{"id":36781,"date":"2018-12-11T21:26:55","date_gmt":"2018-12-11T21:26:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/?p=36781"},"modified":"2023-03-17T22:01:07","modified_gmt":"2023-03-17T22:01:07","slug":"can-cats-eat-oysters","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/can-cats-eat-oysters\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Cats Eat Oysters?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">My wife hates them, but I enjoy the occasional raw oyster. However, I have to admit that I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s actually the oysters I like, or if they are merely a vehicle for the lemon juice and cocktail sauce.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you happen to be slurping down some oysters while your cat\u2019s around, you might be wondering if it would be okay to let them have a bite. As we will see, cooked oysters are okay as an occasional treat, but it\u2019s probably better not to give cats raw oysters.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In this article, we\u2019ll cover the following:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cats and Oysters, What You Need to Know<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can Cats Eat Oysters?<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can Kittens Eat Oysters?<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Benefits\/Drawbacks to Cats Eating Oysters<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Healthy Alternatives to Oysters for Cats<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<style>.kt-info-box_ce71ab-0d .kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap{border-top:2px solid var(--global-palette1, #3182CE);border-right:2px solid var(--global-palette1, #3182CE);border-bottom:2px solid var(--global-palette1, #3182CE);border-left:2px solid var(--global-palette1, #3182CE);border-top-left-radius:10px;border-top-right-radius:10px;border-bottom-right-radius:10px;border-bottom-left-radius:10px;background:var(--global-palette9, #ffffff);padding-top:15px;padding-right:15px;padding-bottom:15px;padding-left:15px;margin-bottom:40px;}.kt-info-box_ce71ab-0d .kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap:hover{background:#ffffff;}.kt-info-box_ce71ab-0d .kadence-info-box-image-inner-intrisic-container{max-width:101px;}.kt-info-box_ce71ab-0d .kadence-info-box-image-inner-intrisic-container .kadence-info-box-image-intrisic{padding-bottom:100%;width:300px;height:0px;max-width:100%;}.kt-info-box_ce71ab-0d .kadence-info-box-icon-container .kt-info-svg-icon, .kt-info-box_ce71ab-0d .kt-info-svg-icon-flip, .kt-info-box_ce71ab-0d .kt-blocks-info-box-number{font-size:50px;}.kt-info-box_ce71ab-0d .kt-blocks-info-box-media{color:#444444;background:#ffffff;border-color:#eeeeee;border-top-width:0px;border-right-width:0px;border-bottom-width:0px;border-left-width:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;margin-top:0px;margin-right:20px;margin-bottom:0px;margin-left:0px;}.kt-info-box_ce71ab-0d .kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap:hover .kt-blocks-info-box-media{color:#444444;background:#ffffff;border-color:#eeeeee;}.kt-info-box_ce71ab-0d .kt-infobox-textcontent h2.kt-blocks-info-box-title{padding-top:0px;padding-right:0px;padding-bottom:0px;padding-left:0px;margin-top:5px;margin-right:0px;margin-bottom:10px;margin-left:0px;}.kt-info-box_ce71ab-0d .kt-infobox-textcontent .kt-blocks-info-box-text{color:#555555;}.kt-info-box_ce71ab-0d .kt-blocks-info-box-learnmore{background:transparent;border-color:#555555;border-width:0px 0px 0px 0px;padding-top:4px;padding-right:8px;padding-bottom:4px;padding-left:8px;margin:10px 0px 10px 0px;}.kt-info-box_ce71ab-0d .kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap:hover .kt-blocks-info-box-learnmore{color:#ffffff;background:#444444;border-color:#444444;}@media all and (max-width: 1024px){.kt-info-box_ce71ab-0d .kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap{border-top:2px solid var(--global-palette1, #3182CE);border-right:2px solid var(--global-palette1, #3182CE);border-bottom:2px solid var(--global-palette1, #3182CE);border-left:2px solid var(--global-palette1, #3182CE);}}@media all and (max-width: 767px){.kt-info-box_ce71ab-0d .kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap{border-top:2px solid var(--global-palette1, #3182CE);border-right:2px solid var(--global-palette1, #3182CE);border-bottom:2px solid var(--global-palette1, #3182CE);border-left:2px solid var(--global-palette1, #3182CE);}}<\/style>\n<div class=\"wp-block-kadence-infobox kt-info-box_ce71ab-0d\"><span class=\"kt-blocks-info-box-link-wrap info-box-link kt-blocks-info-box-media-align-left kt-info-halign-left\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-info-box-media-container\"><div class=\"kt-blocks-info-box-media kt-info-media-animate-none\"><div class=\"kadence-info-box-image-inner-intrisic-container\"><div class=\"kadence-info-box-image-intrisic kt-info-animate-none kb-info-box-image-ratio kb-info-box-image-ratio-square\"><div class=\"kadence-info-box-image-inner-intrisic\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/guarantee-f-e1676260441883.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" class=\"kt-info-box-image wp-image-37684\" srcset=\"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/guarantee-f-e1676260441883.png 300w, https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/01\/guarantee-f-e1676260441883-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><div class=\"kt-infobox-textcontent\"><p class=\"kt-blocks-info-box-text\">This content has been reviewed and approved by our in-house Veterinarian for accuracy.