My cat eats canned tuna in water but not in oil.?

Question

She loves canned tuna in water and eats a whole can at one go. But if by mistake I get canned tuna in oil, she just sniffs it and then leaves annoyed at me!!
Is it normal?

Answer 1

Hi there...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 land animal meat proteins not fish proteins. Without the land animal protein they suffer very serious ill medical effects and any vet can confirm this fact as well.

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"

Answer 2

Totally normal...My cat won't go near Tuna in oil but Tuna in water he goes nuts on.
EDIT:
For the people who think I'm killing my cat by giving it Tuna:
My animal does NOT recieve a steady diet of tuna...
He does Not even get a WHOLE can....
It is a TREAT for him when I eat Tuna myself...I put a little in his bowl with some Tuna water...

Answer 3

Yep, mine does the same thing. Mine prefers starkist.

Nobody here is advocating a tuna only diet, but some tuna is not going to hurt a cat. Cats that have any urinary problems are born predisposed to such problems, not created. Most cats are healthy, active and playful. Throw all your studies and bullshit out the window, cats do fine with a little tuna.

Answer 4

Well the oil probably isn't good for her and would give her the runs, so you might be glad she doesn't eat it. By the way, canned people food tuna isn't that nutritious for cats. Get the cat food version instead.

Answer 5

Cats shouldn't be feed tuna in water or in oil. Any meat in a can is cooked and the taurine in the meat is destroyed in the cooking process. Taurine is an amino acid that your cat must have in her diet as she cannot make it in her body as humans and dogs can. Without taurine in the diet the cat can go blind or develop heart problems.

Long-term feeding of tuna also can lead to a condition called steatitis and severe anemia.

Tuna is highly addictive for cats. No one knows exactly why and when fed to cats many will end up refusing to eat any other food. So you are setting yourself and your cat up for dire consequences if you continue to feed canned human tuna. Many cat foods have tuna in them and the pet food manufacturers all add taurine to their cat food so that is what your cat should eat.

Answer 6

yes, the tuna in water probably smells different from the one in oil and the tuna in oil is too oily for the cat

Answer 7

tuna is very bad for cats.. high in mercury and like all fish its high in calcium which is linked to causing urinary tract problems in cats...

Answer 8

She doesn't like the oil.
Take it as a lesson learned. Cats are very picky and if they don't like something, they won't eat it.