Meat, meat, and meat! Cats love meat. There is no chance your cat would miss any kind of meat in this world. You would want the best for your feline. So, you would not serve them just anything out of the box. When your cat has a refined and defined diet, which mostly serves your purpose and there too, you should feed them. If you have been wondering if your cats can eat smoked turkey, the answer to the same is yes, cats can eat smoked turkey.
Smoked turkey is the type of meat you would serve your cat as occasional treats. They can make or break a diet, as their effectiveness (or the lack of it) depends on how you feed smoked turkey to cats. Here, we will tell you more on how cats can benefit from eating stuff like smoked turkey and some tips you can note when feeding smoked turkey to your feline friends.
So, if you are close to thanksgiving and want to serve your turkey on the table, stay tuned to know what steps you can take to serve your cat the highest good of all.
Is eating smoked turkey safe for cats?
Yes, cats will not face any problems, when they eat smoked turkey. It is completely fine for cats to eat smoked turkey in small portions. If you feed them way too much of it, you will only cause your cat to become obese and grumpy. That’s the last thing we want for our cats! To avoid this situation, you can add smoked turkey to their daily meals in moderation, or you can also give it as occasional treats.
Turkeys are full of protein and nutrition. They will help your cat grow faster and better. Cats can eat smoked beef, turkey, and chicken. Cats are obligate carnivores. As natural hunters, they do need meat to survive. So when you provide them with enough balance of both plant-based and meat-based foods, cats grow better than ever.
However, turkey can be your cats’ favorite meat, depending on the festive season. Turkeys are mostly good, tasty, and nutrition-packed meat to serve to your cat. The same meat can cause adverse reactions in felines when fed raw. Ensure that you don’t feed raw turkey or any raw meat to cats, as it can trigger unnecessary allergic reactions in your pets.
Turkeys are the food that prevents your cat from getting sick. Give your kitty some cooked beef, chicken, turkey, even deli meats from your local grocery store. However, make sure everything is fresh and not stale, as it will lead to problems if the meat is contaminated. Smoked meats have high sodium content and can contain sulfites, which are not ideal for cats. They have to have protein from meat for a strong heart, good vision, and a healthy reproductive system. Cooked beef, chicken, turkey, and small amounts of lean deli meats are a great way to give them that. Raw or spoiled meat could make your cat sick. If you wouldn’t eat it, don’t give it to your pet.
The sodium debate
We all know how harmful sodium can be for cats. If you do not know how sodium affects cats you should know more about it right now. This is because once your cat gets addicted to sodium there is no going back to normal. We simply put food in front of our felines, expecting them to eat it without complaints. The cute animals don’t have a clue that these foods may contain many things that are not meant to be fed to them.
Moderation is the key when it comes to preventing your cats from falling sick or developing allergic reactions when eating new foods. Anything that you feed your cats in excess, will hurt them in many ways. In this case, we recommend you not to serve your cat raw meat of any kind because raw meats contain bacteria like e.coli and salmonella. These bacteria are killed once the meat is cooked, but not when they are raw. They hurt the cats’ digestive enzymes and mess with their very simple intestine. All of this trouble can be evaded, if we limit sodium intake in the cats’ food. They should also be presented well to the cat to have the yearning to eat it.
Sodium and preservatives are something that should not be served to your cat in very minimal quantities. Do not present your cat with a canned or frozen turkey. Canned food is packed with preservatives to keep it fresh, and we do not need such kind of food for our cats unless it is extremely necessary. Preservatives have a very bad effect on the cats’ digestive system because the sensitive digestive system of cats cannot handle chemicals or even certain bacteria that humans can digest.
We suggest you present your cat with smoked turkey only as small portions of food and not as a daily meal. You can let them eat smoked turkey, beef, and chicken as occasional treats. Save the best for the last is what we would suggest. Overconsumption of smoked turkey can lead to obesity and gastrointestinal problems. In short, we can tell you that smoked turkey, when had in excess quantities, can lead to three of the most common health hazards that domesticated cats experience all over the world – gastrointestinal issues, feline obesity, and sodium toxicity.
Bottom line
Smoked turkey is something that your cats will love. However, since they can never get enough of this meat, you should ensure that you include this as part of occasional and mini treats only. Smoked turkey is not bland, and it is cooked using a few spices and salt. While you can skip the spices, you cannot skip the salt when smoking a turkey for your family. If your cat nibbles off a small piece of smoked turkey at times, it shouldn’t be a major cause of concern for you. However, if it eats too much-smoked turkey, over a prolonged period, it could become obese and suffer from salt toxicity. So, always practice moderation when giving a smoked turkey to cats.