Food wise!

We love to pamper our kitties with the food we eat. But beware, this can be harmful for your cat.

Here’s a list of food that should not be given to your beloved kitties:

Milk: Large number of cats cannot tolerate milk because of lactose intolerance as cats cannot produce proper amount of lactic acid. The lactic acid contains lactase enzyme which breaks down the milk and helps in digesting it. Lack of enzyme results in upset stomach and diarrhoea. So, if your cat shows sign of diarrhoea after milk consumption, she is milk intolerant.

Raw fish: Cats like tuna fish but if she eats too much raw fish, it will destroy Thiamine and cause lots of problems in her movement.

Table scraps: When you eat, your untrained cat may sit in front of you and beg for food. Do not give her table scraps because it may contain oily and fatty food which may cause stomach upset or obesity. Besides, sharp chicken bones, fish bone or hard bone of mutton can cause perforation of oesophagus or stomach, bones may get stuck between two teeth, or in the throat and hard bones may cause breaking of teeth.

Eggs: Raw egg should not be given to the cat as this may cause bacterial infection. Cooked egg can be given, but in small quantity.

Onion and garlic: They are very harmful to your cat as they can destroy their RBC (Red Blood Cells) and cause anaemia.

Grapes: Like dog, it is very harmful to your cat as it causes gastric irritation and vomiting.

Chocolate: It contains Theobromine which causes CNS (Central Nervous System) and cardiacs stimulations; as a result, it increases blood pressure and may even cause death.

Liver: Don’t give liver everyday to your cat as it causes vitamin A deficiency, besides eye, skin and bone problems.

Tea and coffee: They contain caffeine which causes gastric irritation to your pets.

Candy, gum and cake: They are sweetened with Xylitol which causes liver damage, lethargy and vomiting.

Alcohol: It’s a strict ‘No-no’. Even a two teaspoon alcohol can kill your cat.

Commercial dog foods: It is not a substitute of cat food. Cat food contains Taurine which is important to maintain their metabolic activity and this is not present in dog food.

Bread: Bread contains yeast, which is fermented inside the body and produces alcohol, causing harm to your cat.

Human medicines: Never give your human medicines to your cat. Human pain killers cause blood vomiting and bloody stool.

So, before you toss that food towards your cat out of love, think again...is it harmful for our pet?

(Dr Goutam Mukherjee runs Get Well Pet Centre in Kolkata)

I would like to know what food..

Q: I have a one-year-old GSD male. I would like to know what food should be given to him in summer and if any special care needs to be taken in the hot months. He sometimes is not very keen on eating food though otherwise his appetite is not much of a problem. I would also like to know certain tips on the overall health of this particular breed. How many times should we bathe him in summer?
- Snigdha, Pune

Dr KG Umesh: Heat and heat stress affects skin health and digestive health and in addition to heat stroke, the susceptible pets (puppies, young dogs, aged pets) are prone to develop a number of heat related diseases due to hyperthermia and reduced immune function. Dogs tend to eat less in summer but they spend more energy in an effort to lower the body temperature (e.g., panting). Therefore, a well-balanced nutritionally complete diet like Pedigree (which also contains some natural antioxidants) confers some protection against the effects of heat stress. Feed during cooler part of the day, if possible, or increase frequency of feeding. Make sure that you feed total recommended quantity of food for your pet in 2-3 meals. Remember to give them plenty of water so they don’t become dehydrated in the warm weather. Avoid exercising your pet in the midday heat. It’s extremely dangerous to leave a pet alone in a vehicle/room/outdoors in the sun – even with a window open – as an overheated car/room can have fatal consequences. Your pets can only cool down by panting, so make sure they have access to shade, proper shelter and water when outside. Dogs only need bathing when they are dirty or on the advice of your veterinarian.

Q: I have a five-month-old Labrador. His ears remain half erect most of times. It was alright till three months. Do I need to worry and is there something I need to do?
- Kunwar Partap Singh

Dr KG Umesh: If there are no signs of ear infection, this can be considered “normal” and many a time they become erect as ear cartilage becomes tough. Wait and watch is simple answer until he grows to an adult.

