Salmon is one of the best cat delights that come into your mind when it comes to cat food, right?
As carnivorous creatures, cats need meat to survive. Raw meat, cooked meat, and meat products based on dry or wet cat canned food offer essential quantities of protein, amino acids, healthy fats, vitamins, and other types of nutrients that are vital to the healthy lifestyle of a cat.
Cats love fish like salmon because it has a strong and attractive smell and is tastier than other types of fish.
If you own a cat, you may wonder if your cat can eat salmon skin without side effects, or maybe you have already fed your cat with salmon skin, intentionally or accidentally. So, people are asking themselves “Can cats eat salmon skin?”.
Can Cats Eat Salmon Skin?
Yes, in general cats can eat salmon skin. Salmon skin is not harmful or toxic to the digestive system of the cat. Salmon is a ray-finned fish species from the Salmonidae family, containing more than 50 species such as tuna, trout, mackerel, sardines, char, and bluefish, many of them being quite different in habits and appearance.
Some of the most important top ingredients in a well-balanced diet for cats are
- Taurine
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin C
- Various proteins.
Cats need these ingredients in their diet because they cannot produce enough of them alone. Some cats may even need vitamins and additional supplements mixed in their food or in the form of ingredients in their diet.
Salmon’s benefits for cats
One of the cat’s favorite foods is fish. As it offers various nutrients for humans, it is a true source of protein and omega 3 for our four-legged friends as well. However, it is important to know how to give it in a reasonable proportion, because its feeding in excess could have harmful consequences for your cat’s health.
Benefits:
- Strengthening the immune system.
- Reduces the frequency of allergies
- Supports the body in the healing process
- Helps to maintain metabolic balance
- Enhance the liver function
- Helps the harmonious development of the body
Like other fish species, salmon is a real source of protein for cats, thus promoting a good development of the animal. In addition, salmon fat acid acts positively on the animal’s coat.
Cats obviously take advantage of the omega-3 as much as we do and the fatty acids found in salmon can have anti-cancerous effects for domestic animals. There has been some research that found a correlation between omega 3 fatty acids and the reduction of cancer tissues – that is why salmon is a wise decision.
Omega-3 helps prevent gaining too much weight, a problem that is more common lately for cats, and also raises the response to insulin, so, diabetic cats will benefit greatly from a little salmon.
Salmon has also shown benefits on the skin and fur, helping each time the skin is too itchy, dry, or even when the layer has thin hair.
Inflammatory problems are particularly typical of aging pets, so in these cases, omega-3 can reduce joint discomfort and improve flexibility.
Also, another undeniable advantage of this species of fish in the diet of cats is its high taurine content. Indeed, salmon is very rich in taurine, an amino acid essential to the survival of cats.
The taurine acts to protect the retina from damage that can lead to blindness. It is also beneficial to the extent that it protects the heart muscle from possible degeneration and prevents damage to the neurons.
Risks of too much salmon for cats
But should we adopt, for these reasons, a primarily salmon-based diet for our cat?
Absolutely not. Although this fish is an important source of protein in its diet, its proportion must be reasonable. An excess of salmon can indeed cause the cat to develop a thiamine deficit, which can be fatal in the long term.
If you are one of those cat owners who cannot say no to spoiling their loved animals, you should try to stay as far away from salmon as possible. Your little cat will come at once, begging, as it smells the fish and won’t stop until it tastes that delicious meal.
How much salmon should you feed your cat?
While fish is one of the most recommended cat foods, make sure you provide a balanced diet to allow them to prosper. As mentioned above, it is not appropriate for your animal’s diet to consist primarily of salmon. Given its high-fat content, the quantity of salmon consumed by the cat should not exceed a few grams per week.
You can favor white fish in most daily rations without forgetting to allow a place for croquettes or pâtés. For example, here’s a way to continue if you want to add fish to your cat’s diet:
- Fatty fish (salmon) two to three times a week without exceeding 15 grams per ration
- White fish, each day, not exceeding 20 grams per ration.
To adjust the amount of salmon consumed by your cat, you can choose other foods as a substitute.
What else can you give your cats to replace salmon?
While cats like to eat salmon, they still like other foods such as meat, croquettes, and purees. So, in the absence of fish, some cat owners like to give them meat as a replacement. But please make sure it is well cooked, otherwise, it may be a source of indigestion for your pet.
Croquettes, pates, and meat contain real nutrients that are very beneficial for the feline at any time of the day. Cats also love vegetables such as carrots, zucchini, sugar beets, etc. Initially, they may show disinterest in these products, but gradually they will become used to them. You just have to be patient and do it well.
Related questions
Can cats eat smoked salmon?
Smoked salmon is considered a delicacy by our demanding felines. It is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids and natural oil which help maintain their fur, skin, and pads healthy. However, smoked salmon must be consumed in moderate amounts as it contains sodium nitrate as part of the smoking process.
Can cats eat raw salmon?
Raw salmon contains an enzyme called “thiaminase”, which affects the absorption of vitamin B1 from the food. What you need to know is that the insufficiency of vitamin B1 causes anorexia, weight loss, as well as malfunctions of the central nervous system. The most important thing is that the enzyme can be destroyed or inactivated by cooking the fish thermally.
In addition, raw fish may be a source of parasites just like any other non-heat-prepared meat. Therefore, this is an additional reason why fish should not be offered raw.
Raw salmon is probably among the top food products that come into your mind when it comes to raw meat diets for cats. Unfortunately, raw salmon may contain various parasites which could pose a threat to the health of your pet.
Not only that, but raw fish also lacks enough taurine – and the lack of taurine is lethal for cats of all breeds and ages!
Can cats eat canned salmon?
Fish should never be canned because oil and salt do not go well for your cats. Canned fish do not have enough vitamins. It also contains a wide variety of stabilizers and chemicals, such as sodium, which are unhealthy for cats.
So, you don’t have to make a habit of feeding your cats salmon too often, or it’ll become dependent on it and refuse to eat anything else.
To sum up – cats can eat salmon and love it, but too much will become harmful in the long run. Therefore, use salmon as an occasional delicacy. After all, what is more important to you – satisfying your feline’s greed or keeping it healthy and prosperous?
