It is a food that many people love, coming from Japan and based on raw fish and rice. But can the cat eat sushi? Let’s find out!
Cats are often portrayed as great fish lovers. And what could be better for them then a nice food based on raw fish, rice, and oriental sauces? We are obviously talking about sushi, probably the most famous oriental food in the world, which has also been popular in Italy for years. But can the cat eat sushi, or can there be health risks for him? After all, we know that food for humans is not always suitable for our pets.
The risks and benefits for the cat
International Sushi Day is held all over the world every June 18, and maybe someone might think it would be nice to let their cat taste some of this wonderful oriental food. But is it so safe for our cats?
It would be better to always ask ourselves, before giving human food to our animal friends, if there are any contraindications for their health. And indeed, the cat shouldn’t eat sushi. Although he will most likely look at us with ravenous eyes as we eat it, we must avoid indulging his cravings for Japanese food.
Often, the cat is represented in cartoons and comics as a fish-loving animal, perhaps even while eating raw or freshly caught fish. But anyone who has a cat should know: it is by no means a true representation.
Sushi is a food based on rice, raw fish (of various types), seaweed, vegetables and much more. So let’s try to understand which ingredients can be dangerous for our cat, and what are the risks that our cat can run into by eating sushi.
The ingredients of sushi: risks for the cat
How safe is sushi for a cat? First of all, we need to know what it contains and if our cat can eat it. Cats are obligate carnivores: their diet must be composed of a large part of proteins. Fish is in fact an excellent source of protein, so much so that it is the main ingredient of many types of cat food on the market.
This might lead us to think that giving some salmon sashimi would be good for our kitty. But this is not the case: some cats may be allergic to certain types of fish, but this is not enough to be a possible warning sign.
In fact, raw fish can contain some substances that are dangerous for our cat: thiaminases. These can break down our cat’s B vitamins, also causing a thiamine deficiency. And, as is the case with any type of fish, we could expose the cat to possible mercury poisoning.
In addition to fish, the main ingredient in sushi is rice. In itself, the rice that is used to make sushi is not a toxic food for our cat, but it is certainly not a healthy food for him / her either. This is because the rice that is used to make sushi is high in sugar and sodium, but also in carbohydrates. This is a great danger of obesity for our kitty.
In conclusion: sushi yes or no?
In short, it is best to avoid giving our cat sushi. Although it is not a completely poisonous food, we have seen that there are many risks to its health. If we really want to give them a taste of this great Japanese food, let’s stick with a small amount.
In any case, we avoid spicy sauces and creams (such as spicy wasabi). However, it would be better to prepare a form of sushi suitable for our cat, first consulting our veterinarian to find out which ingredients we can give and which not to our cat.
This way, while we enjoy some healthy raw fish, our kitty will be happy to eat his version of sushi, which is totally safe for his health. In general, a healthy cat is a happy cat, you know!
