Giving a cat its first piece of freeze-dried fish

How to introduce fish treats to cats comes down to a short order of steps. Ask your veterinarian first. Start with a small piece of sardine or anchovy. Stay with the cat while it eats, and keep fresh water out. Your veterinarian sets how much a cat gets, and we give no amount.

What should you ask your vet before a cat's first fish treat?

Two things. Ask whether fish treats fit this cat, and ask how much the cat should have. That is the whole list.

The second question matters more than it looks. The treat calculator on our sardine page is a dog tool, and we do not apply it to a cat. Whatever number your veterinarian gives you is the cat's number, and it lives with your veterinarian, not with us.

Write the answer down before you open a bag. A cat's first piece is easier to plan when the limit is already on paper. Anything beyond those two questions is between you and your veterinarian, who knows the cat and the rest of its food.

Which of our fish can a cat start with?

Our guidance names three fish a cat can have in small pieces: minnows, sardines and anchovies. Minnows are the one to skip for now. Their button reads "Sold out, back soon," and we have no date to give you. So a first piece today means a sardine or an anchovy.

Each listing has its own cat line. The sardine listing says cats too, with the fish broken up or crumbled, and its ingredient is sardines only, with nothing added. The anchovy listing gives cats a plain yes. It also mentions a strong natural fish smell, and fish that vary in size, shape and color.

We do not rank them, and we will not tell you one is the best choice for a cat. Both are one ingredient, and both are made in Malvern, Pennsylvania from imported fish. If you want to see the bags before you decide, the sardine page and the anchovy page each show one.

How small should the first piece be?

Small. That is our guidance for any cat, and it is also the point of this page. Never start with a whole fish.

The sardine listing tells you what to do with the fish: break it up or crumble it. We stop there on size. We do not give a measurement or a count, because a cat's piece is something to settle with your veterinarian and then judge by eye on your own cat.

Break off one piece, offer it, and close the bag again. The rest goes back where it lives, cool and dry.

What do you do while the cat eats it?

Stay close. The listings ask for supervision on every fish, and a first piece is a good time to take that literally. Sit near the cat and watch it eat.

Put fresh water out as well. Every one of our listings asks for fresh water, and it costs nothing to set a bowl down first.

Then wash your hands. Each of these fish is freeze-dried raw, which is why the sardine heads listing's line belongs here: "This is raw fish, so wash your hands after handling it." Do that as soon as the piece is handed over.

If anything about the first piece worries you, call your veterinarian. We do not give a list of things to watch for, because that list belongs to someone who knows your cat.

Here are the steps in order:

1. Ask your veterinarian whether fish treats fit this cat, and how much.
2. Pick a sardine or an anchovy.
3. Break off one small piece.
4. Offer it, stay close, and keep fresh water out.
5. Wash your hands, then close the bag.

How does fish fit after the first piece?

As a treat or a topper. Our listings say these fish are not a complete diet, so the cat's regular food stays where it is. The fish sits on top of it or beside it.

How much fish the cat gets stays your veterinarian's call. The first piece does not change that, and neither does a second or a third.

On dates, our guidance is best by 1 year from production, a date you will find printed on the bag, and 30 days once the bag is open. The sardine listing asks you to reseal the bag and keep it cool and dry.