Can cats eat raw fish?
The →healthy, balanced diet of your indoor tiger should always contain a high meat content. But what about fish? You probably have an image of a cat fishing for treats by a pond in your mind. That happens rather rarely, as many cats do not like to dip their paws into the cool water.
However, if the fish is already in your kitchen, your cat usually doesn’t wait long and demands a bite. Because most cats love to eat fish. Compared to meat, fish has a lower connective tissue content. Therefore, fish is easily digestible and particularly suitable for kitties with sensitive digestive systems. If your cat has no health restrictions, it can generally eat all types of fish that you enjoy.
The following types of fish are particularly suitable for feeding your cat:
- Trout
- Pollock
- Salmon
- Mackerel
- Tuna
- Sprats
- Sardine
- Herring
- Carp
- Cod
- Pike
- Perch
Remove larger bones before treating your cat to this delicacy. You should also ensure to cook or fry the fish for your cat. Because with raw fish, there is an increased risk of infection. You should avoid spices when preparing fish for your kitty, as they may taste good to you, but can be →toxicfor your cat.
[TRANSLATION ERROR] Bei der gesunden Katzenernährung gibt es einiges zu beachten: Unsere Fütterungsempfehlungen geben dir den Überblick!
Why is raw fish dangerous for cats?
Raw fish can be dangerous for cats, similar to →raw minced meat. Because raw fish can contain bacteria and parasites that can make your cat sick. Although your kitty has a very fine sense of smell, it unfortunately cannot smell whether the raw fish offered to it is safe.
Also, the enzyme thiaminase, which splits the important vitamin B1 and thus makes it unusable for bodily functions, is particularly strongly present in some types of fish. This vitamin supports among other things important nerve functions of your cat. Thus, consuming raw fish can lead to deficiencies that can be fatal without treatment.
[TRANSLATION ERROR] Nicht nur roher Fisch kann für Katzen gefährlich sein, auch Schokolade solltest du deiner Miez lieber nicht füttern!
These types of fish contain particularly high levels of thiaminase, so you should not feed them raw:
- Herring
- Carp
- Mackerel
- Cod
- Pike
Do you want to feed your cat healthily and species-appropriately? Our treats for cats have something for various tastes and texture preferences.
Saftig, cremig oder eher gröber - für jede Samtpfote was dabei
Which types of fish are suitable for cats even raw?
Do you want to occasionally feed your cat raw fish? To keep the risk of a vitamin deficiency as low as possible, you should feed thiaminase-free or at least low-thiaminase fish.
The following types of fish are suitable for the raw feeding of your cat:
- Perch
- Halibut
- Plaice
- Cod
- Catfish
If you feed your cat fish raw, it is worthwhile to supplement with foods that contain particularly high levels of vitamin B1. These include organs, such as heart, liver, or kidneys. Also, (beer) yeast, soy flour, fennel, and dandelion are rich in vitamin B1 and can help prevent a vitamin deficiency.
