Pork is one of the high-protein meat sources with various mouth-watering dishes such as Vindaloo, Tonkatsu, Carnitas, Bacon Explosion, Porchetta, Louis-style barbecue, pulled or pork pies, among many others in various parts of the world.
A common misconception is that pork is high in fats. This is not entirely true since the amount of fat it has varies depending on the specific cut, if it is lean, the fat content will not be high. Some of the popular cuts include the leg or ham, hocks, belly, shoulder, spareribs, chops, picnic ham, loin, sirloin as well as baby back ribs.
Besides protein and fats, it also has vitamin B6, 12, niacin, thiamine, minerals including iron, zinc, phosphorus, zinc, selenium as well as taurine, creatine, glutathione, cholesterol.
Obviously, it is nutritious, and you may want to share it with your feline. Is it safe for these pets or are there precautions that should take?
Is pork bad or good for cats or can cats eat it?
Yes. Cats can eat cooked pork including ribs, chops, as a small part of their meal as a treat you can use it to disguise medicines.
Go for a lean cut and avoid adding any flavorings including garlic and onions that are poisonous or harmful to felines. Also, some products such as bacon, sausages, smoked pork, low-quality ham often have preservatives, flavoring and salt added making them unhealthy for your feline friend.
Secondly, any meat diet alone should not replace your cat’s normal diets since it does not have all the required nutrients in their right amounts. If your feline depends on homemade foods, your vet or a nutritionist needs to give you recipes that will work to ensure a balanced diet.
Cuteness.com considers pork to have excess fats, salt, and preservatives, citing poultry and fish as a better source of proteins. However, a fresh lean cut may not have much fat depending on the specific cut and if fresh, it is also free of salt and preservatives.
Petmoo.com state that that pork has a lot of sodium, this is not the case, it has about 62 mg per 100g while chicken has 82mg per 100g and beef 72mg per 100g.
The key things to consider are ensuring the chosen part is lean whether it is the rind, chops, back, shoulder, sirloin and so on as well as whether it is free of salt and other preservatives.
Since our salt requirements are higher than your kitties, do not share any you have prepared for yourself. Instead, prepare them theirs, not leftovers from your table.
Raw vs cooked
Should I give my cat raw or cooked pork? Only give them cooked one since thoroughly cooking at temperatures above 130°F will kill all the parasites present or any other pathogens.
It is common for contamination by salmonella, enterococcus, listeria or staph to occur especially during handling, making the raw one not recommended as it can result in food poisoning.
Common parasites that this meat may have to include Trichinella spiralis, Taenia solium, and Toxoplasma gondii. Trichinella spiralis does not pose a great risk to cats or dogs as it does to human and there have been very few cases of late.
While a healthy cat’s digestive system can kill these pathogens being very acidic, those with compromised immunity may get sick.
Finally, freezing raw pork or any other of its products at -20 degrees Celsius for 3 days will kill all the parasites. However, this may not kill any pathogens including those from contamination while handling it before its frozen.
Can cats eat pork fat or bones?
No, they should not eat any fat trimmings, whether cooked or raw because they can cause stomach upsets, diarrhea or make your feline pal vomit.
Also, fats are a risk for pancreatitis in cats, a condition that causes pancreas inflammation. Common symptoms include lethargy, dehydration, increase urination and thirst, refusing to eat, weight loss, among others.
While the domestic cat sedentary lifestyle requires lean foods, on top of the lean foods, encourage your cats to exercise including using various toys
In the case of bones, they present a choking hazard or maybe very sharp after cooking them making them not ideal for these pets.
What should I do if my cat likes pork?
Despite having a bad reputation among other meat types for no reason, there are commercial cat foods with pork which include:
- Primal Fpkfd14 Pet Foods Freeze-Dried Feline Pork Formula
- Hound & Gatos Cat Grain-Free 98% Pork
- Lotus Cat Just Juicy Pork Stew
These foods are nutritionally balanced, and you can feed them to your felines as you normally feed them other commercial diets.
Can it cause allergies?
Like any other food or meat, it may cause intestinal upsets and diarrhea. Stop feeding it to your pet in case of these symptoms or any other including those of allergic reactions.
Conclusion
Most objections to pork often streams from religious believes. Toxins buildup, living in mud, eating dirt, often makes many people assume they are unhealthy. If well reared, they are safe like any other meat source including chicken, beef, rabbit, lamb and so on.
Finally, only give this meat to fully weaned kittens and in moderation. At this stage, these pets are growing, and they need a specialized diet.