9 Best Non Meat Foods for a Kitten Below One Year
We all know that cats are carnivorous animals and it is a must to give them a meat based diet so that they are healthy and free from any kind of sickness or ailments. Many vegan cat owners and organizations such as PETA have started to unethically campaign in forcing carnivorous animals such as cats and dogs to eat vegetarian diet but veterinarians are on the side of the poor pets and argue that trying to make a carnivorous animal could cause serious health complications to a cat or dog such as cardiovascular disease,urinary tract disease, kidney and liver ailments and skin diseases as well. Cats cannot produce taurine, which is an important protein the only way they can get it is by eating meat based foods such as beef or chicken. feeding cats with only with a plant based diet could cause serious diseases such as dilated cardiomyopathy due to not getting enough taurine. This article by no means tries to completely substitute meat based foods for cats. Rather, this article is about non meat foods which could be used during an emergency and is not harmful for a kitten below one year.
1. Cheese
Cheese is safe for cats because it has milk protein and cats generally love milk. A small piece of cheese contains,
Protein
Saturated fat
Calcium
Cholesterol
Potassium
Vitamin-C
Iron
Magnesium
Vitamin-D
The downsize of giving too much cheese to a cat is that it could cause digestive issues and vomiting because some cats are lactose intolerant.
2. Curd and milk
Curd and milk contain protein and both are healthy alternatives if you cannot find any meat for your cat. Although it does not contain probiotics, it has many benefits which are similar and will help your cat's gut health. Pour milk in a bowl or plate and add a few spoons of curd for your kitty. Curd and milk are a good alternative to meat during an emergency.
3. Carrot
Carrots are a safe not meat food for cats and it is rich in fiber and beta carotene which converts in to vitamin-A and vitamin A plays a vital role in giving a healthy coat for a cat as well as strong muscles.. You should keep in ind that not all cats would like to eat carrots and you should not force feed your cat with something he doesn't like to eat. Cats unlike humans have a very few taste buds. While humans have approximately 9000 taste buds, cats only have around 470 and this is why they use their strong sense of sell to detect food. Given this fact, you shouldn't add any artificial sweet substance in carrots as cats are lactose intolerant. Some cats like boiled carrots and others like raw ones. Prepare the meal according to your kitten's likes and dislikes.
4. Bananas
Bananas are not only super tasty and nutritious for human, it is safe for your kitten too. You should keep in mind to give smell pieces for your cat and not to over feed him.It is impossible for a small kitten to chew on a banana so make sure to cut it into pieces if the kitten is too young. Older kittens can chew bananas cut into slices. Not all kittens will like eating bananas andif the kitten refuses, you can try out other food types for him.
5. Rice
Although rice is not an essential part of a cat's diet, it is still safe to give rice. There are a wide variety of rice but white rice is the easiest to digest due to low fiber. Rice is not at all toxic for a cat or kitten.
6. Blueberries
Blueberries are rich in antioxidants and antioxidants which helps in fighting inflammation in cats and kittens. Blue berries are not toxic for kittens and is a good non meaty treat for your kitty.
Nutrition of Blueberries per 100 grams,
Total fat
Cholesterol
Sodium
Potassium
Carbohydrate
Dietary fiber and sugar
Protein
Vitamin-C
Iron
Calcium
Magnesium
Vitamin B-6
Cobalamin
Always make sure to wash the blueberries thoroughly and then chop it into small pieces before giving it to the kitten. Kittens are picky just like adult cats and you should not force feed your cat if it doesn't like to eat it.
7. Strawberries
Just like blueberries, strawberries are safe for cats and kittens and has no toxicity that could cause any harm. 100 grams of strawberries contain the following nutrition value which helps a kitten stay healthy.
Cholesterol
Sodium
Potassium
Protein
Vitamin-C
Iron
Vitamin B-6
Magnesium
Cobalamin
Vitamin-D
Cats are obligate carnivores and are very picky when choosing their food. Kittens who are old enough to eat solid food have no teeth developed enough to eat bones or anything hard. Rather than giving the whole strawberry for the kitten to chew and eat, make sure to cut it in to chew able pieces and then feed him.
8. Apples
Apples are not poisonous to kittens except for the seeds because the seeds in the apple contains cyanide which is not only poisonous for cats, but also for humans. The apple seed contains amygdalin which is composed of cyanide and sugar and can be dangerous if crushed by your your kitten if it chews it. This is the reason why you should make sure to remove all the seeds and wash the apple and then chopping it in to small pieces before feeding your cat or kitten.
