Can a cat eat shrimp - should I give it cooked or raw shrimp?

Today, shrimp, like other seafood “delights,” are no longer in short supply. The tasty and nutritious meat of these crustaceans is deservedly popular among housewives. But cats love shrimp no less than people. The question is: can cats eat shrimp, because not everything that people give their pets from their table is good for them. Even experts cannot give a definite answer to this question. They are divided approximately equally into 2 camps - “for” and “against”, and each gives well-founded arguments.

Crustacean consumption rate

The volume of seafood allowed for one-time consumption is measured not in grams, but in pieces. 2 shrimp are enough for your pet to get a portion of nutrients. And you shouldn’t give crustaceans every day - 2-3 times a week will be enough. The owners note that it is difficult for cats to stop, and they beg for treats again and again. You should not give in to requests, since too much shrimp will only do harm.

Manufacturers are happy to introduce dry and wet mixtures containing shrimp into their premium food lines, and the food has undergone numerous trials and testing. These are, for example, Shiny Cat from Gimpet with tuna and shrimp, Delicious Dinner from Butcher's with salmon and shrimp, Home Food - dry food with chicken (turkey) and shrimp.

How to feed your cat shrimp

Does all of the above mean that a cat can be fed seafood delicacies every day? Indeed, some pet food manufacturers add shrimp. They are included in the cat food “Bozita Feline Shrimps – Chunks in Sauce”, wet food from the Russian cat food “Homemade Dinners – Chicken with Shrimp in Tender Jelly” and some other diets. Those owners who prefer to feed their pet “natural” food can include a low-calorie, high-protein snack on the menu. Veterinarians are not aware of any serious health complications in cats associated with eating shrimp.

But don’t get too carried away and feed your cat a delicious dish every day. In addition to useful substances, shrimp contain sodium and cholesterol, and in considerable quantities. This can provoke (if overfed with seafood) digestive problems and lead to excess weight gain.

What kind of shrimp can you give your cat?

Of course, nothing beats freshly caught seafood. But only cats living in Thailand are so lucky, where fishermen on the sea coast are unlikely to refuse to treat their tailed animals to small crustaceans. But those who live in Russia will have to be content with products sold in supermarkets. These are frozen shrimp and are not as healthy for cats as fresh shrimp.

Important!

When choosing a product in the store, pay attention to the shape and color of the shrimp. The curved tail indicates that it was boiled alive. The head should be light.

Shrimp and other seafood are perishable products, and antibiotics and chemicals are used to increase their shelf life. While most supplements are considered non-toxic for humans, are they beneficial for animals? Therefore, you can give them to your cat in limited quantities and infrequently.

To treat your pet to a delicacy, it is better to take small, rather than king, shrimp. For a large cat (4-6 kg), 1 medium or two small shrimp will be enough; for small animals, one small crustacean will be enough no more than 1-2 times a week.

Before boiling (you should not give raw shrimp to your cat!), the shrimp must be thoroughly cleaned and rinsed several times. These crustaceans are very sensitive to their environment, and it is unknown where the shrimp was caught and what it ate. Therefore, the digestive tract must also be removed. Then just boil the shrimp in unsalted water for a few minutes, and you can invite your furry pet for a treat.

Important!

You should not give your cat the shells and heads of shrimp: the animal’s body does not digest them, and the hard parts can injure the mucous membranes of the mouth and esophagus.

Cooking features

Since animals only need a few crustaceans at a time, they can be prepared for future use.

Cooked shrimp can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 3 days, and in the freezer for up to 3 months. It is not recommended to transfer the product to polyethylene - this will speed up spoilage. Glass containers are considered best for storage in the refrigerator, and shrimp are placed in the freezer wrapped in paper or cloth. If crustaceans are caught independently, they should be immediately covered with ice. Without refrigeration, they are stored for only 2 hours.

Treatment

Most of the shrimp on the shelves are already pre-cooked. This simplifies the feeding process, because the cat can only be given boiled or steamed shrimp. Raw crustaceans may contain pathogenic bacteria

There is no need to add salt, spices or sauces during cooking. The product already contains enough sodium, and various flavor enhancers can cause allergies.

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It's a good idea to boil shrimp before feeding your cat to kill any potentially harmful bacteria and ensure you get it out of your cat's digestive tract.

Many also say to remove the head, shell, legs and tail, but many cats can handle these parts if they get their hands on a whole shrimp, so don't worry too much. (The only concern is that the tail or shell may pose a choking hazard, but many cats like to crunch on these parts, so keep an eye on your pet to be safe). The shrimp should also be deveined.

Shrimp shells and heads for cats: pros and cons

After eating shrimp, waste remains in the form of heads and chitinous shells, which attract the attention of mustachioed pets. It’s not a pity to put such treats in a bowl for an animal, but the question is whether all this can be given to cats. It turns out that eating heads covered with a dense chitinous shell can injure the mucous membranes of the animal; in addition, they are not absorbed by the body, causing digestive upset.

