Can My Cat Have An Easter Egg?

This time I decided to put the question out to UK cat owners as Google brings back pretty much a 50/50 divide on this question. "Can I feed raw eggs to my cat?" is a question that comes up regularly in raw feeding groups, so I wanted to share my findings with you and let you make up your own mind with regards to feeding raw eggs to cats.

Cooked eggs are already used in certain wet and dry cat foods on the market, so cooked egg is clearly ok to feed to cats. But feeding raw eggs is a more 'Eggsclusive' subject.

The biggest points I found to be highlighted when feeding raw egg to cats were the following;

1. The worry of salmonella

2. Egg whites - no. Egg yolks - yes.

3. Shell or not?

4. Quail vs Chicken

Let's break these points down a bit....

1 - The risk of catching the salmonella infection

Salmonella is a form of bacteria and can be transferred to cats when they eat foods containing the bacteria (the same way as humans). Old or sick cats, kittens and any cats with lower immune responses (due to a medical condition, or treatment such as anti-biotics) are more likely to contract Salmonellosis. But generally, a cat with a healthy, functioning gut will be able to fight the bacteria if exposed to it from a raw egg. Cats can get salmonella after coming in contact with infected stool or saliva from other animals, which is worth noting if you fed an infected egg to one cat in a household containing other cats. (It can also be transferred between species including humans) Eggs in the UK that are stamped with the Red Lion mark means that they have been laid by hens vaccinated against salmonella and they have been produced to the highest standards of food safety, so the salmonella risk is pretty low in these eggs. But always handle raw products sensibly and wash hands, surfaces and anything else that may have come into contact with raw eggs.

2 - Egg Whites, No, Egg Yolks, yes.

This was mentioned a lot with some people just feeding yolks and not the whites. To break this reasoning down to its simplest forms;

Raw Egg Whites contain a protein called 'Avidin'

Raw Egg Yolks contain a B Vitamin called 'Biotin'

Avidin can bind to Biotin preventing this nutritious Biotin being absorbed in the gut during digestion. This fact is then followed up the the concern of Biotin deficiency if both the white and yolk are fed together. But in reality, for a cat to become 'deficient' in Biotin it would have to eat a huge, unrealistic amounts of whole raw eggs. Cats will be ingesting plenty of other sources of Biotin from meat and organs found in good quality cat raw foods.

3 - Shell or Not?

I think this one comes down to preference and existing regular diet. The one thing I would say is that it is a wise idea to thoroughly clean the shell before feeding if you do. You can just break it open for your cats to crunch on, or grind it up for them. But it's worth noting, while the shells are a great source of calcium, if your cat is on a complete raw diet, their calcium needs are already being met, so you may notice slightly whiter presents in the litter tray or even trouble passing altogether. If this is the case, there no nutritional need to feed the shell. One person I spoke with commented that they fed raw everything, including eggs, but their cats would leave the shells all over the place!

4 - Quail vs Chicken?

The main differences are the size and the cost. Trying out raw chicken eggs with your cat first may save you money if they decide they don't like it, then you could move up to quail eggs if it went down well. OR you could just bite the bullet and try quail eggs as they are slighter richer then chicken eggs so they may prove to be the tempting treat that your cat just can't resist.

In conclusion, if you do decide to fed a raw egg, in part or in full, I hope your cat enjoys it! But remember to treat them as an occasional reward if you are already feeding a complete balanced diet to your cat regularly and always practice good food handling hygiene. If you have any concerns of food poisoning in your cat, contact your vet straight away.

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