with your vet first. They can provide more information and it can be tested safely.

Don’t Be a Porky Pie

We hinted at it above, but you should be very careful how many treats you give your cat. The nation’s pets are getting larger, leading to an epidemic of obesity-related diseases such as heart disease, mobility issues, liver disease, skin disease, a shorter life expectancy, and other conditions. It can be very difficult to slim down a fat cat. So we always try and prevent obesity in the first place.

Therefore, we recommend keeping treats very small and infrequent. A good rule of thumb is no more than 10% of their daily food intake, per day – and take the difference out of their normal food. You will be surprised how little this is! A treat should be no more than a tiny cube of cheese or a few strands of chicken, for example. Giving cats oversized treats is like us eating 3 burgers! Furthermore, overweight cats should not have any treats at all. You should work alongside your vet to reduce their food intake and their weight.

Tricked Into Treats

If we are being very honest, most cats do not really need treats. We like to anthropomorphise animals, and easily fall for puppy (kitten?) eyes when our cats are begging. However, most cats are perfectly happy eating just their kibble, their pouch, or their meat, and do not need regular treats.

Treats lead to bad habits like begging, may cause them to stop eating healthier normal food and miss out on key nutrients, puts them at risk of toxicity, and could cause obesity. These can all be more easily avoided by sticking to vet approved diets. 

However, we are of course not monsters, and all give in to our hungry cats while we are cooking, especially around Christmas! So we hope that this little guide will ensure that the treats you do give your cat this Christmas are safe, relatively healthy, small and infrequent.