Cats love salmon just as much as they love tuna. It’s a type of fish rich in nutrients, omega-3 fatty acids, and protein, so it’s suitable for your feline.
However, salmon shouldn’t be your cat’s primary food source, just like tuna. In fact, cats can get addicted to salmon and may start to refuse regular cat food.
Therefore, you should give your feline salmon every once in a while. Also, salmon should be cooked appropriately before being provided to your furry friend.
You should roast, grill, or poach salmon. Remember that deep-frying or cooking at a high temperature will likely reduce the nutritional value of salmon.
Moreover, it would be best if you didn’t season salmon or add flavorings, dressings, or other ingredients as these can be toxic to felines.
In today’s article, I will teach you how to cook salmon for your cat and ensure your kitten doesn’t become addicted to this fish, so let’s jump right in.
Is Salmon Good For Cats?
Overall, salmon is suitable for cats.
According to a veterinarian toxicologist, Renee Schmid, who works with Pet Poison Helpline, cat owners can freely feed cats salmon but not regularly.
Moreover, you can feed your cat any salmon and include any part of the fish in their diet.
You should obviously remove the tail, head, and fish bones as they can cause damage as they move through your cat’s digestive tract if ingested.
These three parts can also present a choking hazard, so avoiding them is best.
As you probably already know, cats love meat and fish. They’re carnivores, so they need vital nutrients found in meat as part of their daily diet. (*)
And salmon delivers that animal protein along with necessary vitamins and minerals such as selenium, potassium, niacin, and vitamins B6 and B12.
However, it would be best if you didn’t make salmon the primary food source for your cat, as it’s not enough to meet your cat’s dietary needs.
Cats need a balanced diet, including fats, protein, micronutrients, and carbohydrates.
Health Benefits of Salmon for Cats
If your cat loves salmon, you can buy dry or wet cat food that includes salmon. Now, let’s list some of the benefits of salmon for cats.
- Fights anemia
- Discourages obesity (in moderation)
- Improves immunity
- Helps with metabolism
- Helps cats with kidney disease, arthritis, or heart disorders
- Improves skin, hair, and vision
What About Mercury?
Most experts suggest not overfeeding cats with cat food mainly made of fish, as fish is relatively high in mercury. That’s why I recommend feeding your kitten adequately cooked fish meals every once in a while.
Fish wasn’t always high in mercury. Nowadays, it’s more mercury-ridden because of the industrial revolution.
Simply put, the high mercury content in fish isn’t a result of the natural fish evolution but pollution.
If your feline consumes fish, they will intake some of this mercury. Not all fish have the same mercury content, though.
All fish get mercury from their environment, but predatory ones that consume other fish typically earn more than fish lower on the food chain because they also receive mercury in their diet.
Therefore, fish that consume plants have lower mercury content than those that eat other fish. Luckily, salmon is lower on the food chain. Furthermore, they don’t spend their whole life in the water, so they have low mercury content.
Can Cats Eat Raw Salmon?
Cats can eat raw salmon, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they should. Also, they shouldn’t overeat it. Most cats become addicted to salmon as it’s tasty and has a strong smell.
In the wild, cats eat raw salmon. However, it would be best if you didn’t feed your feline raw fish or raw fish skin as it can cause issues such as gastrointestinal upset and possibly salmon poisoning disease. (*)
This type of disease is more common in dogs who consume raw salmon and some other fish. It results from salmon infected with bacteria, also known as Neorickettsia helminthoeca, and fluke, also known as Nanophyetus salmincola.
Some studies suggest that this disease doesn’t affect most felines, but that doesn’t mean raw meat, in general, isn’t a risk to cats and humans.
Note that the American Animal Hospital Association issued a statement against raw food diets for felines with the Association of American Feline Practitioners. (*)
They said that homemade raw food diets aren’t safe as retail meats for consumption for people can be compromised with pathogens.
Furthermore, the human population can come in contact with many of those harmful pathogens by touching food, pets, or environmental surfaces.
The worst part? Many of those organisms resist various antimicrobials, but you can easily prevent this issue by cooking the salmon and any other fish or meat you feed your feline.
Can Cats Eat Canned Salmon?
Yes, cats can eat canned salmon. However, canned salmon meant for human consumption isn’t suitable for cats, as different canned salmon can include additives or spices that might be toxic to cats and upset your cat’s stomach.
Furthermore, canned salmon can include a large amount of salt for extra flavor, and kittens don’t need a lot of sodium in their nutrition.
Can Cats Eat Smoked Salmon?
Like canned salmon, smoked salmon can include various spices or additives, so it’s unsuitable for felines.
Can Cats Eat Salmon Skin?
Cats can not only eat salmon, but they can also eat cooked salmon skin as it’s higher in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids than the meat.
So, when removing the head, fins, and bones, cook the raw fish skin and feed it to your cat. Make sure it doesn’t cause a stomach upset if your feline has a sensitive stomach.
Start with a small amount of salmon skin and watch for any side effects. If you don’t notice anything, you can make salmon skin a weekly treat for your feline.
