Crumbling freeze-dried fish over a cat's food

A fish topper for cats is a few crumbs of whole freeze-dried fish scattered over the regular food. Every fish we sell is a treat or meal topper and not a complete diet, so the bowl stays the meal. The topper counts as part of your cat's treat share, and your vet sets how big that share is.

Can you use freeze-dried fish as a topper for cat food?

Yes, and it is what the listings describe. Each of our fish is a single ingredient, freeze-dried raw in small batches in Malvern, Pennsylvania from imported fish. Every bag is sold for dogs and cats.

The fish are whole, so they are crunchy and need breaking up before they go in a bowl. You snap, squeeze, and sprinkle.

A topper adds to the regular food and does not replace it. The listings call it a treat or meal topper, not a complete diet. Keep fresh water out and watch your cat eat. The fish is freeze-dried raw, so wash your hands afterward.

Which of the four fish can you crumble over a cat's bowl?

All four are listed for cats. Here is what each listing says about serving:

• Whole sardines: for cats, break up or crumble.
• Sardine heads: a crunchy reward or a crumbled topper, cats too.
• Anchovies: a treat or topper, and the listing says cats can have them.
• Minnows: whole or crumbled over food. They are sold out right now, and the button shows "Sold out, back soon" when there are none.

Our Fish Trio page calls the sardines the largest of its three fish, so they give you the most to break apart. Anchovies are smaller and drier. If you want to read about a single fish before choosing, can cats eat sardines goes through that one in detail.

How much topper is enough for a cat?

The listings give no pinch count and no piece count, so we do not either. What they give is a frame: a topper is a treat, not extra food. The sardine listing's 10 percent line is written about dogs, and no listing gives a treat share for cats.

Your vet can tell you your cat's daily calorie number and how much of it treats should take. Whatever that share is, a topper day is a lighter treat day.

The sardine label prints 94.9 kcal per ounce, which is what a vet or a kitchen scale needs for the arithmetic. Start with a light dusting, see how the cat takes it, and ask your vet about amounts, because we do not write feeding plans for cats.

How do you crumble a whole fish without making a mess?

Freeze-dried fish is dry and crisp, and a few small habits keep the crumbling tidy.

1. Hold the fish over the bowl, not above the counter, and squeeze until it snaps.
2. Break the pieces down further between your fingers. Smaller crumbs spread across the food and are harder to pick out.
3. Tip the loose bits from the bottom of the bag over the food as well. They are the same one ingredient.
4. Wipe your hands, reseal the bag, and store it cool and dry. No refrigerator is needed.

Pieces with heads, tails and bones will come apart in different sizes. That is the nature of a whole fish. No two pieces match, and a mix of bigger and smaller crumbs is normal.

What if your cat eats around the topper?

Cats have opinions. If yours eats around the crumbs and leaves them in a ring, try smaller crumbs and stir them in so they are harder to separate. Or try a different fish another day. Some cats go for the crunch and some go for the smell.

There is no need to push it. A topper is optional, and an untouched pinch is just an untouched pinch. Sweep it up and skip the topper for a day.

One line of caution: if your cat stops eating its regular food, that is a question for your vet and not for a treat page.

The guides hub lists more ways to use each fish, from rewards to bowls.