Canned Tuna - is really bad for the kitten?

Hi,

I have heard different things about how canned tuna hurts cats' kidney. Is it true? One of my kittens (4 months old) is very skinny. He will eat on his own, but after a few bites he just walks away. I tried mixing dry food with pouches, but he is not intrigued. The only time he is excited about food is when I mix a bit of canned tuna fish and water with his dry food. But am I hurting my cat?

No /... tuna in h2o will not in small amounts like a tablespoon a week hurt kitty ... Make sure it is not in oil as that can deplete vit e I beleive ... Heres a better idea get canned kitty food that is well made ( ie Nutro, Felidea, Merrick )

The only time my fur babies go crazy over food is when I open a can of tuna. But I have also heard and read lots of things on tuna. I stopped giving it to them. I don't know how bad it is but I heard it could lead to many bad things.

I admit to giving my crew of 4 tuna...packed in water only. They do not get it as a meal but rather mixed in with their regular food as a treat.

Have you tried straight canned cat food? Sounds like your little guy might not like dry food.

Tuna in water does not deplete vitamin e as tuna in oil can (causing steatis), and the amount per day I've heard is safe is up to 1 Tablespoon per day(from a vet comment in a published article). Other considerations are mercury levels in tuna, and that some feel fish is not the best protein for cats. I personally do not have a problem feeding a cat a supplemented fish based cat food, or good quality fish treats.

The issue of lack of appetite is one you need to address as promptly as possible. Has he been checked out at the vets re how skinny he is - is he an indoor/outdoor, any chance he's picked up a parasite? How are his stools? Coat quality? Any vomitting? What dry food are you currently feeding?

I'm not a vet, but without more information, it's hard to compare this to other situations I've seen with my cats, or others here, so it's hard to offer any thoughts on this.

You might see if you can find the Solid Gold tuna. It's a cat food but it looks and smells a lot like normal tuna.