Being obligate carnivores, cats take in most of the nutrients through fleshes of other animals which means they would never thrive on a vegan diet. In most of the case, pet owners rely on commercial cans of cat food in order to satisfy the nutrient demand of their adorable felines. However, it's also totally possible to whip up meals for your fluffy friend on your own using raw meats. Among the meats that people consume nowadays, beef is quite popular so should you use it to feed your pet? Can cats eat ground beef without running into stomach troubles?
In the case you intend to use ground beef to prepare meals for yourself and your cat but still wonder about the consequences, you have come to the right place. Down below, you would be introduced to everything that pet owners have to remember while feeding ground beef to cats. Generally speaking, ground beef is still meat so the average cat could consume it but there are a couple of issues that you must consider. So check out the information down below if you want to answer the question of "can cats eat ground beef?"
The Diet Of Cats: Summary
In order to reach a sensible conclusion regarding can cats eat ground beef, it's of utmost importance that you understand what the pets require. The following is a quick summary of the cat diet that you have to keep in mind at all times.
Overall, through millenniums of evolution, the digestive organs of cats have been specifically adapted to process meat: they have a hard time consuming plant matters. In fact, the cat's gastrointestinal tract contains few digestive enzymes needed to absorb carbohydrates. As a result, the physiology of cats, in general, is considered to be meat-orient. That being said, the pets are able to take in some vegetables, fruits and so on every now and then. However, to keep cats healthy, people to feed them daily meals that revolve around meat.
So how much meat cats need to consume in a day on average? Well, depend. The pets have different nutrient requirements at different times so you have to be careful. Most of the time, domesticated cats could acquire foods, waters and others with relative ease so they rarely put their body muscles to work. Therefore, obesity is fairly common in cats and it often leads to a short lifespan. To keep your cat in a physically-fit state, it's strongly recommended that you give it enough food, not too much, not too little
Despite the fact that cats are somewhat picky eaters, their curiosity causes them to take a bite of everything that seems edible in the vicinity. Normally, such behavior is less than a problem but if your cat manages to get its paws on human foods, there could be troubles. A couple of foods that humans enjoy (raisins, chocolates, nuts,...) would give the stomach of your pet a tough time. Some might cause permanent damages to the organs as well. That is why it's essential that you prevent your cat from accessing foods for humans and also the leftovers.
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Verdict: Cooked, Spice-Free Ground Beef Is Safe For Cats
In the end, ground beef is still meat so as long as you refrain from adding spices (onion, garlic, ...), cats could take it no trouble. Beside ground meat, it's widely advised that you throw in some supplements to increase the nutrient value of the meal like carrot, peas, oatmeal,... As always, you should attempt to switch things up every now and then so your pet would not get completely fed up with overfamiliar meals. With that said, feel free to incorporate ground beef into the diet of your cat in whatever way you like.
Preparing Ground Beef For Cats
Can cats eat ground beef? Absolutely but you have to thoroughly process the meat beforehand. Here is a guide on how you could feed your pet ground beef at mealtime.
First, you must secure quality beef, you should be able to get some in most supermarkets these kinds of days. Next, cook the meat until the temperature reaches around 165 degrees Fahrenheit (73.9 degrees Celsius), a thermometer would come in handy here. Once the meat is done, you must think about the ideal portion for your pet. Generally, a 10-pound (4.5 kilos) cat often needs 300 calories per day and an ounce of a ground beef offer between 55 and 60 calories. Use that to calculate how much meat you should feed your cat using ground beef.
Considering the skeptical nature of cats, it's a good idea for you to introduce new foods in small quantities. Put some ground beef on one of your fingers and extend it toward your pet. In the case the pet takes in the meat, you could start adding more ground beef to the daily meals of your cat at once. On the other hand, if your pet only sniffs the meat before walking away, don't give up and place the ground beef down nearby. It's highly likely that the cat would be overwhelmed by its curiosity and it shall eat the meat eventually.
"Since hamburger meat is similar to ground beef, it's safe for people to share their hamburgers with cats, right?" some pet owners asked themselves. In reality, you must never give your cat a hamburger that is made for human consumption to protect the pet. Meats that are used in hamburger stores contain a lot of fat that could lead to health ailment in cats so steer clear of them. Want to give your cat a hamburger no matter what? Then you need to gather the ingredients and put together a hamburger specifically for cats.
Quick Reminder: ground beef packs loads of protein which means you should purchase the leanest options available in your place. In addition to that, drain the fat before you give the meat to your cat to prevent causing issues to the health of the pet.
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