The short answer to the question “can cats eat eggs?” is yes, cats can eat eggs. Boiled or scrambled, any cooked egg is perfectly fine for cats. You’ll even find cat food that contains chicken or quail eggs because they’re an excellent form of protein that’s high in nutrients. Just make sure you remove the shell and do not serve eggs that are raw or have seasonings on them.
Why Are Eggs Good for Cats?
Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they must eat animal products to survive. Eggs are included in that category and are rich in protein and other nutrients. Here are the main health benefits of eggs:
- Amino Acids – eggs have high amounts of amino acids, which are the building blocks of protein. Amino acids are great for cats because they’re easier to digest and absorb. Most notably, eggs contain the amino acid taurine, which is critical in boosting vision, digestion, heart function, immunity, healthy pregnancy and fetal development for cats.
- Healthy Fats – Cats require healthy fats in their diet and eggs are a great source. Giving your cat a small amount of egg will provide her with mono-saturated fat for heart health, polyunsaturated fat like omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, for brain, nervous system and heart health.
- Vitamins – Eggs contain a surprising number of vitamins, including Vitamins A, B12, D, E, Biotin, Riboflavin and Thiamine. Each of these vitamins benefits cat health in its own way. A few of the health benefits include providing energy, antioxidants for immune support and more.
- Minerals – Iron, selenium and zinc are all found within eggs. These three promote hemoglobin production, immune health and collagen synthesis, respectively.
As you can see, that’s a huge list of health benefits to cats! So if your cat likes eggs, consider tossing in some cooked eggs to their diet once in a while. Note that while eggs contains so many health benefits, they are not a complete meal for cats and do lack some nutrients cats can get from other animal products. So, do not feed your cat only eggs, but instead make eggs a regular part of your cats meal.
Can Cats Eat Raw Eggs?
While many people tout the benefits of a raw food diet, cats specifically cannot eat raw eggs. Uncooked eggs can contain harmful bacteria like Salmonella. These bacteria are killed in the cooking process, which is why it’s important to always cook your eggs.
Aside from that, raw eggs whites in particular are bad for cats. This is because raw egg white contain a protein called avidin, which prevents your cat from absorbing vitamin B7 and can cause vitamin deficiency.
Do Cats Like Eggs?
Every cat is different, but cats seem to be even more divided on eggs. Some cats will begs for eggs and gobble them up, while other cats will turn their nose up to eggs immediately. The only way to know if your cat will like eggs is to try serving it to them. Try different cooked forms like boiled and scrambled, and serve it with their favorite wet cat food to convince them to give it a try.
Eggs are also a fantastic ingredient in homemade cat treats. They naturally keep the mix together and also add the health benefits mentioned above.
