Question:
Our cat craves pork! Is there a reason why there are no pork cat foods? Is it OK to give her table scraps?
D.K., Bethesda, Md Jun 20, 2010
Answer:
unsalted, unprocessed and well cooked -- is a good source of protein for cats. Pork from free-range pigs, including the fat, is far more nutritious than the flesh from corn-fed pigs from cruel factory farms. It should be well cooked because of the risk of trichinella -- a muscle parasite. Cats fare better on lightly cooked or raw, red meats.
Pork fat is used in many manufactured pet foods, but not always listed as such. Pork-meat trimmings and various pig-organ parts that do not finish up in pork sausages are probably included under the generic pet-food-industry label of "meat byproducts" and "meat meal." These can also include road kills and, until recently, recycled remains of euthanized cats and dogs.
Giving a few nutritious, high-protein leftovers from one's table is fine for cats, but all things in moderation. Cats can be manipulative and train their owners to feed them only what they want, such as just tuna or ground beef, which could have serious health consequences.
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