Seafood

An animal protein and omega-3 source cats accept readily, useful as a wet-food topper or appetite enticement.

An animal protein source cats accept readily, useful as a wet-food topper or appetite enticement.

Cats fed tuna long term become fussy and end up with an unbalanced diet short of nutrients such as taurine; oil-packed, brine-packed and salad-style cans are too salty and fatty, and mercury accumulates in large fish.

A lean white fish protein that cats accept readily and that is very low in fat, handy as a wet-food topper or appetite enticement.

Cats love fish, but canned sardines are high in both salt and oil, and regular feeding encourages fussiness and an unbalanced diet; the small bones are still a choking risk.

A little cooked, shelled clam meat is usually fine for cats, but raw shellfish carries a high bacterial risk and canned or seasoned clams are far too salty; shellfish are also a common allergen.

Raw oysters carry the same Vibrio and norovirus risk and may hold heavy metals; a little thoroughly cooked oyster meat is usually fine for cats, but shellfish are a common allergen and seasoned oysters or oyster sauce are far too salty.

A little thoroughly cooked scallop meat is usually fine for cats, but raw shellfish carries the same bacterial and biotoxin risks and self-harvested ones should never be fed; shellfish are a common allergen, and butter or garlic versions are too salty.

Mussels pose the same food-safety problem for cats: raw shellfish can carry Vibrio and concentrate algal biotoxins, and self-harvested ones are unpredictable; cooked meat is usually fine, but shellfish are a common allergen and seasoned ones are too salty.

A lean white fish protein that cats accept readily and that is very low in fat, handy as a wet-food topper or appetite enticement.

A lean white fish protein cats accept readily and that is very low in fat, handy as a wet-food topper or appetite enticement.

An oily fish protein most cats accept easily, handy as a wet-food topper or to tempt a poor appetite, though it is far more calorie-dense than white fish.

A little well-cooked crab meat is usually fine for cats, but shell, gills and gut must all be removed: fragments can injure or block the gut and raw crab carries bacteria and parasites. Crab is also a common allergen, and seasoned dishes suit cats even less.

A lean white-fish protein cats accept readily, handy as a wet-food topper or to tempt a poor appetite.

A lean white-fish protein cats accept readily, useful as a wet-food topper or to tempt a poor appetite.

**Squid is just as chewy for cats, and a whole piece or large chunk easily chokes or blocks the oesophagus**, so it must be cooked through and cut very small; raw squid carries parasites and bacteria, and cephalopods are a common allergen.

**Octopus is just as chewy for cats, and a whole piece or large chunk easily chokes or blocks the oesophagus**, so it must be cooked through and cut very small; raw octopus carries parasites and bacteria, and cephalopods are a common allergen.

**Raw herring carries the same parasite and bacterial risks for cats and must always be cooked**; **salted, pickled and smoked herring are extremely salty**, and the oily flesh easily causes diarrhoea and can trigger pancreatitis.

**Almost all anchovies sold are salted or oil-packed and extremely salty**, and a heavy salt load poisons cats; **raw anchovies carry the same parasite and bacterial risks for cats**, and fish is a common allergen, so start tiny.

Shell and claw fragments cut or block a cat's gut just as easily, and raw lobster carries bacteria and parasites, so it must be cooked and shelled; lobster is a common allergen and a cat can react severely, so start with a tiny amount.

**Kelp is very high in iodine**, and a cat's small body leaves little room for a surplus, so regular or large servings disturb thyroid function; **cats with thyroid disease must avoid it**, and salted kelp strips and kelp soup add a salt load too.

**Laver (nori) is likewise very high in iodine**, and a cat's small body tolerates little surplus, so regular or large amounts disturb thyroid function and **cats with thyroid disease must avoid it**; **seasoned nori snacks bring salt, sugar and oil** on top.