Kasie Maxwell Grujcic
Hi Amy! Thank you for your excellent question for which I think others will also benefit learning more about.
First off, it's just outstanding that you've made the switch over to a species appropriate, fresh, raw whole food diet for your kitties. Well done! Making this important choice will serve them well – from what we have learned, this change will support them to be able to enjoy as long and healthy a life possible – free of suffering from so many common ailments and a tragically shortened lifespan that so many other domestic cats are subjected to when fed processed foods and dry kibble. That you have made decision to put in the extra effort by committing to a DIY menu is laudable and an inspiration. That’s awesome! Removing the damaging foods and then feeding them what they are designed to metabolize best, by nature’s design, is really the very best we can do for our animals that depend on us for nearly everything in their lives. I bet they're shining examples of good health! <3
As for the question about adding in seafood to your cats’ diet. While certain seafood choices such as clams, oysters, mussels, scallops, mackerel, cod livers, are exceptional sources of important, even essential, nutrients that cats require be provided in their daily diets - namely taurine (highest in clams and other shellfish) and animal sources of vitamins A & D (found in cod livers, along with incredible amounts of valuable omega fatty acids/fats) plus important minerals like zinc and selenium, for example - it is my position that seafood should be avoided in the feline diet entirely for a number of reasons. I review some of the reasons in my blog post here:
Tuna in particular is an especially dangerous choice for cats due to the higher levels of bioaccumulated contaminants and naturally occurring heavy metals. Tuna consumption can even cause your cat to develop a Vitamin E deficiency which may lead to a painful, inflammatory condition known as steatitis (“yellow fat disease”). All seafood can be highly addictive to felines and can be a primary or maintaining cause of dysregulated appetites. Having a troubling/variable appetite, pickiness or inappetence can all be a real problem in felines, even as we try our best to provide them with nourishing foods.
Consumption of seafood has also been correlated to the risk for developing urinary stones, feline lower urinary tract disease (FLUTD), hyperthyroidism, and renal dis-ease. Anitra Fraizer wrote in The New Natural Cat (first edition published in 1981) about a cat client for whom she had finally gotten their FLUTD under control with a raw diet that experienced a flare of the condition after a single innocent nibble of shrimp. I used her book as my guide when I switched by first cat to raw in 1989, and I’ve just always avoided seafood from the recommendations she made in her book.
For these reasons, I do avoid feeding cats seafood completely and this is my recommendation to others as well - especially tuna and things like dried bonito flakes, etc. Instead, I have chosen to focus on providing my cats with plenty of taurine-rich foods including the dark meat cuts of turkey and chicken (and other poultry), pork or beef heart, liver and tongue, other meats like lamb stew, elk or venison stew meat, and even some seasonal live insects (such as crickets and other nutritious grubs known in the exotic trade as "live feeders" - whichever ones they enjoy eating). They also really benefit from the inclusion of egg yolks which I think is fairly necessary in the feline diet for providing adequate levels of choline, for example. The eggs are available seasonally in most areas when truly pasture-raised outdoors where they are permitted to forage freely – this changes the nutrient quality of the eggs. The yolk in particular is very beneficial and this might be my first choice if you were to consider adding other ingredients and foods to your kitty’s menu plan.
Now, if you really, really, really want to include some kind of fishy things, there are a few other options.
1) seaweed such as kelp, dulse, wakame/arame and nori maybe added and used in moderation and provide a nice source of iodine and other trace minerals – just be careful to not overdo or you may risk causing a thyroid imbalance from too much iodine
2) MarinePhytoPlanktoin is a sea plant based form of clean and healthy omega-3s which would be outstanding to include and I do highly recommend the inclusion of this in the feline diet – I like the Alive or Sunfood Brand myself, but there are other nice ones available, Be sure to ask the company for a certificate of analysis to ensure their product meets the purity, safety and nutrient standards you require.
3) Adding the liquid from any packs of meat that you defrost or serve is always a good idea as this is where many nutrients will be found – we call these “meat juices” or run-off myoglobin and it is considered a good source of nutrient dense moisture and can really help your cat when added back into the food as a dressing or when you make your meals
4) lastly, one thing that might be okay and not have the usual associated risks is clam juice which is incredibly high in taurine. This is simply the water taken from when they steam/boil clams – so it is not the clams, but the juices. Adding extra moisture to the feline diet is always a good idea/practice, and this may very well provide some great nutritional benefits that your cats are seeking out in a safer way over tuna and other seafood. Alternatively, if you consume water packed wild salmon (from a brand like Vital Choice, for example) – giving the water from these cans is also very high in taurine and this , too, could be a similar benefit to adding in calm juice to the diet as a topper or mixed into the meals as a flavor enhancer and also little nutrient boost without the risks associated with consuming seafood.
I hope this helps! If you have any more questions – feel free to ask away ???? I’ll do my best to answer.