Can cats eat raw eggs?

On June 3, Foodies are celebrating National Egg Day. And that might mean sharing those eggs with your pet, including your cats.

In honor of National Egg Day, we have fallen down the rabbit hole of whether or not our pets can safely eat eggs in different forms. From cooked eggs to raw eggs and even the egg shells, we want to know if it is safe for our cats and dogs to eat this particular form of protein.

Thanks to Purina, we know that our cat can safely eat cooked eggs. But what about raw eggs?

Can cats safely eat raw eggs?

Well, it turns out that they are not safe for cats to eat. While dogs can potentially eat raw eggs (with the understanding that there are things like salmonella and biotin deficiency to be aware of), our cat cannot.

According to Purina,

"When eggs are not cooked or are undercooked, they can harbor bacteria like Salmonella. Also, raw egg whites can be bad for cats. ‘Chickens deposit avidin, a biotin-binding protein, in egg whites,’ says Carbo-Johnson. ‘This protein prevents absorption of biotin (also known as vitamin B7), which can cause a vitamin deficiency. Cooking eggs for your cat would prevent those results.’"

So, just like with dogs, the concern is about not only biotin absorption, but also the potential for Salmonella. However, it seems that these two issues are even more important to pay attention to when it comes to our cats. And in our mind, that makes sense. Cats are much smaller and have different digestive systems than their canine companions.

When it comes to giving eggs to both our cats and our dogs, we just think it’s best to cook the egg first. And it is also important to remember that speaking to your veterinarian is always the best option for maintaining your pet’s health and wellbeing.

Are you surprised by the fact that raw eggs are not considered feline safe? Do you give eggs to your pet?