Mackerel

An oily fish protein most cats accept easily, handy as a wet-food topper or to tempt a poor appetite, though it is far more calorie-dense than white fish.

One or two small pieces of cooked fish per serving as a treat or topper; it does not replace a complete cat food.

Poach until fully cooked, debone completely and shred into strips with no seasoning; skip salted, smoked and pickled fish.

**Raw fish carries parasite and bacterial risks for cats too, so always cook it**; salted mackerel is far too salty, and a fish-only diet leaves the diet unbalanced.

A high-quality protein most dogs accept readily and useful as an occasional extra; mackerel is an oily fish, however, so it carries far more calories than white fish.

Cooked and deboned, one or two small pieces by body size (about a tablespoon for a small dog), within about 10% of daily energy intake, with complete dog food as the main diet.

Poach or steam in plain water until fully cooked, remove every bone and fine pin, then flake it; add no salt, oil, butter or lemon, and never use pickled or breaded versions.

**Never feed raw fish and never salted or pickled mackerel, which is very salty**; oily fish in quantity causes diarrhoea and may trigger pancreatitis, fish alone is not a complete diet, and a fish-only diet long term raises heavy-metal concerns.