Offering a cat freeze-dried anchovies in pieces

Anchovies for cats are a short job once you have the bag: the anchovy listing says cats can have them, our guidance is small pieces, and your veterinarian decides how much. Ask your veterinarian first, supervise while the cat eats, and keep fresh water out. No cat amount comes from us.

Can cats have freeze-dried anchovies?

Yes, per the anchovy listing: it names adult dogs of all sizes and adds that cats can have them. For a cat, our guidance on minnows, sardines and anchovies is the same. Offer small pieces, and have a word with your veterinarian first.

That word comes before the bag does. Your veterinarian knows the cat, its weight and its regular food. We know what is in the bag. So the veterinarian decides whether anchovies fit and how much a cat gets, and we describe the fish and the handling.

The wider question of anchovies for both pets has its own page, our guide to whether dogs can eat anchovies. This page stays with the practical side: the bag, the piece and the handling.

What is in a bag of our anchovies?

Anchovies, and nothing else. The listing names the species as Stolephorus chinensis, and it says nothing is added. It also says "No grains, fillers or dyes." The bag is 2 ounces, and the fish is freeze-dried in small batches, made in Malvern, Pennsylvania from imported fish.

There is a guaranteed analysis on the anchovy label. The bag says: "Crude Protein (min): 67%", "Crude Fat (min): 5%", "Crude Fiber (max): 6%", "Moisture (max): 11%", "Metabolizable Energy: 2,930 kcal ME/kg (approximately 83.1 kcal/oz)". That is a description of what is in the bag. It is not an amount for a cat, and we do not turn it into one.

Size, shape and color vary too, per the listing.

How do you break anchovies into small pieces for a cat?

Breaking the fish into pieces is how the anchovy listing handles rewards. Our guidance for a cat is small pieces, so take that and go smaller. Here are the steps for a first piece:

1. Check with your veterinarian that anchovies suit this cat, and get the amount.
2. Take one anchovy out of the bag.
3. Break off a small piece, and put the rest back.
4. Offer the piece, and stay close while the cat eats.
5. Press the bag shut and go wash up.

Because size varies, you will not be breaking two anchovies the same way. That is fine. The test is the piece you hand over, and the piece is small.

Can you crumble anchovies over a cat's food?

Yes. The anchovy label says, "Feed as a treat or meal topper." It also says, "Not intended to replace a complete and balanced diet." So the anchovies sit on top of the cat's regular meal, and the meal stays as it is.

Crumbling is a way of making the pieces smaller still. Our guide on a fish topper for cats walks through it. Whatever the crumble, the amount is the one your veterinarian has set.

How do you handle and keep the bag?

Treat it as raw fish. The fish is freeze-dried raw, and the sardine heads listing says, "This is raw fish, so wash your hands after handling it." Wash after you handle the anchovies, before you touch anything else.

The anchovy label says, "Close the bag again after opening, for the anchovies and for your kitchen." It also says, "A cool, dry place is all they need." The listing adds that they need no refrigerator.

For the dates, the bag is best by 1 year from production, with the best-by date printed on the bag. Once the bag is open, we ask you to use it within 30 days. The 30 days comes from us; the label does not print it. Check the printed date before you open a new bag, so you know where it stands.