One bag of fish treats for the cat and the dog

Can cats and dogs share fish treats? Yes. Our listings name both pets for the sardines, the sardine heads, the anchovies and the minnows. One bag can sit on the shelf for the whole house. What stays separate is the share: the dog's comes from a calculator, and the cat's comes from the cat's veterinarian.

Can a cat and a dog eat from the same bag of fish treats?

Each fish we sell is a single ingredient, and each listing says it is for dogs and for cats. So a household with one of each does not need two kinds of treat. It needs one bag and a little bookkeeping.

The bookkeeping is the part that matters. The listings call these treats or toppers, not a complete diet, and they ask for fresh water and supervision. That goes for both animals at once. If the dog is crunching and the cat is circling, you are the supervisor for two.

The same bag also means the same handling. These fish are freeze-dried raw, so the sardine heads listing has it right when it says, "This is raw fish, so wash your hands after handling it." Do that between the cat's piece and the dog's piece, not only once when you are done.

Which of the fish are listed for cats as well as dogs?

Here is what each listing says, in its own terms:

• Sardines: the listing says adult dogs of all sizes, and cats too, with the fish broken up or crumbled for a cat.
• Sardine heads: the listing says adult dogs of all sizes, cats too.
• Anchovies: the listing says adult dogs of all sizes, and that cats can have them.
• Minnows: the listing says one bag for dogs and cats. The minnows are sold out right now, and the button on the page reads "Sold out, back soon." We have no date to give you.
• The Fish Trio: the page lists it as suitable for dogs and cats, one bag each of sardines, anchovies and sardine heads.

The Fish Trio page also makes one remark about cats. It calls the heads "the one cats tend to claim first." That is the page's observation, and we pass it along as a remark, not a rule. Your cat may disagree.

How should piece size differ for a cat and a dog?

Size the piece to the animal eating it. That is the whole principle, and the listings give two pieces of detail to work from.

For the dog, the sardine listing gives pieces for rewards and a crumble for a topper. On the Fish Trio page, sardines rank as the largest of the three, with a suggestion to break one in half for a small dog. Anchovies it calls smaller and drier.

For the cat, the sardine listing says to break the fish up or crumble it. Past that, piece size for a cat is a question for the cat's veterinarian, and we add nothing of our own.

These fish are sold whole, so the bones are in every piece, and we make no bone claim of our own. Supervise while either pet eats, and if you are unsure about your own cat or dog and fish bones, ask your veterinarian. The sardine heads listing gives the same advice for dogs.

How do you split the treat share between a cat and a dog?

Work out two shares, not one.

For the dog, the treat calculator on the sardine page starts from 10 percent of the day's calories. The sardine listing's FAQ puts it the same way: hold all treats to about 10 percent of the day's calories. The calculator note on that page credits VCA's treat guidance for the figure. It is a dog setting, and we do not apply it to a cat.

For the cat, we give no number. A cat's treat share is set by the cat's veterinarian, who knows the cat's weight, food and history. Ask, write down the answer, and treat that as the cat's pool.

Then keep the pools separate. Portion each pet's pieces before you start, so you can see what each one has had. Think of it as two budgets drawn from one bag. A bag is only a container, and the amount each pet gets does not change because they share it.

Where to go next

If your question is only about the cat, our guide on whether cats can eat sardines goes deeper on that fish. For the rest of the topics, the guides hub lists everything in one place.