Is it possible to feed a cat fish: all about the benefits and harms of this product

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Many breeders of the purring brethren, when creating a menu for their pets, are concerned about the question of whether the cat can fish. At the same time, the opinion can be diametrically opposite - from “in no case” to “definitely, as often as possible.” How useful this product is is of concern to both those who pamper their pets with their own caught fish, and those who buy overseas delicacies in the supermarket. To understand all the nuances of the presence of fish dishes in a cat’s diet, you should know which fish, in terms of species and culinary characteristics, is most suitable for purrs, and in what quantity they need it.

What kind of fish can you give a kitten?

Preferably fish of “noble” varieties (cod, halibut, hake, salmon, etc.), it should be boiled (to prevent worms, besides, when cooking fish, such unhealthy enzymes as thiaminase, trimethylamine oxide are destroyed), if possible separate it from the bones, give it no more than once a week(!)

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The benefits of fish for cats

Is it possible to feed a cat fish? Yes, you can. Fish is a healthy product. Fish protein is the most easily digestible protein, which means it is better than meat. Seafood also contains useful vitamins (especially a lot of A, D, B1 and B2), minerals (phosphorus, magnesium, etc.). Fatty fish are a source of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. In general, the composition of fish is very rich and healthy.

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It makes no sense to continue singing the praises of this product, because... Almost everyone knows about its benefits. But does this mean that a cat can be given any fish in unlimited quantities?

Admire how this wild cat expertly hunts fish.

Fresh fish is not always safe

Villagers are not particularly interested in whether cats can be given raw fish. And they often offer freshly caught catches to their charges. However, it is more likely to be infected with various parasites, which then enter and multiply in the cat’s organs.

Eating raw fish meat can lead to the development of iron deficiency anemia. The disease is caused by trimethylamine oxide. It negatively affects iron and interferes with its absorption. Trimethylamine oxide disrupts the functioning of the reproductive organs and leads to infertility in cats. Kittens that eat such fish have developmental difficulties. Trimethylamine oxide is known to be destroyed by cooking.

Eating raw fish every day causes metabolic disorders or oxidative stress in cats. It causes various pathological conditions. The reason for this is the peroxidation of proteins and lipids.

Ocean fish contain toxic substances (such as mercury) in excess. Farms do not hesitate to use various additives and pesticides that accelerate the growth and development of fish for further resale. In addition, farmers often give them antibiotics and dyes. Salmon boasts a rich content of dyes and other toxins.

What veterinarians say

The best option would be to consult with the breeder and veterinarian. Both will talk about your pet's diet, and the doctor will also recommend a reliable brand of dry or canned fish food.

Experts say that fish products should make up 20-30% of a cat’s total diet. Therefore, you should not feed your ward such canned food too often.

Some veterinarians answer in the affirmative when asked whether cats can eat raw fish. But with the caveat that this should be done very rarely.

Is fish good for castrated animals?

Many breeders believe that castrated cats should not be given fish. The reason for this is the opinion that it is castrated animals that are most susceptible to urolithiasis. In fact, post-neutered male cats are just as likely to develop urolithiasis from excessive fish consumption as unsterilized pets.

© shutterstock

You should not give castrated cats, like unoperated male cats, fish in large quantities. This can reduce the content of vitamins B1 and E in the body, leading to the development of anemia and damage to the thyroid gland. The reasons for such consequences are the enzyme thiaminase and iodine contained in fish, which is especially abundant in marine fish species. The feline thyroid gland is not able to absorb this amount of iodine, and this can lead to the development of goiter.

Harm of fish for cats

Despite all its usefulness, fish has a number of features that do not allow it to be the basis of the diet.