Q: My female Labrador has conceived for second time. The first time there were five puppies but were not healthy. Do advice how do I take care of her. Also in the life span of the dog, how many times is it okay for her to become pregnant? What should be the time difference between each pregnancy- so that the mother keeps healthy? If we do not want more puppies- when is it a good time to spay her?
- Rohit Medade

Dr KG Umesh: Lactation represents the most nutritionally demanding life stage for the female dog. During the first four weeks post whelping, she must eat enough to support both herself and her rapidly growing puppies. She may need to eat up to four times. Failure to meet these demands means that she will nurse her young at the expense for her own body reserves, with a resultant loss of weight and condition. The reproductive efficiency is generally greatest between three and five years of age. A female dog spayed before her first heat will have a near zero chance of developing mammary cancer but spaying can be done anytime now for your dog (avoid when she is in heat). Spaying removes both the uterus and both ovaries and is crucial in the prevention of many medical problems like mammary cancer and uterus infection etc.

Q: I want a house pet and am confused between a GSD and a Rottweiler. Can you advice what points should I consider before adopting either of them.
- Dr Vishal Shah, Ahmedabad

Dr KG Umesh: Why do you need a dog? Most people choose to keep a dog for companionship, but your choice may be influenced by whether you expect your dog to have a protective or working role, or if you intend to show or breed from your dog. You must consider your own environment (space, time for exercise etc) and the characteristics of your chosen breeds and try to match up the two and select the one who match your environment and preferences. For example, GSD is acclaimed for his versatility, renowned for his intelligence, and beloved for his devotion and loyalty to his owner. The Rottweiler is a large intimidating-looking dog with muscular and powerful body. They must be thoroughly socialized at an early age as most Rottweilers are inclined towards dominance/aggression and will test for position in the family pecking order.

Q: My Lhasa Apso puppy is 45 days old. We are feeding him four times with four hours gap: 6 am (milk), 11 am (Pedigree weaning or cerelac), 3pm (curd rice), 7 pm (cerelac), but the pup is still hungry and is asking for more. He urinates more than 20 - 30 times, sometimes white in colour and sometimes yellow. He does poop four times. Should we feed him more?
- Dinesh Koti

Dr KG Umesh: As the owner of a new puppy, you’ll want him to grow up fit and healthy, and reach his full genetic potential; all you have to do is provide your puppy with the correct diet right from the start. Proper nutrition allows for the puppy to reach his full genetic potential. It is difficult even for an experienced breeder to get the nutritional balance just right by preparing home made food. Overfeeding or too much of cereals may cause frequent and loose stools. Remember that puppies grow approximately 12 times faster than baby and baby foods/home prepared diets do not meet nutrient requirements of puppy. Mixing Pedigree with home food make his diet unbalanced. The best idea is to get your puppy used to eating only commercially prepared foods like Pedigree from the very start as they are designed to meet all their nutritional requirements.

Q: I have a Labrador who is four months old. My puppy’s front legs are becoming lean and chest/abdomen is growing and his weight is 18 kg now. He is currently having dog food four times a day with a four-hour gap. Is his growth normal?
- Manjith, Trivandrum

Dr KG Umesh: A nutritionally balanced diet is crucial for the healthy growth and development of a puppy in order to prepare him for an active, long and healthy life. Growing large breed puppies like yours are prone to develop skeletal problems by either overfeeding or underfeeding energy or/and calcium. It is therefore important to monitor his general condition and record his weight regularly on the puppy growth. The best idea is to get your puppy used to eating commercially prepared foods from the very start. The advantages of reputed commercially prepared foods are that they meet all a dog’s nutritional requirements and they don’t require any food supplements including calcium.

one year old cat prefers wet food..

