Canned Mackerel- good or bad

We ran out of canned cat food last night, so my husband made a late night trip to the store to grab a couple cans and some coffee supplies. The Walmart nearby was set to close 15 minutes after he arrived and they were hurrying him to leave (this particular store is simply awful and the employees are really obnoxious about locking people out well before midnight). He was on the grocery side getting milk (and being stalked by an employee) and didn't have time to make it all the way over to the pet section, so he just grabbed a couple cans of mackerel from the tuna aisle.

My cats went absolutely bonkers over it. It was so crazy, Annabelle ended up with a scratch across the bridge of her nose from Kitten, who was hogging and defending one of the dishes. I've never seen my cats act like this over any food before, it was insane. They were certainly not starving because they all ate plenty of dry food throughout the day and had the last cans of wet food that morning.

This morning, I split up the rest of the can of mackerel between them and they went crazy again. They obviously really, really like mackerel and I am wondering if it is good for them as an occasional meal or treat. I know the issues about fish and male cats, so we only give them fish flavors couple times a week. I'm wondering if we should give them the mackerel on those days. It is a lot cheaper than cat food and appears to be high in Omega-3's.

Any thoughts on mackerel?

I would only feed the canned mackeral as a treat, not as a stand alone meal. Canned fish for people such as mackeral, tuna, etc are not complete balanced diets for cats (no essential vitamins or minerals). Canned fish based cat food are complete balanced diets and are ok to feed as the occasional meal.

I agree with @LTS3. I definitely wouldn't feed it as a standalone meal. 

Thank you for your responses. :bigthumb: I've never seen it listed as an ingredient in canned food, like you see salmon or tuna, so I was curious. I definitely would not rely on it for a steady part of their diet, I was just thinking of using it occasionally, as a special treat.

From the research I've done, mackerel is full of Omega-3's and a good source of calcium, vitamin A and vitamin D. Some species can have high mercury levels and it is suggested pregnant women and children not eat those species, and that part concerns me. Different species of mackerel have different mercury levels, the worst being Tilefish and King Mackerel. I read on one site that 'Ocean Whitefish' is actually Tilefish, but I could not find any further information to back up that claim. As far as I know, Whitefish is usually flounder, cod, pollack, the sort of fish they make fish sticks out of. I'm going to email Friskies and ask them because their Ocean Whitefish and Tuna is one of the few flavors I allow my cats to have on their beloved fish night.
I don't think the mackerel cans get that specific on sourcing, and I've since thrown ours away. I'm going to check next time I am at the store.

We use it PURELY to lure in for TNRing. The smell brings them for miles around - but because of dubious mercury levels, they only get bits as enticement & treats!

happybird said:

Thank you for your responses.

I've never seen it listed as an ingredient in canned food, like you see salmon or tuna, so I was curious. I definitely would not rely on it for a steady part of their diet, I was just thinking of using it occasionally, as a special treat.

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Some of the Weruva brand of canned cat food has mackerel

http://www.weruva.com/cat-cuisine-mack-and-jack.php

http://www.weruva.com/cat-cuisine-marbella-paella.php

http://www.weruva.com/cat-cuisine-meow-luau.php

http://www.weruva.com/catsitk-cans-la-isla-bonita.php

http://www.weruva.com/catsitk-mack-jack-sam.php

http://soulisticpet.com/orginal-flavors/orginal-flavor-pouches/midnight-delight/

Some people, especially raw feeders, add a fish oil supplement to the cat's food for the omega 3s and stuff. That may be something you can look into. Pet stores sell fish oil in various forms like gels, liquids, and treats.

Tiki Cat also has a few foods with mackerel.

Its good sweetie dont fret its good