Yes, cats can eat shrimp!
Plain cooked shrimp is a safe, high-protein treat for cats. Remove the shell, tail and head, and skip butter, garlic and seasoning. Raw shrimp can carry bacteria.
| Can cats eat it? | Safe |
| Calories | About 7 kcal per cooked medium shrimp |
| Main benefit | Lean, high-quality protein |
| Main risk | Shells and tails can cause choking or stomach upset |
| Kittens? | In tiny amounts once on solid food; kittens have sensitive stomachs |
Free · instant · based on veterinary formulas
Vets recommend keeping all treats under 10% of daily calories. One cooked medium shrimp has about 7 kcal. The chart shows the most a typical spayed or neutered adult cat could have in a day if shrimp were the only treat.
| Cat weight | Daily treat budget | Max shrimp per day |
|---|---|---|
| 6 lb (2.7 kg) | 18 kcal | 2.5 × cooked medium shrimp |
| 8 lb (3.6 kg) | 22 kcal | 3 × cooked medium shrimp |
| 10 lb (4.5 kg) | 26 kcal | 3.5 × cooked medium shrimp |
| 12 lb (5.4 kg) | 30 kcal | 4 × cooked medium shrimp |
| 14 lb (6.4 kg) | 34 kcal | 4.5 × cooked medium shrimp |
Eating more than the recommended amount usually causes nothing worse than an upset stomach: soft stool, gas or vomiting. Skip treats for the rest of the day, keep fresh water available and call your vet if vomiting or diarrhea lasts more than 24 hours or your cat seems unwell.
Check your cat's full daily needs with the cat food calculator.
Yes. Plain cooked shrimp is a safe, high-protein treat for cats. Remove the shell, tail and head, and skip butter, garlic and seasoning. Raw shrimp can carry bacteria.
It is best not to. Tails and shells are hard to digest and can cause choking or vomiting.
Raw shrimp can carry bacteria such as Salmonella and Vibrio. Cooked shrimp is safer.
Yes, in very small amounts once they are eating solid food. Kittens have sensitive stomachs, so offer a tiny piece and stop if you see loose stool. Most of their calories should come from a complete kitten food.
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This guide is general information for healthy adult cats. Cats with medical conditions (such as diabetes, pancreatitis, kidney disease or food allergies) may need different advice from their vet.
Safe
Yes. Plain cooked shrimp is a safe, high-protein treat for cats.