Can we give an egg to a cat ?

 

The hen's egg is one of the most common foods in the human diet, not only because of its health benefits but also because of its versatility in the kitchen, which allows it to be used in many savoury and sweet recipes. It is a very cheap source of pure protein, which does not have considerable levels of carbohydrates and sugars, and also an excellent ally for those who need to lose weight in a healthy way.

While science has successfully debunked many myths about egg and proven its benefits, many animal guardians are still wondering whether egg can be fed to a cat or whether eating it is dangerous to the health of felines.

This is why, in this article in The Pretty Pets, "Can you give egg to a cat? "we tell you whether cats can eat eggs and show you the precautions to take if you decide to incorporate this food into your cat's diet.

1-Nutritional composition of chicken egg

Before explaining whether or not egg can be fed to a cat, it is important to know the nutritional composition of this food in order to understand its potential benefits for the nutrition of your cats as well as the precautions to be taken when introducing it into their diet. According to USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) databases, 100 grams of fresh raw, whole hen eggs contain the following nutrients:

- Energy: 143Kcal

- Water: 76.15g

- Protein :12.56g

- Fat: 9.51g

- Carbohydrates: 0.72g

- Total sugars: 0.53g

- Total fibers: 0.0g

- Calcium: 56mg

- Iron: 1.75mg

- Magnesium: 12mg

- Phosphorus: 198mg

- Potassium: 138mg

- Sodium: 142mg

- Zinc: 1.29mg

- Vitamin A :140 µg

- Vitamin C: 0.0 mg

- Vitamin B1 (thiamine): 0.04 mg

- Vitamin B2 (riboflavin): 0.45 mg

- Vitamin B3 (niacin or vitamin PP): 0.07mg

- Vitamin B6: 0.17 mg

- Vitamin B12: 0.89 µg

- Folate: 47 µg

- Vitamin D: 82 IU

- Vitamin E: 1.05 mg

- Vitamin K: 0.3µg

2- Is it good to give an egg to a cat?

As we saw in the previous nutritional composition, egg is a very good source of lean, pure protein because it contains almost zero carbohydrates and total sugars and a moderate amount of fat. Almost all of the protein intake of the egg is found in the white while the fat intake is in the yolk. These two macronutrients must be the energy pillars of the feline diet, given that these are strictly carnivorous animals (and not omnivorous like us).

In this sense, it is important to emphasize that egg proteins are mainly made up of essential amino acids, that is, amino acids that the cat does not naturally synthesize in its body and therefore must have external sources from its diet. As for the old bad reputation of eggs linked to excess cholesterol, it is useful to specify that a moderate consumption of this food is safe for your cat and will not lead to an increase in its cholesterol level or weight gain.

In addition, it is also important to specify that eggs provide interesting intakes of essential mineral salts such as calcium, phosphorus, iron and potassium as well as vitamins A, D, E and the B complex. This means that in addition to helping to form and strengthen your cat's muscles and bones, eggs also help to maintain a healthy immune system, which is essential to prevent the onset of all kinds of diseases.

In addition to these nutritional benefits for feline health, eggs are inexpensive and easy to find.

 

Eggs for our cats: precautions to take

One of the biggest concerns cat owners have when introducing eggs to their felines' diet is whether to offer them raw or cooked. Although many experts and specialists in the BARF Cat Diet believe that it is best to offer raw eggs, thus preserving all of its enzymes and nutritional properties, you need to be very sure of the origin of the eggs you are going to include in the cat's diet.

3- Can we give a raw egg to a cat?

Raw eggs can contain a bacteria that is very dangerous for your cat's health, salmonella. If the eggs are of organic origin, from hens whose diet is controlled and also organic, the risk of contamination is considerably reduced. However, you must always wash the eggs very well under water

before breaking the shell.

Indeed, the egg shell is a porous surface, so if you wash it and leave it to rest, it can allow the penetration of bacteria already present on the surface contaminating the egg white and yolk.

Can cats eat cooked eggs?

Yes, they can. In fact, if you cannot find eggs of biological origin or if you are not sure of the origin of the eggs, the best thing to do is to cook them before feeding them to your cat. Cooking at high temperatures is capable of eliminating a large number of pathogens present in this food. In this way, you can ensure that eating eggs is safe for your cat.

On the other hand, it is also important to note that raw egg contains a protein called avidin. Although not toxic to cats, this protein acts as an anti-nutrient by preventing the proper absorption of biotin by the body (biotin is also known as vitamin H).

Although high doses of raw eggs are necessary to cause a biotin deficiency in the cat's body (which is highly inadvisable), it is necessary to eliminate this unnecessary risk by cooking the eggs before introducing them into your cat's diet. Indeed, cooking denatures avidin, thus inhibiting its anti-nutrient action. In other words, your cat will be able to more easily and safely assimilate all the nutrients contained in a cooked egg.

4 -Giving an egg to my cat: is there a dose to respect?

Moderate egg consumption can be very beneficial for your cat, but you must respect the doses and frequencies so that this food is not harmful to their health. Eating eggs every day cannot be healthy in the long term.

As a general rule, it is recommended to offer the cat an egg only once or twice a week, in combination with other foods that are beneficial to the cat. However, there is no single, predefined dose for all cats. The safe dose must be appropriate for the size, weight, age and health of each cat and taking into account the purpose for which the food is being consumed.

It is important to emphasize that despite its lean and pure protein intake, eggs should not replace meat in the diet, because as mentioned before, cats are strictly carnivorous animals and meat should be their main food and source of protein, fat and other nutrients.

In summary, it is important to consult a veterinarian to choose the diet that best suits your cat's nutritional needs. The veterinarian will be able to guide you regarding the introduction of eggs and other foods in the cat's diet, always advising you on the best form and most appropriate doses of administration to achieve a positive impact on the cat's health.