Can Cats Eat Raw Salmon? No — Cook It First

Why raw salmon is a risk for cats

Raw fish, like raw meat, can carry bacteria such as Salmonella and Listeria and a range of parasites. Cornell notes that raw diets may contain bacteria, viruses and parasites and offer no clear health benefit, so it does not recommend them for cats.

VCA adds that some cats become ill from contaminated raw food while others seem fine but shed bacteria in their stool. That puts the people who clean the litter box or share a kitchen with the cat at risk, especially young children, older adults, pregnant women and anyone with a weakened immune system.

Raw fish and a cat's nutrition

The Merck Veterinary Manual notes that some raw fish contain thiaminases, enzymes that destroy vitamin B1 (thiamine), and that cooking destroys them. Cats fed a lot of raw fish over time can become thiamine deficient, which affects the nervous system.

Merck also describes vitamin E deficiency and inflamed body fat, known as pansteatitis or yellow fat disease, in cats fed large amounts of oily fish. Salmon is an oily fish. An occasional cooked taste is not the concern; a habit of fish in place of complete cat food is.

Many cats do better with small, slow portions, and a puzzle feeder or a slow feeder bowl helps with both.

Sushi, sashimi and smoked salmon

Sushi-grade or sashimi-grade salmon is handled to reduce risk for people, but it is still raw and carries the same concerns for cats. Sushi rolls often include rice, soy sauce, wasabi, avocado or seasonings that a cat does not need.

Smoked salmon and lox are cured with a lot of salt, and some are cold-smoked, which means they were never fully cooked. A lick of smoked salmon is unlikely to harm a healthy cat, but it is not a good treat. Keep sushi plates and bagel toppings out of reach.

How to share salmon safely

Bake, poach or steam salmon with no oil, butter, salt, garlic, lemon pepper or seasoning until it flakes easily. Let it cool, remove the skin if it is fatty, and run your fingers through the flesh to find and remove every bone.

For an average adult cat of 8 to 12 lb, a thumbnail-size flake of cooked salmon once or twice a week is plenty. Cornell suggests keeping all treats to about 10 to 15 percent of daily calories, and salmon is calorie-dense.

Kittens and raw salmon

Kittens should never be given raw fish or meat. Their immune systems are still developing, and bacteria that an adult cat may shrug off can make a kitten seriously ill. Diarrhea also dehydrates a small kitten very quickly.

Kittens need kitten food balanced for growth, so fish should be a rare, tiny, cooked taste at most. Kittens that learn to love fish early can become picky eaters that refuse their own food.

If your cat ate raw salmon

If your cat stole a piece of raw salmon, do not panic; many cats will have no problem. Clean the area, wash your hands, and take extra care with litter box hygiene for the next few days.

Watch for vomiting, diarrhea, fever, lethargy or loss of appetite over the next several days. Call your vet the same day if any of those appear, if diarrhea contains blood, or if your cat stops eating for more than a day, and mention the raw fish.

Better fish treats for cats

Plain cooked white fish, cooked salmon with bones removed, and freeze-dried fish treats made for cats give the flavor cats love without the risks of raw fish. Commercial cat foods with salmon are formulated with the vitamins a cat needs.

If you want to add omega-3s for your cat's skin or coat, ask your vet about a measured product rather than relying on extra fish.

This page is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your pet.