Cats love to eat sushi, so it’s an excellent treat for them.
Some sushi restaurants even offer Kitty menus made with cat-friendly sashimi. Since cats naturally know how to eat sushi, they’re sure to be impressed with any cat-friendly sushi you serve.
So, can cats eat sashimi? Cats love to eat sashimi; however, there are some precautions you should take when feeding them sashimi or fish in general.
Sashimi contains a lot of protein, which is essential for cats; however, cats have a low tolerance for protein if their kidneys aren’t healthy enough.
If your cat has never eaten sashimi before or has kidney problems, you should limit its consumption of sashimi to one time a week or even less.
Can Cats Eat Sashimi?
Yes, and cats love sashimi.
Sushi may be eaten by your cat in modest amounts, but make sure that the fish is sustainable and your cat has had it processed properly first.
Fish should be cleaned thoroughly before being served to your cat.
If you give cat food containing fish, make sure that it’s raw and unprocessed and that it’s been thoroughly cooked or frozen.
If your cat ends up with diarrhea or vomiting after ingesting sushi or sashimi, it needn’t be alarmed and should just be given plenty of water and rest until it recovers from the shock.
What Is Sashimi?
Sashimi is a Japanese dish prepared from raw seafood pieces such as prawns, salmon, tuna or sea bream that are finely chopped into thin slices and served on top of rice or in soup.
The first dish of raw fish to be eaten as sashimi was prepared by a Japanese chef in the 8th century.
It may, however, be recalled that some dogs have been known not to eat sashimi because it contains fish enzymes that break down the protein in meat.
When served as a main entrée, sushi is most often made from raw fish such as tuna, salmon, or shrimp that have been marinated in soy sauce and sesame oil then combined with other ingredients like mayonnaise, vegetables.
Sashimi meals are often served chilled in sashimi bars where diners drink sake while eating fresh fish and dipping it in wasabi and soy sauce.
Wasabi paste, grated fresh garlic, pickled ginger and soy sauce are the usual accompaniments.
Sushi is a Japanese meal made with vinegared rice and molded with ingredients such as raw fish or other sea food and vegetables.
Although raw fish may be eaten as sashimi in Japan, it is mostly served as sushi in other countries.
Several sushi meals are named after islands in the Japanese archipelago, such as umisushi and kanpachi sushi.
Raw fish, on the other had, is served as sashimi or carpaccio.
Is Sushi Good For Cats?
Providing sushi to cats may be a very good idea because fish is a healthy meal for cats too.
It’s high in protein, which cats need to stay fit and healthy.
Your cat will need more than 50 grams daily of protein to stay in top physical shape.
Is Sushi Bad For Cats?
Sticky Rice
Your cat is a carnivore, which literally means that it’s hardwired to eat meat.
Sushi rice is bleached and devoid of nutrients, making sushi a no-go for your kitty.
Too much sugar may contribute to pet obesity, heart disease and diabetes in cats.
According to some estimates, more than half of all cats and dogs in America are overweight or obese.
Choking Risks
When it comes to feeding your cat, there are some foods that are not good for cats to eat and can even be deadly for cats.
Because most sashimi recipes call for the raw meat to be prepared without cooking it, it may contain the bacteria that cause food poisoning in people.
Thiaminase Poisoning
The enzyme thiaminase is often present in raw fish and causes a cat’s body to not be able to absorb thiamine, a water-soluble vitamin which is responsible for metabolism in animals.
Thiaminase is known for degrading thiamine in meat to virtually nothing within a short period of time, which can cause acute or even fatal thiamine deficiency in animals.
Seizures and muscular stiffness are two of the symptoms of thiamine deficiency.
Nutritional Deficiency
Raw meat has the nutrients of a raw animal and may also contain parasites and bacteria that can potentially cause illness in your cat.
This is just another reason not to feed cats raw meat and to consider a vegetarian or vegan diet for your cat instead.
Cooked meals have higher levels of vitamin B6 and taurine than raw foods, which is important for preventing heart disease and other health problems in cats.
Heavy Metals
Raw meat, especially seafood, may contain heavy metals that are extremely harmful to animals.
These metals may harm your cat’s key organs and even cause neurological problems.
Larger fish, which are known to accumulate heavy metals in their bones, are the most dangerous for cats to eat.
Pathogens
Disease-causing germs are often present in raw meats and fish and can make your cat sick.
Salmonella, E Coli, and Listeria are all common pathogens that may be found in raw meats.
Coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter, and Salmonella are commonly found in raw foods.
Despite the fact that a cat’s stomach has acid that is designed to kill bacteria, many pathogens are not affected easily and can survive in raw foods.
Your cat may shed disease-causing germs in feces for several hours or days after eating raw foods.
Anyone who comes into touch with your cat’s feces may become sick.
Also Read: Can Cats Eat Fish Skin?
Conclusion
In conclusion, cats can eat sashimi occasionally; however, you should limit your cat’s intake to once a week or even less if it is prone to kidney problems or has allergies to fish since sashimi is loaded with protein which can be harmful to your cat’s kidneys and liver if it is not healthy enough to consume.
So, if you prepare sushi at home, try to avoid using raw seafood and limit the amount of raw fish your cat eats to just a few slices.
