An occasional treat doesn't hurt your kitten as long as she's otherwise
eating a balanced diet. Choose goodies that don't have sugars. Licks of turkey baby food (onion-free), dried liver, or
small pieces of cooked chicken or turkey are healthy treats. They're also inspiring rewards when training your kitten.
Treats and other foods to avoid:
Tuna: Yes, tuna. Not only is it bad for your kitten, it's addictive. Kittens love tuna so much that they may actually refuse
to eat a regular diet. Sadly, tuna is the equivalent of kitty cocaine. In the wild, cats don't catch fish. No matter whether the tuna you feed is
cooked, raw, or canned, it will cause very serious deficiencies if fed more than occasionally.
Dog food: Even if your kitten and your dog get along like brother and sister, don't feed them the same food. Kittens are meat eaters
whereas dogs are omnivores; they can eat meat or vegetables. Dog food doesn't have enough protein and taurine (an essential amino acid) for a kitten's needs.
Food with onions or onion powder: These foods can cause hemolytic anemia, which ruptures the red blood cells. It could eventually lead to kidney failure.
Milk: After kittens are weaned, they lose the ability to digest milk. Milk products may make cleaning the litter box an adventure in nasal torture for you.
If your kitten likes milk, try milk treat drinks, which are lower in lactose. You can buy them at your local pet supply store.
Bones: Cooked bones can splinter and puncture your kitten's bowels or intestines or become lodged and create a blockage.
Grapes or Raisins: The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) Animal Poison Control doesn't recommend even letting kittens play with grapes
or raisins because the juice can cause kidney failure.
Alcoholic Beverages: You may consider an alcoholic drink a treat after a long day, but kittens and cocktails don't mix.
Drunk kittens may sound funny, but they could suffer from alcohol poisoning, slip into a coma, and die. Not very funny at all, is it?
