Choose cat food first as staple food
Complete and balanced cat food and water are the basis of every day. Cooked chicken, cooked fish and some fruits and vegetables can be given in small amounts, but they cannot replace staple foods.
POBUMI Cat Diet Guide
What can cats eat?
Check the food first and then see how to deal with it. The following takes a generally healthy adult cat as an example.
One important point
Don’t feed these
Onions, garlic, chocolate, caffeine and alcohol cannot be fed. Also put away grapes, raisins and sugar-free foods first; if ingested, consult your veterinarian.
When you eat it for the first time, give a little first
Confirm the ingredients and cooking method first, then give a small amount and observe. For kittens, older cats, sick cats, or cats on prescription feeds, ask your veterinarian first.
Check 53 kinds of food and feeding conditions
Search results
Not included does not mean it is safe. Ask your veterinarian first before feeding.
Eatable
Take care of complete cat food and water first; give other foods in small amounts according to each condition.
Staple food and water
The daily basis is complete cat food and clean water.
Complete and balanced cat staple food
Staple foodSelect the complete staple food that is suitable for the cat's current life stage; both dry and wet forms can be selected according to individual needs.
Clean water
Clean water available dailyClean water is always available; milk is not a substitute for water.
Meat, fish and eggs
Cooked, boned and dethorned, not seasoned; only used as a small snack.
Cooked chicken
Can be eaten in small amountsCooked, boneless and skinless, without salt and seasoning, cut into small pieces; you cannot feed only chicken for a long time.
Cooked turkey
Can be eaten in small amountsCooked, boneless and skinless, without sauce or spices.
Cooked beef
Can be eaten in small amountsCooked, boneless, excess fat removed, unseasoned; individual cats may be intolerant to protein sources.
Cooked white-fleshed fish
Can be eaten in small amountsCooked, carefully deboned, no seasoning; only a snack, not a single staple food.
Cooked salmon
Can be eaten in small amountsCook, debone and unseasoned, in small amounts; do not substitute smoked or salted fish.
Canned sardines in clear water
Can occasionallyMake sure it is soaked in clear water, no salt and no seasoning, and check the fish bones; it is not a complete cat staple food.
Vegetables and starch
Cats do not need to rely on vegetables to supplement their staple food nutrition; follow each treatment when they want to.
Carrot
Can be eaten in small amountsWash and cut into small pieces; can be boiled until soft and not seasoned. Cats do not need to rely on vegetables to supplement their staple food nutrients.
Pumpkins
Can be eaten in small amountsOriginal, cut into small pieces; do not mistake pumpkin pie fillings with added sugar or spices for pumpkin.
Cauliflower
Can be eaten in very small amountsCook until soft and cut into small pieces; PDSA warns that eating more may be uncomfortable.
Asparagus
Can be eaten in small amountsCut into small pieces that are easy to swallow. If it is hard, boil it until soft.
Peas
Can be eaten in small amountsOriginal, cut into small pieces or pressed until soft, no salt added.
Green beans
Can be eaten in small amountsCooked, cut into small pieces, without salt, butter or sauce.
Corn kernels
Can be eaten in small amountsGive only a small amount of plain corn kernels; corn stalks pose a risk of obstruction.
Spinach
Can be eaten in very small amountsCats Protection is listed as a vegetable that can be fed, but is not a necessity; ask your veterinarian if you have a disease or prescribed diet.
Original mashed potatoes
Can be eaten in small amountsCooked, without butter, milk, salt and garlic; not recommended as a regular snack.
Fruits and snacks
Remove seeds and cores from fruits; all snacks are included in the daily intake.
Banana
Can be eaten in small amountsCut a small amount into small pieces and count them as snacks of the day.
Blueberries
Can be eaten in small amountsWash and cut into sizes that are easy for the cat to swallow according to the size of the cat.
Hami melon and other melons
Can be eaten in small amountsRemove seeds, peel and cut into small pieces.
Cat snacks
Appropriate amountSee if the product is a supplementary snack, and the deduction will be based on the daily food intake; the cat's staple food must still be complete and balanced.
