I love eggs. I love them cooked any way. Throw in some cheese, and I am all over that stuff! Even my dog loves eggs! But what about cats? Are eggs safe for cats to consume? According to the experts at purina.com, cats can eat fully cooked eggs. In fact, the protein in eggs can be good for your feline friend. The question remains, however: Will your cat even eat eggs? That is an entirely different matter.
Because cats are carnivores, they can benefit from the consumption of eggs, as they are rich in protein and amino acids. However, if you give your cat an egg to eat, qualify it as a treat, feeding him just a small amount, as you don’t want to incorporate too many additional calories into your cat’s diet.
It is easy to over-feed a cat, so the amount of egg your cat should eat is dependent upon his weight and should be no more than 10% of his daily calorie intake. Remember! A whole egg has about 90 calories! Touted as the gold standard in protein, eggs are very close to being nutritionally complete, and even though the protein and amino acids found in eggs are good for cats, an egg in and of itself is not the perfect meal for him. Cats require a complete and balanced diet every day.
When preparing an egg for your cat, be sure to remove all the shells and cook it fully. Limit the portions, as well. And never, ever allow your cat to consume raw eggs. First of all, bacteria like salmonella can be harbored in raw eggs. Plus, there is a protein called avidin in raw eggs that can bind to the essential vitamin B7, which cats cannot absorb. Over time, that could lead to a vitamin deficiency in your cat. However, if the egg is fully cooked, this problem can be avoided.
Finally, will your cat actually eat the egg? Well, we all know how persnickety cats can be, but they are equally adventurous. Just try offering a small portion and see what happens. And for the record, kittens can also eat eggs, but in very limited portions, as kittens don’t require as many calories as an adult cat. There are much better foods to consider feeding to them instead.
Written by Ann Butenas
An internationally-recognized author and writer, Ann began her professional writing career at age 12 and began speaking while in college. She has been published thousands of times over the past three decades in all media forms, was former editor and publisher of KC Metro Woman magazine, and has also hosted three talk radio shows in the Kansas City area.
