Discover the expert in you.
Discover the expert in you.
Holiday hams usually end up providing plenty of leftovers. Leftovers are often given to guests to take home, used for sandwiches or even for feeding pets. The only problem is that pure ham is a little more potent with protein and sodium than what is normally in a pet's foods. Cats can be very sensitive to too much protein, salt and fat, which could cause their stomach to hurt, or even cause kidney issues. If you choose to feed your cat ham shank, do so only in moderation.
Feeding table scraps to cats is typically not a good idea, as it can cause them to become obese, finicky with their own food and can create behavioral problems. Avoid feeding table scraps to domestic felines with advice from a practicing veterinarian in this free video on pet care.
When you have a few slivers of vegetables and meat left after dinner, you may be tempted to give the cat these scraps. Giving table scraps to cats is usually not a good idea: Much depends on what kind of food it is.
It's easy to treat pets like children, so you might find yourself spoiling them from time to time. Cats enjoy treats and they always want what you are having. It's okay to fee them table scraps every once in a while, but it has to be done in a way that doesn't make the cat feel that it can beg or get on top of the table.