Calcium and phosphorus

One of the common problems when preparing a diet is the lack of balance between phosphorus and calcium, and this balance is the cornerstone of feline dietetics. The problem is that meat is rich in phosphorus and contains almost no calcium. In fish, the bias in favor of phosphorus is even greater. Meanwhile, a cat's diet should have a calcium/phosphorus balance of approximately 1.2-1.3:1 (minimum 0.8:1). When there is a bias in favor of phosphorus, various pathologies develop: read more at the link. Therefore, if you constantly feed your animal fish, but do not provide sources of calcium, an imbalance will occur. Moreover, by eating fish, this imbalance is created much faster: again, due to the increased phosphorus content compared to meat. For some breeds and outbred cats in good health, such periodic errors in nutrition are not so terrible, but cats with a tendency to pathologies of the musculoskeletal system and kidneys can react quite quickly to such errors. Read about how to prevent imbalance using the main calcium product here.

Increased fat content

When feeding your cat fish, you need to take into account its fat content. According to this criterion, three types of fish are distinguished:

• dry (low-fat) varieties of fish (up to 4% fat): flounder, cod, hake, blue whiting, sea bass, grenadier, pollock, navaga, haddock, pollock, roach, pike, river perch, ruffe, tench, pike perch, shellfish, crayfish;
• moderately fatty varieties (5-8% fat): horse mackerel, catfish, pink salmon, herring, sea bass, chum salmon, bream, trout (collective name for freshwater salmon), carp, crucian carp, carp, tuna;
• fatty fish (more than 9% fat): salmon, sockeye salmon, saury, mackerel, eel, toothfish, omul, herring, sprat, stellate sturgeon, chinook salmon, beluga, nelma, ivasi, sabrefish, burbot, silver carp, notothenia, sturgeon.

The percentage of fat content of the same carcass may vary depending on its part. Some fish tend to accumulate fat under the belly and on the back, while in some (for example, herring) the fat is evenly distributed. If the distribution of fat is uneven, then the fattest parts should not be given to cats. If the fat is distributed evenly, then it does not matter what part of the carcass the pet gets.

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Contrary to the prevailing opinion among many that dry varieties of fish are preferable for cats, in fact, nutritionists advise including fatty varieties in the diet as they are higher in calories and rich in omega acids. That is, fatty varieties, which include most salmon, are preferable.

However, when including fish in your diet, you need to monitor the overall fat content of the entire menu. If fish is served in a small piece daily as part of a meat mix or one serving per week, it cannot significantly affect the fat content of the diet. But you still need to know the fat content of the fish you are using so as not to upset the balance: fat in the cat’s diet should be at least 5%, recommended - 15%, but not more than 20%. Thus, if today you serve fish with 9-15% fat and there are no other products on the menu, this is a normal balance. If your diet contains meat of, say, 2% fat and you add a small piece of 20% fish, then you don’t need to worry about the excessive fat content of the dish. If you make a menu only from fish with 20% fat content or more, this is already too much. Likewise, if the menu includes fish with 18% fat content and, say, fatty parts of chicken, then this is too much. Let’s summarize the rule: you need to respect the overall percentage of fat in your diet.

Average percentage of fat content of different types of fish

Fat content depends on the part of the carcass, as well as the time of year.

Diet fat calculator

Salt

There is an established opinion that marine fish contain a lot of salt, and salt in large quantities is known to be harmful to cats. First of all, the kidneys will suffer. Is it so? The kidneys should not be damaged by moderate feeding of fish. Moderate feeding means 1 fish meal per week or the constant addition of a small piece of fish to the meat diet. The daily requirement of cats for salt is small, but it is there. This need is perfectly covered by meat products with blood or the addition of organs that represent a blood depot: liver and spleen (no more than 5% of the diet). Ocean and sea fish are saltier than meat, and this is one of the reasons why fish cannot be the only basis of the diet. However, if the cat does not receive meat through blood and does not receive liver and spleen, then the need for salt can be covered by adding fish.

Destructive thiaminase

Some seafood (especially shellfish, carp and Atlantic herring) contain the enzyme thiaminase, which destroys vitamin B1. Thiaminase acts in a similar way both inside the food and in the cat's intestines. If you feed your cat fish containing thiaminase for more than 2 weeks, you will see clinical signs of vitamin B1 deficiency. However, thiaminase is destroyed by cooking, so this concern is only relevant for raw fish.

