It is not recommended for cats to eat Spam because of its fat and sodium content.
Manufactured by Hormel Foods Corporation, Spam is a popular cooked and canned luncheon meat product. It is made using pork shoulder and ham, which can technically be eaten by cats in small amounts occasionally. However, it is Spam’s other ingredients that are considered harmful for feline pets. These include salt, sugar, modified potato starch, and sodium nitrate.
According to various sources, Spam is loaded with fat, sodium, and preservatives. A sixth of the can contains 20 times the sodium amount your cat needs in a day. Eating too much salt from Spam may cause any of the following symptoms: vomiting, diarrhea, decreased appetite, lethargy, incoordination, and excessive thirst or urination.
When you feed Spam (or any other processed luncheon meat brands) to your cat on a regular basis, the unhealthy ingredients may cause weight gain, feline obesity, and other health complications.
What to do if your cat accidentally eats Spam: Find out how much she ate, and remove the rest of the luncheon meat from her reach. Review the nutrition facts label to see if there are other ingredients that may harm her. Observe her for any changes, and contact your vet to share your observations.
In summary: Cats are obligate carnivores that need a balanced, predominantly meat-based diet for their bodies to perform at their best. Spam is not a good type of meat to include in her meals as it is highly processed and does not offer the nutrients she needs. Instead of Spam, go for plain cooked lean meats such as chicken and turkey.
Aside from meat, learn which human foods you can safely feed to your pet cat through our “can cats eat” blog category.
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