Cats have been pets that people have been keeping for a long time, and they hold an equal status as dogs. Many people also love cats that are clingy, arrogant, and have a high cold constitution. So, when it comes to cute cats, you must have heard a saying – “The happiest thing in the world is for cats to eat fish, dogs to eat meat, and Ultraman to hunt small monsters.” So, is it a very happy thing for cats to eat fish? Why do cats like to eat fish? Let me take you to read further.
Let’s first take a look at what’s special about fish that makes cats so fond of them~
1. Taste. Cats are naturally fond of food with a strong fishy smell, as if eating this kind of food can make them feel like kings. After all, tigers are feline, and fish have a strong fishy smell, which can well meet the needs of cats.
2. Nutrition. Cats are nocturnal animals that usually prefer to lie lazily during the day. At night, they stare around the house with round eyes, but what gives them this night vision function is taurine. Taurine is mainly present in animal tissue cells, and is particularly abundant in aquatic animals. The nutrients found in fish can help improve and protect the vision of cats.
3. Digestion. The fiber of fish food is relatively fine, so for some cats with fragile stomachs, fish food is relatively easy to digest, which to some extent protects the cat’s digestive system.
So it makes sense that cats like to eat fish, as it is very beneficial to themselves. So, when feeding their favorite dried fish to their cats at home, do you know what issues to pay attention to?
1. Cannot eat plants alone. Cats are carnivores, and many pet owners may think that cats, like dogs, can eat vegetables and fruits. However, in fact, cats have no interest in these “vegetarian” foods. Occasionally, some cats may eat some grass due to gastrointestinal discomfort, but not all cats will eat it. Don’t worry about it here, vegetarian pets.
2. Fish should not be fed raw to cats. Some fish that live in dirty ponds or poor living environments may contain parasites in their bodies. Pet owners must cook the fish thoroughly when feeding, as the fish head, gills, and other parts contain heavy metals or other toxic substances, and should not be easily fed to cats. This is of utmost importance.
3. Of course, fish cannot be used as a staple food, and a few fish alone cannot meet the daily nutritional needs of cats. The fat content of fish is relatively low, and the main source of energy comes from fat. It needs to be consumed together with regular brand cat food or other complementary foods to supplement the nutrition needed for cat growth.
4. Cats are not allowed to eat salt, so when preparing fish for cats, they can use water boiling or steaming to preserve nutrients to the greatest extent possible.
After reading these, pet owners have gained more knowledge. Go and check if your proud cat has eaten anything indiscriminately~
The editor has also compiled the following content for you, which may be helpful to you as well:
Is it true that cats like to eat fish
The concept of cats eating fish has been deeply rooted in our childhood, but have you ever considered the feelings of cats as pet owners? Do they really love to eat fish? Is this traditional saying really scientific? In fact, many cat owners know that not all cats like to eat fish, and different cats are also very particular about fish. Some cats like to eat sea fish, while others like to eat freshwater fish.
Today, the editor will provide you with a detailed analysis of the knowledge of cats eating fish. Let’s see if you feed your cat fish correctly.
Does the cat who often stares at the fish tank at home really want to eat them?
1、 Cats are not born to love fish
1. Analysis of the Evolution of Cats
The current domestic cats evolved from grassland cats and desert cats, and it was difficult to find water sources in the environment of their ancestors. This shows that the ancestors of cats did not eat fish until they entered human households.
2. Cat’s conceptual inference
After becoming a human companion, fish rich in protein and taurine became favored by domestic cats. In the cat’s mind, fishy food is considered fresh, and the fishy smell of fish also satisfies the cat’s sense of smell.
Suggest feeding freshwater fish to cats
2、 Pet cats are recommended to consume freshwater fish
1. Ideal freshwater fish
Freshwater fish are ideal for cats. Although most fish have many spines, they do not pose a significant threat to the cat’s digestive tract because the vast majority of fine spines are straightened out by the barbs on the cat’s tongue before being swallowed and digested in the stomach.
