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Gerber baby food cats


Can Cats Eat Gerber Baby Food?

Oddly enough, neither of my boys were all that interested in baby food, except for very select flavors from very select brands (and never from jars), so my cats were never exposed to baby food except as a by-product of messes (which they ignored).

But a lot of Gerber baby food (and other baby food) is made with some pretty wholesome ingredients, including a lot of meat, leading many cat owners, particularly of cats with very sensitive stomachs or who are very picky, to wonder: can cats eat Gerber baby food?

Short answer: As long as you are minding the ingredient list (meat and few other ingredients), then yes, cats can eat Gerber baby food in small quantities. However, it’s not something your cat should eat all the time as it’s missing essential nutrients and minerals that cats need to stay healthy such as Taurine.

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Do Cats Like Gerber Baby Food?

This is really going to depend on the cat. Some cats have absolutely loved it and it has worked as a way to stimulate the appetite in old or ill cats (or kittens). Others (like mine) turn up their nose at it.

Gerber baby food that is made strictly with meat and water is likely to go down better than Gerber baby food made with other things. The ones made with just meat and broth are also healthier for cats compared to the ones that are made with a range of ingredients.

If a cat likes Gerber baby food, they are probably going to like it throughout their lifespan, making it a good treat for senior cats who aren’t feeling well or kittens who need some extra food to round out their usual diet.

Do Cats Hate Gerber Baby Food?

Some cats will show absolutely no interest in Gerber baby food. They may not like the texture, the smell, the taste, or the fact that they associate it with the Noisy, Messy Thing you brought home in the last year! If this is your cat, you don’t really have anything to worry about.

Gerber baby food might be useful as a treat in some instances, but it certainly should not be a regular part of your pet’s diet because it is lacking in essential minerals and vitamins.

Cat Eating Gerber Baby Food Kill My Cat?

Recall that Gerber baby food comes in a variety of flavors and combinations, so the answer to this is really going to depend on which one(s) you let your cat eat. Baby food with the following ingredients are more problematic:

  • Garlic or garlic powder, onions, chives, or leeks
  • Xylitol (artificial sweetener)
  • Chocolate
  • Raisins
  • Rhubarb
  • Lemon juice

Other foods can simply be harder on a cat’s stomach, such as vegetables, some fruit, and any grains, so these should also be avoided, or else your cat will be uncomfortable afterward.

Assuming you stick with only Gerber baby food that is made with meat and water, then it won’t kill your cat and in fact, can be used to entice a cat to eat. However, a cat should not live on Gerber baby food or even have it for too long or too often.

The main reason for this is that the food is formulated for baby humans, not cats, so it’s missing key nutrients. Being too heavily deficient in taurine, in particular, can lead to blindness in cats.

It’s also needed for healthy heart function, to maintain a healthy pregnancy, and to help the immune system. Taurine deficiency is not easy to spot early or track, so once you know there’s a problem, it is more likely than not too late to do anything about it.

Gerber baby food is also missing nutrients that kittens need in order to grow up strong and healthy, so it’s best to avoid it altogether for them.

Gerber baby food is best used as a way to feed elderly or sick cats who don’t want anything to do with their normal food and you need to entice them to eat something.

Many cats who would refuse to eat their regular food may be more inclined to eat baby food because it’s soft, easy to digest, and smells good to them. In this case, you want food that is made strictly with meat and broth or water, nothing else. The chicken and broth ones are the safest since they have the simplest ingredient list: chicken, water, and cornstarch.

How Much Gerber Baby Food Can I Feed My Cat?

The jars may be small, but cats don’t need to eat very much of this stuff! This is mostly because some cats will start to expect that they will always have it and try to replace their regular food with it, which is not something you want.

Assuming you are going with the really simple meat Gerber baby food, the amount you feed your cat will really depend on the age of the cat, how much other food it’s eating, and your wallet (Gerber baby food isn’t exactly cheap after all).

Since you don’t want your cat to try to live off it, figure that you should serve part of a jar that has been warmed up and then poured over their regular food. Make sure to refrigerate leftovers.

For really stubborn cats, you can try letting them lick a bit off your finger or feeding your cat via a syringe. If that doesn’t work, it’s probably time for a trip to the vet to try to figure out why your cat won’t eat and what to do next.

