You’ve Always Been Told Your Cat Shouldn’t Eat Fish... That Just Isn’t The Case!

The truth about fish is that it is an excellent source of protein, for people and for pets. The fact that humans are recently enamored by the nutritional value of fish is potentially very important to your cat. In general, any fish left over for the pet food industry, tends to be the smaller individuals, with less appeal to the human market. As such, they are ground up in their entirety and used in pet foods. As a direct result, most "fish meals" are quite high in bone content. Bone is high in Magnesium and Magnesium is one of the key elements associated with the most common type of feline urinary crystal. Any raw material that provides too high a level of bone is generally not recommended for use in feline diets. To be accurate, therefore, conscientious cat owners should be looking to avoid "fish bones", NOT fish!

In addition to fish protein being an exceptional source of essential amino acids for felines, fish oils contain what are known as Omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids are known to play a role in reducing skin inflammation and, therefore, the associated skin irritation and itching. Other sources of Omega 3 fatty acids are flaxseed and soya oil.

When reading a pet food label it may be important to distinguish between the different sources of fish protein. A fish meal is dried and ground fish, including bone. Dehydrated fish is air dried fish protein, with no bone included. The latter raw material should present no concern. In fact, quite the opposite.