Do your research before giving some of this popped treat to your feline friend. Few things can hit the spot in a dark movie theater or cuddled up on the couch bingeing your favorite show quite like a big bowl of freshly popped popcorn. For many cat owners, the sight of their feline friends holding a large kernel in their paws, munching on the puffy white pieces, is irresistibly adorable. But as with any human food, there are a few things to keep in mind if you're planning to share popcorn with your cat. Can a Cat Eat Popcorn Safely? Yes, but there's a catch. There's nothing in freshly popped popcorn that is toxic to cats, regardless of age or breed. However, that's only true for plain popcorn. Toppings like butter, salt, caramel, and a variety of spices and seasonings like garlic can cause health issues for your cat. "Butter has so much fat in it, your cat can pretty easily develop vomiting or diarrhea from it," says Kaci Angelone, DVM, MS, based in Denver, Colo. "A couple of plain pieces fresh from the bag is fine, but you'll still want to keep the amounts low." There's also not a lot happening from a nutritional standpoint. This means that popcorn is just going to take up a lot of space in your kitty's stomach, without giving much back in terms of vitamins or protein. Corn Is in Cat Food. Why Isn't Popcorn Healthy for Cats? If you look at the ingredients of most commercially available pet foods, some kind of grain—usually corn or cornmeal—is featured prominently.…

Read this before you share a slice of your pumpkin pie. During the season of pumpkin patches and all things pumpkin spiced, you might find yourself wondering, can my cat join the festive fun? We spoke to a board certified veterinary nutritionist to take the spookiness out of the question: "Can cats eat pumpkin?" While we found that your feline friend can enjoy an occasional pumpkin treat, read this before you start giving your cat an extra scoop of pumpkin in her dish. Is Pumpkin Good or Bad for Cats? When prepared correctly, your cat can eat pumpkin. In fact, your cat might already be eating pumpkin in their daily meal. Many commercial pet food brands include pumpkin as a low-calorie, high-fiber ingredient to keep your cat feeling fuller for longer. But is pumpkin good for your feline friend? Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they are born to get their nutritional needs met with meat-based proteins—not plants. "In a prey-based diet, cats consume materials such as fur, sinew, cartilage, and chitin that act the same way fiber does in the gut," the Feline Nutritional Foundation explains. However, when a prey-based diet isn't on the menu, the fiber found in pumpkin can provide cats with some nutritional benefit and relief to digestive upset. "Pumpkin doesn't provide much in terms of energy or required nutrients for cats, but it does contain a nice mixture of soluble and insoluble fiber sources," says Angela Rollins, DVM, PhD, DACVN, Clinical Associate Professor of Nutrition at the University of Tennessee. "This additional fiber can help regulate bowel movements and improve colonic health."…

Broccoli may seem like an unlikely snack for most cats, but there are some sneaky benefits to be had for any kitty brave enough to take a taste. Broccoli is not the first thing people tend to think of when it comes to snacks for cats. Vegetables in general are not something that should ever make up a significant part of any cats diet, as cats are obligate carnivores. But for the cat parents who find their felines are curious enough to give broccoli a try, there's some good news to be had here. Can Cats Eat Broccoli Safely? Yes, broccoli is completely safe for cats of all ages and breeds to enjoy, if they're so inclined. In fact, getting your feline companions interested in broccoli could even provide some nutritional benefits. First of all, broccoli is absolutely packed with antioxidants. This can help reduce free radicals in the body, as well as help your kitty with regular bowel movements and calm upset stomachs. As an added bonus, the bright green florets might even satisfy your kitty's plant chomping urges, offering a reprieve to your houseplants! One caveat here: make sure you're only giving your kitty plain, unseasoned broccoli. Steaming it beforehand will make it easier for them to chew, but stay away from cooking in butter or oil, and don't coat the broccoli in salt, pepper, cheese, or any other toppings. Additionally, be aware of how large the florets are, in relation to small kitty mouths. "Cats don't tend to rip and chew foods in the same way that dogs do," says Kaci…

While corn is often used as a filler ingredient in commercially available cat foods, should you consider kernels from the cob part of your cat’s regular diet? A fresh ear of corn is a hardy, readily available food source for humans that’s super easy to pair with just about anything else for a quick, satisfying meal year-round. But if you're thinking your feline friend would appreciate a few kernels as a snack, read this before you give them a nibble. Can Cats Eat Corn Safely? Absolutely. In fact, not only can your cat eat corn, your cat probably already is eating corn. Due to its ready availability and good fiber content, corn and cornmeal is a very common filler ingredient in many commercially available pet foods and snacks. However, the real question here shouldn’t be whether cats can eat corn, but if they should eat it. While corn certainly won’t harm your cat (and in fact, some cats may really enjoy the sweet taste of corn kernels as a treat!) it’s not really doing that much else for them in terms of nutritional value. Cats are obligate carnivores, so their bodies are really set up to process meat protein most efficiently. This means that, while corn will provide some minor nutritional benefit in B vitamins and fiber, it is going to mostly act as a blank filler in their stomachs, which can cause them to eat less. “Filler snacks (like corn) aren’t going to be the best options,” says Kaci Angelone, DVM, MS from Denver, Colo. “I always recommend something meat-based. Dehydrated chicken breast, liver,…