[catsrus]

Hi,

My cat loves prawns. She started getting them as an occasional treat but lately she has been getting a dish of prawns every day, (and would like more). Could anybody tell me, please, if there is any dietary reason to be concerned? How often is it OK for her to get them? (She gets good quality proper cat food every day too.) Thanks for any advice you can offer.

[angelcakes22uk]

Too much salt in them!

[catsrus]

Hi,

Yeah, well angelcakes have too much sugar but they're still nice ;-)
I soak the prawns well in water in the process of thawing them so I guess that would get round that one. Apart from that the prawns are OK?

[koriani]

Hello,

Aside from the salt issue, it really depends upon how many you are feeding your cat daily.

One concern is the amount of heavy metals which may be present in sea foods.

Another is the high cholesterol content.

Some veterinaries point to fishy diets as a factor in urinary issues as well.

I'd limit the amount per day to one or two, depending on the size of the prawn. It's better to err on the side of caution than to create a health issue later.

Hope this helps!

Regards,

[labman]

Cats, like dogs, need a complete and balanced diet. Most commercial chows meet AAFCO standards, dog chows providing what dogs need, and cat chows meeting cats different needs. Feed either one too much of something else, and it is beyond most people to figure out how to be sure the animal is getting all the nutrition it needs without excess calories. The cat may love the prawns, but too many pets are loved to an early death. So treat her to a few a day, but make sure she eats mostly her cat food.

[catsrus]

Hi,

Thanks for the advice folks. I was hoping to be told it was OK to keep giving her prawns but I suspected there might be a problem with the frequency and amount. I think I'll just give her a few once a week from now on. Thanks again for your help.