Should Maine Coon cats be allowed to eat cooked eggs?

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Well, the question is a bit odd but it's being asked on the internet so I'll answer it. It applies of course to all domestic cats as Maine Coons are no different in matters of diet. The short answer is that if a Maine Coon is interested in eating a cooked chicken egg, scrambled or hard boiled (which is debatable but possible), the owner shouldn't stop them as it is okay in moderation. I would not think that a Maine Coon would eat more than a small portion which is all the more reason why it could be regarded as a little treat.

Maine Coon eating boiled eggs. It is okay in moderation. Image: MikeB

I mean eggs are good for humans and although there is a difference in the diets of humans and cats, they are not so different as to exclude eggs from a cat's diet in terms of a small treat.

Fully cooked eggs would be a decent treat for a Maine Coon as they are full of nutrients such as amino acids, the building blocks of protein, and eggs are very digestible. Proper storage and cooking of the eggs are important to avoid cross contamination and contamination with bacteria.

Here is a nutrient breakdown of egg whites and whole egg from the Healthline website:

Egg WhiteWhole Egg
Calories1871
Protein4 grams6 grams
Fat0 grams5 grams
Cholesterol0 grams186 mg
Vitamin A0% of the DV27% of the DV
Vitamin B120% of the DV19% of the DV
Vitamin B211% of the DV18% of the DV
Vitamin B51% of the DV15% of the DV
Vitamin D0% of the DV19% of the DV
Choline0% of the DV27% of the DV
Selenium8% of the DV27% of the DV

Nothing there which makes eggs bad for domestic cats.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, a raw yolk from one standard, large egg provides the following:
  • 55 calories
  • 2.70 g of protein
  • 4.51 g of fat
  • 184 milligrams (mg) of cholesterol
  • 0.61 g of carbohydrate
  • 0.10 g of sugar
  • 0 g of dietary fiber

Egg yolks contain at least seven essential minerals, including:

  • calcium
  • iron
  • magnesium
  • phosphorus
  • potassium
  • sodium
  • zinc
Once again, I don't see anything to be concerned about there in terms of Maine Coon diet. A Maine Coon could eat scrambled eggs as a treat.

It would not be wise to allow a Maine Coon to eat more than a modest amount as a treat in the interests of a balanced diet and common sense.

A great change from a cat's standard diet should be avoided. 

The basic nutritional requirements of a domestic cat such as the purebred Maine Coon cat are those of an obligate carnivore as we all know. The ideal Maine Coon diet contains 40% protein, 50% fat and only 3% carbohydrates. Cats require much more protein than dogs, about 2 to 3 times as much. You should never feed dog food to a cat because their diet would be deficient in many nutrients.

Cats are proficient at metabolising protein and fat as energy over carbohydrates and when a cat is on a limited protein diet her body uses up all protein first. It means that a sick cat who is not eating well can end up being protein deficient. An adult cat must have a diet of at least 26% protein. And they require an adequate amount of fat in the diet which is used for energy and also for a healthy skin, nervous system and for many metabolic processes. A cat's diet should be at least 9% fat.

Cats do not have many of the enzymes which help to digest carbohydrates. Large amounts of carbohydrates i.e. in even commercially prepared cat foods may decrease the efficiency of protein digestion. It may also cause high levels of blood glucose. This is why you hear of diabetes in cats being at epidemic levels and it is proposed by some that the high carbohydrate content of dry cat food contributes to this growing health problem in domestic cats.

The National Research Council's Nutrient Requirements for Cats provides the needs for adult cat maintenance in a long list of nutrient requirements starting with amino acids all the way through to vitamins. I would urge concerned and involved cat caregivers to refer to that list if they wish.

To be complete, a cat's diet must contain more than 20 amino acids. As mentioned, they are the building blocks of proteins. This should be in the right balance and in the right amounts. Many amino acids can be synthesised by a cat although others known as essential amino acids must be present in the diet. Cats have 11 essential amino acid requirements.

A Maine Coon's overall condition including weight, activity levels, hair coat and so on are all affected by her diet. If any of them are less than at an optimum level a poor diet might be the reason. You can also help to gauge the effectiveness of a diet by observing the effect on a Maine Coon cat's stool. Poor quality protein passes through a cat's intestines which leads to a mushy stool or diarrhoea. Large stools or large amounts of stool can indicate excessive amounts of fibre and other indigestibles.

Note: I am not an animal nutritionist and neither am I a vet but I do not a lot about cats and I do have a lot of reference books!!

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