2. Do not feed cats raw
When feeding cats with freshwater fish, it is important to cook the fish thoroughly and not let the cat eat raw fish, especially discarded fish heads, gills, and organs during the cooking process, and not to give them to the cat casually. Freshwater fish, especially those raised in natural waters and old ponds, can have a terrifying parasite. If a cat is infected when it feeds on fresh water fish, the adult will parasitize the cat’s liver, causing liver tissue damage.
3、 Feeding cats, sea water, fish rules
1. Remove large fish bones
Marine fish generally have hard and thick fish bones. These fish bone cats are difficult to chew and swallow, and if the main bone is swallowed in the opposite direction, it may get stuck in the throat and be difficult to remove. So when feeding marine fish to cats, be sure to remove the fish bones.
2. Avoid frequent consumption
Some cats often develop urethral stones due to their own physical conditions. The large amount of magnesium salts contained in marine fish can form stones in the cat’s urethra. Therefore, cats with a history of urethral stones or genetic history should try to reduce their consumption of marine fish as much as possible.
3. Causing cervical pain
Marine fish contain a large amount of thiaminase, which can break down thiamine in food and the body. If sea fish is consumed as the main food for a long time, it can cause vitamin B deficiency in cats, leading to symptoms such as cervical pain and inability to lift the neck.
4、 Precautions for feeding cats and fish
1. Fish cannot be used as staple food
Fish cannot meet the nutritional needs of adult cats in their daily lives. Fish has a low fat content, and the main nutritional needs and energy source for adult cats come from fat. If fish is only used as a staple food for cats, it can also cause malnutrition. But it can be eaten 3 or 4 times a week in the form of complementary foods or rewards.
2. Clean the internal organs of fish
The fish head, gills, and internal organs must be cleaned thoroughly. Because river or lake water is more or less polluted, these pollutants will remain on the heads and gills of fish, and once cats eat them, it will also have a certain impact on their bodies.
3. Gastrointestinal sensitivity: It is recommended to eat less
Boiling or steaming with water without adding any additives is the healthiest way to make fish for cats. Be sure to cook the fish thoroughly. It is best for cats with gastrointestinal sensitivity not to eat fish or fish mixed with rice.
What does it mean for cats to eat fish
Cats eating fish refers to their innate love for fish, which is their nature. Not only that, cats eating fish also have a deeper meaning. It symbolizes certain individuals escaping reality and seeking a way of self satisfaction in specific situations. This approach often meets short-term needs, but in the long run, it may bring adverse consequences.
Cats eating fish can also be extended to a way of life attitude. Some people are like cats, only concerned about their own desires and living recklessly. This type of person lacks a sense of responsibility and social awareness, only thinking about their own enjoyment and ignoring important social values and moral principles.
However, cats eating fish also have positive implications. The healthy physique of cats is often attributed to eating fish, which is rich in high-quality protein and various vitamins, beneficial to physical health. Similarly, enjoying life in moderation is also worth it, as it can make people more positive and face the difficulties and challenges in life. Therefore, as a way of life, cats eating fish is still worthy of praise.
Is it natural for cats to love fish?
When it comes to eating fish, many people have experienced being stuck by fish bones, feeling like a hook in their throat once, and they probably never want to experience it again in their lifetime. It may be painful for a while, such as eating Mantou, drinking vinegar, and various folk remedies to eliminate the annoying thorn in the throat. In serious cases, it may be life-threatening. You need to go to the hospital in time, and professional doctors can remove the fish bone.
However, there is a saying that goes, “Happiness is when cats eat fish, dogs eat meat, and Ultraman fights small monsters.” For a long time, in most people’s minds, fish is the best food for cats. It seems natural for cats to love fish, just like they can catch mice. However, we have never heard of cats getting stuck by fish bones. So, will cats get stuck when they eat fish?
Is it natural for cats to love fish?
