When we think about eggs, we normally think about them as a breakfast food, fried sunny side-up with a slice of toast and maybe even a sausage in there too. Eggs are a true superfood, with numerous benefits including high amounts of protein, vitamins, and minerals to name a few.
You’ve probably considered including eggs into your feline friend’s diet at some point in time – after all, if it’s really good for us humans, then it must be good for your cat!
Well, the short answer is – yes, cats can eat eggs. But it’s always a good idea to understand all the benefits and risks that come with putting eggs into regular rotation in your cat’s diet. In this article, we take a closer look at some of those factors.
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A closer look at eggs
At this point, you must be thinking – if cats eat birds, and birds lay eggs, that naturally means cats can eat eggs, right?
The truth is that many cat breeders have introduced eggs into their cat’s diets to maintain smooth, shiny coats and keep their claws strong and healthy. Additionally, commercial cat food manufacturers have also added eggs into their cat food products in a bid to boost the protein levels, amongst many of the other health benefits of eggs.
Benefits of eggs
Eggs are an incredible superfood that contain numerous benefits for both humans and cats. Here are some of them listed below.
1.High in protein
Eggs are pure animal protein, which suits the digestive systems of obligate carnivores such as cats.
2.Vitamins
There is an abundance of vitamins present in eggs. Vitamin A, which maintains your cat’s skin, heart, coat and nervous system health, Vitamin D, which supports calcium levels and bone growth in your cat’s body, Vitamin E, which is an antioxidant that protects cells from premature damage, and finally Vitamin B12, which maintains and supports your cat’s digestive and immune systems.
3. Taurine
Taurine is a supplement that helps to protect your cat’s cardiovascular and eye health. It is commonly added to commercial cat foods to boost nutritional quality. However, in eggs, you’ll actually be getting the purest version of Taurine for your cat to enjoy.
4. Iron
Iron is essential to keep the red-blood cells in tip-top condition, in both humans and cats. Therefore, iron is an essential component of yours and your tiny tiger’s diet.
5. Riboflavin
Another name for Riboflavin is Vitamin B2. Riboflavin produces antibodies and red cells that are important disease-fighting components in your cat’s body.
6. Biotin
Biotin helps cats to process protein, and maintains the quality of their skin and coat of fur thanks to its ability to only take in as much protein as required by the individual body, and safely excrete the rest.
7. Zinc
Zinc is a common nutrient also found in human supplements and foods. The benefits of zinc include improved quality of your cat’s skin, fur, and maintaining your cat’s reproductive system.
8. Selenium
Selenium is known as a high-strength antioxidant that protects cells from free-radicals which lead to premature cell damage.
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Can cats eat eggs?
Yes! Your feline friend will benefit from eating the mighty egg. Plus, it offers them some variety in their diet as well, which they will love. The high nutritional value and benefits that eggs provide to the skin, fur, claws and entire body makes it a great choice to feed it to your cat. Plus, eggs are affordable, too!
The most important thing to remember is – NEVER feed your cat a raw egg. Raw eggs have an increased risk of carrying salmonella, or e.coli, which as we all know – is as bad for cats as it is for humans. In most cases, it can result in a worse scenario for your cat’s gastrointestinal system!
What is the best way to introduce eggs to my cat’s diet?
As beneficial as they are, eggs should not be a highly regular part of your cat’s diet. This means that when it comes to serving eggs at mealtimes, it should only be considered as a supplement – at most, up to 10% of your cat’s diet.
This ensures that your feline companion has all the nutrients they need from a variety of food items (including commercial cat foods, which contain a majority of the essential minerals and vitamins that your cat needs daily).
As a general comparison, feeding your cat one egg a day is equivalent to 15 eggs for a regular human (imagine eating 15 eggs in one sitting!). Once or two times a week is best, and never a whole egg, but rather, small portions at a time.
Some cat owners have introduced eggshells into their cat’s diets. Eggshells contain high amounts of calcium, and are a brilliant way to protect the bones and ligaments of your cat.
Grind up the eggshells, and sprinkle the eggshell powder into your cat’s food occasionally to give them a nutritious calcium boost.
Side effects of eggs
We now know that eggs are a superfood, but on the flipside, it’s worth remembering that eggs also contain a high amount of fat and cholesterol. A significant increase in fat or cholesterol amount in your cat’s diet causes conditions such as obesity, kidney problems, or pancreatitis.
Cats who are overweight or who suffer from kidney issues are at high risk of developing such complications, so eggs should be introduced sparingly, or should not be introduced at all. If applicable, get in touch with your vet to ascertain if eggs are a good idea for your cat.
Conclusion
Introducing eggs to your cat’s diet is a fun way to bond with your cat, and helps you understand her likes and dislikes better. Much like humans, individual cats may prefer a particular way they like their eggs done.
Whether she enjoys scrambled, poached, sunny side up, or hard-boiled, you’ll have a great time experimenting with the different ways to prepare eggs for your furry companion – and watching them wolf down their favorite egg treat in front of you is sure to be a magical experience!
Even though eggs have large benefits, it should not be a large part of your cat’s diet – it should only be a supplement to the other foods your cat is currently eating regularly.
