can cats eat sashimi

Cats can eat a tiny amount of plain sashimi once in a while, but it is not completely safe and should never be a regular part of their diet.

Quick Scoop

Is sashimi safe for cats?

• A small bite of plain sashimi (raw, boneless fish with no sauces or seasoning) is usually not toxic for a healthy adult cat, but there are clear risks.

• Vets generally recommend treating raw fish as an occasional treat at most, not a meal, and not something you give daily or even weekly.

Main risks of giving cats sashimi

• Parasites and bacteria: Raw fish can carry parasites and harmful bacteria that may cause vomiting, diarrhea, or more serious illness in cats.

• Thiamine (vitamin B1) depletion: Many raw fish contain thiaminase, an enzyme that breaks down thiamine; long‑term or frequent raw fish feeding can cause dangerous neurological problems in cats.

• Mercury and toxins: Big fish like some tunas, swordfish, and shark can contain high mercury levels, which are more risky for small animals like cats.

• Unbalanced diet: Fish (raw or cooked) alone does not provide all the nutrients a cat needs; cats require a complete, balanced cat food as their main diet.

When it’s “less bad”

If you really want to share a bit of fish:

1. Use sushi‑grade, very fresh fish only, and avoid high‑mercury species (no swordfish, shark, large tuna).

2. Give a tiny piece only (think a 1 cm cube or a small flake) and only once in a while, not as a regular snack.

3. Make sure it’s completely plain: no soy sauce, wasabi, mayo, seasonings, onions, garlic, or rice with vinegar.

4. Watch your cat afterward for vomiting, diarrhea, itching, swelling, or odd behavior, and contact a vet if anything looks off.

A safer alternative is a small piece of cooked (steamed or baked), unseasoned fish instead of raw, given alongside your cat’s normal complete food.

Quick forum‑style take

“Sharing one tiny, plain sashimi bite with your cat once in a blue moon is usually okay, but making a habit of it is asking for trouble. Use it as a rare treat, not dinner.”

Simple HTML table for key points

html

<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Question</th>
      <th>Short answer</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td>Can cats eat sashimi at all?</td>
      <td>Yes, a tiny plain piece very rarely, for healthy cats only, and it’s still risky.[web:1][web:5][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>Is sashimi good as a regular snack?</td>
      <td>No. Raw fish parasites, thiamine loss, and mercury make frequent feeding unsafe.[web:1][web:3][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td>What’s safer?</td>
      <td>Small pieces of cooked, unseasoned fish given occasionally, plus a complete cat food diet.[web:3][web:9]</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

TL;DR: If you want to let your cat taste sashimi, keep it to a tiny, very occasional, plain bite of safe fish only—and when in doubt, skip raw and stick to cooked or cat‑specific treats.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.