Healthy cats on the other hand can have Gerber baby food as a treat. In that case, they shouldn’t have more than a spoonful or two put on top of their regular food or put on the side. If this is what you are doing with your cat, then it’s a treat and should make up no more than 10% of their daily calorie intake.

Finally, you might just be flat out of cat food and have some baby food on hand and it’s the cat’s supper time. Giving it to them as supper once in a great while is usually fine, but don’t let yourself or the cat make a habit of it!

Gerber baby food may not be the first thing you think of when you think of cat food, but it can work as a treat, in a pinch if you have no other food, or as a way to entice a cat’s appetite.

It’s important though to make sure you are going for one that is made strictly with meat, water, and cornstarch and no other ingredients, otherwise, you risk making your cat sick. It’s also important not to let your cat live off it or they will be missing key nutrients. But as a treat, a very occasional dinner, or as a way to entice a cat to eat, Gerber baby food works pretty well.

Does your cat eat Gerber baby food?

Pam Turner

Pam is a self-confessed cat lover and has experience of working with cats and owning cats for as long as she can remember. This website is where she gets to share her knowledge and interact with other cat lovers.

Insider tip: Baby Food for Cats

by Jo // // 6 Comments

Baby food is a great tool for cats. Always keep a few jars handy! It may help stimulate the appetite when they are not eating. When cats don’t eat, they can get very sick, and then feeling sick makes them not want to eat so it is a vicious cycle. It’s no secret that even veterinary clinics use baby food for cats!

 

It can also be used for an occasional treat or for giving some medications. Try crushing pills and hiding them in a teaspoon of baby food- this works really well for some cats.

Other cats are just really smart and can sense when you’ve done something to their food and will refuse to touch it.

However, with very bitter tasting pills (such as Metronidazole or Amitriptyline) this will not work.

Not sure if your cat’s meds are bitter tasting? Ask your vet or the staff at the clinic.

Some medications can be compounded with flavors-this is a great option if you are having trouble medicating your cat.

Compounded medications also are usually more expensive and may need to be refrigerated.

Remember you only need to use a very small amount (i.e. a teaspoon or a tablespoon) of baby food for medications. Give this small amount with the meds in it to your cat first and make sure they eat it! Then they can have more food after.

Some cats are smart and they just know when you’ve put something in their food and they won’t touch it.

What kind of baby food can I give my kitty?

Meat only. You will want to check the ingredient list to make sure it does not contain any herbs, spices, fruits or veggies- it should only say meat and water.

Some brands like Gerber & First Choice also add cornstarch, which will work if you cannot find any without cornstarch in it (and if your cat is not diabetic).

 

  • Beech Nut Classics 1st Stage is available in chicken, turkey, or beef
  • Gerber 2nd Stage is available in chicken, turkey, ham, or beef
  • First Choice Stage 2 is available in chicken or turkey.
  • Wild Harvest Organic 2nd Foods is available in chicken or turkey
  • Earth’s Best Organics, Happy Baby/Happy Tot,  & Plum Organics DO NOT have any varieties that are suitable for cats.

 

 

On its own, baby food is not nutritionally complete, so it cannot be the only thing you feed your cat.

Why not? It is just meat blended with water into a smooth puree, so it doesn’t contain important:

  • Vitamins
  • Minerals (like calcium)
  • Fiber
  • Omega 3 fatty acids (found in fish oils)
  • Additional taurine

Taurine is found in meat, but cats need quite a bit of it. Processing or freezing destroys some of the taurine in the meat that is in commercial cat foods, so these companies always add more taurine to their foods to make up for this.

The goal is to get them eating regular cat food on their own (you will need to force feed if your cat is refusing every kind of food you offer).

If your cat digs the baby food, you can try mixing it with canned cat food.

For example, if your cat supposed to be on a special prescription canned diet (such as Hill’s c/d for urinary tract issues) but doesn’t like what the vet wants them to eat, mix it about half and half with baby food.

Keep this in your kitty emergency kit!

This entry was posted in Senior Care.

Jo
Certified Veterinary Technician

Is it possible to give cats baby food?

1) What is baby food

2) Can I give baby food to a cat? Pros and cons

3) What can be replaced?