Cannot feed
Some are poisonous, and some may choke or hurt the stomach.
Never feed it
Onions, shallots and shallots
Absolutely do not feed themAvoid raw, cooked and dry powder; they may harm red blood cells.
Garlic and garlic powder
Absolutely do not feed themAvoid all forms, and the risk cannot be eliminated by cooking.
Chives, chives, and allium seasonings
Absolutely do not feed themCheck the ingredients of soups, sauces, meat fillings, and seasoning powders containing allium ingredients.
Chocolate and cocoa powder
Absolutely do not feed themTheobromine and caffeine can cause serious symptoms; you need to be more vigilant about dark chocolate and baked cocoa.
Coffee, tea and energy drinks
Absolutely do not feed themCaffeine-containing beverages and foods should be avoided.
Alcohol and wine-containing food
Absolutely do not feed themAlcohol, alcohol-filled candy, and uncooked food with alcohol removed are not allowed to cats.
Unbaked yeast dough
Absolutely do not feed themCan expand in the body and produce alcohol. It is an accidental ingestion that requires urgent consultation with a veterinarian.
Moldy or spoiled food
Absolutely do not feed themDo not let cats dig through food scraps, garbage or compost.
Wild mushrooms
Absolutely do not feed themIt is difficult to identify poisonous species by appearance; if ingested by mistake, contact your veterinarian first and keep photos or samples.
Don't feed them directly
Bones
Don't feed themCooked bones may break; raw bones also carry risks of choking, tooth damage, bacteria and obstruction.
Raw meat, raw fish, and raw eggs
Don't feed themPathogen and parasite risks; raw poultry meat, milk, and eggs that have not been effectively processed also carry the risk of avian influenza.
Pits, seeds, and corn stalks
Don't feed themEven if the pulp is edible, remove the seeds and core; hard cores and corn stalks can cause choking or intestinal obstruction.
Green tomatoes and tomato leaves and stems
Don't feed themDifferent from ripe pulp; tomato plants and unripe fruits contain toxic components.
Bacon, sausage, and fatty meat
Don't feed themHigh in fat and salt, often containing onions, garlic or other seasonings; not suitable as cat snacks.
Nuts
Not recommendedHigh fat may cause gastrointestinal discomfort; do not directly apply the specific symptoms of macadamia beans in dogs to cats.
Easily confused
The answers may be different depending on the ingredients, preparation and portion size of the same food.
Canned tuna eaten by people
Inappropriate for daily useEating a small amount by mistake usually does not mean acute poisoning; long-term feeding of canned food for people will cause imbalance, and may also contain high salt or mercury.
Milk and fresh cream
Not recommendedMost adult cats have difficulty digesting lactose and may have diarrhea; choose clean water for drinking.
Cheese
Not recommendedIt is not necessarily a poison in itself, but the lactose, fat and salt may make cats uncomfortable.
Cat milk
OptionalEven if it is labeled lactose-free, it still has extra calories and cannot replace water or complete staple foods.
Dog food
Cannot be used as cat staple foodEating it occasionally does not mean acute poisoning, but it does mean a long-term lack of nutrients that cats need.
Homemade pure meat meal
Cannot be used as a complete staple foodOnly chicken, fish or beef will lack complete nutrition; homemade long-term staple food requires a veterinary nutritional formula.
Grapes and raisins
Avoid; evidence for cats is conflictingPDSA and others recommend not feeding; ASPCA and Merck indicate that the main confirmed cases are in dogs, and there is limited evidence for cats. If swallowed by mistake, consult your veterinarian first.
Xylitol food
Avoid; Do not trap the toxicity of dogsDo not treat sugar-free chewing gum, toothpaste, etc. as food; the ASPCA states that cats do not have the known severe hypoglycemic reaction of dogs, but the product may have other risks.
Avocado
Does not actively feedDifferent institutions describe the risks differently; the pulp is high in fat, the core may be clogged, and guacamole often contains onions and garlic.
