Let’s know about Can Cats Eat Tuna. It’s no secret that cats love to fish – the fisher, the better. Tuna is a quintessential cat treat, and before the days of commercial cat food, many people fed their cat’s canned tuna. But now that we know that cats have special nutritional needs, is it safe to feed tuna to your cat? If so, how much tuna can a cat eat and what types of tuna can cats eat?
How to choose the best cat food
benefits of tuna for cats
In moderation, tuna can be a healthy treat for most cats. In fact, many commercial cat foods contain tuna as an ingredient. Tuna is high in protein and low in carbohydrates. Tuna also provides the omega-3 essential fatty acids EPA and DHA, which may contribute to overall skin and coat health, and may also help improve inflammatory conditions such as allergies, arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease and dermatitis. Could Is.
Potential Health Concerns
Although it is fine to feed small amounts of tuna to your cat as a treat or as a supplement to her balanced cat food, too much tuna can be harmful. First, tuna alone does not provide the critical balance of nutrients a cat needs to stay healthy. Cats have very specific nutritional needs. High-quality commercial cat foods include a statement on the label stating that the product is “complete and balanced” as certified by the American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). The statement complete-balanced on a cat food label means that the cat will get all the essential nutrients needed in the correct balance for that stage of life: maintenance (for adult cats), growth and reproduction (for adult cats). For) .
kittens and pregnant or nursing females), or all life stages (for all cats, whether kittens or adults). Additionally, tuna is high in mercury, so too much tuna could potentially cause too much mercury to build up in your cat’s body and lead to mercury poisoning. Although rare, signs of mercury poisoning in cats include incontinence, loss of balance and problems with walking. Finally, cats may love tuna to a fault. Tuna is insanely delicious, probably tastier than your cat’s healthy regular diet. Some cats, when regularly given tuna, will start to turn their nose up at their regular cat food, lingering outside and hoping that you will bow down and give more tuna instead. This can quickly develop into undesirable picky eating and feeding difficulties.
What Kinds of Tuna Can Cats Eat?
If you choose to treat your cat to an occasional tuna treat, you can choose either canned tuna or fresh tuna. Choose canned tuna packed in water, canned tuna in oil or canned tuna with added salt or other flavorings. Chunk-light tuna is a better choice for your cat than albacore, which is higher in mercury. Pay attention to other sources of tuna that your cat is eating. For example, if you are feeding a canned food made with tuna, topping it with more tuna may be too much. Fresh tuna is best cooked.
Although humans eat sushi all the time, raw fish can be harmful to your cat. Eating raw fish poses just as much risk for you as it does for you. Raw fish may contain bacteria and parasites. Additionally, raw fish contains an enzyme called thiaminase. In cats, this enzyme can break down an essential B vitamin called thiamine, potentially causing a condition called thiamine deficiency, which is very dangerous. Cooking the tuna you plan to feed your cat not only kills any bacteria or parasites, but also destroys thiamine.
Safer Ways to Feed Tuna to Your Cat
It is always a good idea to talk to your veterinarian before adding any new foods to your cat’s diet. If you have your vet’s blessing and want to feed tuna to your cat, follow the same guidelines as you would feeding any treat to your cat. Supplemental treats such as tuna should make up less than 10 percent of your cat’s daily calories. The rest of your cat’s diet (90 percent) should come from a high-quality, well-balanced cat food. To avoid the potential problems that can arise from eating too much tuna, including developing picky eating habits, avoid eating tuna every day and instead limit tuna to a few times a week.