Tuna

ayakitty

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Exactly how BAD is it to give a cat tuna?

We have an older cat (Luna), he went to the vet last Friday because I wanted to see if the vet could give me something or suggest something to help with his old man stiffness. The vet did give me something in which Luna had an allergic reaction to later in the day. We ended up at the emergency vet later that night and needless to say Luna will not me getting that medicine anymore. He had a couple of rough days after that and we gave him his favorite (tuna) to try and ease his stomach back to regular food. Now hr is on strike and if it's not Tuna he's not having any of it.
 

kittylover23

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As a treat, it's not necessarily bad. I feed my cats a can of tuna when they aren't feeling well, because it's better for them to eat tuna than nothing at all. But cats often do go on a hunger strike after being fed tuna :lol3:.

I wouldn't reccomend tuna as a full time diet. My aunt feeds her cat tuna and only tuna, and he's gotten so picky that he'll only eat certain brands of tuna now. Also, after being on the tuna diet for many years, he's having some urinary tract problems and has taurine deficiency.

Another thing to remember: Tuna that is made for human consumption does not contain taurine and other essential vitamins that cats need. That's why cats shouldn't be fed a steady diet of tuna.
 
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ayakitty

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Thank you, that's what I thought. I thought it had something to do with urinary and kidneys. He might get it once a week but he isn't going to get it all the time no matter what he wants. I just get worried because he starts looking bad when he goes on a hunger strike and I feel like I am starving him.
 

violetxx

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One think to note is Mercury poisoning if its fed often enough. Humans are not suppose to eat tuna on a regular basis, so for a cat to consume it regularly is much more dangerous. Symptoms of mercury poisoning may include over-excitement, irritability, incoordination, convulsions, stiff hind legs, tremors and blindness according the Merck Veterinary Manual. I've also witnessed minor mercury poisoning first hand from feeding our cat too much salmon (his back legs would collapse when he jumped, as soon as we stopped the food he returned to normal). There's also the possibility of nutrient deficiencies, especially vitamin E deficiency (symptoms include loss of appetite, fever, hypersensitivity to touch and necrosis of fat under the skin).

I don't mean to alarm you, but I feel you should know the risks of feeding tuna more the once a week. Cats actually are not required to consume any fish, since its not part of their natural diet. However, I supplement with Omega-3's because many cat foods do not contain enough of it nor is it from a digestible source (flaxseed is not digestible, it must be an animal source such as sardines, herring, krill).

All the best! 
 

emilymaywilcha

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The fish to watch out for are the predators because in addition to their own mercury they eat more of it in their prey. So a smaller fish that does not eat other fish would be safer than a tuna or salmon. But tuna and salmon are what pet food companies put in their foods, so finding a small fish is unlikely.
 

davey

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As a treat, it's not necessarily bad. I feed my cats a can of tuna when they aren't feeling well, because it's better for them to eat tuna than nothing at all. But cats often do go on a hunger strike after being fed tuna
.

I wouldn't reccomend tuna as a full time diet. My aunt feeds her cat tuna and only tuna, and he's gotten so picky that he'll only eat certain brands of tuna now. Also, after being on the tuna diet for many years, he's having some urinary tract problems and has taurine deficiency.

Another thing to remember: Tuna that is made for human consumption does not contain taurine and other essential vitamins that cats need. That's why cats shouldn't be fed a steady diet of tuna.
This is an old thread, but valid. 
When mom took her cat to the vet for not eating, he gave her meds to make her hungry. 
Also he said to give her tuna.

but could tuna have made her sicker?
 
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