Last Updated on November 5, 2022 by admin
Crabs are a popular seafood and something many of us enjoy on a dinner table. It’s a healthy food when cooked properly and serves as a tasty treat for many. Because crabs are full of nutrients and high in protein you might think it’s a great choice for cats. However, the main problem with crab meat is that it is naturally high in sodium so it’s not a great choice for cats in large quantities even when cooked plain.
While crab meat might be great for adding a little variety to your cat’s diet, it’s better not to over do it. It also goes without saying that you should not give your cat any large portions of crab cooked for human consumption with salting, seasoning, or sauces.
Imitation Crab is Actually Fish Paste
One thing you should not confuse crab meat with is imitation crab. Imitation crab is a fish paste product created to imitate the look and feel of crab meat. It was created as an inexpensive alternative to real crab meat before gaining a life of its own as a popular staple in many dishes like salads and sushi.
Can Cats Eat Canned Crab Meat?
As we noted above, even natural crab meat is already high in sodium. Canned crab meat products are packaged and prepared for human consumption. They are designed to have a long shelf life and can contain any number of preservatives, additional sodium, and other ingredients like citric acid that are not agreeable to your cat.
Can Cats Crab Shell? How About Soft Shell Crab?
The shell is the crab’s exoskeleton. It is hard and can damage your cat’s teeth, irritate gums, or cause digestive issues. Also when eating crab humans will deftly avoid the inedible stuff the meat is attached to but for cats you should give them the meat portion only and remove the other stuff for them.
While soft shell crabs are edible whole because they recently molted their exoskeleton and hasn’t had time to harden, it doesn’t make it a good choice for cats either. Even though the shell is soft the crab still needs to be prepared properly (the inedible parts like gills are removed) and cooked in some kind of heat to make it edible. During the cooking process some form of salt, seasoning, or sauce is usually used. Other recipes involve deep frying, making it a very bad choice for cats.
Only give your cats the meat of the crab plain and nothing else.
Verdict: Yes but in Moderation
Although crabs are a tasty and natural seafood with a single negative for cats (high sodium), it’s not a great choice as a main source of protein and should be fed in moderation if any. If serving crab meat to your cat make sure it is cooked but not seasoned in any way, especially with added salt since crab meat is naturally high in sodium.