Eggplant

Cats barely need vegetables, so a little thoroughly cooked eggplant is at most a novel nibble with some fibre.

One small piece per serving without reducing main-diet intake.

Steam or boil until soft, dice very small, and add no seasoning or oil.

Never feed it raw; common flavourings such as garlic, onion and soy sauce are toxic to cats, so contact a vet immediately if a seasoned eggplant dish is eaten.

Cooked eggplant is very low in calories and fat and supplies some fibre and a little potassium, so it works as an occasional vegetable treat.

2-3 small pieces per serving (one for a small dog), within roughly 10% of daily energy intake.

Steam or boil until soft, then cut into small pieces; peel it or leave the skin on, but add no salt, oil, garlic, onion or sauce.

Raw eggplant is hard to digest and contains some solanine-type compounds, so never feed it raw; pan-fried and braised dishes are very oily and salty and often include garlic or onion, which are toxic - contact a vet if they are eaten.