Can cats eat pork? If you have ever wondered if cats can eat pork, the good news is that it is perfectly healthy for cats to eat pork. What’s more, the benefits of this more nutritious meat for your cat could be even better than those of chicken, turkey, or beef. So what exactly is the meat like? How is it cooked, and what are the health benefits of eating it?
Cats are obligate carnivorous creatures and must be fed a meaty diet. But as the cat ages, its digestive system needs less meat. Thus, you might want to feed your feline friend pork along with other cooked meats. Note that older cats shouldn’t overeat pork because it lacks essential minerals like iron and calcium, lacking in meat-based diets. However, as the cat ages, its body requires more nutrients. Thus, pork is recommended as part of its healthy diet.
Cat’s nutrition depends on its diet; therefore, if your pet is not getting sufficient amounts of essential nutrients like taurine and magnesium, it would be advisable to give it pork. Taurine is a naturally occurring chemical found in meat; hence, providing adequate amounts of this chemical to cats could mean good health. Taurine helps improve circulation, balances pH levels in the body, and works as an antioxidant, helping to protect the body against premature aging and disease. As for magnesium, it works as an enzyme, antioxidant, and nutrient supplement and provides an excellent mineral supply to our pets.
Can Cats Eat Pork? Most Asked Question and Facts About This Topic
While feeding pork isn’t harmful to cats, it is essential to know that providing excessive pork could be detrimental. Cats usually develop kidney problems due to the high protein content in the meat. Thus, any excess protein could cause toxicity in the kidneys. Canine kidney failure can be life-threatening to older cats. Therefore, while deciding what to feed your pet, it is crucial to ensure that it doesn’t contain harmful elements such as phosphorus, potassium, and ammonia.
Feeding a commercial brand of raw pork can provide the necessary protein value. Besides, commercial brands of cooked pork are nutritionally balanced, ensuring your pet the correct amount of essential nutrients and minerals. Moreover, commercial brands of cooked pork contain all the necessary nutrients required by an adult cat, such as vitamins A, B, C, and E. The minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium, and zinc are essential for maintaining a healthy immune system. These nutritional values are also provided by boneless, skinless chicken, another popular source of protein for pets. Studies have revealed that boneless, skinless chicken is even better for you than cooked chicken, and it contains half the calories and half the fat thus, a healthier choice of protein for cats.
Although many people are against feeding cooked pork to their dogs as it is considered unhealthy for them, the same cannot be said about cats. Cats can digest cooked meat better than those fed commercially packaged food that has been pre-cooked. However, it is still best to check with your vet before changing your pet’s dietary needs. The best way to find out is to ask him or her regarding your pet’s health situation so that you will be aware of the potential hazards associated with feeding cooked pork meat to your pet. Also, make it a point to read up on how best you can provide your pet so that you will know what kind of food to give to them.
