Preparing Cats For The Raya Season - Food For Thought
- Justin Lim JH
- Mar 20
- 3 min read
Updated: Mar 21
(Source: SmartPaw)
The Hari Raya Season is upon us, and the open house spread looks incredible. Rendang, satay, kuih raya stacked high.
Similar to the previous blog about pet diets and safe to consume human foods, there are also precautions that cat owners should take note of during this season.
The Raya Spread
(Source: The Spruce Pets)
Most of us know that chocolate is bad for pets. What many do not realise is that the rest of the Raya table is just as risky, if not more so.
Rendang is a serious one as it contains garlic and onions. Both garlic and onions damage red blood cells in cats, and can cause a condition called haemolytic anaemia, where those cells break down faster than the body can replace them, which can be fatal. The problem is that these ingredients appear in so many festive dishes: rendang, soto ayam, briyani, and most marinades, so you cannot simply sniff out the danger.
Satay is another trap. The meat itself is almost always marinated in a mix that includes garlic, onion, and heavy seasoning. The peanut sauce adds more salt and sugar on top of that. High salt intake alone can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, and in serious cases, seizures in cats.
Kuih raya rounds out the danger zone. Many traditional kuih contain dairy, sugar, and sometimes chocolate, with kek lapis being one of the more obvious offenders. Cats are largely lactose intolerant, meaning dairy products cause digestive upset. Sugar in large amounts contributes to obesity and dental disease over time. And chocolate is toxic regardless of the amount, because it contains compounds that affect the heart and nervous system in cats.
Lemang deserves a mention too. While plain rice from ketupat is generally fine in very small amounts, lemang is cooked with coconut milk, which is high in fat and difficult for cats to digest, often leading to stomach upset or worse, pancreatitis.
What can cats have?
(Source: ExpressVetPharmacy)
The good news is that you do not have to leave your cat out of the celebrations entirely. You just need to be the one deciding what goes into their bowl. The general guide follows the prior post.
Plain, cooked chicken or fish with no seasoning whatsoever is a safe and enjoyable treat for cats. If you are cooking for the open house anyway, setting aside a small piece before the marinating step can be done.
Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning their bodies are built around animal protein. A small amount of plain cooked chicken, tuna in water (not brine), or cooked white fish are suitable treats.
If you want to go the extra step, commercially prepared cat treats with a short, readable ingredient list are your safest bet during a season where the kitchen is busy and it is easy to lose track of what has been seasoned with what.
Bottom Line
(Source: Straits Times)
If it has been marinated, seasoned, fried, sweetened, or baked for human consumption, it is not for your cat. That covers almost everything on a Raya spread.
Following up from the previous post, about managing guests and pet anxiety levels, this food post will be a great 2nd-parter to pair with that. Keep your cats safe during this raya season.
Selamat Hari Raya, from one guardian to another.
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