Can Cats Eat Raw, Scrambled, Boiled, or Cooked Eggs?

In culinary, eggs often refer to those from a chicken. However, it can also mean those from the duck, goose, quail, and so on. Some of the common dishes include scrambled, poached, hard and soft boiled, pickled, omelets, et cetera.

They are considered to be very nutritious. They have proteins, fats, carbohydrates, minerals, and vitamins. Their protein has over 17 amino acids while they have some vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9 and B12, D, E, K, and choline.

Also, they also have calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, sodium, zinc and their ground eggshell powder is a good source of calcium for these pets.

They are one of the superb sources of protein and the egg whites a good option if you are looking for a homemade cat food low in phosphorus but high in digestible proteins commonly recommended for felines with kidney disease.

Are eggs good for cats and can they have them?

Yes. Cats can have eggs including the whites and yolk. They are good for these pets and they can be a part of their delicious snack. While most felines will like them, some may not.

How much should your kitties have? Jan Dempsey, a Purina Senior Nutrition recommends that you “feed just a tiny amount because you don’t want to put too many calories in your cat’s diet.” Let is account for less than 10% of their daily calorie requirement.

As already mentioned, they are a source of good quality proteins that are easy to digest and have many other nutrients beneficial to these pets.

In fact, you deserve to know felines can eat both cooked and raw eggs. It is not uncommon for stray or feral cats to steal and eat them or eat those of birds while in the wild. However, raw eggs are bad for cats, including raw egg yolks as we are going to see shortly.

On the concerns of them being high in cholesterol, while it is true, they in cholesterol, high cholesterol in cats is hardly a primary condition but rather caused by secondary conditions such as thyroid problems, diabetes mellitus, genetics, pancreatitis, cholestasis, chylomicronemia, and so on.

Cholesterol doesn’t affect kitties in the same way it affects human beings. Therefore, this should not be a reason why you shouldn’t give them to your kitties.

Secondly, while they are one of the most complete nutritionally single protein sources, they still lack some nutrients and your fluffy friends cannot depend on them entirely as they will lack some nutrients.

Furthermore, like any other food, some kitties may be allergic to eggs. Check for various symptoms of allergic reactions including diarrhea, vomiting, itchy ears or back and skin, runny nose, sneezing, coughing and so on.

In fact, according to Cummings Veterinary Medical Center at Tuft University, the “commonly reported food allergies in dogs and cats are chicken, beef, dairy, and egg (and fish for cats).”

Bottomline

Cats should have only properly cooked eggs including hard-boiled and scrambled ones as a small part of their diet or as a snack. Avoid undercooked including soft-boiled ones.

Why shouldn’t you give them raw eggs

You should not allow your cats to eat raw eggs. They are not good, i.e., they may be potentially harmful. While some kitties may like them, always stop them since they present a risk of contamination by pathogens.

One common pathogen found in undercooked or raw ones is Salmonella, a gram-negative enterobacteria bacteria especially, Salmonella enteritidis species. This bacterium is often on their shell but can also be inside the egg.

Some of the common symptoms of salmonella in cats include fever, shock, lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, dehydration, mucus in stool, abnormal vaginal discharge, increase heart rate, among others.

A second common pathogen that raw eggs may have is the E.coli. In felines, it will cause Colibacillosis that will have symptoms such as depression, dehydration, anorexia, vomiting, lethargy, watery diarrhea, weakness, a rapid heartbeat rate, among others.

In fact, such contaminations are also a risk of raw fish, pork, beef, chicken, turkey, lamb, seafood, and so on.

While their digestive system that is quite acidic may kill most of these pathogens, it is possible for them to cause illnesses, especially to those with a weaker immune system including the very young kittens or elderly cats.

Besides contamination, while still raw, they have avidin that binds with biotic or vitamin B7  hampering its absorption. Your kitty may end up a deficiency of biotin.

Bottomline

Do not feed your cat raw eggs or any other raw meat since it may cause foodborne diseases. Always have them properly cooked.

Which cooked eggs can cat have?

It is clear that your kitties should only have cooked eggs. Does this mean they can have any so long you cooked them including soft-boiled, omelet, Spanish, scrambled and so on?

