We recommend you do not feed your cat hot dogs – see below to find out why.
What’s in a hot dog?
To help explain whether or not a cat should eat a hot dog, it may be easier to break the hot dog into its three components – the sausage, the bun and the toppings.
The sausage
Because different sausages can be used in a hotdog depending on the manufacturer or which street vendor is serving it, we’ll only talk about the sausage in general terms. Most of the time you eat a hot dog sausage it will be of the German ‘frankfurt’ style, or Viennese ‘weiner’ style. In both cases the sausages are made up of ground up meat and fat, encased in an edible casing. Commercial hot dog sausages can contain:
- highly processed meat (also called mechanically processed meat)
- colourings, flavourings and preservatives
- salt
- spices such as garlic or onion powders
Many commercial sausages are made from highly processed meat (also called mechanically processed meat) which can contain lots of fat. Many times colourings, flavourings and preservatives are added which are not healthy for humans, let alone cats. More importantly significant levels of salt are often added, as well as spices such as garlic or onion powders. Garlic and onions, as well as other members of the Allium family of plants, are toxic to both cats and dogs.
The bun
The humble hot dog bun, also known as the side-loading bun, can contain the following ingredients:
- Flour
- Water
- Milk
- Yeast
- Egg
- Sugar
- Salt
- Butter or oil
Generally, a cat won’t have any issues eating small amounts of the hot dog bun, like with plain breads. However, breads are mainly carbs and may cause bloating in your cat – without offering nutritional benefits.
The toppings
Hot dogs can come with no toppings, some toppings and almost every topping! Let’s look at some below:
- Ketchup (or tomato) sauce
- Mustard
- Onions
- Jalapenos
- Tomatoes
- Chili
All of the above are not particularly cat friendly. Sauces like ketchup and mustard contain high levels of sugar and salt, as well as spices such as garlic or onion powder. Garlic and onions, as well as other members of the Allium family of plants, are toxic to both cats and dogs. Chopped up onion toppings are therefore a no-no – along with chopped up tomatoes which can also be toxic unripe. And jalapenos and chilis can cause tummy upsets for your feline friend – just like they do for us humans!
Can cats have hot dogs?
If you haven’t figured it out already – hot dogs are not good for cats. So cats should not have any hot dogs due to the potentially harmful ingredients in the sausage or toppings. And even if they were to happen to not contain any toxic ingredients – hot dogs are still an unhealthy food that may cause your cat to be overweight if eaten consistently enough.
Conclusion
So, in conclusion – there are better things to feed your cat! The hot dog is a human food, not a cat food, so it’s best to keep it that way. Avoid the stress of having your cat get sick from eating what it shouldn’t, and feed it something else like plain cooked salmon or chicken. I’m sure your cat will thank you for it!
