{"id":37603,"date":"2019-01-08T22:27:57","date_gmt":"2019-01-08T22:27:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/?p=37603"},"modified":"2023-03-17T16:29:56","modified_gmt":"2023-03-17T16:29:56","slug":"can-cats-eat-crab","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/can-cats-eat-crab\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Cats Eat Crab?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There\u2019s not too much better than a good, Cajun-style crab boil. Whether dipped in butter or as crab bisque, crab is a popular dish that can be found on the dinner table in many parts of the world.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you like eating crab, you may be wondering if it would be okay to let your cat have a bite. As we will see, cooked crab is okay as an occasional treat.<\/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 Crab, What You Need to Know<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can Cats Eat Crab?<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can Kittens Eat Crab?<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Benefits\/Drawbacks to Cats Eating Crab<\/span><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Healthy Alternatives to Crab 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 Crab, What You Need to Know<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The crab is a type of arthropod with a thick exoskeleton best known for its pincers and sideways walking movement. Being a crustacean, crabs are part of a large group of invertebrate animals that includes lobsters, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/can-cats-eat-shrimp\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">shrimp<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, and crayfish (or crawdads as we called them growing up).<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As crabs are usually found in or by the sea, and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/why-do-cats-hate-water\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">cats hate water<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, it\u2019s pretty uncommon that cats would come into contact with a live crab. However, as&nbsp;the following video shows, chance encounters do happen:<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-4-3 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Cats &amp; Crabs fighting compilation\" width=\"720\" height=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/LtQG8Ukvxg4?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 predators, it&#8217;s not surprising to see the cat going after the crab. Cats are also obligate carnivores, so 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, is crab a good source of meat for cats? Would they like it?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From a nutritional standpoint, crab isn&#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;\">Alaskan king crab<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> contains about 97 Calories, 19.4 grams of protein, and significant amounts of vitamin B12, zinc, copper, and selenium.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can Cats Eat Crab?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While cooked crab is generally okay to give cats, fresh crab carries some risks 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 crab, but why take chances with their health? Instead, just stick with providing them with the occasional cooked crab as a treat.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here&#8217;s a cat that didn&#8217;t wait for their dinner to be cooked. It shows that there&#8217;s another danger to eating crab that&#8217;s TOO raw&#8230;<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/youtu.be\/4eIIjERcX5s\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can Kittens Eat Crab?<\/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 crab 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 crab you feed your kitten is cooked first, and doesn&#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;\"> or spices. 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\/2RCAC6i\" 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\/2FktEMH\" 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 Crab<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As we have learned, cooked crab can provide protein that is required in your cat&#8217;s diet. However, fresh crab, contaminated with a bacteria known as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/vibrio\/investigations\/vibriop-07-18\/index.html\" 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;\">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 crab.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Additionally, heavy metals, such as cadmium can become concentrated in crab meat. 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 crab you give to your cat.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Perhaps most importantly, crab are a known source of food allergy 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 crab, 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 Crab<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adult cats are fine to have a little bit of cooked crab from time to time. With all of the great options out there, why not try a seafood-themed <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2SKDSK4\" 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\/2RAEIvL\" 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 crab.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There&#8217;s no rush to feed crab 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\/2RAxCr8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Wellness<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2SISs53\" 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 crab?<\/b><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Well, now we know that cats can eat crab. We also know you should never feed fresh or raw crab to your cat or kitten because of the bacteria and parasites that may make your cat sick if present.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Most importantly, we know that there are many safe and healthy <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2SJGVSO\" 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\/2RvVL2b\" 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><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you want your cat to have a good crab experience, check out this funny <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/2VGbtqr\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">corduroy crab cat toy<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Filled with catnip, your cat will have a blast catching this deep-sea creature and won&#8217;t even have to get its paws wet, or worry about it pinching their paws!<\/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 crabs, please tell us in the comments below. We\u2019d love to hear from you!<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There\u2019s not too much better than a good, Cajun-style crab boil. Whether dipped in butter or as crab bisque, crab is a popular dish that can be found on the&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":37606,"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\/2019\/01\/Can-Cats-Eat-Crab.png",800,578,false],"author_info":{"display_name":"Phil Ruth","author_link":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/author\/ruth_phil\/"},"comment_info":3,"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\/37603"}],"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=37603"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37603\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":55026,"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37603\/revisions\/55026"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37606"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37603"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37603"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/catkingpin.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37603"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}