Can Cats Eat Eggs?

Cooked eggs are an excellent occasional treat for cats. They're rich in high-quality animal protein, contain all essential amino acids, and provide taurine — the critical amino acid cats need for heart and eye health.

The best preparation: hard-boiled, soft-boiled, or plain scrambled without butter, oil, milk, salt, or seasonings. One tablespoon of cooked egg is a good portion for an average cat, offered a few times per week at most.

Raw eggs are not recommended for cats for two reasons. First, there's a risk of Salmonella and E. coli contamination. While cats are more resistant to food-borne bacteria than humans, it's not worth the risk. Second, raw egg whites contain avidin, a protein that binds to biotin (vitamin B7) and prevents its absorption. Regular raw egg white consumption can lead to biotin deficiency, causing skin and coat problems.

Cooking denatures avidin, eliminating the biotin concern. Cooking also kills potential bacterial pathogens. There's no nutritional benefit to raw eggs over cooked for cats.

Egg yolks are higher in fat and calories than whites. For overweight cats, egg whites alone are a leaner protein option. For most cats, the whole cooked egg (white and yolk) is fine in moderation.