The opinions of veterinarians are clear as to whether cats can eat shrimp shells - absolutely not. Unpeeled crustaceans have a tough shell, which makes it difficult for cats to eat. The composition of the shell is not dangerous. It contains chitin, which is useful for fur, teeth, and claws, but the edges of the shell are very thin and sharp. They can easily injure an animal's mouth, esophagus, stomach, and intestines. Therefore, only peeled shrimp can be given to your cat.

Chitin is a polysaccharide, the composition of which is close to plant fiber. Fiber is almost indigestible. It cleanses the body like a brush. The chitinous shell of crustaceans is the same as a brush, only sharp, dangerous for the walls of the stomach, so eating the shells is prohibited.

What harm can shrimp cause?

Shrimp are not a healthy food for daily feeding:

1. They are high in phosphorus and sodium, but low in calcium, which does not help maintain balance. In neutered cats, such an imbalance can contribute to the formation of calculi (sand, stones) in the bladder and kidneys.
2. Shrimp are raised on special farms, where they live in pools with very polluted water and high population density. To prevent crustaceans from getting sick, they are “stuffed” with antibiotics, which accumulate in their tissues. And to increase weight, steroids, growth factors and other stimulants are added to the shrimp feed. To brighten the color, crustaceans are stuffed with dyes. All this negatively affects the health of mustachioed striped animals.
3. Shrimp is a highly perishable product; in order to reduce losses during transportation, the carcasses are pumped with preservatives (for example, very toxic formaldehyde), frozen or treated with other chemicals. The intake of such substances negatively affects the digestive tract of pets.
4. Shrimp caught in environmentally unfavorable areas may contain harmful substances, including salts of heavy metals and radioactive isotopes. The harm from such products is obvious.
5. The shell of shrimp is also dangerous, despite the fact that it contains chitin, which is beneficial for joints and bones, wool and claws, the function of the digestive system, metabolism, and allergies. But the sharp edges of the shell can injure the delicate walls of the mouth, esophagus and intestines.

Major health hazard. For modern domestic cats, a product of crossing and selection, seafood can be harmful to the body, since along with new features of body structure, color, and coat quality, animals also inherit numerous breed diseases. If the yard outbred “Murki” and “Vaska” can eat almost anything, then purebred cats need a carefully selected diet. “Human” foods, including shrimp, are harmful to them. Shrimp cause an allergic reaction and are dangerous for animals prone to food allergies.

The benefits of seafood

The selection of nutritious foods to replenish the diet of your beloved pet should be carried out taking into account their usefulness. Shrimp are so rich in trace elements and minerals that they should be considered not as a main source of nutrition, but as a vitamin supplement. 100 g of shrimp contains a number of substances necessary for growth and strengthening the immune system:

• potassium - 264 mg;
• calcium - 64 mg;
• magnesium - 35 mg;
• sodium - 119 mg;
• sulfur - 201 mg;
• phosphorus - 214 mg;
• copper - 391 mcg;
• iron, manganese, copper, zinc;
• fatty acid;
• sterols;
• saturated fatty acids;
• mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids, including Omega-3, Omega-6.

Shrimp have a high content of phosphorus, which takes part in the body's energy metabolism and restoration of acid-base balance. It is necessary for the formation and mineralization of bone tissue, including teeth. The usefulness of shrimp for a pet removes the question of whether it is possible to feed a cat shrimp. Seafood contributes to the proper development of the animal and is definitely healthy.

The product contains taurine, which strengthens the heart muscle and blood vessel walls; a set of vitamins helps normalize the functioning of the thyroid gland and harmonize metabolic processes in the body.

Crustaceans are valuable sources of protein. Per 100 g of product there are 21 g of proteins and only 1 g of fat. For comparison, 100 g of beef, which is deservedly considered a valuable source of proteins, contains 19 g of protein and 16 g of fat. The high protein content imposes additional restrictions on the amount of consumption, since if the norm is increased, protein poisoning can occur, which is dangerous to the life of the animal. The minimum amount of fat, on the contrary, indicates that the product is dietary, which is why shrimp are useful for animals prone to obesity.

A small amount will have a positive effect on your pet’s health:

• vitamin E will improve the process of tissue regeneration;
• B vitamins will increase the shine of the coat, improve the condition of the skin, give the pet more vital energy, normalize fat metabolism and kidney function;
• Retinol will improve twilight vision.

All the substances contained in crustacean meat help your pet look better and healthier.

Who shouldn't eat shrimp?

Some cats may have individual reactions to seafood. But more often this is due to the presence of chemicals and antibiotics in frozen shrimp. Despite the hypoallergenic nature of the product, it is better to consult a veterinarian about whether you can give shrimp to your cat. First offer her a small piece and watch her reaction.

