Deb D’Andrea, Nederland.     I’ve written several articles about what dogs can eat—fruits, vegetables, and how best to prepare those; this week I thought I’d write about vegetables that your Cat may enjoy. Granted, some cats will not be fully onboard with the vegetables, but some may truly enjoy a vegetable or two added to their daily meals.

Cooked carrots are a great addition to your cat’s diet. Carrots contain lots of excellent vitamins and minerals. Just be sure to cook and cool the carrots before giving them to your cat. Chop the carrots into small bite size pieces for easy digestion. Green peas are another lovely addition, and if your cat doesn’t eat them, peas will provide hours of entertainment as they chase them around the floor.

Steamed broccoli contains several antioxidants and provides a nice green that may reduce your cats desire to nibble on houseplants which may be poisonous. Green beans are another good vegetable for cats, offering fiber and a way to help your cat feel full but take off some pounds. Green beans are a trick we use with dogs to help them slowly reduce weight. Green beans are easily used as treats if your cat really likes them.

Zucchini contains magnesium, potassium, and manganese, three healthy ingredients for your cat to consume, and, surprisingly, is found in many cat foods. Winter squash, when consumed in moderation, can help normalize a cat’s bowel environment and relieve constipation or diarrheal issues. Just straight up winter squash though—no added spices or other items to jazz it up. Save those for yourself.

So when you’re cooking up your carrots, green peas, broccoli, green beans, zucchini, or winter squash, set some aside to cool and experiment to see if your cat has any interest in these foods. If so, these vegetables are a great addition to rotate in with their regular food to jazz it up a bit!

Till next time!

Deb D’Andrea, founder of 4TheLuvOfDogz, provides Petz Nanny Services, Canine Massage, and coming soon, Canine Agility. 4TheLuvOfDogz home-made dog treats are sold at local stores and K9Birthday Cakes are available directly from Deb. 4TheLuvOfDogz cares for dogs, cats, birds, fish, and horses; but no children. Contact Deb at 720-675-7078 or info@4theluvofdogz.com. Online: www.4theluvofdogz.com