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“The answer is no before you even begin,” says Jackson Galaxy, cat behavior expert and host of “My Cat From Hell.” I know what I asked him was stupid and too easy. Of course, a real domestic cat wouldn't be eating lasagna and ice cream and ham, often right off Jon's plate, like Garfield. But then I remembered how many times my cat tried to rip the string cheese out of my hand or lick the almond milk out of the cereal bowl, and that's when I laughed a thousand times lol. I asked myself the question that prompted: Can cats eat cheeseburgers? As a reward?
But according to Galaxy, there's a reason Garfield is fictional. “If Garfield was an actual cat, he would have died like 12 times,” he says. Well, that's fine. Still, I wanted to know why unillustrated cats should avoid Garfield's favorite foods, and what they could eat instead. And why do real-life cats, like Garfield, want things that aren't good for them?
Can cats eat lasagna?
Classic. icon. “The most perfect food in the world”. According to Galaxy, it's the worst thing to feed your cat. “A cat's body is not 100 percent equipped to handle any part of lasagna,” he says. “Cats are obligate carnivores, which means that most of what goes into their bodies is meat.” And what's more, they are lactose intolerant. This means that the pasta sheets, cheese, and herbs in lasagna will all cause distress to your cat. “The acidity of tomatoes is not good for cats,” he says, also noting that garlic is toxic to both dogs and cats. Galaxy seems to be asking himself, “If I remove the ingredients that make the lasagna, will he be able to eat the meat pot?” “Yes, that's right.”
Can cats eat pepperoni?
Cats are obligate carnivores, so meat should be fine, but that doesn't mean Garfield should be eating pepperoni slices like in the latest movie trailer. “The curing process is like kicking a cat's butt,” says Galaxy. Pepperoni is pork and beef, but it also contains spices, salt, and garlic, which is also poisonous. “The parts of pepperoni that we think are delicious are the parts that cats can't eat.”
Can cats eat steak?
“Technically, as long as the steak is not seasoned, it's fine,” says Galaxy. Finally! A steak without salt or pepper doesn't sound all that appealing, but… cats must eatCats shouldn't eat cooked bones, though, so in the case of T-bones, Galaxy warns that you should remove the bones. Not because they're unhealthy for your cat, but because cats are, by nature, good at eating them, they can be dangerous. “Cats are some of the most skilled and amazing hunters on the planet — they don't stroll the savannah with a brazier,” Galaxy explains. “So, they're very used to gnawing on raw bones. But boiling or simmering bones makes them soft and brittle, which can hurt your cat.”
Can I give ice cream to my cat?
The stereotype of a cat eating a bowl of cream might make you think that ice cream isn't bad either, but as Galaxy said earlier, cats are lactose intolerant. And that doesn't take into account the sugar, chocolate, and strawberries in ice cream. But tell this to a cat who sticks his whole face in your bowl. Part of this is due to our “misguided desire to give cats whatever they ask for,” which sends the message that cats can and should eat whatever we eat. I will receive it. “My cats love ice cream, but they just can't eat it, right?'' he says.
Can cats drink coffee?
What would Garfield have been like if he hadn't had his usual mug of coffee to get him through Monday? He'd probably be healthier. “In real life, people have asked me if it's okay for cats to drink coffee,” Galaxy says. “And I'd take a deep breath and say no. Caffeine is not good for cats.”
Can cats eat eggs?
Garfield shouldn't put ketchup on his eggs, but the eggs themselves are actually okay. Many people add eggs to their cat's diet to increase protein, but one man who had two of his oldest cats fed his cats turkey bacon, broccoli, coffee, and red wine in addition to eggs. I did. The complete Garfield diet! Mr Galaxy claims this is not good for cats, but says the occasional egg drop “definitely won't kill the cat.”
But this leaves us with an even bigger question: why are our cats so insistent on eating everything off our plates? Because, you know, they're just like us. “Cats have an incredible evolutionary trajectory, and the amount of time they've spent with us and developed from mere hunters to scavengers,” Galaxy says. Their taste buds have adapted to our preferences, and while their evolutionary body may be telling them that lasagna or a bowl of cereal is bad for them, their brain is telling them that it smells and tastes good. As a human who can't resist a delicious bowl of saganaki even though I know it'll mean a miserable trip to the bathroom at 3 a.m., I empathize. So, don't feed your cat lasagna. But Garfield's relentless quest to eat human food may be the most realistic one for him.
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