Feeding Table Scraps to Animals: Some Dos and Don’ts

Emily Han
Emily Han
Emily Han is a Los Angeles-based recipe developer, educator, herbalist, and author of Wild Drinks & Cocktails and co-author of Wild Remedies. For recipes and classes, check out her personal site.
published May 24, 2013
We independently select these products—if you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. All prices were accurate at the time of publishing.
Post Image
(Image credit: Apartment Therapy)

If you’re an animal lover, you’ve no doubt shared morsels of “people” food with your furry and feathered friends. Feeding table scraps to animals can even be a good way to prevent food waste. But before you give in to those imploring eyes, it’s important to consider safety. 

Over at the Brighton & Hove Food Partnership blog, Vera Zakharov has shared a great roundup of dos and don’ts for feeding leftovers to animals like dogs, cats, chickens, and wild birds. “People often feed scraps to animals to avoid creating waste, which is indeed a noble effort,” she writes. “But while some scraps are fine as treats and even contribute to your pet’s nutrition, other leftovers can be unhealthy, or even deadly.”

Here are a few tips:
  • Dogs: Lean meats, rice, and pasta are safe, but things they may have been cooked in, such as oils, onions, or wine, are poisonous. 

  • Cats: Adult cats are lactose intolerant, so avoid feeding them milk. Cheese is safe as an occasional treat. 

  • Birds: Many people enjoy feeding birds their stale bread, but white bread can seriously hurt swans and cause vitamin deficiency. 
 Check out the blog for more do’s and don’ts.

→ Read more: An animal’s guide to leftovers at Brighton & Hove Food Partnership