Dr KG Umesh (MVSc, MSc (UK)) is a Postgraduate in Clinical Medicine. He is working for WALTHAM as Regional Associate for South Asia.

Q: My one year old cat prefers wet food and is not eating her dry cat food. Is it ok to feed her wet food only? We are mixing the wet food with rice and feeding her twice a day. Also can I feed her fish, chicken or mutton?
-Thelma, Kottayam

Dr KG Umesh: A typical wet food contains 70-120 Kcal per 100g, whereas a dry food contains around 350-400 kcal per 100g. Both wet and dry cat food from reputed manufacturers like Whiskas are complete and balanced food, the difference being water content. Therefore cat will drink more water while eating less dry food compared to wet food. Feeding only wet food also benefits urinary tract health in cats. Feeding one format may encourage the cat to eat the other, i.e. if cat doesn’t like dry food, you can add wet to encourage the cat to eat the dry food. A nutritionally balanced diet is crucial for the healthy growth and development of a cat in order to prepare him for an active, long, and healthy life. Cats cannot thrive on the same basic nutrients as human beings due to their different physiology and the nutrients are needed in proportionately larger quantities. Prepared pet foods from reputable pet food manufacturers come with a guarantee of nutritional adequacy, quality and safety. Our research indicated that most homemade diets/foods fed to cats in our country are inadequate. Therefore do not feed any supplements or home diet while he is feeding on commercial cat food from reputed manufacturer.

Thought for food…

In the last issue, we gave you tips on how to make your kitty comfortable to his new environment. Here are a few more tips for feeding your kitty:

Why interval feed?

• Interval feeding is important, that is food’s not available at all times.


• Smell of the food and not the taste triggers the cat’s brain sending out the message to slow down the whole metabolism so that the body can concentrate on digesting…this is perfect for digesting the food efficiently, but not a state of affairs we want to continue 24 hours a day. So, while we often think we need to leave the food out for a cat who is finicky and/or needs to gain weight, we are actually achieving the opposite, as the cat’s appetite is not stimulated naturally.


• Recent research states that cats who fall ill with urinary blockage almost always come from homes where food was left available all day long.


• Leaving food available all day long is also the primary cause of the finicky eater syndrome. Slowed metabolism is a cause of several health problems–among them dandruff, obesity and skinniness. If a cat has a poor appetite, the answer is not to leave more food available for longer periods but just the opposite.


• Putting food out identifies you as the source of the food and helps you and your kitten to bond.


• We start training our kittens to come to “Here Kitty Kitty Kitty…” when we feed them. Adding the cat’s name to this sequence, teaches him his own name and to come when called.

How to feed?

• For a 9-12 wks old kitten, try just 1/8th cup three times a day. Call the kitty: “Here kitty, kitty, kitty, NAME-kitty” when you put food out, every time. Let the cat eat and leave. Then after 10-20 min, discard the leftovers where the cat will not smell it.


• If you have more than one kitten, give each his own bowl, which lets you monitor how much each kitten eats and

keep them from competing for food.

• Some male adult cats want more than 1/3rd cup every 8 hours and some females eat barely 1/4th cup total in 24 hrs at 12 wks though this is very low.


• Males eat twice as much as females during their rapid growth phase of five to ten months, usually. Males’ appetites sometimes increase rapidly.


• The ribs should be identifiable as ribs but not countable, having a slight layer of fat over them.


• Use cat food as it has proper supplements and vitamins.


• Dishes need to be wide enough so that he does not need to bend his whiskers when eating off the bottom of the dish, or drinking from the bottom. Cats do not like to bend their whiskers, and will eat and drink less, rather than go through this unpleasant experience.


• Dishes should be ceramic without lead or arsenic in the glaze, or metal or glass, not plastic.

(Kit Humphrey, featured columnist of Cats & Kittens, is a retire physician. From Siberian Gatos Cattery in the US, she is responsible for cattery policies and choices that include a programme to eliminate Corona Virus, HCM, Bartonella, Toxoplasmosis, etc.)