Can Cats Eat Lobster – Is It Safe Seafood For Cats?

Sometimes you treat yourself to some lobster, and you want to treat your cat too! Lobster is a fancy meal for humans, but what about for your cat? You know that cats like seafood, so they’ll probably like lobster, too, right? But, you still have to ask yourself: can cats eat lobster?

Cats can eat lobster. Cats can safely eat cooked, plain lobster without any added spices. Lobster should be fed to cats in small amounts as part of an overall balanced diet.

If you want to give your cat lobster, you should always make sure to cook it. Even though you may want to spice it up with some seasonings, it’s best to skip that to keep your furry friend healthy. Read to the end of the article to learn how to prepare lobster for your cat. 

Is Lobster Safe For Cats

Lobster is safe for cats to eat.

Since many cat foods have flavors like tuna and shrimp, you might not know if lobster is safe seafood for your cat. Lobster is, however, a great choice to give to your cat if you want to add more seafood to their diet. 

If you want to start feeding your cat lobster, make sure to do it in moderation and not give your cat too much.

Most cats like seafood, but seafood alone is not enough to sustain your cat and give him all the nutrients he needs to be healthy. Lobster should be an additional treat for your cat but not a staple in his diet.

If you plan to give cats lobster, you should also be aware that cats can have a seafood allergy. This is probably something you’ll figure out well before you decide to give your cat a few pieces of lobster.

If your cat does have a seafood allergy, then you already won’t be feeding your cat seafood-flavored cat food. 

Can Cats Eat Raw Lobster

Cats should not eat raw lobster. Lobster must be fully cooked in order to avoid germs and other problems.

Humans eat sushi and may even have a mental image of cats eating raw fish out of the creek or river. This may be common for stray cats who do not know where their next meal will come from, but for your indoor cat, all seafood they eat should not be raw. That includes lobster. 

Raw seafood poses some health issues and the least of which is stomach pain and digestive issues. Raw seafood may have germs that can easily be killed through cooking.

To be safe and not get your cat sick, you should always thoroughly cook lobster before offering it to your furry friend. 

Can Cats Eat Cooked Lobster

Yes, cats can eat cooked lobster. However, you should not add anything to the lobster such as butter or spices which can interfere with your cats digestive system.

The safest way to feed your cat lobster is to cook it. If you were cooking the lobster for yourself, you might be tempted to add spices for flavoring or pour some melted butter over the lobster before serving. While this may be fine for your plate of lobster, you should avoid any of these additions to your cat’s portion. 

The added seasoning and butter outweigh any health benefits that your cat is getting from the lobster. The seasoning and butter can lead to stomach aches and diarrhea, which is always best to avoid. 

Can Cats Eat Lobster Shells

Cats should not eat lobster shells.

Even though most people remove the lobster from the shell before eating, you should not feed the lobster shell to your cat.

Lobster shells can be sharp. Your cat’s teeth can easily pulverize food, but there may still be sharp bits that your cat cannot thoroughly chew before swallowing. These sharp bits can cut your cat’s mouth and gums, throat, or esophagus. Your cat eating a larger piece of shell could also lead to choking. 

It might feel like a pain to remove the shell from the lobster because sometimes lobster is served in the shell to make it fancy. The safest option is to remove the shell to protect your cat to the best of your ability. 

Your cat may accidentally eat a piece of lobster shell, so you won’t have to worry immediately. If your cat eats it with no trouble, your cat will be fine. The lobster shell is not toxic to cats. Your cat may have a bit of a stomach ache but will be fine without a trip to the vet. 

What Are the Health Benefits Of Lobster For Cats

One of the best health benefits of lobster for cats is that there are amino acids in lobster. 

Aside from tasting great, lobster has health benefits for cats, just like for humans. Here are a few benefits that you should know about:

• Amino acids help bodies build protein, and they are sometimes called the building blocks of proteins
• Low in carbohydrates, which makes it healthy
• Lobster also has many vitamins, such as zinc, phosphorus, Vitamin B12, and Vitamin E

In other words, lobster is not going to be a snack for cats that are full of empty calories. If you give your cats a bit of lobster, then you can comfortably know that your cat will be getting some benefits out of its treat. 

What Seafood Can Cats Eat

Cats can eat many types of seafood, but it is essential not to feed cats seafood seasoned with salt or spices.

If you’re thinking about giving your cat seafood, try the following types:

• Tuna
• Sardines
• Salmon
• Shrimp

Many different types of seafood are excellent and safe for your cat. What makes seafood unhealthy for your cat is what can be added to the seafood. Salt, for instance, can make your cat gain unnecessary weight. Cooking oils can also give your cat a stomachache.

Canned seafood is the easiest choice for you, but canned seafood is often packed in salty water that preserves it.  

Final Thoughts

Many people think that seafood and cats go hand-in-hand. After all, most cat food either comes in chicken flavor or seafood flavor, whether it’s tuna, salmon, or shrimp. You don’t often see lobster-favored cat foods since lobster is expensive, but your cat can indeed have a few bites of lobster. 

If lobster is too expensive for your budget, you have other options too. You may choose to buy crab for your cat instead of lobster. Crab is very similar to lobster, and there’s a good chance your cat won’t even know the difference.

Like lobster, make sure not to add any seasoning or butter to the crab before feeding it to your cat.

An even cheaper option than crab is imitation crab, which you may be tempted to buy. Imitation crab is not an excellent choice for your cat. As the name suggests,

Imitation crab is imitating crab and does not have any actual crab in it. It is made of pulverized tiny fish and includes additives to get the texture of a real crab. Imitation crab may look like the real thing, but the ingredients are not the same and do not have the same health benefits as real crab.

The best and safest way to include seafood in your cat’s diet is to buy seafood-flavored cat food.

This may feel boring, but it is the best way to ensure that your cat gets exactly what he needs to stay healthy. You do not need to worry if the seafood is cooked thoroughly or if the portion you’re giving your cat is correct.