Is eating fish safe for cats?
The Mercury News
Dear Joan: I’ve never fed my cats any fish-based pet foods due to advice from a vet over 30 years ago. What is your advice?—J. Clark
Dear J.: A lot of confusion surrounds the great fish debate and there is much for the cat parents to consider.
Fish is not part of a cat’s traditional diet. Cats evolved from ancestors that originated in desert regions where they didn’t have a lot of access to fish. Their primary diet was small mammals, reptiles and birds.
Modern day cats, however, have developed a taste for fish. My Siamese tom cat, Andy, was one of the few that did not like fish. He wouldn’t eat any cat food that contained fish and even turned his nose up at canned tuna and fresh fish.
A number of cats actually have an allergy to fish, as well as beef and cow’s milk.
The main issue with fish is that given a steady diet of it, the cat can develop a thiamine deficiency, which can lead to a loss of appetite, seizures, and even death.
Cats should not be fed a steady diet of fresh fish or fish products that are intended for human consumption. However, cat foods that contain fish are fine for cats because the manufacturers add in thiamine.
There’s no evidence that the canned cat food or fish-flavored dry food is harmful for our cats, provided they don’t have any allergies to it. Sharing your canned tuna or grilled salmon with your cat, however, should be limited to an occasional treat, and only in small quantities.