Can Cats Eat Sardines?

When you open that can of sardines to make yourself a sandwich, I have no doubt that there’s a set of eyes intensely watching your every move. You hesitate, even though it’s difficult to say no to the furry cuteness staring up at you. Is it safe for cats to eat sardines? If so, does it matter how much you give them, or if there are other ingredients like oil or sauce in the cans?

In this article, we’ll cover the following:

● Cats and Sardines, What You Need To Know

● Can Cats With Health Issues Eat Sardines?

● Alternate Choices for Cats

Cats and Sardines, What You Need To Know

Cats are obligate carnivores, which means that they require a certain balance of proteins and amino acids in their diets in order to be optimally healthy. We can see that they generally love eating fish, but are sardines in particular considered a good addition to their diet?

Sardines are small fish that have been farmed historically for human consumption, and their popularity boomed with the canning industry in the 1950’s US market. Since then, they can still be found on most grocery store shelves in countries around the world. They have many health benefits, including being high in Omega 3’s and B12, as well as low in mercury compared to other fish as they are low on the food chain.

The nutritional benefits of sardines can help fulfil the cat’s daily dietary needs, and even the commercial pet food industry has added sardines into prepared canned food and treats . Though as we can see, the sardines complement rather than reign, so it’s not advised to feed your cat a diet composed solely of this tasty fish. If you choose to add human-grade canned sardines from the grocery store, only buy those packed in water and with no added salt. Sauces can contain ingredients like tomatoes and spices that cats cannot digest properly or that can be potentially harmful, and oils (corn, soy, sunflower, safflower, or oils high in Omega 6) can cause gastrointestinal issues such as diarrhea.

Can Cats With Health Issues Eat Sardines?

Often throughout their lives, our cats will be diagnosed with either an acute illness or chronic disease that causes us to change their diets either temporarily or permanently in order to keep them as healthy as possible. Some of the most common of these include diabetes, kidney disease, urinary tract complications and gastrointestinal issues. Can cats with these health issues eat sardines?

In diseases that affect the kidneys and urine production, cats are usually prescribed diets that are lower in protein and/or have specific mineral ratios to promote a healthy system. Perhaps you’re familiar with these diets, some of which include fish flavors to appeal to our finicky felines. It is not advisable to feed these cats any other foods that may upset the delicate balance of nutrients they require to be healthy. Sardines may do that because they are high in protein and phosphorus, the latter being very important to balance properly for cats who are suffering from kidney disease.

If your cat has been diagnosed with diabetes, you’ve likely also had to change their diet in order to help control their insulin production. Some cats can even maintain a wonderful level of health through diet alone , instead of having to receive injections. In either case, diets prescribed for cats with diabetes are typically low in carbohydrates and high in protein, which means that feeding small amounts of sardines as treats is acceptable as long as their blood glucose is closely monitored for any changes.

It can become more complicated with cats suffering from gastrointestinal issues and food allergies, which are conditions on the rise among our furry friends. Many times, their diet changes are based on an elimination method to narrow down the foods or ingredients that are causing them to be sick. In these cases, you can definitely consider adding sardines to your list of foods to try out with your cat, with the hopes that they’ll be able to enjoy these tasty fish as a part of their diet. In this section, we’ve been able to cover a few different conditions that will affect whether or not your cat is able to eat sardines. There are, however, many other health issues that can potentially affect your cat’s diet so we encourage you to speak with your veterinarian in these cases.

Alternate Choices for Cats

You might be asking, what about the other health benefits of sardines like Omega 3 fatty acids and high vitamin content? Aren’t these good things for my cat? If your cat is not suffering from chronic disease or allergies, then adding sardines as treats can help boost their immune system and support their health. But as we have discussed, your cat may not be able to tolerate sardines in their diet, even though they may benefit from some of their nutritional value. For instance, cats with kidney disease can be supplemented with Omega 3 to support renal health. In these cases, it’s possible to supplement your cat’s diet with safe and approved products. For instance, salmon oil is a popular and tasty alternative to add to your cat’s food.

Sardines are also really high in Vitamin b12, which can actually greatly benefit cats who are suffering from gastrointestinal diseases such as IBD . Although b12 injections are preferred when cats have a true deficiency, supplementing their diet with an alternative to sardines can benefit their overall condition.

In conclusion, we’ve talked about the different benefits and potential risks of adding sardines to your cat’s diet and we hope to have cleared up any confusion you may have felt that brought you to reading this article. Have you tried feeding sardines to your cat? If so, how has the experience been?

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