Firstly, let’s assume that cats never get stuck by fish bones when they eat fish (it must be due to physiological structures or corresponding evolutionary mechanisms that they won’t get stuck, which is why fish are so popular among cats). So, is it natural for cats to love fish?
Before cats became the “beloved pets” of humans, many free range cats in rural areas loved both catching mice and live fish, so many people believed that fish was a delicacy on the cat’s tongue.
As cats begin to serve as companion animals and become important members of many families, more and more humans are willing to become “cat slaves” and “poop scoopers”. The diet of cats is also becoming more and more meticulous. Many families feed their cats with fish mixed with rice, various canned fish, and many pet cat nutrition products also add fish as the main ingredient.
This creates an illusion that cats seem to love fish very much. But does the traditional saying that cats love to eat fish really have scientific basis?
According to archaeological discoveries and historical records from around the world, the ancestor of European domestic cats is the African lynx, and the ancestor of Asian domestic cats is the Indian desert cat. So for the ancestors of cats, the living environment was rich in water resources, indicating that they may not have eaten fish.
However, how can fish in the water become dishes for land cats?
We can analyze this issue from the perspective of cats’ food requirements. When choosing food, cats do not rely on vision and taste, but mainly rely on their sense of smell. The more fishy the food, the more it can attract their attention, because in cats’ minds, fishy food is fresh, which is why the taste of cat food is so strong. The fishy smell of fish can perfectly satisfy all cats’ fantasies about taste.
And fish meat is a high protein food, which is a favorite type of food for meat lovers like cats who are not happy without meat. At the same time, for cats’ teeth, fish meat is more easily torn and cut short, making it easier to complete feeding and digestion. Therefore, it is not surprising that cats like to eat fish.
So, contrary to people’s imagination, cats have a preference for fish, but it’s not that they don’t like fish without it. In fact, not all breeds of cats like the fishy smell of fish. Generally speaking, the most popular and highly rated foods for most cats should be chicken and animal liver.
Will cats easily get stuck by fish bones when eating fish?
So, will cats be less likely to get stuck by fish bones when eating fish than humans?
When we pay attention to the digestive system of cats, we will find that cats belonging to the feline family generally have 30 teeth, among which four large and pointed canine teeth are the sharpest. Cats or other large feline animals rely on these teeth to grasp and tear their food or enemies.
And their side teeth (premolars and posterior molars) are much fewer than most mammals, and most of them are sharper. Mammals rely on their side teeth to grind food, while cats only use them to cut food.
At the same time, the surface of the cat’s tongue is very rough, which is caused by many unique milky protrusions, which can be divided into three categories: filamentous papillae, fungal papillae, and contour papillae. Among them, the number of filamentous nipples is the highest, and their surface is covered by a very hard stratum corneum. The tip is backward and has a serrated shape, without the ability to perceive taste.
Bacterial papillae and contour papillae contain taste nerve endings that can help cats perceive various flavors entering their mouth. These fine toothed “combs” like nipples can help cats remove meat from prey bones, comb through messy fur, and catch fleas and lice.
Cat’s tongue pricks in the mouth
If you have observed carefully, when cats are eating fish, the spines on their tongues can scrape off most of the fish meat from the bones and eat it, without the need for large spines to enter their mouths. However, small spines cannot be vomited out and can enter the cat’s mouth and esophagus. Generally, they do not cause harm to the cat – the inverted spines on the cat’s tongue act like a comb, straightening out the direction of the spines so that when food is eaten, it can flow down the esophagus without getting stuck, and then be digested in the stomach.
In addition, cats have a longer esophageal wall and muscles that facilitate regurgitation, allowing them to spit out excess or unsuitable food. If unfortunately stuck, cats will spit out the food in their stomachs until the fish bones are taken out.
So, cats are not much better than humans, especially for fish with hard and thick spines. If they cannot be chewed and swallowed, and the main spine is swallowed in the opposite direction, it is very likely to get stuck in the throat.
