Can cats eat mussels or are they toxic to their body? Let’s find out the pros and cons of this food together.
The cat is very demanding, and at the same time particularly delicate when it comes to feeding. Therefore, before giving him a food that we have never given him, or even more so before putting it permanently on his menu, we must check if it is something healthy for his body. For example, can the cat eat mussels?
Cat and mussels: a possible combination?
Cat and fish: a winning and also romantic combination, looking at the photos of the little cats that are waiting impatiently and dreamily for the fishermen to return to the dock to give them the well-deserved portion of fish.
But that’s not quite the case, as in the collective imagination. If fish is a succulent dish for the cat, the real backbone of its diet remains meat, which must occupy almost all of its menu. How many? Approximately 90%; at least in the ideal diet of an adult and healthy cat.
The fish remains a residual space, to be shared with other foods (eggs, cereals and vegetables), albeit with a predominant role. However, among the various fish products that the cat can eat are also mussels? The answer is positive, the food is not harmful to the organism of the little feline.
Mussels, in particular, contain Omega-3 fat, which is particularly beneficial for the cat’s skin and coat, joints and heart.
How to give mussels to the cat
Therefore, given that cats love fish, and that they can eat mussels, there are still some clarifications to be made.
The fact that it is not a food that is toxic to their bodies does not mean that they can eat it exactly as we do.
It is therefore necessary to implement a series of small tips, in order not to endanger the health of our little parlor tigers:
- Always fresh food: it seems almost superfluous advice, but since it is a basic principle, when it comes to feeding the cat, it is always good to remember it. The little feline “at the table” is very demanding. As is known, in nature the cat tends to eat several meals a day, feeding on small prey. This habit for the domestic cat translates in much the same way. Small daily snacks with strictly fresh food, even more so if we are talking about fish;
- Snack: it is the direct consequence of what has just been said. Mussels certainly cannot replace a main meal (and we will see why in the next point), so the ideal moment becomes the one between one meal and another; a succulent snack, to be enjoyed together with your human;
- Always cooked food: mussels are served strictly cooked to the cat. In fact, raw, they could very likely contain parasites, bacteria and other pathogens, with all the risks involved. However, once cooked, mussels lose several of their nutritional qualities, which is why they cannot replace meat in the feline’s diet;
- No to condiments: this too, when it comes to cat nutrition, is a general rule, and mussels are not an exception. No to the typical condiments we use for our palate; the cat only hurts.
