Penney
I buy my cats tinned wet cat food to add to their kibble, but I only give them about a fourth of the can per day... the rest I put in the fridge with a piece of saran wrap over the top of the tin. Someone told me that leaving food in the tins while refridgerating can cause botulism...Is it true that can cause botulism, and if so... would botulism harm my cats or does it only affect humans?
Dino
That means its in the fridge three days. Thats fine. I would, though, go to the pet store and buy a cover thats made to fit over the can. Thats going to keep it nicer than saran wrap. Its also usually advised to warm up the food a bit before giving it to them from the fridge, as the cold food can upset their stomachs. Honestly I dont usually bother, though. Botulism grows in anaerobic conditions, so thats exactly what you DONT have to worry about with an open can. The advice about not leaving the food in cans probably comes from when lead solder was used to seal cans. The US banned the use of lead in cans in 1995.If it really concerns you, just buy smaller cans.
Bula
No but I bet it stinks up the people food in the fridge.
Fernande
I would think that botulism would effectcats in the same ways as human. but along as you wrap up the cat food well your cats will be fine.
Houston
I feed my cat Purina can food and grain food from Royal Canin, plus fresh water and fresh spinac or carrot. I only feed her half can a day. I keep unopened can in the kitchen, and opened can in the fridge. If you leave them too long in the fridge, it may harm your cat, but if you use it up right away (at least within a day after opening the can) I dont think it will and my vet never says otherwise. My vet suggested me to warm the can food in the microwave for 5 - 8 seconds before feeding. Not the whole can, just the part that I will use to feed her. The next morning, I will warm the rest of the can food from the fridge before feeding. This means the can food never experience big difference in temperature, just like you dont put warm or hot food in the fridge even after it cools down. I have the cat for almost 2 yrs and my cat is as healthy as she was after her first vaccination and deworming. Good luck.
Esther
No, I dont think any harm can come of placing semi-used cat food cans inside the refrigerator. I do this myself and my kitten seems perfectly happy with her food and shows no signs of sickness or other harm. Just keep it covered, and your cat will be fine.
Giuseppina
It shouldnt since leftovers are generally kept in the fridge
Alena
Clostridium botulinum, the oganism responsible for botulism, is an anaerobic bacterium. This means that it thrives only in the absence of oxygen. Therefore, it will not grow in leftover cat food in your refrigerator any more than it will grow in leftover human food in that refrigerator. The type of container that the food is in has no bearing on this. So, in short, you have nothing to worry about. Botulism is the result of poisoning by a toxin secreted by a bacterium, and has nothing whatsoever to do with open tins.
Gemma
I often wondered that my self! seeing as it can make people sick, i would assume it is the same for cats! i wouldnt risk it! put the left over food in a tuba-wear container or something else instead!!:)its not the food, its putting metal with food in it in the fridge! some people need to learn how to read!!
Richelle
As long as you dont leave it in the fridge forever it will be fine. Like the other person here said - just dont feed it moldy food.
Candra
This is a very good question - best answer I can give, is that my kitty eats 1/2 tin of moist food per day. The other half I keep in the fridge with those little cat canned food covers, but never for more than one day. Ive done this for at least 20 years with no problems, but cant say for sure--think Ill ask my vet! Also put this on the Watch List in hopes someone else can give you solid advice.
Cris
That is absurd! No, you will not have botulism in the food. Whoever told you that has very little knowledge of microbiology. and yes, botulism will kill any animal just as it does humans. But Clostridia Botulina is NOT going to grow in a refridgerator with air present, period!
Allie
Have you ever had leftovers??????? We dont get sick, unless it was left outat room temp for too long. Dont feed them food that had mold on it, and try and use it within the four days, but otherwise, it is fine!!!!!!!!!!
Brice
1. I cover the cat food cans with plastic lids or foil, there is no harm in that.2. Food or meat (not frozen) left out overnight - that has salad dressing, vinegar or mayonnaise in it or even plain; that if eaten or cooked the following day will cause Botulism (food poisoning).
Lara
I had two cats for 16 years and always had food tins in the fridge for many days.
Chelsey
No i did it all the time i owned 3 cats
Shantell
No, it can not cause botulism. But there is concern since there is lead in the cans. Lead buildup does not show up in symptoms until sometime down the road, and it is normally too late to do anything by then. I play it safe and simply dump the leftover cat food in a glass container and cover it. That way, I feel better knowing that if anything is contaminating the food from the can, I dont even have to worry about it because it is not in the can. A great web site for cat lovers is shown below. Its a great place for all kinds of info.
Grady
Solution: At any supermarket, Walmart, or Target, you can get "can covers." I got 2 for 1 dollar at Walmart. Pretty sweet! Now the food is always fresh and no worries about bacteria, infection, etc. The key to avoiding botulism is to make sure the can is securely covered. The can covers are better at doing this, than just saran wrap. Also, botulism generally occurs only in hotter temperatures, e. g. if you were to leave the food outside on the kitchen counter. Then, you would be worried about the proliferation about bacteria. Refrigerating the food, on the other hand, is not going to lead to botulism as long as it is properly sealed and covered.
Carmelo
There are actually special plastic lids that are made to put on canned pet food. you should be able to pick one up in the pet food aisle of your grocery store or a pet supplies store. they are about $3 dollars and usually come in a pack of two.
Colleen
They say its not safe maybe you should keep some small plastic cups to keep them in the fridge