Doubtful cod

Fish of the cod family, when consumed in large quantities (30-35% of the diet and above), can cause iron deficiency anemia and depigmentation of the animal's coat.

Helminths in fish

Fish can be a carrier of helminths, and this happens to them much more often than to meat. If fish from hatcheries are treated for parasites, wild fish are almost always affected. This is especially true for river fish and some varieties of sea fish. Thus, helminths are most often found in wild sea salmon, herring, hake and carp, less often in pollock, sturgeon, mackerel, tuna, trout and catfish.

Opisthorchiasis is especially dangerous. It most often affects representatives of the carp family (crucian carp, bream, roach, roach, verkhovka, ide, minnow and gudgeon).

This picture is familiar to food industry workers. Usually the fish are cleaned for buyers.

Worm eggs in fish are killed either by cooking or freezing. The first method is more reliable, since fish worms do not always die at the standard temperature of a household freezer -18 degrees Celsius. This temperature kills particularly resistant species in at least a week, but this cannot be guaranteed in 100% of cases. Therefore, this method of preparing fish for consumption is not considered the best.

Boiling destroys all parasites. How to cook fish for a cat? It needs to be boiled (note the time from the start of boiling) for more than 20 minutes. During this time, the helminths die. Or a more gentle option is baking for 30-40 minutes at a temperature of approximately 150 degrees.

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Heavy metals

The planet's environment is mired in heavy metals. Fish in the oceans, seas and rivers are part of the ecosystem and these metals actively absorb, and then, when they reach the table, they generously supply us. Predatory fish species are especially prone to the accumulation of heavy metals: herring, halibut, perch, eel, tuna, anchovies, hake, pollock, sardines, whiting, cod, haddock, catfish, flounder, trout. Moreover, the older the fish, the more heavy metals it has accumulated. Therefore, choose not large individuals, whose size indicates their young age.

Antibiotics

Fish raised artificially in hatcheries and on farms are often loaded with antibiotics. In this way, producers are trying to avoid the spread of infections and death of fish in their reservoirs. It is better not to buy such fish either for your cat or for yourself. Prefer wild sea fish to it. Or fish from farms you trust. For example, Norwegian producers claim that in recent years they have managed to almost eliminate the use of antibiotics on their farms.

Not the first freshness

Ideally, if the cats received relatively fresh fish, that is, immediately after catching it, it would be subjected to shock freezing and defrosted at home. However, in regions remote from the sea, everything is different. The fish is first frozen in briquettes, after which it is brought to warehouses, where it is often defrosted. Next, the fish is divided into smaller briquettes or each carcass is separated, after which it is frozen again and sent to stores. On the way, if transportation conditions are unsatisfactory, the fish may also defrost. In the supermarket it is either frozen again or sold as fresh on ice. The fact that it was defrosted and beautifully served did not make the product fresher. But it evokes the necessary associations in people, and therefore they willingly purchase such fish.

This is fish in briquettes

And this is supposedly fresh fish in the supermarket

During freezing and thawing, meat deteriorates, fish oil oxidizes and becomes not only useless, but also dangerous. Therefore, it is so important not to buy fish that has a rancid taste and rusty color, as well as other signs of staleness. Properly frozen fish will not taste rancid after thawing. Its meat does not spread, but retains its shape. It does not have even the slightest smell of staleness.

You are more likely to buy fish that has not been double or triple frozen when it is in a solid briquette. If this is a separate carcass, most likely it has already been frozen. And, of course, there is no point in buying “fresh” fish on ice in a supermarket in a region far from the sea, which is guaranteed to have already been defrosted at least once. Of course, this does not apply to fish that were pulled out of a store aquarium, killed and put on ice.

Secrets of choice

Before you tell us how to properly cook pollock, you need to learn how to choose the right fish. Typically, pollock is presented on domestic shelves in two types of fresh frozen fish – pollock fillet and whole fish. When choosing fillets, be sure to pay attention to the thickness of the ice crust covering the fish. Take a product with a smooth ice glaze of minimal thickness. Look at the color of the meat itself - it should be white, without impurities or foreign shades. It is very important.