What is baby food

Many owners believe that everything done for children is absolutely hypoallergenic and safe, so they give baby food to cats and kittens without hesitation. This includes special purees and mixtures of vegetables and meats intended for feeding babies. The most popular manufacturers are companies such as Agusha, Gerber and so on. However, are such dishes included in the list of products that are not harmful to your pets? Let's figure it out!

Is it possible to give baby food to a cat? Pros and cons

The general answer is yes, you can, but there are many nuances that the Murkosi team will tell you about in this article. First of all, it is worth understanding that cats are predators and that of infant formulas, meat ones are most suitable for them (except for some special cases). However, even they are not a complete diet, that is, such food cannot be fed to a pet on an ongoing basis.

A valid option for baby food for a cat is in those moments when he is weakened, cannot chew and digest healthy food. This is usually associated with past illnesses and operations, with diseases of the esophagus and gums. But even in these cases, the transfer to a similar diet should occur only on the recommendation of the attending veterinarian.

For example, baby food can be given to older cats that develop gum disease and tooth loss. If the pet has a sensitive gastrointestinal tract that is unable to digest the usual cat food for some reason, then this type of food can also be offered to him. With such a serious health condition, baby food for a cat will be an excellent alternative to regular food, but owners should pay attention to other important aspects. The first of these is what such food consists of.

To begin with, it is worth understanding what kind (that is, consisting of what components) baby food should be offered to a cat. To do this, it is advisable to know if the fluffy is allergic to any vegetables or meat. The surest way to check is to give your pet one or another puree (from beef or chicken, containing certain vegetables) in a small amount and monitor his condition. If you observe fever, diarrhea, vomiting or any other unhealthy reaction of the cat's body, stop feeding it this product. Offer another mixture, after checking its components for similarity with the previous ones and making sure that they do not repeat. If there is a reaction to it, then it is possible that it is better to avoid infant formulas from this particular manufacturer. In this case, it is better to stop the experiments and seek help from a veterinarian.

Read about allergies: Food allergies in cats

Next, check the composition for the presence of components harmful to the cat's body. Of course, preservatives are excluded from baby food, but there are still many other substances that are harmful to cats. First of all, don't buy formulas that contain soy for your cat, as this is not part of the cat's natural diet and can lead to serious digestive problems. Lactose is also categorically not recommended for cats, since many mustachioed cats have intolerance to this substance.

More about the dangers of lactose: Can cats be given milk?

Important! Baby food for a cat should never contain onions, garlic and salt! Onions and garlic contain a disulphide component that promotes the breakdown of erythrocytes (red blood cells) in a cat's body. Its constant presence in the blood leads to the development of hemolytic anemia and can be fatal. If the baby food contains sugar or salt in large quantities, then it should also be avoided, because these substances lead to serious disorders in the digestive system, liver and kidneys.

What other foods off the table are harmful to cats: Natural food for cats: good or bad?

In the adoption center "Murkosha" they always carefully check the components of the feed that are given to our cats, and we take products only from proven and really high-quality manufacturers. Each owner should also be careful about choosing the diet of his pet.

Many owners mistakenly believe that they can feed their cats expired baby food. However, this opinion is fundamentally wrong! The cat's body is as sensitive to spoiled food as the human body, so delay can cause poisoning and intoxication.

Another disadvantage of feeding a cat with baby food is that it is still intended for human children. Baby food for kittens is not a product that should replace everything else like professional food. Be that as it may, the best nutritional option for a healthy kitten is mother's milk, and then special food, because it contains all the necessary vitamins and minerals for the healthy growth of a kitten.

It is also a mistake to feed a cat with baby food consisting exclusively of meat. It would be more correct to combine it with vegetable mixtures to maintain the proper level of all the vitamins and nutrients a cat needs - because a mustachioed pet needs not only proteins, but also carbohydrates and fiber. A veterinary nutritionist can help you with this.

Therefore, baby food is a major compromise in any case. For comparison, in the professional feeds of the super premium and holistic class (which are used in Murkosh), the balance of useful substances is precisely adjusted, and there is also a vitamin and mineral complex.

Read about super premium food: Super premium cat food

About holistics: Holistic cat food in the diet - but only a product used for health problems in an animal.

What can be substituted?

Of course, the most obvious alternative to baby food for kittens is professional food labeled “for kittens”. For the little ones (but who have already stopped feeding on mother cat's milk), we recommend wet food. It usually consists of specially minced pieces of meat, and also includes a wide list of vitamins for healthy growth and development of the furry.

