- Joined
- Nov 3, 2015
- Messages
- 10
- Purraise
- 1
It seems a lot of people here try to steer clear of fish flavored food. I was just curious why. I never heard of it being bad for cats. Is it ok in moderation or should they never have it?
-
Too many ads? Join our community of cat lovers now to reduce ads by 90%! Click here to join for free!
Why no fish?
- Thread starter shannashoff
- Start Date
Fish can be addicting to some cats and while it's fine in moderation (mine eat it once or twice a month), it's the mercury that you have to watch out for. cats are obviously smaller than we are so mercury would affect them more than it would us. A picky eater who became a "fish addict" might not want to eat other, healthier sources of protein so that's a problem, too. If you look at some canned and dry foods that say they are chicken, turkey or whatever, you'll see that also contain fish so even if you think you aren't serving fish, you really are.
the domesticated cat is descended from a desert dwelling animal so fish is not a natural part of their diet regardless of what the media would like people to think.
Seafood is fine, just not as the main protein source. Most people limit seafood to once in awhile meals or treats. Cats need a lot of protein in their diet but seafood is too low in protein. Plus some cats get addicted to eating seafood and will refuse to eat anything else. Some types of fish may contain mercury.
It's best to feed food that is meat based, like chicken or beef. Some foods are meat based and the label will say so but the ingredient list also includes fish. For those types of foods, I would feed them in rotation with food that is only meat based. Anything that is all seafood based should be the occasional treat. And that is for canned food. For dry food, look for a brand that only has real meat. Some brands are meat based but will also include fish meal as an ingredient.
It's best to feed food that is meat based, like chicken or beef. Some foods are meat based and the label will say so but the ingredient list also includes fish. For those types of foods, I would feed them in rotation with food that is only meat based. Anything that is all seafood based should be the occasional treat. And that is for canned food. For dry food, look for a brand that only has real meat. Some brands are meat based but will also include fish meal as an ingredient.
Last edited:
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #4
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2015
- Messages
- 10
- Purraise
- 1
Thank you! Makes perfect sense!
as for saying fish might contain mercury - what about cat food that is ONLY fish, like the Tiki-Cat brand? When I contacted them about mercury concerns, they said they actually test for mercury content in their fish - why would anyone assume they would try to sell us fish for cats that is high in mercury? what is the reasoning behind this?
ok, but why do you think a cat food company like Tiki Cat that sells mainly fish only cat food *as in nothing but fish in the can along with nutrients cats need* would sell us fish they NEVER test at all? has tiki-cat been found to do this?
I, personally, don't think feeding fish from good quality source is a big deal. I know some people believe feeding fish contributes to urinary issues, but there's really no evidence to back up that claim. I get the concerns with mercury, but I think that unless you ONLY fed your cats fish based food, and low quality fish based food, it's probably not a huge concern. I wouldn't feed a fish-based diet entirely, because i do think cats get addicted to the taste and then will refuse other protein sources, but I think feeding some fish from a company like Tiki isn't really a huge concern. Weruva, which also has a lot of fish flavors, tests for mercury as well in their foods and claims they use the FDA's list of approved fish with lower levels of mercury.
Last edited:
i agree, doing your homework on the companies you buy from will go a long way in helping you determine the quality of product you buy - I was mainly wondering if anyone knew about any issues about Tiki-Cat specifically, as in they knew first hand that they dont test their food for things that would make cats sick - and perhaps Evangers? i feed my cats chicken and tuna from tiki cat and sardines from evangers (canned whole in water and nutrients)
I don't know if they test it or not but personally, I stay away from fish based foods because I don't think it's worth the risk. there are so many other protein options out there that are better for them that I can still offer them a good variety of foods in their rotation without having to add fish in there. If you feel comfortable feeding Tiki Cat fish varieties and your cats like it then give it to them. I just wouldn't make it the bulk of their diet. My cats didn't like Tiki Cat . They weren't big fans of the Weruva either but they love Soulistic. Picky eaters. They are such fun.
i understand why you choose not to feed your cats fish - i personally choose tiki cat because it was the ONLY canned cat food, besides raw (like ziwi peak which i did try, but my cats seem to be unable to keep red meat in their tummies, they puked it up every time i gave it to them), that had everything in it that a cat needs and ZERO of what a cat does not need - and i searched for weeks until i decided i was spending time on something that should be a DEFAULT for cat food, i was so upset afterwards to know that after weeks of searching, there was only one (and now two, but only ONE product from that company) company that was invested in at least TRYING to feed our cats what they need from a can - im so happy they will eat it, i would still be sad if they would only eat the crap canned food
Yeah, I know what you mean. My Henry has a sensitive stomach, too. He's gotten better since he's been with us but every now and then something will set him off and his food comes back up. He lived at a shelter for 8 years eating only donated food so it wan't the good stuff. He really had to get used to eating higher quality foods because they were too rich for him. He's doing better with them now and his coat looks so much better. Much thicker, softer, shinier and he sheds a lot less but it took a while for him to transition to them. The girls ate nothing but Science Diet dry at the Humane Society and transitioned immediately.
Latest Posts
-
-
-
-
Cat severely lethargic but vet can’t figure out anything physically wrong
- Latest: silent meowlook
-
