What foods can my cat eat on Thanksgiving?

Thanksgiving brings with it merry celebration with stuffed turkeys, casseroles, and apples. For most indoor cats, it’s time to feed on some human food! Most cat parents (I included) are guilty of feeding some of our festive foods to our feline friends. But is it really good for them? What can a cat eat on Thanksgiving?

Cats can eat some human Thanksgiving foods such as some skinless turkey, gravy, cranberries. However, avoid feeding your cat foods with many spices and salt as you will end up hurting your friend’s health.

You know the drill. You’re preparing Thanksgiving dishes, and the kitchen smells like heaven, and everyone in your family comes into the kitchen begging to taste, and yes, even your cat will be among them!

Here is a list of foods that your cat can eat on Thanksgiving.

What can my cat eat on Thanksgiving?

1. Turkey, geese, chicken, minced meat

Turkey is a Thanksgiving favorite, and cats love it too. However, make sure you serve your feline friends some skinless turkey as the spices tend to concentrate on the skin. Aim at giving plain white meat but some dark and some skin too. Although you should avoid giving them the skin.

Fortunately, turkey and chicken are healthy and safe for cats seeing some cat feeds also have it.

For the minced meat, try and avoid giving your kitty seasoned minced meat. Instead, you can provide some raw minced meat to your cat. The goal is to provide safe foods your cat can eat on Thanksgiving, and this includes not giving your cat the minced meat pie no matter how tasty it is!

2. Gravy.

Cats love gravy! However, keep the feeding in moderation since gravy has lots of fats and salt. The salt could be lethal, especially with cats who have underlying medical conditions.

3. Green beans.

Green beans are healthy for your cat. However, make sure not to serve your fluffball with the green beans in your casserole. Instead, you can steam or bake the green beans until fully cooked.

The onions in canned beans are poisonous to your cat, and you should avoid them at all costs. You should also check if large amounts of butter and alliums were used to prepare your green beans.

Tip: For that extra thanksgiving treat, you can mix the green beans with some meat (tuna, turkey, chicken).

4. Cranberry sauce.

Cranberry sauce is safe for your cat as long as there isn’t excessive sugars and sugars in the sauce. Otherwise, your cat is good to go.

Tip: You can mix the sauce with some cat food as a special Thanksgiving treat.

Cranberry sauce is also famous for helping out with some medical issues in a cat’s urinary tract. However, moderation is key.

5. Mashed potatoes.

I love some mashed potatoes, and my friend Chacha loves them too. However, if you prepare your Thanksgiving mashed potatoes, it is best to avoid heavy seasoning and spices such as some alliums (garlic, onions, leeks, scallions).

If you also use butter, cheese, or sour cream, you can consider letting this go. This is because most cats are lactose intolerant, and this dish will only upset their stomach.

A tiny serving will, however, be an excellent treat to your feline best friend.

Some sweet potatoes would also be a nice treat for your cat. However, you need to ensure that it is fully cooked. Altogether avoid feeding your kitty raw potatoes as they have solanine, which damages the nervous system.

6. Apples, banana, brocolli.

Apples are a fall favorite that also happens to be an excellent antioxidant for cats. Make sure to pela the skin before serving your cat.

Bananas are a healthy Thanksgiving treat that your cat can eat as you enjoy your fruit salad.

Broccoli is arguably among the best vegetables you can feed your furball, seeing it is packed with nutrients and antioxidants.

7. Pumpkin.

Pumpkin is another fall favorite that is packed with the much-needed fiber for your cat.

However, ensure the pumpkin is fully cooked before serving it to your cat. However, don’t go for pumpkin pie since it most likely contains sweets. The sugars and artificial sweeteners like xylitol are harmful to your feline baby, and you should avoid it at all costs. Xylitol may lead to a cat’s blood pressure dropping, and both cats ad dogs should stay away from it.

Pumpkin, however, would be a great Thanksgiving treat, so go ahead and pour some puree to your dry cat food. Some cat owners also use pumpkins to deal with cat stomach issues due to the high fiber found in pumpkins!

What can my cat not eat on Thanksgiving?

Now that you know some foods that your cat can eat on Thanksgiving, it’s time to know which foods to completely stay away from. Some of these foods are utterly toxic to cats and may cause serious digestion issues with your furball.

If by any chance, your cat eats some of these foods and you notice some side effects, it’s time to pay the vet a much-needed visit.

1. Bones.

I remember when I was a kid, and I attempted to feed my cat some bones because well, I thought if our upcountry dog ate bones, heck the cat can chew up some! When my mother asked me why I did that, I simply said they are both carnivorous!

However, bones are not healthy meals for cats. Although it may seem safe to give your kitty some flesh on bone, you might want to reconsider. Bones can splinter and dislodge on your cat’s throat. In the worst-case scenario, the bones may end up puncturing your kitty’s stomach or intestines.

It is best if you give your furball some bone-free turkey.

2. Turkey skin.

Turkey’s skin has a very high concentration of fats that cause pancreatitis – inflammation of the pancreas that may develop into a life-threatening condition.

While marinating your chicken, without doubt, the turkey skin will have the most spice concentration, such as alliums (onions, garlic) that are lethal to your furball.

3. Alcohol.

Although this is a no-brainer, it is crucial to keep your alcohol away from your cats and dogs! It is always fun and games until your pet develops a heart attack, coma, seizures, alcohol poisoning, vomiting, or falling blood pressure.

It is important to note that whatever alcohol content you may see as safe to humans may be lethal to our pets. For instance, a teaspoon of alcohol is enough for your feline friend to be completely intoxicated.

Note: Although you may not directly feed your cat some alcohol, feeding her some foods will trigger alcohol production in a cat’s body. The yeast in an uncooked bread will continue rising and fermenting and releasing alcohol in your cat’s tummy.

If by any chance, your cat consumes some uncooked dough, she may experience a twisted stomach and/or bloating.

4.Stuffing.

Most of the spices used for Thanksgiving stuffing, including onions, garlic, and scallions, are lethal to cats and should be avoided at all costs. These dangerous ingredients lead to anemia in cats and dogs.

When pets eat too many alliums, they can develop vomiting, diarrhea, weakness, and a high heart rate.

Although mushroom is a cat favorite, variations used during Thanksgiving turkey stuffing may be dangerous for your pet. If you suspect your kitty may have eaten some, observe then within 24 hours for any signs and symptoms.

5. Chocolate.

While some families prefer some pie as dessert, some will definitely go for chocolate desserts. Although dogs love the smell of chocolate, this sweet dessert is harmful to pets. It is best to keep all chocolatey foods away from your pets.

Tip: The darker the chocolate, the more lethal it is your pet.

6. Dairy products

My Chacha loves milk, and she has no problem digesting the lactose. Although it may seem as if cats go well with milk like peanut butter and jelly, some cats are lactose intolerant and should not take any dairy products.

You might want to skip on this one to avoid some stomach issues.

What foods can my cat eat on Thanksgiving?