100 grams of apple contains the following,
Sodium
Potassium
Dietary fiber
Vitamin-C
Magnesium
9. Watermelon
Watermelon is generally safe for kittens if given in small amounts because large amounts can cause digestive issues due to watermelons having high amounts of sugar. Just like apples, watermelon should not be fed to a cat or a kitten because the seeds in the watermelon contains hydrogen cyanide and if chewed, by the kitten could make the cyanide get exposed and hence be toxic. Watermelon seeds also could choke a kitten and should always be removed and washed before given. A typical watermelon weighing 100 grams contains the following,
Sodium
Potassium
Iron
Vitamin-C
Magnesium
These are the nine best non meat foods for a kitten and it is advised to get the advice of a veterinarian before feeding your kitten but in general, non of the above mentioned foods cause any harm to your cat.
1. Cheese
Cheese is safe for cats because it has milk protein and cats generally love milk. A small piece of cheese contains,
Protein
Saturated fat
Calcium
Cholesterol
Potassium
Vitamin-C
Iron
Magnesium
Vitamin-D
The downsize of giving too much cheese to a cat is that it could cause digestive issues and vomiting because some cats are lactose intolerant.
2. Curd and milk
Curd and milk contain protein and both are healthy alternatives if you cannot find any meat for your cat. Although it does not contain probiotics, it has many benefits which are similar and will help your cat's gut health. Pour milk in a bowl or plate and add a few spoons of curd for your kitty. Curd and milk are a good alternative to meat during an emergency.
3. Carrot
Carrots are a safe not meat food for cats and it is rich in fiber and beta carotene which converts in to vitamin-A and vitamin A plays a vital role in giving a healthy coat for a cat as well as strong muscles.. You should keep in ind that not all cats would like to eat carrots and you should not force feed your cat with something he doesn't like to eat. Cats unlike humans have a very few taste buds. While humans have approximately 9000 taste buds, cats only have around 470 and this is why they use their strong sense of sell to detect food. Given this fact, you shouldn't add any artificial sweet substance in carrots as cats are lactose intolerant. Some cats like boiled carrots and others like raw ones. Prepare the meal according to your kitten's likes and dislikes.
4. Bananas
Bananas are not only super tasty and nutritious for human, it is safe for your kitten too. You should keep in mind to give smell pieces for your cat and not to over feed him.It is impossible for a small kitten to chew on a banana so make sure to cut it into pieces if the kitten is too young. Older kittens can chew bananas cut into slices. Not all kittens will like eating bananas andif the kitten refuses, you can try out other food types for him.
5. Rice
Although rice is not an essential part of a cat's diet, it is still safe to give rice. There are a wide variety of rice but white rice is the easiest to digest due to low fiber. Rice is not at all toxic for a cat or kitten.
6. Blueberries
Blueberries are rich in antioxidants and antioxidants which helps in fighting inflammation in cats and kittens. Blue berries are not toxic for kittens and is a good non meaty treat for your kitty.
Nutrition of Blueberries per 100 grams,
Total fat
Cholesterol
Sodium
Potassium
Carbohydrate
Dietary fiber and sugar
Protein
Vitamin-C
Iron
Calcium
Magnesium
Vitamin B-6
Cobalamin
Always make sure to wash the blueberries thoroughly and then chop it into small pieces before giving it to the kitten. Kittens are picky just like adult cats and you should not force feed your cat if it doesn't like to eat it.
7. Strawberries
Just like blueberries, strawberries are safe for cats and kittens and has no toxicity that could cause any harm. 100 grams of strawberries contain the following nutrition value which helps a kitten stay healthy.
Cholesterol
Sodium
Potassium
Protein
Vitamin-C
Iron
Vitamin B-6
Magnesium
Cobalamin
Vitamin-D
Cats are obligate carnivores and are very picky when choosing their food. Kittens who are old enough to eat solid food have no teeth developed enough to eat bones or anything hard. Rather than giving the whole strawberry for the kitten to chew and eat, make sure to cut it in to chew able pieces and then feed him.
8. Apples
Apples are not poisonous to kittens except for the seeds because the seeds in the apple contains cyanide which is not only poisonous for cats, but also for humans. The apple seed contains amygdalin which is composed of cyanide and sugar and can be dangerous if crushed by your your kitten if it chews it. This is the reason why you should make sure to remove all the seeds and wash the apple and then chopping it in to small pieces before feeding your cat or kitten.
100 grams of apple contains the following,
Sodium
Potassium
Dietary fiber
Vitamin-C
Magnesium
9. Watermelon
Watermelon is generally safe for kittens if given in small amounts because large amounts can cause digestive issues due to watermelons having high amounts of sugar. Just like apples, watermelon should not be fed to a cat or a kitten because the seeds in the watermelon contains hydrogen cyanide and if chewed, by the kitten could make the cyanide get exposed and hence be toxic. Watermelon seeds also could choke a kitten and should always be removed and washed before given. A typical watermelon weighing 100 grams contains the following,
Sodium
Potassium
Iron
Vitamin-C
Magnesium
These are the nine best non meat foods for a kitten and it is advised to get the advice of a veterinarian before feeding your kitten but in general, non of the above mentioned foods cause any harm to your cat.