Can Cats Eat Salmon? Yes, Cooked, Plain and Boneless

Why plain cooked salmon suits cats

Cornell's Feline Health Center describes cats as obligate carnivores that rely on nutrients found only in animal products and evolved to eat prey high in protein and moderate in fat. Cooked salmon fits that well, which is why salmon is a common ingredient in commercial cat foods.

On its own, though, salmon is not a complete diet. A complete cat food balances protein with the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients a cat needs, and a diet built mostly on fish meant for people can leave those out. Treat salmon as a topper or reward.

Raw, smoked and canned salmon

Raw salmon, including sushi and sashimi, is best avoided. The ASPCA warns that raw meat can carry bacteria such as Salmonella and E. coli, and Cornell does not recommend raw diets because of bacteria, viruses and parasites. VCA also notes that raw fish contains thiaminases, enzymes that break down the B vitamin thiamine, and that cooking destroys them.

Smoked salmon and lox are cured in salt, and the ASPCA warns that too much salt can cause vomiting, tremors and seizures in pets. Canned salmon for people is cooked but often salty and packed with soft bones. Cornell notes that some cats eating canned fish meant for people developed serious neurological disorders, which is a reason to keep it occasional.

How to cook salmon for a cat

Bake, poach or steam a plain salmon fillet with no oil, butter, salt, lemon, garlic or herbs until it flakes easily and is opaque all the way through. Let it cool, then pick through every flake for pin bones, which are thin and easy to miss.

Remove the skin unless it was cooked plain, and cut or flake the fish into pieces no bigger than a pea. Store cooked salmon in the fridge for a day or two. If you are cooking for the family, set aside a plain piece before any seasoning goes on.

How much salmon to give a cat

Cornell's rule of thumb is that treats should not exceed 10 to 15 percent of a cat's daily calories. For an average 8 to 12 lb adult cat, about a tablespoon of flaked cooked salmon is a generous treat, once or twice a week. A small cat under 6 lb should have half that.

If your cat is overweight, has kidney disease, a sensitive stomach or a fish allergy, or eats a prescription diet, ask your vet before adding salmon. Rotate it with plain chicken or turkey rather than giving fish every day.

If you share a safe morsel, offering it from a shallow cat bowl or hiding it in a puzzle feeder keeps the amount small.

Kittens and salmon

Weaned kittens can have a tiny flake of plain cooked, boneless salmon, but keep it small: a kitten's stomach is little and still adjusting, and rich fish can cause loose stool. A pea-size piece is plenty.

Most of a kitten's calories need to come from a complete kitten food. Never give a kitten raw salmon, smoked salmon or anything with bones or seasoning, and watch the litter box for a day after any new food, because diarrhea dehydrates a kitten quickly.

Signs salmon disagreed with your cat, and when to call a vet

Too much fish or a sudden change usually shows within a day as a soft stool, diarrhea or a single vomit. If your cat is otherwise eating and acting normally, stop the salmon and things usually settle within a day. Itching or recurring stomach upset after fish can point to a food allergy worth raising with your vet.

Call your vet if vomiting repeats, diarrhea lasts more than a day, or your cat stops eating, hides or is lethargic. Gagging, pawing at the mouth or drooling after eating fish with bones means call straight away, and tremors after salty smoked salmon mean go immediately.

Other safe treats for cats

If your cat loves fish, plain cooked white fish such as cod is a leaner option, prepared the same way. Plain cooked chicken or turkey breast with no skin or bones is another easy treat to rotate with salmon.

Freeze-dried salmon or single-protein fish treats made for cats are convenient and portioned, and a little salmon-flavored wet cat food on a lick mat gives the taste without the people-food risks.

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