ok to give my cat "people tuna"?

Question

I sometimes give my kitty a spoonful of tuna when I open a can. Is this safe for her? She is 12.
Thanks.

Answer 1

Hi there... tuna in fact isn't good for cats, but tuna juice is fine if only to entice a cat.

Cats with urinary problems should avoid any seafoods as they are high in phosphorous and changes the urinary pH which can contribute to the lower urinary disorders. Please see the following article: http://us.iams.com/iams/en_US/jsp/IAMS_Page.jsp?pageID=A&articleID=352#4

Here's an article on why tuna is dangerous:

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 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"

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

A little tuna once in a while (as a treat) will not hurt her. (Reduced sodium tuna would be better than the tuna that is packed in brine.) A steady diet of "people food" is not a good idea, as she will not get all of the nutrients that she needs.

Please note:
There are many foods that are safe for people that are NOT safe for cats (onions, garlic, grapes, raisins, chocolate, coffee, etc.). So do not believe the "if it's safe for you, it's safe for a cat" statement.

Answer 3

Yes, It is very okay. I have a cat and I give him tuna when we run out of food or he does something good. He is 10, and tuna is in many common cat food. If Ur cat like tuna a lot, but you don't want to buy tuna just for the cat, buy Friskies Seafood Medley.

Answer 4

"People tuna" can sometimes contain mercury, which cats should NOT be ingesting. Check the label. If nothing is listed, you should opt with a "cat tuna" for her.

Answer 5

Yes it's fine. I used to give my cat tuna all the time.

Answer 6

just as safe as tuna kitty food-- which can actually cause an allergic reaction in many cats. there are actuallly a large percentage of cats with seafood allergies, believe it or not! which can exhibit itself via diarrhea or itching.

if you know your cat isn't allergic, then it's perfectly fine.

Answer 7

if your cat acts funny after eating it i would rather not feed it tuna. last time i fed my cat tuna she had a reaction smacking her teeth and stuff weird so i stopped feeding her that stuff could be a allergic reaction maybe.

Answer 8

Only as a once-in-a-blue treat. And a spoonful is too much. I'd give her a smaller amount.

Check in with your vet on this one just to be safe.

Answer 9

Yes it's ok. i give my cat tuna all the time. She loves it

Answer 10

Yes. I also like to drain the water out of the can into a dish for them. they really enjoy it and I don't have to worry about my kitchen sink smeeling like tuna.