The skinny on sushi

[Juniper_Junebug]

I will occasionally give my kitty little treats from my own food but always Google first to make sure it's safe. I had some salmon sushi last night and was surprised to see that every website said it was a No, Never food. Part of that is because it's raw and part because it interferes with thiamine absorption. The first reason seems odd-- why would it be safe for me but not the cat? The second seems like a reason to limit it to the very rare and small treat but not that it's is unsafe entirely (sort of like bacon). Anyone know the deal? The only raw my cat gets is the occasional turkey gizzard but I'd love to give her tiny bits of sushi maybe one a month as a special treat.

 

[Caspers Human]

I shouldn't drink beer, either, but I still have one every once in a while.

Too much alcohol isn't good for me.
There are a lot of empty calories in beer that will make me gain too much weight or I might have other health problems if I drink a lot of it.
If I drink too much beer for a long time, I can become an alcoholic.
If I alcoholism runs in my family, I am at a greater risk of having problems if I drink too much.

No, sushi isn't good food for cats to eat, all of the time, but, if it's good, fresh sushi that's safe for humans to eat I don't see any reason why a small piece of fish wouldn't be okay to treat a cat with... provided your cat is in good health, to start.

Casper won't eat sushi. I've never known any other cat that didn't like sushi, at least a little bit. Casper just, plain, turns up his nose at it.
He does like canned tuna, however. We often save some scraps and juice when we have canned tuna for dinner.
Not too much. Just a spoonful. We only give him tuna, maybe, once a month if he's lucky.

Consider things like tuna or sushi like junk food for cats.

Now it's time for me to go back to drinking beer and eating cheese doodles...

 

[LTS3]

If it's good quality fish, it's fine to give as a very occasional treat. Same goes with raw meat and offal like gizzards.

Feeding only fish can be an issue so even limit fish / seafood based cat food and treats to once in awhile.

Can I Feed My Cat A Fish-based Or Fish-flavored Diet? [Answered] - TheCatSite

It’s a question that often comes up in our cat nutrition forums. Many cats adore the flavor of tuna, sardines, or just plain old “fish” and will happily eat nothing but fish flavored meals. But is it good for them? What’s the Harm in Fish? Fish may contain an enzyme called thiaminase. As its...

thecatsite.com

 

[Willowy]

Raw salmon has parasites. Sushi-quality raw salmon has to be frozen below a certain temp for at least 3 days to kill the parasites. So that's one reason that a small amount of sushi would be ok but raw salmon in general wouldn't be.