my cat only likes wet food with tuna

I have spent a fortune trying to find a quality wet food that my cat likes.  If she doesn't like it she won't touch it.  So far the only foods she will eat all contain some tuna.  I'm not really thrilled with giving her tuna every day because of the mercury.  Even the chicken foods that she likes contain some tuna.  If I buy the version without the tuna she won't touch it.  There is one kind of Fancy Feast that she likes but frankly I don't like to feed her that brand because it contains artificial flavors.

I tried cooking chicken for her.  No dice.  She likes Nature's Recipe chicken in broth but ONLY the flavors that also contain tuna.  She sort of likes the Weruva "Chick Magnet" which doesn't have tuna but does have mackerel.  However she'll only eat it once a week or so.  She is SO fussy it's driving me crazy.

She seems to prefer food in some kind of gravy or broth.

I also feed her dry food which does not contain any fish.

I don't know what to do.  Should I just let her eat what she likes?  I know that having some wet food is important.

Any advice is appreciated.

Transitioning cats addicted to fish is a challenge, but you have to just be persistent and slow. I suggest reading through this guide to switching cats to wet food. Find some toppers/treats she likes and use those to entice her to eat some wet foods without tuna. Also consider mixing some of the foods she does like with foods that don't contain tuna to see if she'll eat that. You could also buy some freeze dried tuna treats and crush those on top of some wet foods that don't contain fish. I use these tuna treats to entice one of my cats to eat, works like a charm. 

Ultimately, so long as it's a balanced and complete food, the best food for your cat is the one she likes to eat! The best food in the world is useless from inside the tin

Like you, I don't love feeding fish, but it's a compromise I'm willing to make to get my fussy boy eating good quality, high meat, grain free wet food. He's 13 now, and spent most of his life eating supermarket foods in gravy - I didn't know then what I know now. Anyway, to me, a little fish in with the meat is absolutely fine if that's what it takes to get him eating foods I can feel good about feeding.

Remember - the most important thing is that she's happily eating a balanced, species appropriate diet. The finer nutritional points are just a bonus

Thanks but if my cat even smells something she doesn't like mixed in she won't touch it.  Once I didn't wash the bowl enough and even though I could see your smell anything I had to rewash the bowl before she'd eat the food with the fish in it.  I think I've thrown away hundreds of dollars of food over her life trying to find something she likes.

jbcamel said:

I think I've thrown away hundreds of dollars of food over her life trying to find something she likes.

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You're in good company there :lol3: I'd bet that if all the food I'd thrown out due to fussiness were added up, it'd feed several shelters worth of cats for a year!

Bottom line - you've found balanced wet foods that she likes and will consistently eat. Go with it, and be happy! Far better that than have her go on hunger strike

If you do want to keep trying new foods for her, try contacting the manufacturers and asking for samples. Not all brands will send them, but some will. It never hurts to ask

Is she eating at meal times only or also free feeding?