Now many companies have started to produce food in the form of a pate, which is more than a worthy alternative to meat mixtures, while (if it is a quality food - super premium and holistic class) it already contains all the useful substances necessary for the growth of a kitten.

More about pates: Pates for cats

not suitable as a complete natural food, but may be recommended for medical reasons by the attending veterinarian for a certain period. However, owners should always carefully monitor the condition of the cat after eating such foods, and also contact the veterinarian if symptoms of an allergic reaction appear. Remember that your pet's health is entirely in your hands!

Canned baby food - can a kitten?

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Kitten, 2.5 months old, Scottish breed. Lump food from bags does not eat, only in the form of mashed potatoes. Can I give baby purees from a jar, such as veal, rabbit, turkey? Baby puree in composition, kmk is better. read the composition of cat food offal in the composition, even from expensive manufacturers

we give, we do not observe problems

I don't think it will be a big deal for the time being, but later on you'll have to switch to food for cats

It's possible, but a balanced nature is better. How will you balance baby food?

yab did not give baby food to animals...
look at the four-legged gourmet company, there is a regular series and there is a silver line.
Why don't you feed him dry food?

I give as a treat. moreover, "Grandma's basket" is eaten, but "Tyoma" is not favored. )))

IMHO better yet prof. stern. Check out Almo Nature for kittens, it has a very good composition. And the look and smell is such that you want to eat it yourself.

In general, by-products are a useful thing for people too.

we used baby puree for our kittens at an intermediate stage (1.5-2 months old) during the transition from mother's milk to "cat food". I hope you're not going to feed your cat baby food all your life, are you? You need to determine the nutritional options for yourself: balanced natural, or dry and canned food.

And cats, by the way, are amazing, you can't impose your own on them. Our little one, for example, flatly refused dry food, spitting it out and that's it. She does not eat, she is already 2 years old. And the older one, on the contrary, switched from wet food to drying.

there is a lot of starch in the composition, it is not good for cats ...

there is no starch in the composition at all. It means good for a child, but not so much for a cat? girls, are you already crazy about your cats?

Starch is likely to be present even if it is not specified and fat is also present 99% for a pig, for an animal, consider death.

Where does the pork fat in a turkey or rabbit come from? and still not listed?

+100 I sometimes read and go nuts. Feed advertising is very well hammered into people's heads. I have dogs from a young age were in the family, 2 pcs. They ate and we children ate, soup for us and soup for them, porridge for us and porridge for them, only the bones were bought separately for them, and then if possible. Both dogs lived a long and happy life and coat, and teeth, and activity was normal in them until the last years. As a child, my friend’s dog also ate everything, lived for 15 years, gave birth at the same time quite a few, 10 times if not more! So it’s worth considering how harmful it is or not, I give my dog ​​our food, the only thing I myself I eat on a diet, I don’t welcome heaps of seasonings. And we have all these feeds as a backup option if we leave, if we are very busy or sick.

so I see, the more expensive the food, the better. In baby food, they don’t write starch, but cat food is better than cooked for children, yeah. Quality control of baby food will be better in every possible way. Everything is prepared directly for cats from selected veal, and for children from waste, according to the logic of cat lovers and dog lovers. Well, the brains worked out, offset

where does the pork fat come from in a turkey or a rabbit? - are you seriously asking this or are you trolling?

Are you serious or joking??? I give this food to the baby, believe me, the child is dearer to me than any golden cat, if 100% rabbit meat is written on the jar, is there pork fat by default? Are you a psychic or work in a factory? I ask without banter

I have a friend working in the research institute laboratory)))) and it's good if in 100% of the rabbit, there will be at least 10% of this same rabbit. I often drag food to her, but to be honest, I generally drag everything to her and food and poop and scrapings, and even smears from intimate places. At least some sense from education and work for science))))

According to experts, cat food contains exactly what is written on the can, but baby food is a hoax? it is not logical, they will fake it faster for cats than for children.

Great. And cat food is pure rabbit meat, right?

+1 some kind of bullshit

oddly enough, even the manufacturers don't write this stuff)))) It's just that there is human food that is dangerous to the life and health of an animal. For many, animals are also children, and they carefully watch not only what they eat, but also what they feed their animals. It’s just that sometimes, out of ignorance and our naivety (we believe in what they write to us on the labels), we feed children and animals with outright shit.

