There are a lot of food supplements on the market used by humans but also by animals. Among them we highlight the fish oil. But it is necessary? How does it benefit our animals? If they eat commercial feed, do they need a nutritional supplement?

We have several questions when it comes to offering a balanced diet to our cats. We know that fish oil is fat of animal origin present in fish but, we want to tell you which are the Benefits of fish oil for cats. The advantages of including it in the daily diet of our domestic cats and how to choose the best one.

Properties of fish oil

Fish oil, as we discussed in the introduction, is about marine source of fish fat, rich in essential fatty acids Omega – 3, commonly known as “good fats”. It contains eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which are very common in commercial pet and human foods.

These acids can be metabolized directly by the body of our cat but we must emphasize that it lacks the necessary enzymes to convert EPA from plant sources (such as flax seed oil) or from the nuts that also possess them. Explained this, we justify a bit its incorporation through fish oil.

Yes, not all marine meats have it, is found mainly in salmon, tuna, anchovy, sardine and herring. We will not find it in the quantities needed in cod liver oil, so we recommend avoiding it.

We must always read the labels of the products to verify that the oil is as pure as possible, without chemical additives or preservatives, as it would weaken the quality of our oil and therefore, its function.

Benefits of fish oil consumption in cats

Next we explain you 13 benefits of fish oil consumption for cats:

1. Improve your immune system by increasing the defenses.
2. Improves cognitive functions, especially during old age.
3. It helps keep the coat and skin healthy.
4. Anti-inflammatory effect.
5. It acts against arthritis, osteoarthritis or the degeneration of cartilage of the joints.
6. It regulates the level of cholesterol and triglycerides.
7. Decreases skin allergies.
8. It facilitates the correct functioning at the renal level.
9. It reduces the chances of the appearance of cancer.
10. Maintains a good functioning of the cardiovascular system.
11. Improves eyesight and hearing
12. It promotes fertility.
13. It helps the mental development of fetuses and puppies.

How to offer fish oil to our cat?

For starters, we should be careful with this supplement because it should not come in contact with light, heat or air. It is advisable to store it in liquid form in dark bottles in the refridgerator and buy quantities that we can use in 1 or 2 months to avoid rancidity, which would affect its smell and taste, which we know ends when it is added to our cat’s food, will not eat, so we will have an extra problem .

There are also commercial brands for human consumption that have flavors that cats often reject. It was never easy to give something new to a cat but we have several options, luckily:

1. High-end feed: It is true that they have it in their ingredients, but we have a problem, the fish oil is oxidized in contact with the air. Therefore, if the bag of feed is open or, we dump the food in beautiful buckets for them, it is most likely that when you finish the bag, you have not ingested almost any fish oil. Add the fish oil each time you put the food in the bowl.
2. Homemade food: whether we choose a raw or cooked diet we will have to supplement at the end of the preparation. You can, in the cases that we do not have the fish oil, replace it with olive oil.

We should always consult a veterinarian to have a wider vision of the feeding of our cats and, in this way, to be able to use this valuable natural supplement that our cat will thank daily.

If you want to read more articles similar to Benefits of fish oil for cats, we recommend that you enter in our section of Homemade Diets.