Who gives their cats tuna?

Has any one ever heard of tuna being harmful? I always give my cats tuna, they really like it and I thought it was good for them? Some flavors of food are tuna. Has any one heard that, and if so, why is it harmful? Raw eggs is also harmful and I thought it was good for their coat. Hmmm?

Where did you hear it was harmful? I didn't know that myself so I am curious. I give my girls a tiny bit if I'm making sandwiches and things. At home with my parent's the cats liked to lick out the cans if they could get ahold of one.

I've also heard that straight tuna was harmful. Can't remember what it was in the tuna that had a high content. Perhaps someone else is aware of this.

Originally Posted by celestialrags

Has any one ever heard of tuna being harmful? I always give my cats tuna, they really like it and I thought it was good for them? Some flavors of food are tuna. Has any one heard that, and if so, why is it harmful? Raw eggs is also harmful and I thought it was good for their coat. Hmmm?

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I am away from home and my files, but yes, it depends on a couple of things...1) is the tuna in water or in oil and 2) keep in mind that tuna does have mercury content. If you do a search here on cats and tuna, it should bring up my past posts including links to a great article on cats, tuna and steatitis - the painful condition that can develop if you feed them tuna as an exclusive diet, or without vitamin e. I just can't recall at the moment if it is tuna in oil or tuna in water you want to avoid

Recommendation would be a tuna based cat food that is supplemented already with vitamin 3. Anyhoo...just do a search here using those key words and it will bring up lots of past posts on this topic.

Originally Posted by Neely

I've also heard that straight tuna was harmful. Can't remember what it was in the tuna that had a high content. Perhaps someone else is aware of this.

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Now that you say that it makes more sense to me, it's murcury. Pregnant woman should only eat like one can a week or month of the white/albacor tuna, and a little more of the "light" but I never really gave it much thought before.

Moochnnoodles, I read it in a care guide "your new cat" it is a pamplet I get in my kitten kits through Iams, I am a registered breeder with iams company and get kitten care kits for the new owners when they adopt my kittens.

Originally Posted by celestialrags

Now that you say that it makes more sense to me, it's murcury. Pregnant woman should only eat like one can a week or month of the white/albacor tuna, and a little more of the "light" but I never really gave it much thought before.

Moochnnoodles, I read it in a care guide "you new cat" it is a pamplet I get in my kitten kits through Iams, I am a registered breeder with iams company and get kitten care kits for the new owners with a kitten.

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No, it's not just the mercury issue..they can develop steatitis which is very painful.

Tuna has quite a high concentration of Mercury, therefore not very good for humans or cats. But ocasionally don't hurt, it also has healthy omega3. Human Tuna may contain quite a lot of salt, which isn't very good for cats, especially Tuna in Brine. Better to feed them Tuna in Oil.

Raw eggs are only bad for humans, as they can have slamonella. Cats don't get as easily affected by salmonella. Best thing is, to wash the shell with very hot water and a bit of antibacterial washing-up liquid before cracking the egg. The Salmonella is mainly on the outside.

Bubbles loves raw egg. Never knew it was good for the fur. He does have a very shiny, soft coat.

You know what's funny, I tried to give the boys a small amount of white albacore tuna as a birthday treat and they didn't want it! So much for the belief that all cats love tuna.

I had also heard it was best not to give it to them too frequently, but it's okay in small amounts as an occasional treat.

I agree with the suggestion of a tuna flavored canned food, though.

(PS: They were certainly interested when I dropped a pizza crumb on the kitchen floor by mistake later that evening. Cats more interested in bread than fish, go figure!)

When I as growing up, it was most serious in the red tuna that was almost exclusively in cat foods.

I don't think the human grade albacore is too terribly high in mercury, but fish in general isn't a great thing for cat except as an occasional treat.

I do use tuna juice to get my 12 y/o to take her glucosamine supplements, only way to hide the taste from her.

Originally Posted by madpiano

Tuna has quite a high concentration of Mercury, therefore not very good for humans or cats. But ocasionally don't hurt, it also has healthy omega3. Human Tuna may contain quite a lot of salt, which isn't very good for cats, especially Tuna in Brine. Better to feed them Tuna in Oil.

Raw eggs are only bad for humans, as they can have slamonella. Cats don't get as easily affected by salmonella. Best thing is, to wash the shell with very hot water and a bit of antibacterial washing-up liquid before cracking the egg. The Salmonella is mainly on the outside.

Bubbles loves raw egg. Never knew it was good for the fur. He does have a very shiny, soft coat.

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Acording to this pamphlet raw eggs, tuna, chocolate, cow's milk, and onion powder are listed as being harmful or fatal

why should raw eggs be harmful ?

I have been suggesting to people who want to feed their cats tuna to try Solid Gold wet food. It looks and smells just like tuna. I mean, it is but it is for cats and Solid Gold is an excellent brand.

I've been giving tuna to my gang,& to the strays since forever. No harm has come to any of them.

every now and then i give them some. Humble doesn't like it. Shenandoah is ok with it, but he's not all that excited.

Originally Posted by yayi

I've been giving tuna to my gang,& to the strays since forever. No harm has come to any of them.

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Whether or not it seems to effect them, it could in the long run. I mean, all that mercury and just taking the chance that something could happen. Sort of like dogs eating chocolate. I have seen some who have no reaction to it but that doesn't mean I am going to actually feed it to them.

Originally Posted by madpiano

Raw eggs are only bad for humans, as they can have slamonella.

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Cats shouldn't be fed raw egg whites (cooked egg whites are fine) because the raw egg white contains avidin - which binds to biotin, and prevents it from being absorbed..you then risk a biotin deficiency.

I honestly can't see that anyone in this thread caught the importance of what I was saying. So, I'm home now, here is the article, please take the time to read it. It address the mercury issue, and explains why human tuna in oil can lead to steatitis and what that painful condition is.

The link goes to a pdf file, so you do need Adobe Acrobat's free reader installed.
http://www.gorbzilla.com/files%20for...about_tuna.PDF

Originally Posted by Pat & Alix

I honestly can't see that anyone in this thread caught the importance of what I was saying. So, I'm home now, here is the article, please take the time to read it. It address the mercury issue, and explains why human tuna in oil can lead to steatitis and what that painful condition is.

The link goes to a pdf file, so you do need Adobe Acrobat's free reader installed.
http://www.gorbzilla.com/files%20for...about_tuna.PDF

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Thank you for the article. I read it and hope that others will to.

Originally Posted by madpiano

why should raw eggs be harmful ?

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I don't know. I had always thought it made their coat shinny, so I was surprised and that's why I was asking if any one knew that, or the tuna, I always let my cats have tuna when I am making a sandwhich, and it says in the care guide that I have gotten from iams company that raw eggs can be harmful, so I figure they know more than me.

I didn't know tuna was bad. I give my cats tuna as a treat and they go nuts over it. Every time we open any can they think its tuna.