Seven Foods You Absolutely Must Not Share With Your Dog Or Cat

It’s peak picnic season in the northern hemisphere, and part of the joy of gathering outdoors with friends and food is bringing your pets along, too. But there are some foods you should be sure not to share with them.

One of summer’s great delights is throwing a picnic with friends—including furry friends as well—finding the perfect spot in a grassy park and sharing food and drink under the sun. As fun as it might be to slip some snacks to your pet as a treat, though, there are certain foods that you absolutely shouldn’t share with your cat or dog. Some common foods are extremely poisonous to pets. Spread the word to keep your animals healthy.

Grapes and raisins

Grapes and raisins, and even some varieties of currants, are extremely toxic to dogs—even a very small amount can cause acute kidney failure. Beware of bagels, trail mix or granola, or candies or cookies containing raisins. If your dog eats even just a few, bring him to the veterinarian immediately—there’s no antidote, but prompt veterinary attention can lessen the effects of the toxin.

Onions and garlic

Chocolate

This one you’ve probably heard about—but it’s in fact a bit less dangerous than the foods named above. Chocolate is toxic to both dogs and cats, but cats generally won’t touch it. A few chocolate chips in a cookie shouldn’t present a problem; larger quantities, however, can cause an array of symptoms, from heart arrhythmias to seizures to painful pancreatitis. Dark chocolate is more toxic than milk chocolate, but you really oughtn’t offer either to your dog.

Milk or other dairy products

A cat drinking from a bowl of milk has become a cliche, but many cats actually become lactose intolerant by the time they reach adulthood. To prevent belly aches, vomiting, and diarrhea, keep the milk away.

Kittens can drink milk, but it may make adult cats sick

Wine (or any other alcohol)

There may be “wine for cats” available now, but you shouldn’t share your boozy human version with your kitty (or puppy). Alcohol can cause liver and brain damage in cats. A single teaspoon can cause problems; as little as a tablespoon can put a kitty in a coma, and not much more than that could be fatal.

This cat has excellent taste in wine, but she still shouldn’t drink any

Xylitol (a common sweetener)

Xylitol is an artificial sweetener found in many sugar-free foods such as chewing gum, Jell-o, some types of pudding, and other sugar-free snacks. Don’t share any foods containing it with your pup: Small amounts can cause a life-threateningly low blood sugar levels within just a few minutes, and larger amounts can cause acute liver failure.

Star fruit

A common and festive inclusion in fruit salads, star fruit can be deadly to dogs and cats. It contains soluble calcium oxalates, which bind with calcium in the body. If enough is eaten, it can result in a sudden drop in calcium, which can lead to acute renal failure. This can happen in humans, too, but a pet’s small size leaves them especially vulnerable to the effects.

Lilies

Okay, they aren’t food, but we thought we’d include these flowers anyhow since they’re common home and garden decorations in the spring and summer months. Every part of most varieties of lilies (including tiger, stargazer, and casablanca) is poisonous to cats, causing severe kidney failure. The plants are so toxic that if a kitty merely drinks water out of a vase containing the flowers, or brushes up against a flower and later licks the pollen off her fur, she could die. There’s no antidote, and immediate veterinary attention is the only chance of saving the cat’s life. Better to just keep them away from your kitty!

Keep these pretty flowers far away from kitties!

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.