My cat ate human food and cheese for weeks. What should I do?

People food is just that – food for people. Cats are obligate carnivores, and as such, have a delicate balance of protein, carbohydrates, fat, and vitamins and minerals that must be maintained. Cats should eat a balanced high quality diet in order to meet all of their nutritional needs. Unbalanced diets with vitamin/mineral imbalances risk a variety of health problems. Home cooked diets are not as commonly recommended, but are preferred by some cats and pet owners. If you opt to go down this road, a carefully crafted recipe by a specialist in veterinary nutrition should be used with proper vitamin and mineral supplementation. Even with a commercial diet, occasional treats of boiled white meat chicken, turkey, salmon, or tuna can be perfectly fine in small quantities.

The problem with feeding cats a homemade diet is that it is very difficult to get the correct balance of nutrients cats need. They are obligate carnivores, meaning they have to eat meat in order to survive, and their diet has to provide essential amino acids as their body cannot make them on it's own. I can put links below to websites that provide recipes for homemade diets for cats, and I would check that out if you want to try making a homemade diet for Orieo. I hope this helps! https://secure.balanceit.com https://www.petdiets.com

You may see some GI upset in the form of vomiting and diarrhea in Gillian because dairy causes that in cats, but it's not toxic. If you do see GI upset, I recommend withholding food for 12-24 hours, then feeding a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken (no bones) in small amounts several times a day for a couple of days. Then slowly add back in her normal diet.

Great questions! Because there are so many foods cats can and can't have, I will put links to websites that detail them out. Keep in mind that while cats can have very small amounts of cheese, they are lactose intolerant, so low lactose cheese is best. Cats love tuna, but too much isn't healthy due to mercury levels. They can have small amounts of tuna in spring water. Never feed a cat onions, garlic, grapes, raisins, alcohol, and macadamia nuts among others. Also when feeding human food, make it an occasional treat, not an every day treat as that can lead to weight gain. If Luna becomes overweight, she will be prone to cardiac disease, diabetes, and joint problems among other illnesses. Hope this helps! https://www.petsworld.in/blog/10-human-foods-cats-can-eat.html http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/people-foods-avoid-feeding-your-pets

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your cat. Cheese should not be toxic to him, but could cause some gastrointestinal upset. I would monitor him for any vomiting or diarrhea. If so, he will need to see his veterinarian. I hope this information helps!

It is ok to feed human food as long as you make sure the diet is balance and safe. You could use a website called balance-it to devise a recipe that is balance for a cat. After the recipe is picked you have to buy a supplement that they make to balance your recipe. https://secure.balanceit.com/index.php

Cats should eat a high protein, low carb diet. The protein should be of animal, not plant origin. You can find a variety of wet and dry foods at your local Petco or online ( https://www.petco.com/category/cat/cat-food ). Cats should not eat fatty foods. You should also avoid chocolate, caffeine, alcohol, grapes/raisins, onions/garlic or dairy products.