What is the C/W (conventional wisdom) on feeding cats fish, tuna or salmon. I opened a tin of sardines for myself and kitties went berserk.
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Tuna or fish
- Thread starter elizabeth1st
- Start Date
A little fish here and there is fine. Cats do really like sardines. I keep a few cans of fish cat food and give it to them every once in a while. I also give them a little pinch of human tuna when I open a can because they are always right there begging for it. Tuna and yogurt are the only two human foods that they beg for and I always give in with a little tiny bit. Fish just shouldn't be a big part of their diet.
As long as its salt free and you give them very little and only as a rare treat its perfectly fine 
My boy gets an occasional sardine in springwater but he won't eat even a tiny can in the course of a week so have to freeze bits of waste (I HATE fish). I'll give him a bit of tuna spring water and a tiny flake of tuna on the odd occasion I open a can but that's it. Partly because he'd start to pester for it and partly because of the high levels of toxins in it now like mercury.
My male cat likes tuna, but won't touch salmon. But he loves cod.
As an occasional treat--and if your cat doesn't have a problem with UTIs, I think fish is okay.
Ritz use to be 'addicted' to Fancy Feast Classic seafood flavored canned food; that is the only food she would eat.
I transitioned her to raw, and during the first few months I would oofer her a sardine, but she wouldn't touch it.
Ritz is prone to stress induced UTIs, so I don't feed her any fish.
Ritz use to be 'addicted' to Fancy Feast Classic seafood flavored canned food; that is the only food she would eat.
I transitioned her to raw, and during the first few months I would oofer her a sardine, but she wouldn't touch it.
Ritz is prone to stress induced UTIs, so I don't feed her any fish.
Cats can get UTI's from stress??
Yes, it is pretty well-researched. Here's one study on it. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16579769
An easier to understand interpretation from here: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?A=612
@elizabeth1st
Well, technically, Tuna, Salmon & Sardine are kinds of fish by the end, unless you meant Freshly Fished Fish
On a serious note, I'm regularly feeding canned tuna to my cats, 3 to 4 full meals per week, and honestly can't find any reasonable cause to have some worries, although some cat keepers are showing sort of reservations on feeding tuna to their cats. On the other hand, I tried only few times to feed sardine to my babies, but it was not so acceptable as much as tune.
My 'personal' opinion through my 'little' experience, go ahead and don't deprive your kitties of a fancy meal
Well, technically, Tuna, Salmon & Sardine are kinds of fish by the end, unless you meant Freshly Fished Fish
On a serious note, I'm regularly feeding canned tuna to my cats, 3 to 4 full meals per week, and honestly can't find any reasonable cause to have some worries, although some cat keepers are showing sort of reservations on feeding tuna to their cats. On the other hand, I tried only few times to feed sardine to my babies, but it was not so acceptable as much as tune.
My 'personal' opinion through my 'little' experience, go ahead and don't deprive your kitties of a fancy meal
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My cats go mad for tuna and sardines. I was advised my the vet to feed fish in oil to them once a week because of them won't touch cod liver oil which he recommended for her joints. They all have lovely coats.
I dunno... 3 -4 full meals sounds like a LOT of salt. And...
@elizabeth1st
Well, technically, Tuna, Salmon & Sardine are kinds of fish by the end, unless you meant Freshly Fished Fish
On a serious note, I'm regularly feeding canned tuna to my cats, 3 to 4 full meals per week, and honestly can't find any reasonable cause to have some worries, although some cat keepers are showing sort of reservations on feeding tuna to their cats. On the other hand, I tried only few times to feed sardine to my babies, but it was not so acceptable as much as tune.
My 'personal' opinion through my 'little' experience, go ahead and don't deprive your kitties of a fancy meal
"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.
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
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Thank you TNYC I didn't know that? Is that just tuna in cans or fresh tuna as well? I'd always understood that the tins of tuna in brine were unacceptable but that oil was recommended because of its omega3 content. You live and learn - no more tuna for my kitties.
I believe it is for all tuna. Tuna, being a near-top-of-the-chain predator, concentrates all toxins and vitamins in the flesh.
My dad used to share a tin of pilchards with their cat!
Whisky wants avocado - he doesn't get it
and lilotto loved hummus!
You're talking about tinned tuna right?As long as its salt free and you give them very little and only as a rare treat its perfectly fine
It's the tuna that is supposed to be bad for them because of the high levels of mercury in it.@elizabeth1st
Well, technically, Tuna, Salmon & Sardine are kinds of fish by the end, unless you meant Freshly Fished Fish
On a serious note, I'm regularly feeding canned tuna to my cats, 3 to 4 full meals per week, and honestly can't find any reasonable cause to have some worries, although some cat keepers are showing sort of reservations on feeding tuna to their cats. On the other hand, I tried only few times to feed sardine to my babies, but it was not so acceptable as much as tune.
My 'personal' opinion through my 'little' experience, go ahead and don't deprive your kitties of a fancy meal
Aaah don't remind me of cod liver oil. I'm not sure if you're my generation or younger but it was still within the 10 years after the war and things weren't so good im England. My mum made us take a capsule of cod liver oil every day but I couldn't swallow pills. I was trying and trying and drinking water and then it burst in my mouth. Yukkity yuk yuk.
Sardines are probably the best fish because they're small (not predators who have a lot of mercury in their bodies) and have a lot of omega 3 fat. Wild-caught salmon is probably next best.
