Is it ok to give my cat tuna fish?

Question

I have to be careful what I give my cat because he gets urinary tract infections. He loves canned cat food but the ash count is too high so I am trying to find an alternative to put his cranberry and vitamin c in.

Answer 1

It's only OK to give cats tuna once in a while, as a treat. Do not give it to your cat on a regular basis, or give him too much when you do. Tuna is very high in salt. Even if the can says low-sodium, that's for people; it's still too high an amount for a cat.

They sell low-ash cat food food in most pet stores. It may cost a bit more money, but if it's a choice between a few pennies & your cat's health — choose your cat!

Answer 2

Tikki is a new brand of cat food that has many "fishy" varieties. Human canned tuna is not a good idea for cats as it can cause vitamin defiencies, is highly addictive and does not contain taurine - an amino acid essential for cats which is added to all commercial cat foods.

I think most cat food manufacturers are aware of the ash issue for cats and you don't have to worry about that. I also don't think there is any research to show that cranberry and vitamin C need to be added to a cat's diet.

Answer 3

One of the problems with giving your cat tuna is they may decide to eat it exclusively, this is what happened to my 14 year old cat shortly before she died. My vet said "lay it on her" that it was ok so long as she ate a little regular cat food each day to get taurine. I tried mixing the tuna with cat food, and she ate it for a while, then she refused it and would only eat tuna. At this point I had to start giving her a dose of vitamin goop each day to get the needed taurine, it was actually a large dose and had to be administered in two separate syringes. Now this was a real mess at this point. It's not worth the trouble. Yes they love it. There are plenty of cat treats on the market you could give instead.

Answer 4

Canned sardines in soy oil are good for them, much better than tuna fish. The sardines also have a higher amount of taurine which cats need and is not easy to get. You could also try mixing it in with a raw egg yolk. I would recommend the book listed below, it also has some very good ideas on healthy diets for cats. I have 17 so the all raw diet is impractical for me but I feed raw meat and veggies at least once a week (per the instructions in the book, you have to disinfect so don't just toss them raw meat) since I have started doing this I have not had to use flea meds, and my vet bills are almost non existent.

Answer 5

It sounds like you should be consulting with a vet regarding your cats dietary needs. While tuna probably won't kill your cat - the fat content is usually quite high for a cat and will cause your cat to gain weight and could cause the runs or some stomach irritation - best to consult w/ a professional on this one.

Answer 6

Yellow fat disease is cause by eating too much Tuna. It is a very painful Disease that a cat can die from. It has to do with too much fat in the muscle of the cat and the cat is in a lot of pain. Over time the cat can die from it. It is called Steatitis.

Here is a link that foods that cats and kittens can not have
http://bellaonline.com/articles/art1723

Answer 7

Not as a regular part of his diet, but as an occassional small treat (also try the tuna water when you make tuna salad). Your best bet is to stick with Rx cat food for his condition, talk to your vet if you're not sure which one to get.

Answer 8

Tuna from a can is not good as a regular part of his diet, but as an occasional treat its okay. I am not sure if it is okay for your cat because of his infection so see your vet if you have any questions.

Answer 9

I'm not too sure, but I believe it would be alright. Of course, I am not a cat doctor or expert, so don't go on this alone. I would hate if I cause any harm to your cat or any cat.

Answer 10

check with ur vet as there r special kinds of cat foods 4 cats with different problems