Ripe tomato pulp
Optional snacksThe ASPCA believes that ripe fruits are not toxic; tomato plants and green tomatoes carry additional risks. Cooking tomatoes often contain salt and onions and garlic.
Commercially available edible mushrooms
Optional snacksASPCA believes that common edible mushrooms are generally harmless; wild mushrooms are difficult to identify and can cause serious poisoning.
What if my cat ate something unsafe?
- 01Take away leftover food and keep the packaging, ingredient lists or photos.
- 02Write down what was eaten, how much was eaten, the time and the cat's current condition.
- 03Contact a veterinarian or animal emergency department immediately; do not wait for symptoms, and do not induce vomiting, infuse salt water, or give medicine on your own.
FAQ
Do cats have to eat vegetables?
No need. Being able to eat certain vegetables in small amounts does not mean that you need to rely on vegetables for nutritional supplements; the focus is still on a complete and balanced staple food suitable for cats.
Can cooked chicken breast be used as a daily staple food?
Don’t just rely on chicken breast. It can be an unflavored snack, but eating it alone for a long time will be unbalanced.
Can cats like fish eat human canned tuna every day?
Not recommended. Canned tuna for humans is not a complete cat staple food, and may also be high in salt; the fish must be cooked and deboned.
Can milk help cats supplement nutrition?
No. Adult cats often have lactose intolerance, so drinking water should be given; feeding special kittens should be guided by a veterinarian.
What should you pay attention to when taking a bite of new food?
Confirm the ingredients and seasoning first, then give a very small amount and observe. If there is vomiting, diarrhea, or mental deterioration, stop feeding and ask your veterinarian; if you have any illness or prescription diet, ask your veterinarian first.
If the cat doesn’t eat, can it be replaced by some human food?
First clarify the reasons for not eating. Cats that continue to refuse to eat may quickly develop health problems; don't delay medical attention just by changing tastes.
What should I do if my cat eats dangerous food?
Take away the remaining food, write down the product name, ingredients, amount, time and the cat's condition, and contact the veterinarian or animal emergency department immediately; do not induce vomiting or instill salt water on your own.
Data source: 25 copies
- Cornell Feline Health Center｜Feeding Your CatView original data ↗
- PDSA｜The best diet for your catView original data ↗
- Cats Protection｜Cats and Human FoodsView original data ↗
- RSPCA Australia｜What should I feed my cat?View original data ↗
- Cats Protection｜Feeding Your CatView original data ↗
- ASPCA Poison Control｜People Foods to Avoid Feeding Your PetsView original data ↗
- Cats Protection｜Easter treats for catsView original data ↗
- Cats Protection｜Can cats eat turkey?View original data ↗
- ASPCA Poison Control｜Be Prepared to Deal with Pet PoisonsView original data ↗
- Merck Veterinary Manual｜Grape and Raisin Toxicosis in DogsView original data ↗
- ASPCA Poison Control｜Xylitol and Other AnimalsView original data ↗
- FDA｜H5N1 in Pet Food Safety PlansView original data ↗
- PDSA｜My cat has eaten something harmfulView original data ↗
- Cornell Feline Health Center｜Common Cat HazardsView original data ↗
- Cats Protection｜Cat PoisoningView original data ↗
- ASPCA Poison Control｜Mushroom ToxicosisView original data ↗
- ASPCA Poison Control｜Tomato PlantView original data ↗
- ASPCA Poison Control｜Avocado and Your PetsView original data ↗
- PetMD veterinary article｜Can Cats Eat Eggs?View original data ↗
- Cats Protection｜Can cats eat cheese?View original data ↗
- Cats Protection｜Cats and DrinkingView original data ↗
- PetMD veterinary article｜Can Cats Eat Chicken?View original data ↗
- ASPCA Poison Control｜Salt and Food HazardsView original data ↗
- Cats Protection｜Why cats should not eat raw foodsView original data ↗
- ASPCA Poison Control｜Pets and ProduceView original data ↗
Data compilation: 2026-10-01. For kittens, older cats, sick cats, or cats on prescription feeds, ask your veterinarian first.