1. Scrambled eggs

Whether they are healthy for felines or not will depend on their ingredients. Scrambled eggs often have milk, salt, and butter. They may also have other ingredients including pepper.

If they have pepper, these pets will not like chilies because they will feel hot due to the capsaicin. However, pepper is not harmful.

Similarly, since they have milk and butter, they may cause gastrointestinal disturbances and diarrhea since most adult felines are lactose intolerant.

On salt, these pets require relatively smaller amounts of salt than we do. Therefore, always ensure you avoid much salt.

How to make scrambled eggs for cats

Therefore, when preparing them cats and kittens, avoid milk, pepper, and salt and cook them properly to kill any foodborne germs. Most cats or kittens will like them. However, only feed them to fully weaned kittens.

Secondly, as you cook them to keep the temperature of 144-158° F and wait until the whites sets and the yolk beings to thicken.

Bottomline

Scramble eggs are good for cats. They can have a small amount as an occasional treat. They will not harm these pets. However, if they have pepper, they may like them. Also, if they are lactose intolerant, they may have stomach upsets since they have milk.

2. Omelet

Cats shouldn’t since they often have ingredients such as chives, onions, and garlic that are poisonous to kitties.

Also, if they have mushrooms, some wild varieties of mushrooms have been associated with toxicity. However, some are not toxic.

Finally, also consider other ingredients such as ham, bacon, cheese, vegetables, and so on. The cheese will not be good if your kitty is lactose intolerant. We have already looked at whether cats can eat ham or bacon.

Bottomline

Omelette is not safe for cats if it has wild mushrooms, garlic, onions or chives. Also, the amount of salt you add including that from fillers such as bacon and ham may make an omelet unhealthy for these pets.

3. Can cats eat boiled eggs?

Kittens and cats can eat hard-boiled eggs in moderation. However, they should be well cooked without a runny yolk i.e., hard-boiled yolks. The yolks have the bulk of the nutrients.

Avoid soft boiled ones for the same reasons why you must avoid raw ones, i.e., they present a risk of harboring pathogens such as E. coli and salmonella.

Bottomline

While boiled eggs are good for cats, you need to cook them well and give them in moderation or as a small part of their diets once or twice a week.

4. Spanish eggs

Cats should not have Spanish eggs. Why? In most cases, they are prepared with olive oil, cured sausages, onions, sweet red pepper, diced tomatoes, red wine vinegar, smoked, paprika, dried oregano, salt, and pepper.

If you look at their ingredients, you will be quick to note that they have onions and are quite spicy. Onions are poisonous. Also, spicy foods are not a cat’s favorite.

Bottomline

Your kitties should not have a share of your Spanish-style eggs. They have onions which according to Wag onions can cause “a hypersensitive reaction of the feline’s red blood cells” due to the oxidant they have.

Cat foods with eggs

If your cats love them, you can go for the many foods that have them as one of their key ingredients.

For chicken and egg, go for

• Purina Beyond Grain-Free, Natural Adult Dry Cat Food 
• Weruva Canned Wet, Classic Recipes
• FUSSIE Chicken and Eggs
• Solid Gold Indigo Moon High Protein – Grain-Free Dry Kitten and Adult

Others great brands

• Purina Beyond Grain-Free, Natural, Adult Dry Cat Food Ocean whitefish and Eggs 
• Hill’s Science Diet Dry Cat Food, Adult, Sensitive Stomach & Skin – Rice & Egg
• Vital® Grain Free Chicken & Ocean Whitefish Recipe with Antioxidant-Rich Vegetables & Eggs

Conclusion

Eggs are nutritious and a good source of protein that will help in maintaining your feline’s muscle. However, avoid raw ones at all costs.

Finally, when cooking eggs for cats, ensure you do it properly and go for plain cooked ones. The required certain temperature and cooking duration will depend on whether you are scrambling, boiling, poaching them, and so on.

For instance, cook egg white at temperatures of 144-149° F until there is no liquid remaining and for yolks, cook them at 149 and 158° F until they thicken but not harden.