Dietary thoughts on tuna (question)

Booger is really picky about food. Lately all I could get her to eat was dry food and she'll lick the gravey off wet and refuses to eat canned mush.

Last week, I tried a can of tuna on her...she first licked the water/oil off it but by the end of the day, had eaten the entire can. I bought a 3 pack of the smaller cans and she's gotten to where she begs me for it and woofs it right down. She definitely loves it. She meows loudly (which is weird for her) and rubs against my legs wildly and excitedly when I'm filling her dish and chopping it up for her.

Is tuna good for them diet wise, given daily with her dry food, or should I only give it to her occasionally?

 

I read somewhere on this board that seafood isn't healthy for cats, but I really don't have any idea.... :0011:

 

That would be such a shame Bente because she really loves it. It's the only food that she literally begs for. I was going to try some salmon on her next week.

I recall as a child when my parents would boil cod and it stunk like hell! I'm not a fish fan heheh. But all our cats would go just wild! It was really funny to watch them...picture about 8 cats/kittens eating off a dinner plate in a circle at the same time, tails straight up in the air LOL I know we have a photo in one of our family photo albums...I'll have to find and scan it. It really is cute.

BTW, the only kitty treats Booger ever enjoyed were the ones you sent in the cat swap! They were highly stinky and I think that's the key. Booger likes stinky stuff hehehe.

 

a steady diet of canned tuna can cause anemia in cats. It's okay as an occasional treat or if trying to get a sick cat to eat...just not often or very much.

 

What about tuna flavored canned cat food??

 

OK, i was in the book store last night with hubby reading about this very thing! so here's what i learned.....the vegetable oil used to can tuna causes a vitamin E deficiency in cats which can lead to serious health risks if fed over a significant period of time. Also the part of the tuna used in cat food is the red meat which is cheaper than the white chunk tuna and contains higher levels of mercury which is also bad for them. And i also read that cats are easily attracted to its strong flavor and smell and can become practically addicted to it to the point of rejecting all other foods. I also read that fish that are at the upper end of the food chain have higher mercury levels. also it said something bad about the little fish bones you find in canned fish cat food, but i cant remember exactly what that was. Oh and the book was called something like Holistic Cat Care or something.

I still give Vianne little tidbits of tuna when i'm making myself a sandwhich and there's a piece stuck on the lid, but I don't give her any significant portions of it. She doesn't really get more than a taste and its not like i eat tuna everyday. I will probably stop buying her the fish flavored wet cat foods tho.

Hope that all helps!

 

i heard that tuna is not good for them gives them unirn tract infections
sorry about the bad spelling I only give my cats the tuna juice like once in a GREAT while

another thing I remember seeing on the news that to much tuna is bad for mom to be because of it's hige murcery count I would think this would be bad for cats as well

 

Hi Cassie,
I’m having the same problem with Hugo. He is picky on food. Not much on dry food sometimes left untouched. And notice he doesn’t drink much. He loves tuna and mackerel can food. Can food have high content of water. At least I do not have to worry about him not eating and drinking. Tuna is a very good part of a balanced diet with lots of protein. Not sure about can. But Tuna does not supply all the minerals & vitamins cat needs. Luckily, I’m able to mix vitamins in his food but only on fish cans because the smell is so stinky which able to cover the vitamin taste.

 

I have read in other places (will see if I can find it) that cats were not originally fish eaters. Although they tend to enjoy fish it was never on their menu. Cats originated as desert animals and fish wasn't there. It's been a people thing.

 

Please read the following articles- contains good info:

http://www.gorbzilla.com/files for download/all_about_tuna.PDF

http://www.connollyac.com/showpracfaq.cfm?FAQID=168&Private=0

http://www.vetpetsah.com/showpracfaq.cfm?FAQID=168&Private=0

http://www.hancockanimalshelter.com/tanner/07_31_03.htm

When feeding tuna or fish, always feed in moderation or as treats only.

Rene always gets diarrhea from any fish products. :roll: Perhaps it's because Asian Leopards don't eat fish so genetically, being a Bengal, she does not tolerate fish. I leave out dry foods- Wellness 5 and Pro Plan 24/7. The other kitties love the wet foods 2X a day, preferably the fish types. So the canned foods are just treats for them.

 

I don't know all I know is I give my cats fresh uncanned tuna every once in a while in their food. I also sometimes give them fresh salmon too everyone in a while.

 

im confussed

so any fish cat food is bad fro them to surly the ppl who make make sure its safe other wise why sell it?

 

Ok folks, thanks. I see that moderation, as usual, is the key. Thanks!

 

and
http://www.felinefuture.com/nutrition/fish.php

 

Unfortunately there are lots of companies out there that still sell pet products that are unsafe to make a profit because people will still buy them if they are cheap. For example, many companies still sell Cedar wood shavings as a "natural and safe" bedding for small animals. In reality Cedar shavings are probably about the worst thing you can buy for small animals as it causes all kinds of health problems and respiratory issues. But its still sold in pet stores. Why? simple. MONEY. Sad, but true. So it all boils down to doing your own research when it comes to pet products. The only thing that stands between your pet and a bad product decision is YOU!

 

Jazz wont eat wet cat food anymore..only thing she likes is sardines in water..and tuna...

 

I would avoid regular feedings of tuna and/or other types of fish. I rarely buy fishy flavored canned cat foods and the only time I've used tuna is to give Richie his meds. The link Mary provided explains alot about feeding cats fish in general.

 

From the link Mary posted above...
.
.

Boy oh boy...Booger was heading down the junky path hard and fast too! Thanks for all the great info folks. You guys are the bestest! I'll just give it to her once every couple of weeks or so.

 

I just got my little free gift packet from Halo Pets that somebody posted about before. I was reading through the catalog they sent me and I realized that they had the exact same book for sale in it that i was reading from the book store about all the tuna fish stuff. So if anyone is interested, the book is called The New Natural Cat-A complete guide for finicky owners by Anitra Frazier with Norma Eckroate.