Can cats eat pork?
A balanced diet is a decisive factor for your cat's health. As a carnivore, your cat is dependent on their food being rich in animal proteins.
In addition to classics such as chicken and fish, insects can also be used as a source of protein. But what about pork? Can cats eat pork or could it possibly harm them? We will give you the answer to this question below.
Cats and pork – the main points at a glance
- As long as it is well cooked before eating, pork is generally not harmful to your cat.
- Since pigs can be carriers of the so-called Aujeszky virus, cats should never eat their raw meat.
- Wild boar can also be infected with the Aujeszky virus, which is why their meat must not end up uncooked in the food bowl either.
- We do not use pork in the production of our cat food.
Why raw pork is dangerous for cats
Under no circumstances should uncooked pork end up in your cat's food bowl. The reason for this is that pigs can be carriers of the so-called Aujeszky virus and your four-legged friend can become infected with it by eating pork.
If this happens, cats contract Aujeszky's disease, also known as pseudorabies. The disease causes, among other things, severe itching and is also often noticeable with symptoms similar to those of rabies.
The incubation period is between two days and two weeks. Unfortunately, in the case of an infection, there is no cure. As soon as Aujeszky's disease breaks out in a cat, the animal will die within a few days.
Although the Aujeszky virus is actually considered to be eradicated in domestic pigs in Germany, you should not underestimate the possible consequences that Aujeszky's disease can have for your cat. Therefore don't feed your cat uncooked pork and make sure that your four-legged friend can't nick any off the worktop when you prepare it.
Be especially careful with imported pork
The Aujeszky virus is not considered eradicated everywhere. With imported pork, the risk of infection can be significantly higher for your cat. In this context, you should also be aware that the meat in our supermarkets does not always come from local animals, but may well have been imported from abroad.
Can cats eat wild boar?
Just like domestic pigs, wild boars can also be carriers of the Aujeszky virus. Accordingly, you should never feed your cat raw wild boar meat. The risk here is probably even higher than with meat from a German domestic pig.
Can cats eat cooked pork?
Like most viruses, the Aujeszky virus dies when exposed to heat. Therefore, if the pork has been cooked well, there is almost no potential risk of infection. So your cat can certainly eat a few pieces of cooked pork without you having to worry about the health of your four-legged friend.
Can humans contract Aujeszky's disease?
The Aujeszky virus is not only a danger for pigs and cats, but also for various other animal species, such as dogs and guinea pigs. However, humans are immune and therefore cannot contract Aujeszky's disease.
Cats and pork – our conclusion
As you can see, in theory cats can eat pork. If the meat has been cooked thoroughly, the risk of contracting Aujeszky's disease is practically eliminated.
Nevertheless, most cat owners do without it to be on the safe side and we do not use pork in the production of our dry and wet food for cats either.
Instead, we rely on tasty alternatives such as salmon, chicken or hypoallergenic insect protein. We therefore have no doubt that your cat will enjoy every meal even without pork and will love our delicious I love my cat cat food.