English Deutsch Français Italiano Español Português 繁體中文 Bahasa Indonesia Tiếng Việt ภาษาไทย
All categories

2006-11-03 09:43:17 · 24 answers · asked by Anything's possible... 4 in Pets Cats

24 answers

Hi Serenity...Tuna should not be fed to cats other than as a very rare occasional treat. Cats are primarily "obligate carnivores" and require a diet rich in animal meat proteins not soy proteins. Without the animal protein they suffer very serious ill medical effects and any vet can confirm this fact as well, which is why it's important not to convert them to become vegetarians.

Here's a link for HUMAN FOOD TO AVOID FOR CATS:
http://www.peteducation.com:80/article.cfm?cls=0&cat=1276&articleid=1029

Here's a web article about Tuna and how it is toxic to cats: http://www.lenhumanesoc.org/Tips/ASPCA-Tuna.htm

"TUNA FOR CATS? NO!
Tuna can be fatal to cats and is not something to be fed to them...The human variety of tuna fish contains an enzyme that destroys vitamin B1 (thiamine). Cats who regularly eat tuna can develop a vitamin B1 deficiency, which results in neurological symptoms like dilated eyes, loss of equilibrium, seizures and death if this vitamin is not replaced. The scientific name of this disease is polioencephlomalacia.

Clearwater veterinarian Richard Brancato said that though most domestic cats do enjoy fish, feeding them a diet of only tuna can cause serious disorders.

Although it is high in protein, tuna lacks sufficient amounts of certain amino acids, mainly taurine, to maintain feline health. There is insufficient calcium to balance the phosphorus; the ratio in canned tuna is 1-to-14.8. This results in bone disease.

Many essential vitamins such as A and most B vitamins are also lacking, Brancato said. A common disease in cats fed a mainstay of canned tuna is steatitis, or yellow fat disease, an inflammation of the fat tissue in the body due to a deficiency of vitamin E.

Source: St. Petersburg Times, published May 14, 2000"

2006-11-03 12:58:28 · answer #1 · answered by ♪ Seattle ♫ 7 · 2 0

No tuna is not good for cats. It's ok as a once in a while treat if you only give them a tiny bit. Cats like it so well they may only want that to eat which is a serious problem TUNA: Tuna is low in calcium and too high in phosphorous. It may cause vitamin E deficiency or yellow-fat disease. Plus it may increase susceptibility to "rubber jaw," a form of osteoporosis. Several problems are associated with feeding cats tuna. The first one is that it's highly addictive--cats love tuna oil! Additionally, "people" tuna lacks many of the essential amino acids and vitamins, especially taurine and vitamin A, B and E, necessary for feline health. Be aware that the high amount of mercury in some canned tuna is detrimental to your cat's health. Tuna should not be a staple of any cat's diet. Reserve it for an extra special treat.

2006-11-03 11:09:48 · answer #2 · answered by nemesis1im 3 · 0 0

A small amount of tuna once in awhile is probably safe, but tuna really isn't a good thing to feed cats. FWIW, you may find that your cat is more excited by the smell of tuna than by the taste of it. You could consider draining the water from the can and either just giving your cat the water to drink or mixing some of it into some nutritious canned cat food. My cat loves that. She goes nuts when I open a can of tuna, but she doesn't actually seem to be interested in eating the tuna; she is just attracted to the smell.

2016-05-21 21:42:12 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

Ummm...depends. How much and how often. Would you eat canned tuna 3 times a day knowing you're risking mercury poisoning? Canned tuna also has too much salt which cats don't need. Plus a fish diet could cause nutritional problems, like a taurine deficiency. Once in a while, a tablespoon of tuna would be ok. I would stick with something more nutritionally complete for the most part.

2006-11-03 10:26:39 · answer #4 · answered by Stella P 1 · 0 0

Your question raises some questions! If you are feeding your cat a commercial brand of cat food - tuna flavor, then it's okay to feed it to your cat. However, I don't recommend feeding your cat directly from the can because the edges can be sharp and she can cut her tongue.

If you're feed her "people" tuna -- like Bumble Bee or Chicken of the Sea -- don't do it. I had a cat that developed lumps all over her body from a Vitamin E deficiency. I had gone out of town that the person taking care of her fed her the cheap store brand of CAT tuna and it did not have the supplements that you find in the national brands of cat food -- Friskies, Purina, Iams, Science Diet, 9 Lives, etc. My cat survived, but I had to give her vitamin supplements for several months before she recovered.

2006-11-03 12:34:13 · answer #5 · answered by Pandagal 4 · 0 2

Tuna is highly addictive for cats and you are risking your cat refusing anything else to eat. Long-term use of tuna causes vitamin deficiencies and a condition called streatitis, inflammation of the fatty tissue in the cat's body. I would definitely avoid it. They can get sufficient fishy flavors in regular cat food.

You can go to www.littlebigcat.com and read Dr. Jean Hovfe's article titled "Why Fish is Dangerous for Cats". The articles are in alphabetical order so that is new the end of about thirty articles on feeding cats, cat behavior, illnesses etc.

2006-11-03 09:48:36 · answer #6 · answered by old cat lady 7 · 2 0

Canned tuna:
Large amounts can cause malnutrition, since it lacks proper levels of vitamins and minerals.

If you constantly give your cat tuna, kitty won't recieve those necessary viatmins and minerals .... and without that proper nutrition, all kinds of health problems occur.

My cat loves getting tuna juice on his dry food once in a while!

2006-11-03 10:00:00 · answer #7 · answered by Megan H 2 · 0 0

not safe because of the ridged edges of the can may cut the cat and not healthy because fish especially tuna products are high in magnesium which causes uti's and crystals in cats which are very painful and sometimes fatal ...if you are going to feed them tuna not more than once or twice a month and in a bowl please...

2006-11-03 13:18:02 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

gee, you people are too rich for me! i hardly ever gave my cats tuna--it was too expensive! i like tuna though, and i'd always buy the tuna packed in water. i'd cut the lid with a can opener and then leave the lid in place. i'd push down on the lid and squeeze the water out of the tuna into a bowl. i'd always give my cats the tuna juice---they loved it. they'd gorge themselves on tuna juice and then go find a sunny spot and wash for an hour. all in all, a good time!

2006-11-03 14:53:41 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0 1

It would be best to put the tuna in kitty's food dish. Sometimes there are sharp edges inside the tuna can that can harm kitty. Also, you dont have to worry about kitty trying to munch on the empty can, I have seen it happen and it can be a very bad thing for kitty.

2006-11-03 09:50:29 · answer #10 · answered by sara 1 · 1 2

fedest.com, questions and answers