Can Cats Eat Cooked Salmon?
Cats can eat cooked salmon and salmon skin. This is the best way to feed salmon to your cat. After removing the head, bones, and fins, consider grilling, roasting, or poaching the salmon.
Note that more extended cooking methods can decrease the nutritional value of the salmon, but it’s still safe for cat consumption.
Also, many salmon recipes include other ingredients and spices, so only feed your cat plain cooked salmon.
How to Make Salmon Treats?
First, you should thoroughly debone the raw fish. Then, make sure it’s cooked properly.
However, don’t just give your kitten too much salmon or salmon skin. Cooked salmon can be suitable for cats, but it still needs to be a part of a balanced diet.
You can either ask a veterinary nutritionist for portion advice. Or you can give it as a treat every once in a while.
Vets suggest you keep calories from treats to 10% or less of your cat’s diet.
Healthy adult cats should consume approximately 20-30 calories per pound of their body weight. That’s 120-180 calories daily for a healthy adult cat (10 pounds).
I mention this because the average half-fillet of salmon is 356 calories, according to the USDA’s Food Data Central. (*)
So, you can’t just give your feline the whole half-fillet of salmon. The recommended serving size is one-tenth of a half-fillet for a 10-pound cat.
Important note: Vets say cats can get addicted to salmon and refuse their cat food. They can stop eating their balanced meal and expect fishy treats, so don’t give your feline fish for dinner too often.
Cook your salmon correctly, keep the portions treat-sized and spoil your kitten with fish now and then.
Can I Give My Cat Salmon Oil Supplements?
You can easily find fish oil supplements at every drug store and grocery store. Many people use fish oil supplements because of the many benefits. (*)
Turns out, fish oil supplements, including salmon oil, can also be beneficial for cats, but I suggest consulting your vet before giving anything to your cat.
Provide the medical history of your feline, so your vet can determine if giving fish oil supplements is suitable for your pet.
Some cats with underlying medical conditions shouldn’t consume new supplements as they can shake the balance in their daily nutrition.
Remember That Not All Cats Can Have Salmon!
Unfortunately, fish allergies in cats aren’t rare. On the contrary, they’re common in felines. Therefore, if you’re feeding your feline salmon for the first time, start with a slight bite and watch for any side effects in the next 24 hours.
Symptoms of fish allergies in felines include itchy eyes, skin, paws, or tail, sneezing, etc. If your cat experiences a more severe allergy, they can also experience trouble breathing, diarrhea, or vomiting.
If you notice these symptoms in your cat after eating salmon, call your vet immediately and don’t provide salmon again.
If you don’t notice any side effects, you can freely feed your cat salmon as a treat occasionally.
Important note: Some cats eat salmon like crazy, while others don’t enjoy it. So, don’t assume your cat likes salmon or salmon skin.
Give your cat salmon skin or provide a small piece of plain cooked salmon and see if they enjoy it before you include it in your cat’s diet.
Can Salmon Kill Cats?
Salmon can’t kill felines unless they eat salmon only and end up with severe taurine deficiencies.
Also, salmon can cause allergic reactions in some animals, which induce coughing, wheezing, sneezing, dehydration, runny eyes and nose, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, stomach pain, and rashes.
These things won’t necessarily kill your cat. However, they will be uncomfortable, so avoid feeding your cat salmon only.
You can make salmon a weekly treat. It’s rich in nutrients but lacks taurine so it can cause severe health issues in the long run, such as blindness.
Remember that salmon can cause mercury poisoning as well. It’s not common, but note that commercially farmed salmon can contain toxic chemicals.
Therefore, opt for freshly caught fish from clean water if possible.
Lastly, avoid giving raw salmon or raw salmon skin to your kitten because raw fish, including salmon, contain bacteria that can cause E. coli and salmonellosis, which can cause salmonella poisoning.
Salmonella Poisoning Symptoms
If you already fed your cat raw salmon, watch for the following symptoms:
- Shock
- Weight loss
- Lethargy
- Dehydration
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Fever
If you notice these symptoms in your cat, visit your vet immediately because they’re probably experiencing salmonella poisoning.
Final Thoughts
Overall, salmon makes a great occasional treat for cats because it’s rich in protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and essential nutrients.
And thanks to the healthy fats, salmon can improve your pet’s coat and skin, but it would be best if you didn’t give your cat salmon too often.
Instead, make it a weekly treat or buy cat foods that include salmon. You can also give your cat fish oil supplements after consulting your vet.
Cats need a varied, balanced diet with many different meat sources. And while cooked salmon is an excellent protein source, your feline can’t live consuming salmon alone.
WARNING: Salmon isn’t suitable for cats with kidney disease as it’s too high in potassium.
Lastly, cats love salmon, so if you have a sick kitten that refuses to eat, offer a small piece of salmon or salmon skin to encourage them to consume food.
However, if you have a healthy feline, don’t make salmon a daily treat because they can start to refuse regular cat food and potentially become overweight, which is why measuring your feline’s nutrition is essential.
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*image by igvee/depositphotos