<\/p><\/div><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cats and Oysters, What You Need to Know<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Oysters are salt-water, hard-shelled creatures that are consumed as a delicacy by people around the world. Being a mollusk, oysters are part of a large group of invertebrate animals that includes snails, slugs, clams, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/can-cats-eat-octopus\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">octopuses<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, squid, and cuttlefish.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As you might imagine, cats in the wild would rarely come into contact with an oysters. However, as&nbsp;the following video shows, some cats do enjoy oysters given to them by their human companions:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Cat&#039;s Food Network - Charles oyster dinner\" width=\"720\" height=\"405\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/AAKW9aHdjxo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Since cats are meat-eaters, it&#8217;s not surprising to see one eating oysters. In fact, being obligate carnivores, meat is the only food cats really need to eat and they derive little to no nutrition from plants and vegetables.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But, are oysters a good source of meat for cats? Would they like them?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From a nutritional standpoint, oysters aren&#8217;t a bad food. One hundred grams of <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ndb.nal.usda.gov\/ndb\/foods\/show\/35054?fgcd=&amp;manu=&amp;format=&amp;count=&amp;max=25&amp;offset=&amp;sort=default&amp;order=asc&amp;qlookup=octopus+cooked&amp;ds=&amp;qt=&amp;qp=&amp;qa=&amp;qn=&amp;q=&amp;ing=\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">raw oysters<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> contains about 68 Calories, 7 grams of protein, and significant amounts of vitamin B12, vitamin D, iron, zinc, copper, and selenium.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can Cats Eat Oysters?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While cooked oysters are generally okay to give cats, raw oysters carry some risk of sickness from bacteria and parasites.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It&#8217;s unlikely your cat would get sick from eating raw oysters, but why take chances with their health? Instead, just stick with providing them with the occasional cooked oysters as a treat.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can Kittens Eat Oysters?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Because of their immature immune and digestive systems, kittens are susceptible to illness. Bacteria and parasites that could be in raw oysters are even more likely to make a kitten sick than an adult cat.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Make sure any oysters you feed your kitten are cooked first, and don&#8217;t contain any additives like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/can-cats-eat-salt\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">salt<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, spices, or horseradish. Even then, it should be given only as on occasional treat and in small quantities.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">High-quality, grain-free kitten food has all the nutrients a growing kitten needs. So, it&#8217;s best to stick with something like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2Rya6uE\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wellness kitten food<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or else <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2SvxhTM\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Taste of the Wild kitten food<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Benefits and Drawbacks to Cats Eating Oysters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As we have learned, cooked oysters can provide protein that is required in your cat&#8217;s diet. However, raw oysters can be contaminated with a bacterium known as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ojs.wpro.who.int\/ojs\/index.php\/wpsar\/article\/view\/170\/193\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vibrio<\/span><\/i><\/a><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">which has been identified as a source of human illness.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vibrio<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> usually only affects people with compromised immune systems. Most commonly associated with eating raw oysters, the bacteria normally causes gastrointestinal symptoms, but in serious cases has resulted in the loss of limbs and even death.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While cats are not known to be affected by <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vibrio<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, it&#8217;s best to be safe and only give your cat cooked oysters.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, oysters can contain high levels of the metal cadmium. Cats are particularly sensitive to some types of <\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/veterinarycalendar.dvm360.com\/heavy-metal-intoxication-companion-animal-proceedings\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">heavy metal poisoning<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, so it&#8217;s best to limit the amount of oysters you give to your cat.