Tuna based wet food

[Szewan]

Hi all - my newly adopted (nearly 3 months now) ginger boy (approaching 7 years old) cat was not used to wet food before adoption, but I have been trying to get him started on wet food, as he is overweight, and as he’s getting older, I think more hydration is beneficial for his urinary well-being. After throwing away and donating many cans/pouches of wet food, I think I might have found the brand/flavor that he would eat consistently for now - Weruva BFF tuna-based flavors (Tuna broth/gravy with Tuna + Salmon, chicken or turkey). I heard that it’s not a good idea to feed tuna on daily basis though. Thoughts?

 

[lucicat]

I asked a similar question a few days ago. You might scroll down and look at that.

 

[abyeb]

Hi there! Fish is okay for cats to eat once in a while (and cats love fish!), but it’s best if it’s not their primary protein every day. Fish contain thiaminase, which breaks down vitamin B1, which can lead to a thiamine-deficiency. And tuna is very low in vitamin E. Additionally, fish may contain mercury.

This article has more info: Can I Feed My Cat A Fish-based Or Fish-flavored Diet?

 

[daftcat75]

Hi there! Fish is okay for cats to eat once in a while (and cats love fish!), but it’s best if it’s not their primary protein every day. Fish contain thiaminase, which breaks down vitamin B1, which can lead to a thiamine-deficiency. And tuna is very low in vitamin E. Additionally, fish may contain mercury.

This article has more info: Can I Feed My Cat A Fish-based Or Fish-flavored Diet?

Thiaminase is present in raw fish and why you shouldn't give your cat raw fish. It is deactivated/destroyed by the cooking process used to make fish-based/fish-flavored cat food. I'm also assuming that AAFCO sets standards for vitamins and minerals and wherever a fish-based food naturally comes up short, I'd expect to see a supplement. My Krista's favorite turkey food that's 96% meat still includes a vitamin E supplement.

My objections to feeding fish on the regular are:

1. Fish is addictive and you may have trouble getting him to eat anything else.
2. And a related reason, and sadly more important as your cat is getting up there in years, because fish is so appealing, it can usually cut through a cat's resistance to eating. It can also be used to mix with medicine as my Krista loves her tuna even more than she hates the medicine I mix into it. She's taken many a course of antibiotics mixed into a tiny tuna meal.

If I let her have tuna all the time, I would lose the medicine meal option and I would lose the nuclear option to restart her eating when all other foods fail. Since I don't let her have tuna except for these two occasions, the appeal remains strong.