The product acts like a drug on some animals - the cat will ask for shrimp again and again, refuse its usual food and even show aggression.⁠

If you have negative reactions to the product, it is better to exclude shrimp from your cat’s diet. In addition, some veterinarians consider them to be the cause of the development of serious diseases - the formation of stones in the urinary tract and pancreatitis. Therefore, do not rush to pamper your pet with a seafood delicacy.

Seafood is rich in nutrients, vitamins and microelements. Shrimp are a valuable storehouse of protein and amino acids. But you can’t often feed your cat them. Excess protein is no less harmful than its deficiency. In addition, shrimp have a narcotic effect on cats, so everything should be in moderation. Let seafood be only a tasty treat for your pet, received occasionally.

Source

Contraindications, possible risks

In rare cases, cats may have an allergic reaction to seafood. To find out if your pet has an allergy, you need to give a small piece of shrimp and wait a few days before taking the next portion of the treat. The most common signs of an allergic reaction:

• severe itching in the head and neck area;
• partial baldness of skin areas;
• formation of nodules on the skin, redness;
• vomiting, diarrhea.

If within 2-3 days after ingesting crustaceans the animal does not experience any negative reactions, you can give the animal a treat again.

In addition to allergies, there are other risks associated with eating shrimp:

• Risk of product spoilage. If the rules for storing seafood are not followed, they quickly become toxic to the body.
• Risk of developing urolithiasis. Despite the high content of microelements, there is an imbalance in the amount of phosphorus, sodium, and calcium. As a result, an excess of sodium salts occurs and the level of calcium in the urine increases. This imbalance significantly increases the likelihood of stone formation.
• The risk of growth stimulants, antibiotics, and preservatives entering the body. In pursuit of profit, owners of shrimp farms forget about usefulness and strive to increase production volumes by filling pools with crustaceans with antibiotics, steroids, and dyes. After catching, products are not stored for long, and the only way to maximize the shelf life without using ice is to use preservatives. All this makes the shrimp look healthy and attractive, but the composition is harmful to the body.

Regarding pets, a lot of questions arise: can cats have unpeeled, raw shrimp, with heads or shells? It is necessary to be guided only by common sense and understand that not all products are natural gifts of nature, but may contain heavy metal ions and antibiotics. You can give your pet only fresh and cleaned seafood, strictly monitoring the amount of shrimp in your pet’s bowl. If you follow the cooking rules, shrimp will benefit the animal.

Mistakes in feeding your pet

Even experienced breeders and veterinarians have not found a common opinion on the topic of the dangers of shrimp in the diet of pets. Therefore, the owners are confused in their decisions. But we can say with confidence that there will be no benefit from such nutrition. In order to understand the correctness of the choice, it is necessary to clarify what breeders are definitely doing wrong in relation to their pets:

• You can't give a cat everything it wants on demand. If you want to pamper an animal, you can poison it.
• Heavy feeding is much worse than mild malnutrition. Obesity in a cat is quite difficult.
• You should not think that if a pet actively asks for something, it means that it feels a lack of certain vitamins in the body.
• There should be no variety in the menu of furry friends. A cat is not a gourmet, as commercials try to instill. She easily gets used to a certain correct diet.

You can often hear the opinion of “Old Believers” that cats in villages used to eat everything, but they were healthy and lived long. It is not difficult to guess that village meat and milk did not contain preservatives. The pets grew up free-range; they had access to the necessary herbs and organic products. Now you should carefully monitor your diet.

In addition, modern pets have long forgotten how to choose the “right” food on their own. Unfortunately, especially purebred pets are susceptible to various diseases. Basically, such cats are a product of selective breeding. From their ancestors they took not only positive qualities, but also a whole bunch of predispositions to genetic diseases. Is it worth risking your pet's health?

Summary

Cats can and should be given shrimp, but subject to the following conditions:

1. They must be fresh and of good quality.
2. They need to be boiled, but without adding spices and salt, to prevent infection by parasites.
3. Do not give animals canned shrimp or meat seasoned with sauce.
4. Thoroughly clean the shell and intestines to remove hazardous substances that have entered the digestive tract or are deposited in the outer integument.
5. Limit shrimp consumption – for an adult cat, a few shrimp every 2 weeks are fine. But there are various recommendations on this matter. Some claim that their pet eats a bowl of small shrimp every day with a huge appetite and feels great.

Expert advice. Veterinarians who are part of the “pro-shrimp” group nevertheless advise giving them to your cat as a rare treat. It is better if your pet receives all the beneficial substances that these crustaceans contain from premium or super-premium ready-made food. They are developed taking into account the needs of the animal's body, have a balanced composition and will bring more benefits than frozen Chinese shrimp from the supermarket.