People Foods

Reader BellaBunny asks "Dear Kemmei –

I need some advice. Some people give their cats leftovers from people food, along with cat food. Other people say that people food is not good for cats and that only cat food should be fed to cats. My cats are very willing to share my chicken, ham and tuna … but I don’t want to feed it to them if it might not be healthy for them. What is your opinion on this My cats (Miss Kitty and Oreo) are standing by and licking their chops while they wait for your answer."

Kemmei love people foods! You should give it to kitties all the time!! On second thought, it probably very bad for your kitties (those not sound like names of kitties who can handles people foods) though. Bring to Kemmei's house and she take care of it for you.

Someone is a very messy eater.

A NOTE FROM KEMMEI'S MOMMY

(I promise this won't happen often.)

People food can be okay for your cat in small quantities. There are dangers with anything you feed to a pet. Cats and dogs should not have poultry unless there are no bones. Do not feed your pet anything you aren't willing to eat yourself- it it isn't safe for you, it isn't safe for them. This applies mostly to older leftovers, not bad cooking! If you aren't sure if it's okay, call your vet before giving them anything. Don't just try meat- Kari loves bananas and green beans. Stay away from junk food, even though they love it. It's just as bad for them as it is for us!

Feeding people food to a pet can also cause some bad behaviors, mostly begging and digging in the trash. Trust me- I have a black-and-white menace who does both of these things. It's taking me far longer to break her bad habits than it did for her to learn them. To prevent bad behaviors, use the following tips: 

-- ALWAYS give your pet the food in their own bowl, NOT from your plate or from the table. 

-- Try feeding people food as a reward for learning a new trick. Make them work for it! Kemmei is currently learning to sit on command, and Kari will be learning to shake paws soon. Both of them already know how to 'sit pretty'. Yes, even though they are cats and those are dog tricks.

-- Give your pet the food at a time they will not associate with YOUR dinner. After the dishes are done, after or during THEIR dinner, or at any random time. Otherwise, you will have your pets trying to lead you into the kitchen like they're Lassie, and Timmy has fallen down the well.