Can i give my kitten( 5 months) tuna (in canned) every day coz it is cheaper?

Answer 1

Hi Mohammad...actually it's very bad for cats even if it's canned in water. Here's a web article about Tuna and how it is toxic to cats (again any vet can confirm this fact as well): 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 Dr. 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, Dr. 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"
________________________________________________
Here's another answer by a veterinarian just recently about the dangers of tuna: http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AnXV7g3jq309q2QXly7n9WLsy6IX?qid=20061018194725AAzYqfz
A Veterinarian Answered:
... Actually, it is.

I've had to treat numerous cats over the years for pretty severe enteritis resulting from eating tuna meat. One of my own babies got so ill from it when someone else left it sitting out on the counter for 5 minutes while he turned his back to take a phone call, that I had to put her on IV fluids for 2 days, in addition to intestinal medications.

How many cats do you know who go swimming in the ocean to catch tuna and eat it as part of their natural diet???

Tuna-FLAVORED food....okay. Tuna meat.....bad.

I 'love' brownies....but that doesn't mean they're good for me. Cats also 'love' antifreeze....but we all know what it will do to them. :-/

The most you should do is to use the water that is drained off from the can of tuna (not the oil...for another reason), and drizzle it over their dry cat food once or twice a month. They'll think they died and went to cat heaven!....but without the danger.

Save the tuna meat for your sandwiches.
Source(s):
I'm a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine with 20 yrs exp in private practice (27 total years in the profession.)

Answer 2

First of I don't think it's cheaper

Secondly, I would wait until after 8 months. If you can't wait that long, at the very least after 6.

Cat food has all the nutrients the cat will ever need. A cat can live off of tuna, but not as long as a cat on catfood.

I think the living ratio of a stray cat vs a house cat is 2 years vs 12 years respectively.

One of the reasons is the nutrients in the food it gets.

Answer 3

When I was in Manila studying, I fed my cat mostly tuna mixed with rice. But I also gave him Friskies or Whiskas or Sheba every other day or two (I know what you mean when you say the canned tuna is cheaper than the cat food - it was like that in Manila). He was fine and is still fine now we're back in the US and he is eatig regular cat food.
If you plan to feed him tuna - mix it with rice and be sure NOT to feed him exclusively on tuna - heard that mercury levels in tuna can be very detrimental to the cat in the long run... something about vit. B1 depletion and all that.

Answer 4

tuna is cheaper than what? surely not cat food?! tuna is at least .79 or greater? I give (gave - he died) my cats tuna a couple times a week, however they will be spoiled and it may be a bit rich....I would toss some variety into to be sure they are getting all the vitamins they need.

Answer 5

so let me get this right....you are spending on avg. 60 cents a day for the cheap tuna.....60x30(days in a month)=18.00 hmmmmmmm......a bag a cat food that is actually nutritious and good for the cat costs about 10.00 (for an ok quality food) where are you saving any money? in the long run you will be paying more money out of pocket for vet bills because of poor health of your cat.
here is another thing for you to think of.....house cats are descendants of larger wild cats...have you ever seen any of them fishing for tuna in the ocean?....lol that is because they are carnivores and are considered meat eaters. meat is what they can digest properly. I would suggest putting the money towards a high quality cat food...a 20 pound bag will last you well over a month!

Answer 6

a kitten is growing and needs a complete diet of vitamins and minerals. When humans are growing, they need certain foods that aid in development. Do not cut corners with food. That can lead to all sorts of health and development problems. If you want to have a pet, it is important to give them the proper care and nutrition. Make sure it is cat food and not dog as they have different requirements.

Answer 7

Cats need taurine in the cat food to keep from going blind. It is fine to give tuna too but they do need their kitty vitamins.

Answer 8

No, because there is too much salt in it. Remember that cats (and dogs) cannot sweat to get rid of the salt. The kidneys have to "work overtime" to eliminate it.

Answer 9

yes, i did that with my cat. he was fine until someone killed him.