If you’ve got a feline friend in your home, we are pretty sure you’re extra conscious about their health. Like spam and Takis, corned beef is a delicacy that’s very hard to resist. You must be wondering, can cats eat corned beef? The short answer is no! Corned beef has ingredients that are not healthy for your furry friend.
Cats are very adventurous and it can be hard to keep things, especially food away from them. During festive seasons when corned beef is highly desired, it can be challenging to keep them far away from your cat’s paws. However, you must not feed your cat corned beef. Here’s our answer to your question ‘can cats eat corned beef?’ and everything you need to know related to it.
What Is Corned Beef And What Does It Contain?
Generally, canned corned beef contains very few ingredients. Here is a typical list of corned beef ingredients:
- Sodium nitrite
- Sugar
- Salt
- Cooked beef (generally a brisket)
To produce corned beef, the meat is firstly cured and during this process, it absorbs a ton of ‘corns’ of salt. After that, it’s cooked and canned providing that tender and savory piece of meat with that distinct salty taste.
There are very few people that don’t like the taste of corned beef. However, there’s a problem—As you can see from the above ingredient list, it contains a lot of sugar and salt. The amount of salt and sugar isn’t a huge deal for us but for cats, they can pose a problem.
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Can Cats Eat Corned Beef? Why Not?
Unfortunately, you need to keep corned beef as far away as possible from your feline friend. And if you’re wondering if your cat can eat at least a small amount of it, it’s still a no.
Corned beef contains beef as the main ingredient and the name might deceive you into thinking that it’s okay to feed it to your cat. However, beef isn’t the problem but the excessive amount of salt.
Corned beef is made through dry curing and if you’re dry curing at home, the beef will be left covered in salt for the whole day. The excessive amount of salt found in corned beef is dangerous to your cat’s health. Beef is an essential nutrient for your cat but you must refrain from feeding it corned beef.
Due to the excessive sodium levels, it’ll be harmful to your cat. However, your cat isn’t aware that salt is dangerous for them so you need to make sure that corned beef or any salty food items are out of your cat’s reach.
Why Is Salt Bad For Cats?
Salt is present in virtually every food item but in high amounts, it can pose a health risk for cats. Even for humans, junk food high in preservatives, sugar, and salt is unhealthy, and for cats, it can be lethal.
Cats are a lot smaller than humans and particularly sensitive to salt. It’s not toxic and some cat food contains a tiny amount of sodium which is required for their diet.
However, other than food items specifically made for cats, you must never feed your cat any food items high in salt. It’s not how much salt is dangerous for your cat as even a tiny amount of pure salt can be dangerous for your cat. Consuming high-salt food items like corned beef can lead to side effects such as lethargy, vomiting, excessive thirst, and in severe cases, convulsions and kidney damage.
If your corned beef can is missing, you must immediately look for the culprit and make sure they are not showing any negative symptoms. If you notice unusual behavior or sounds, you must take your cat to the vet immediately.
Can Cats Eat Beef Then?
In short, yes cats can eat beef. However, it’s not much about the meat but how it’s prepared. Moreover, it’s not the quantity but the quality as well. Regardless of the food item, ensure that you’re not overfeeding your cat.
Beef is a powerful source of protein and other essential nutrients for your cat. And since cats are carnivores, they rely heavily on meat for their growth and development. However, plainly cooked meat is always a much healthier option compared to processed meat. While some benefits might be lost during the cooking process, other benefits are gained.
Corned beef isn’t a healthy choice for your feline friend. Especially during St. Patricks Day, you might have a lot of corned beef around your kitchen but you need to ensure that they are far away from your cat’s paws.
What Meats Are Good For Cats?
As stated above, cats are carnivores and as such, they love the taste of meat and need it for their growth. They need protein and other essential nutrients found in the flesh of other animals to survive and live a healthy long life.
However, this doesn’t mean that you should feed them meat every single day. In fact, many specially formulated cat food contains the same proteins and nutrients that cats can find from prey in the wild.
Meat is still an excellent and necessary addition to their diet. However, refrain from feeding highly processed meat filled with an excessive amount of salt and sugar like corned beef.
If you want to feed meat to your cat, you should opt for chicken, turkey, or beef with no seasoning or added preservatives. There is also plenty of cat food containing meat that you can buy from the local pet store. Additionally, these cat food and snacks contain tons of good for health nutrients and essentials for your cat.
Conclusion
This brings us to the end of our guide on can cats eat corned beef? And hopefully, this answers your question. Maintaining and observing your cat’s diet is crucial to ensure that your cat is healthy and lives a long life. While beef isn’t unhealthy for your cat corned beef due to its high salt content can be dangerous for your cat. And as such, make sure that your cat doesn’t consume corned beef.