Avoid products with an odd odor. If possible, give preference to a domestic supplier. This product has its own characteristics, and it is easy to determine - the fish will not exceed 20 cm in size. Such fish will delight you with another pleasant surprise - it has practically no bones. Undoubtedly, housewives could not ignore this quality, which is why pollock has become an extremely popular fish product in our country.

Why fish can be dangerous

Although fish is a fairly healthy product, there are dangers when adding it to a cat's diet. The main dangers that arise when a cat consumes fish:

• Allergy. Fish ranks high on the list of the most allergenic foods for cats. If your cat's diet contains fish, and the animal regularly suffers from digestive disorders, her eyes often water, or there is nasal discharge, her fur has become dull, there is a high probability that she has developed an allergy to this product.
• Urolithiasis disease. With the constant presence of fish in a cat’s menu, the functioning of the kidneys and urinary tract is complicated.
• Obesity. It is caused by a deficiency of vitamin E in combination with an excess of fatty acids. The cat's fur becomes dull, lethargy appears, the temperature rises and the appetite disappears.
• Metabolic disease. It occurs due to a lack of vitamin B1, which is involved in all metabolic processes. It is destroyed under the influence of a special enzyme concentrated in the head and entrails of the fish. The most dangerous fish in this regard are carp, bream, herring, capelin, crucian carp, chebak, pike, smelt, burbot, sprat, anchovy, tench, sea bream and sea catfish.

Fish can be dangerous for your cat

• Iron-deficiency anemia. Anemia is observed in cats that are fed pollock, capelin, winter herring, cod, and silver hake. Due to the hormone contained in this fish, the pet’s body does not absorb iron.
• Reduced blood clotting. Fish is not able to support the production of vitamin K, which is responsible for proper coagulation. Cats can produce their own vitamin K from most foods, but a fish-based diet does not support adequate levels of this vitamin.
• Digestive disorders. Occurs due to the abundance of fatty pulp or monotonous feeding, when the cat is given only caviar, milt or fish heads.
• Bone injury. The fish skeleton consists of very dangerous small and large bones that easily get stuck in the larynx, esophagus and even intestines.
• Worm infestation. Infection occurs when eating raw or insufficiently processed fish with parasite larvae. Carp fish species are especially dangerous in this regard.
• High toxicity. This is explained by the presence of heavy metal salts, pesticides and other poisons in water bodies, which can accumulate in the body for years.

How long does it take to cook blue whiting?

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Fish products in the diet of domestic cats, although they do not occupy a priority place, are still allowed as a source of protein, which is more easily absorbed than the analogue contained in meat. They are also necessary to replenish the body with omega acids. When introducing them into the diet, cat owners often have a question about what kind of fish can be given to cats. In this case, it is important to take into account not only the species diversity of fish, but also the form in which they will be included in the cats’ menu.

How to give fish to cats

Let's answer the main questions of this article. Is it possible to give fish to cats? Yes, you can. Is it possible to make fish the basis of the diet? No you can not. Cats should be fed fish only according to certain rules.

