Last year I did an article about Thanksgiving and cats, but it ended up focusing on things not to give your cats, so this year, I thought I'd try to focus on things that would make nice Thanksgiving treats for cats! Some of these might not be your traditional Thanksgiving foods, but they are foods you might have around that would make a safe Thanksgiving treat for your cat!
So, what are some good Thanksgiving meals for cats?
If you are making apple pie for Thanksgiving, apples are fine for cats, so while you're cutting up the apples into slices or cubes, your cat can indulge in slice or two! Catster.com says apples have vitiamans C and K, along with calcium and fiber that can offer health benefits too! Just make sure they don't eat any seeds, leaves or apple stems.
I recently heard of a pie called Banoffee, which is a combination of Banana and toffee. While I wouldn't recommend Banoffee pie for cats, bananas are another human food that cats can eat, so if you are slicing up bananas for a pie, it's ok for your cat to have a bite! (And if you are making Banoffee pie - I want a taste!)
If you are having broccoli for Thanksgiving, your cat can have some of it boiled or steamed, but leave off any seasonings for them! The Almanac says broccoli is one of the best vegetables for cats because it is full of antioxidants.
Another food you can include in a cats thanksgiving is squash and pumpkin, but again without the seasonings. Catster.com says plain cooked pumpkin is good for your cats digestive system and the almanac offers some tips on baking or roasting pumpkins to make a puree that you can add to cat's wet or dry food! But while plain cooked pumpkin is good for cats, that's not true for pumpkin pie which contains sugar and spices that cats shouldn't eat!
Are you a family that eats jellied cranberry sauce from a can, or do you get fresh cranberries? Either way it's ok for cats to have a taste, but if you have fresh cranberries, there might even be some health benefits to your cat! Catster.com even suggests that a good home made meal for your cat could be fresh cranberries with carrots and chicken with some flax oil.
Green beans are another thanksgiving food that cats can eat, but again skip the seasonings! Going back to Catster.com again, they say green beans are an excellent source of fiber, and if your cats like them, they suggest they might want some green beans in place of treats once in a while.
And now to the main event! Since cats are meat eaters, a cat thanksgiving can include turkey! Make sure that they don't eat any bones and if the skin is seasoned, they should stay away from it too, but plain, cooked turkey meat is high in protein and something you can share with your cat for Thanksgiving!
What treats do you like to give your cats on thanksgiving? Let's all celebrate a healthy, happy catsgiving!
Cover photo by Evelina Photography on Unsplash
Leave a comment