Can Cats Eat Hot Dogs? Many products come in a wide variety of flavors. Hot dogs, for example, come in many flavors, which gives them their innocent appearance when in fact they are not as healthy for your pet as one might think at first.
For instance, cats do not have the enzyme needed to digest the high levels of salt, spices, starch, sugar, and corn syrup that hot dogs contain.
These ingredients can be harmful to cats and cause digestive issues that may send your cat running from the table instead of taking another bite from this supposedly good-tasting food.
If you happen to find yourself with foster kittens who need supplemental feeding you could try some smaller cuts of meats like chicken or turkey still wrapped up in a natural skin so that it doesn’t taste too strong when being served.
Can Cats Eat Hot Dogs
No, cats cannot eat hot dogs. They are obligate carnivores and therefore require meat from animals that have been freshly killed by other predators and served to them rather than processed food products prepared for human consumption.
Casing
Natural casing hotdogs usually have a lamb or pig intestine on them for the cooking process, and although they are made of natural materials, they offer no benefits in this form.
They are typically cleaned and can be eaten by humans without harm since they are not toxic to cats. If you are wanting a good treat for your cat avoid these types of hot dogs because it is just not beneficial to them.
Stray Cats
Many people are of the impression that stray cats can eat lower-quality foods than their indoor counterparts. And while this may be true, hot dogs shouldn’t make an appearance in either cat’s diet.
Stray cats have stronger stomachs than your indoor cat and thus can digest many of the things they happen to come across whereas hot dogs pose similar problems to any feline diet regardless if they’re a stray or an indoor cat.
High Levels of Fat
One of the main problems with feeding your cat hot dogs is that they contain high amounts of fats. It’s not a natural diet for them, as their natural food source is much more lean and high in protein rather than fatty fat.
High levels of fat can be very difficult for a kitty to digest and feeding her these fatty meats may cause digestive distress as well as weight gain.
It’s important not to overfeed your cat when it comes down to how much human food you’re giving them.
Carnivores
Most of us are aware that cats are smart and curious hunters, stalking and killing all sorts of small animals around the house.
But pet owners soon become used to finding their birds and chipmunks in the back yard after having their backyard cat as a companion for some time.
To us, eating a dead pigeon seems disgusting. On the other hand, we eat hot dogs all the time without giving it a second thought.
So for us, a hot dog seems like a healthier, safer bet since we know there aren’t any harmful bacteria present in our meat just because it was cooked on the grill.
Sodium
Cats aren’t able to process high levels of sodium as humans can. Humans have an easy time with extra sodium in their diet since our bodies are used to it and have built up a tolerance for it over long periods of time.
Cats, on the other hand, are unable to handle large amounts of sodium in their diet even if supplementation is needed for some health conditions because they aren’t used to a diet that contains any added salt or processed foods.
Over-sodium in cats can cause dehydration; heart problems; excessive thirst/urination; anxiety; depression; and more.
Final Words
Although you may think that you’re treating your pet by feeding them hot dogs, you may actually be hurting them and causing them pain. In fact, it’s possible that the high amounts of sodium in hotdogs and their various flavorings could poison them or contribute to serious health problems such as obesity. At least not through inappropriate food rations. Healthy treats for pets include unprocessed lean meats, cooked fish or canned fish that has been stored in water, cooked eggs, or oatmeal mixed with water.