1. Fish can be served every day only as an addition to the meat menu in a mix in small quantities. Thus, by the way, fish is included in many factory feeds. Alternatively, you can have one fish meal per week. If desired, you can do one fish day per month. Usually, it is more convenient for owners to organize fish days rather than including small pieces in the diet every day, because... in this case it is more difficult to calculate the balance.
2. If you exclude fish from your cat’s diet altogether, this will not lead to negative consequences. The only point that needs to be taken into account is the intake of fatty acids (especially omega-3) into the cat’s body in the required amount. With a completely fish-free diet, it is advisable to periodically add fish oil to the menu (a few drops per dish). Moreover, buy it in sprays with a dispenser or in capsules and open each one immediately before eating, because. When exposed to oxygen, fat loses its beneficial properties and acquires harmful ones. Actually, this is why taking fish oil with spoons from a jar does not make sense.
3. We choose only high-quality fish, not spoiled. High-quality fish smells pleasant, its meat does not fall apart. If you take such a defrosted fish and place it in your palm, it will retain its shape and not fall off to the sides.
4. Under no circumstances should fish be given smoked, fried or as part of canned food. Natural nutrition involves serving fish raw or boiled (baked), and a piece of lightly salted fish is also allowed. If you give raw fish, it must be a product that has been frozen according to the above rules. However, keep in mind that omega-3 acid is greatly destroyed when re-frozen. Therefore, it is quite possible that if you purchased re-frozen fish, then it already contains very little omega.
5. If you find worms in fish, this is not a reason to throw it away. The most reliable option is to boil or bake. Then the worms will turn into harmless nutritious protein and will no longer pose a danger. Heat treatment has little effect on the content of beneficial omega acids in meat, which is largely why everything is started.
6. Fish bones need to be selected. It is allowed to leave only soft cartilage-like bones if you are serving raw fish. If the fish is boiled, all the bones need to be removed, because... They, unlike raw ones, are not digested in the cat’s stomach.

Some cooking features

Despite the fact that pollock is considered an easy fish to prepare, some peculiarities still exist. Be sure to remember.

1. When cooking, it is important to bring the water to a boil over high heat, but after adding the fish to the pan, the heat must be reduced by at least half (you eliminate the possibility of getting an overcooked product).
2. Never put pollock in cold water - only in boiling water. But many people neglect this rule, and in vain, they end up with a boiled product.
3. If you still decide to give the fish an aromatic taste, then feel free to add seasonings such as dill, parsley, pepper, lemon juice, or onions. They go well with any white fish. The main rule is not to overdo it; pollock quickly absorbs foreign odors.
4. If you add additional ingredients to the container where pollock is cooked, the cooking time for the fish increases. Focus on products with a long cooking time.
5. If the pieces of pollock are small, then 5 minutes will be enough to cook them. But this does not apply to the multicooker. If you decide to cook in it, then regardless of the size of the pieces, it is not recommended to cook pollock for less than 15–20 minutes.
6. Checking the readiness of the fish is very simple: if the meat is white and it becomes easy to separate from the bones, then the pollock is ready.

How to cook pollock for children?

Pollock is very popular for use in baby food (both for young children and older ones) - primarily because of its benefits and minimal bones. As a rule, fish is cooked for children. But not all children love the real exquisite taste of pollock, so if the child refuses to eat it in this form, then cook pollock with sauce. This will also allow you to get a juicy fillet (pollock is a fish that often comes out a little dry). And on the Internet you can find many examples of how interesting and unusual it is to decorate pollock when serving it on the table, which for little gourmets is a very important condition for eating without unnecessary whims.

With milk sauce

After boiling the fish, strain the broth obtained during its preparation, and then begin sautéing the flour in butter. Then mix all the ingredients of our sauce. This is tomato paste, curry, a pinch of salt and broth (one tablespoon). Place the resulting mixture on the fire and cook for 2-3 minutes. Pour the prepared sauce over the fish pieces and add fresh herbs.

How and with what side dish to serve

Finished fish must be served immediately on the table - this can be done either as a separate dish or with a side dish. Pollock goes well with cereals (rice, buckwheat are the best choice), which can be boiled. Potatoes will also work (choose boiled or mashed). Pasta is considered an unsuitable side dish for pollock - but this is a matter of taste and personal preferences of each individual person. For example, in many countries they like to eat white fish with spaghetti in tomato sauce.

Pollock goes well with vegetables. In addition to the fact that they best highlight the taste of the dish, such a side dish will be considered complex, which you will certainly be able to surprise your loved ones or guests. It’s also difficult to make a wrong choice here – everyone eats vegetables. They can be used in any form - fresh, stewed, baked or boiled. Let's look at what types of vegetables are best suited for this type of fish.