my 1 year old male cat, can not and will not eat cat food. only eats tuna will this be bad for him?

Question

in the long term

Answer 1

he shouldnt be eating tuna all the time, even though its not bad for him. most cats do like tuna. try to find tuna flavored cat food, and if that doesnt work. consult your vet. good luck!!!

Answer 2

huh, that's funny... my cat absolutely refuses to eat tuna or any wet food, she's all about the kibble. But anyway, I would recommend mixing some tuna juice in with some dry food (Nutro Max is one that you don't have to worry about being on the recent recall list - it's got good ingredients; try the lobster flavor on your cat, mine goes ape over that stuff!) Keep mixing it up for a little while until your cat starts eating it all. Then switch over to either all dry kibble or get some wet cat food to mix with it. Do it gradually, a little at a time so that your cat is hungry enough for it. I actually only feed my cat 1/3 cup of dry kibble twice a day, but you should look at the guidelines on the package for how much to feed your kitty. It's usually based on weight. If you feed a little less than the guidelines, your cat will eventually be hungry enough that he'll eat all of it. Don't leave the food dish out all day either, or you are just inviting a lazy eater. Set specific feeding times and your cat will learn to eat what's given to him. Also, cut the recommended amount in half while you are mixing it with wet food. You can store wet cat food in the refridgerator for a day or two if you put it in a tupperware container - don't leave it in the can!

Answer 3

I've heard that fish can cause crystallization in the bladder, especially in male cats. I don't have any experience with it but I know other people who've had this problem and vets have linked it to eating fish. Something to research.

I feed my cat a raw diet, which is a commitment and something you have you be REALLY careful in doing but she can't eat regular cat food either and the diet works. I'd suggest trying to wean him off the tuna by finding a very good quality wet cat food to start and mixing just a little bit in with the tuna at a time so hopefully he'll gradually acquire a taste for it and be able to eat it on his own.

Good luck!

Answer 4

Cats can get addicted to foods just like us. Tuna isn't good even over several months of time because it's not balanced--it's missing key things like taurine and several of the vitamins, and overdoing fish can lead to a depletion of vitamin A.

You can switch him over to regular foods by adding a bit of new stuff in with the tuna, taking away more and more of the tuna over the course of a week. Or try tempting him with a variety of whatever meats you're cooking up for supper (no salt or pepper, just try a small piece for him) as well as various dry foods (contact other cat owners at work/school and exchange small baggies, it's the easiest way and actually pretty fun). He does need to get off the tuna and onto a balanced diet or he'll start having some medical problems over this. Deficiencies are hard to clear up.

Answer 5

Yes, in the long term this will be very bad for him. Of course most cats love tuna (most cats will eat all human foods!), but just as we couldn't live on a diet of solely one thing, a cat can't either.

When you say that your cat won't eat cat food, has this been the case since he was a kitten? Did you adopt him as an adult? Have you tried all brands of food, wet and dry? When he doesn't eat immediately, do you offer him something else (i.e. tuna)? If so, this is the reason he won't eat cat food.

My cat can be fussy about food sometimes, but if I leave it in front of him and don't offer anything else, he eventually eats.

I strongly suggest that you see your vet, who will be able to help you get your cat to eat properly again.

xx Emmie

Answer 6

I've read somewhere that tuna is actually not good for cats but tuna flavor is okay. I agree with the person who says let the kitty go hungry and drive you nuts for a couple of days... they WILL eat eventually --Cats are all about 3 things: Memories of Mom, Claiming their turf, and what's for dinner...if they are an outdoor cat who roams the neighborhood, they might just go looking for something but with an indoor kitty this should work out. I had a pregnant cat stowaway on a motorhome last spring and didn't eat for over a week -she and her kittens turned out fine once we fed her Kitten Chow and then Purina's Indoor Formula. If you buy the cheapest cat food on the shelf, some cats can tell it's cheap -like us- with some yellow label foods.

Answer 7

yes as it does not contain all the essential minerals, vitamins and amino acids that the cat requires for health. try mixing the tuna in with felix as good as it looks. start with mainly tuna and then reduce the amount of tuna over the days till it is all cat food. alternatively feed tins of cat tuna, pets at home do them, tescos do a variety of makes of cat tuna. you also need to give a kibble/biscuit mine are fussy and like james wellbeloved or go cat. you can warm them up in a microwave for a few seconds it releases tempting smells and the cats eat them. also you need to talk to your vet about his diet
*edit* do not feed a male cat entirely on dry food it causes blockages in the ureathra and stones in the bladder but so does a diet of fish alone. this is a medical emergency if it occurs. and i have also noticed that people are recommending some brands that are usa only. james wellbeloved does an ocean fish kibble and mine love this flavour. science diet, go-cat etc are good.

Answer 8

Our vet specifically told us once that tuna is just too rich on a regular basis, so yes, it will be bad for him and you might try some fresh chicken or some fresh meat fibre for him but a steady diet of tuna fish is just too much for his system. Another thing to really watch out for is too much milk. Apparently that is not good for cats at all. We give our two cats skim milk maybe twice a year. Don't be afraid to call your vet and just make inquiry about some alternatives to canned food, okay? Vets can always call you back if they are too busy when you first call. Take good care, and thank you for expressing an interest in giving your cat the best of loving care in his loving home. Best to you, always. Chris in South Portland, Maine, U.S.A.

Answer 9

All fish has a certain amount of mercury in it.

The toxicity doesn't effect us as badly because we are larger, and we are obnivores. Well, at least some people are. :P

Tuna for cats is okay, but I say you need to be supplementing your cat with additional taurine and Vitamin E, if he REALLY won't eat anything else. Vitamin E oxidates mercury, therefore making it's effects less harmful.

You should really try feeding him something else-try Evo or Avoderm's kitty food. Trader Joe's has premium cat food for 59 cents-and tuna for cats for 29 cents! (Again, this should not be his main diet.) Only thing is, it makes your kitty's poo stink-but my cat is a snob and he just gobbles up any of the food listed above.

Make sure you switch his food properly, good luck. :)

Answer 10

Yes,it is bad.The tuna is lacking some important vitamins,minerals and amino acids that your cat must have.It's also low on fat,unless you feed the tuna in oil.Also,fish is not really th best thing for a male cat,as it predisposes them to bladder stones,which can cause a blockage and death.I would suggest buying some tuna flavored cat food and gradually mixing it with the regular tuna,and then adding other flavors ,one at a time.The cat will eat when he gets hungry.

Answer 11

Just to let you know that Canned Tuna is not good for the kitten to eat. Yellow Fat Diease affects cats and kittens if they eat too much of the Canned Tuna. It is a very painful Disease and they can die from it. If you search Yellow Fat Disease and then go to the Merck Veterinary Manual it will tell you all about it and what can happen. I hope this will help.