Cats who like salad? Seriously?

Cats have always struck me as the kind of guys who’d only turn up to a BBQ with meat. And definitely skip the salad. But there’s an interesting sub-cat-culture out there who who love veggies. Yes, arguably your family’s fussiest eater might have a soft spot for leafy greens if 2 year old Smokey is anything to go by. He’ll chow down on cauliflower, spinach and green beans. But Smokey isn’t doing this solo. Plenty of cats that I see at the vet practice surprisingly partake in this particular food group. But given cats are technically carnivores, is it safe for them?

Well the simple answer is almost always yes. In fact, this hit of fibre, vitamins and minerals is not only good for them but may even be useful at regulating blood sugar levels, providing a hit off anti-oxidants and binding hair to avoid furballs. The only red flag to all this green food may lie in the spinach. But it’s a small one. Some research suggests that cats who a) eat large amounts of spinach and b) already have existing kidney or bladder stone (urinary crystal) issues may encounter problems because of the extra calcium in the spinach…