Your tiny tiger may have tried every kind of kibble from chicken to rabbit to fish, but can cats eat eggs? Yes, cats can eat eggs if you know the risks and benefits — cooked eggs can be a great treat to add to your cat's mealtime routine.

The Benefits of Eggs

Petcha includes eggs on a list of cat "superfoods." The author of the list, veterinarian Dr. Laci Schaible, says she offers her own cats some scrambled eggs once a week. The protein in eggs is easy for cats to digest, and eggs are packed with amino acids that help maintain lean muscle.

Salmonella: It's No Yolk

If you don't have time to scramble them up diner-style, can cats eat eggs raw? Absolutely not, says the American Verterinary Medical Association. That's because, just like humans, cats can contract salmonella or E. coli bacteria from consuming raw eggs (or raw meat). Symptoms of poisoning from these pathogens vary but can include vomiting, diarrhea and lethargy. The illness can even be fatal.

The Food and Drug Administration's Center for Veterinary Medicine warns against the recent uptick in pet parents feeding cats and dogs "raw diets," both for nutritional reasons and because of the dangers of salmonella and E. coli. Any contamination from raw meat can be transmitted to humans by feeding or handling pet dishes, and a bout with salmonella can be dangerous for someone who is very young, elderly or immunocompromised. Be careful to wash your hands after cooking meat or eggs for yourself, and keep your cat away from raw ingredients and other toxic human foods.

In addition to the dangers of salmonella and E. coli, Catster warns that raw eggs contain a protein called avidin that interferes with the absorption of biotin, the vitamin your cat needs to maintain her healthy skin and shiny coat. Cooking eggs denatures this protein and also provides a dose of biotin.