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Perhaps most importantly, oysters are a known source of food <a href=\"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/best-cat-litter-for-allergy-sufferers\/\">allergy<\/a> in humans and might also be for cats. <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www2.vet.cornell.edu\/departments-centers-and-institutes\/cornell-feline-health-center\/health-information\/feline-health-topics\/food-allergies\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Food allergies<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;are the third most common type of feline allergy, surpassed by only <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/cats-get-fleas\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">flea bite<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> allergies and sensitivity to inhaled substances.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In cats, food allergies usually manifest themselves as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.petmd.com\/cat\/conditions\/skin\/c_ct_food_reactions_dermatologic\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">skin reactions<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Symptoms of food allergies in cats can include:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sneezing, snoring, coughing, and wheezing<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Itchy skin, scratching, and chewing<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ear infections<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Runny&nbsp;eyes<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vomiting<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Diarrhea<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Swollen paws<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Possible <a href=\"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/can-cats-fart\/\">farting<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you do decide to give your cat oysters, make sure you stay alert for any of the above symptoms.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Healthy Alternatives to Oysters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adult cats are fine to have a little bit of cooked oysters from time to time. But, with all of the great options out there, why not try a seafood-themed <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2Vn18jf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">cat food<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">? There are also <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2F5HSkw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">seafood cat treats<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that can satisfy your cat&#8217;s craving for oysters.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There&#8217;s no rush to feed oysters to your cat, however. They don&#8217;t need it to survive, so any high-quality, meat-based cat food will be great for them, such as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2RvQ44b\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wellness<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2VtZdsY\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Taste of the Wild<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> cat foods.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><b>So, can cats eat oysters?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Well, now we know that cats can eat oysters. We also learned you should never feed raw oysters to your cat or kitten because of the bacteria and parasites that might make your cat sick if present.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most importantly, we saw that there are many safe and healthy <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2s7jB5R\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">seafood cat foods<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2RuRCeG\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">treats<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">&nbsp;that are great alternatives for your kitty.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you have any questions or would like to share a story about your cat and oysters, please tell us in the comments below. We\u2019d love to hear from you!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>My wife hates them, but I enjoy the occasional raw oyster. However, I have to admit that I don\u2019t know if it\u2019s actually the oysters I like, or if they&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":36783,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","_kad_post_transparent":"","_kad_post_title":"","_kad_post_layout":"","_kad_post_sidebar_id":"","_kad_post_content_style":"","_kad_post_vertical_padding":"","_kad_post_feature":"","_kad_post_feature_position":"","_kad_post_header":false,"_kad_post_footer":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":5,"label":"Nutrition"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/12\/Can-Cats-Eat-Oysters.png",800,578,false],"author_info":{"display_name":"Phil Ruth","author_link":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/author\/ruth_phil\/"},"comment_info":1,"category_info":[{"term_id":5,"name":"Nutrition","slug":"nutrition","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":5,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":108,"filter":"raw","cat_ID":5,"category_count":108,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Nutrition","category_nicename":"nutrition","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36781"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36781"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36781\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":55053,"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36781\/revisions\/55053"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36783"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36781"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36781"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36781"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}