If there is any good news about cat poisonings, it is that among reported poisoning cases, almost 90% of the incidents are unintentional and just a small percentage are from adverse reactions to food, drugs, and other chemicals. About 20% are from insecticides, and another 15% are from cleaning products. Regarding drug poisonings, about 20% are from antibiotics, antivirals and analgesics (acetaminophen, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, and prescription painkillers). Another 10% are poisoned by topical preparations. Only about 1-2% of all pets poisoned die as a result, whether they are cats or dogs, although overall, more dogs are poisoned than cats, maybe because cats tend to be pickier about what they put in their mouths (statistics from the book Veterinary and Human Toxicology).

Dangerous foods for your cat include chocolate, coffee, tea, and medications that contain the stimulants caffeine, theobromine and theophylline, which can cause vomiting, diarrhea, increased heart rate, heart arrhythmias, rapid breathing, muscle tremors, seizures, hyperactivity, and even coma and death.

Other food items to beware of are onions and onion powder, which can be found in the baby food that is sometimes given to cats with little appetite. Ingestion of plants from the nightshade family (potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, and eggplant) can lead to arthritis, inflammation, parasite infestation, respiratory problems, swelling, and excess mucus. Raw salmon, either fresh water or from the Pacific, may contain parasites that cause rickettsial disease, treatable with antibiotics if caught in time. Alcohol, yeast dough, macadamia nuts, hops, cigarettes, cigars, snuff, chewing tobacco, raw egg whites, salt and moldy or spoiled foods should also be avoided.

What can you do if it's too late and Fifi has already swallowed a toxic food? The best approach is to induce vomiting with syrup of ipecac (1 tsp/10 lbs body weight), hydrogen peroxide 3% and water (1-3 tsp every 10 minutes times three), mustard and water, or salt (1/2-1 tsp at back of tongue). Tilt the cat's head back at a 45-degree angle and pour liquid into the side of her mouth with a spoon or eyedropper. Pull out to form a pouch and jiggle, or tap the nose to encourage swallowing. Administer activated charcoal if 2 hours or more have passed since the event, 1 tsp/2 lbs of body weight, followed by a pint of water. This may require a stomach tube and is best done with a veterinarian's assistance. NEVER administer

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