According to experts, cat food contains exactly what is written on the can - who told you such nonsense?))))

Well then, just like you, you need to have an expert girlfriend and go to her with every purchase. Alas, this is unrealistic

Your dogs are lucky, not all of them have such reinforced concrete gastrointestinal tract to withstand soups, etc.

So the author asked - can I have baby rabbit meat from a can - you wrote that there is pork fat in rabbit meat! So in the cat's everything is perfect, but in the children's you don't understand anything?

what's wrong with soup?

You don't understand a little, pork fat is the norm for human nutrition. It is also found in shitty dogs and cats such as chapi, pedigree, I can’t say for cats, I don’t have them (of course they don’t indicate this, although some manufacturers honestly say this to their due), but for dogs it is pork fat, like pork itself is prohibited, they can have very serious health problems.

Are you a troll?

damn, why am I a troll? I grew up in a small town (I hope you know that not everyone lives in Moscow) and there everyone feeds their pets with homemade food. Rarely. that carries to the veterinarians in general. No problem. My cat has been living perfectly for 15 years without any problems. He eats everything from our table. I repeat the question of what is bad meat soup?

My parents live 700 km from Moscow, both pensioners feed the cat either good drying or baby food. Therefore, there is no need to blame everything on a small town - it is devastation in the minds.
Why is meat soup bad? And why is he good? Seasonings? Potatoes?

I cook soup without seasonings. And how did cats survive in the past, before the importation of cat food into our country????

ps about baby food, they also write here, all this garbage, animals are not allowed, it's bad. and children normul

Another option, you can put a cat salad with mayonnaise, cho ush

Before the import of cat food, they fed it with normal kind. I feed mine with meat, no food.
Well, there are also a lot of things written on the fence. If I suddenly run out of cat food, I buy baby food for one or two. They will love him very much, what anonymous people write there above - I don’t care much. I believe that there are more natural products in baby food anyway than in cat food.
It's just that it's easier for my parents to fill a cat with food than to make it in kind - unfortunately, it's not a girl's age

So what I'm asking about is baby food, rvr? anything is better than food. Duck no, they write ononyms, they investigated it and there is pork fat. And in the cat's, selective paired veal, yeah. Argentine and)

Write nonsense.
In your opinion, it turns out that in baby food there is undeclared pork fat, but in cat-dog food (where the control is not so strict) they are not - not to die.
Do you think the same Gerber indicates an incomplete list of ingredients? Yeah.

No, grass fed Australian.

In any case, baby food is better, but then you should add rice + vegetables to it, and don't forget about calcium. If you only feed them.

and you said potatoes are not allowed? what vegetables to add, advise?

Not all animals eat dry food. My kitten refused to even try until 5 months old, she perceived him as a filler for the tray and tried to write in the dryer.
I also completely ignored canned cat food.
And she ate meat and baby food with pleasure, so to mix vitamins and ballast and give her baby food once a day.

Zucchini, pumpkin, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots - all steamed.
Or vegetable baby food. I took my Gerber and added it to the meat.

I also take a gerbera and a baby and a kitten

boom hope that there is no pork fat there

But in general it is better to make nature yourself

while the cat eats very selectively, I throw out half. I'll slowly start making nature now

I read the topic and it's true, the cat and dog species somehow survived before they began to deliver food to us. How did he pull it off. Well, never in the villages did they prepare anything specially balanced for either cats or animals. My sister had cats all her childhood. When I don’t come, they cook fish for them. What kind of pastes, vitamins and so on. Yes, no one came up with that. We don’t even remember what we fed our cat, it was a long time ago. But I remember well that there were no conversations like: oh, what will we feed? What we ate, so did he. Well, of course, without salads and mayonnaise. And his poop was correct and not smelly and there were no disorders. True, the products were different, not so chemical. Maybe that's why everyone was healthier. And so are we. I remember how people fukali on our blue cling with their heads. Remember those? And they were sooo happy about the white foreign ones. Rejoiced. Where are these clowns now? Awww... I wouldn't refuse these now. Yes, probably many would not refuse. Time has passed and human stomachs have somehow adapted to chicken with bleach, boiled soy sausage, feed fish.

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