It’s well-known fact that cats love eating fish, but does tuna make a good choice for your feline? Can cats have tuna that’s manufactured for human consumption?
The short answer is yes, but the long answer is that they should eat fish in moderation as they can be addicted to this treat, whether it’s cat tuna or tuna made for people.
Some tuna every once in a while probably won’t hurt your pet. A steady diet of canned tuna made for humans, on the other hand, can result in malnutrition as it won’t provide all the necessary nutrients your feline needs.
Furthermore, too much tuna can cause mercury poisoning in felines, which I will discuss below in greater detail.
I will also discuss the different types of tuna your cat can and can’t consume as well as share the possible downsides of feeding your cat tuna, so let’s dive right in.
So, Can Cats Eat Canned Tuna?
Cats love the strong smell and fishy flavor of tuna and luckily, they can eat canned tuna, but only in moderation.
Tuna isn’t listed as toxic food for cats, but canned tuna that’s created for humans can cause health issues for felines. (*)
A single bite may not cause any harm, but I suggest that you feed your cat tuna occasionally or take tuna out of your feline’s plate entirely because of the following possible downsides.
Is Tuna Good for Cats?
Cats should have a well-balanced diet made of protein, vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and other important nutrients. And when your feline consumes too much or too little of specific nutrients, health issues can arise.
Tuna isn’t nutritionally balanced nor supplemented with vitamin E or other antioxidants. On the contrary, it’s loaded with unsaturated fats.
So, tuna shouldn’t be the main source of nutrition for your cat. And if you have been feeding your cat tuna daily, visit the vet and have your feline checked to ensure they aren’t experiencing any health issues.
Tuna Can Cause Obesity in Cats
Most indoor kittens aren’t as active as outdoor ones and don’t need a lot of calories. And if they consume too many calories, they can gain weight.
The World Small Animal Veterinary Association suggests that cats that weigh about 11 pounds should have 290 calories per day.
And when you convert human foods into calories for cats, you will notice that they’re loaded with too many calories for your furry friend.
Keep in mind that just a couple of ounces of canned tuna in water has 100 calories, which is over 30% of the suggested daily caloric intake for most cats.
Therefore, consuming too much tuna can cause obesity in cats, especially when fed in addition to their regular cat food.
Note that just like in people, obesity in felines causes different health issues such as diabetes, arthritis, urinary diseases, and inflammation. (*)
So, controlling their food consumption is very important when managing their health. Luckily, as more pet food manufacturers include calorie content information on their labels, so it’s easier to determine how many calories you will feed your pet daily.
Allergic Reaction
The Merck Veterinary Manual highlights fish as a common food allergen for felines as most cats experience allergic reactions after consuming fish, including tuna.
Symptoms of food allergies in cats include redness, itching, hair loss, vomiting, red, small, and crusty bumps, swollen skin, diarrhea, gas, and loss of appetite.
If you notice any of these signs of food allergies in your feline after including tuna or any other type of fish, visit your vet right away as they may be allergic to fish.
Mercury Poisoning
As I already established at the beginning, tuna can cause mercury poisoning, as it’s high in mercury, a toxic metal.
Veterinary nutritionists such as Cailin Heinze at the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University suggest that frequent consumption of tuna can result in mercury poisoning. (*)
Common symptoms of this type of poisoning include dizziness, involuntary body as well as eye movements, very bizarre behavior, tremors and/or seizures, unsteady gait, vision loss, central nervous system depression, and even death.
Moreover, cat owners shouldn’t feed their felines albacore tuna as it’s from a larger species of tuna with almost 3 times higher mercury levels than chunk-light.
As I already stated, felines need a nutritionally balanced diet that doesn’t have extra calories and/or toxic metals such as mercury.
If your feline loves tuna, you can purchase commercial cat food that includes tuna in a manner that meets their nutritional needs and satisfies their taste buds.
Important note: You shouldn’t feed your cat tuna daily as only 3 ounces (85 grams) of light tuna has 10.71 mcg of mercury. Tuna also contains a lot of protein, omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamin B, but still lacks other important nutrients.
The good news: Mercury poisoning cases have – luckily – declined in recent years, so don’t fear for your kitten’s life if you have provided tuna as a treat every once in a while. Just make sure it’s not a part of your cat’s daily diet.
If you follow the 10% rule with snacks for your feline, you can help keep your cat at a healthy weight, so they can stay by your side for as long as possible. (*)
Can Cats Eat Tuna in Water?
Cats can eat canned tuna, but make sure it’s a tuna in spring water rather than salt water (brine) or oil such as sunflower oil.
Note that the sodium in salt water can cause dehydration, while excessive amounts of any type of oil can result in diarrhea.
Can Cats Eat Tuna in Oil?
While cats can eat tuna in spring water, they shouldn’t consume tuna in brine or oils brine has a high level of sodium which can cause salt imbalances in your cat’s body and brain, potentially even reaching toxic levels while oils can result in diarrhea.
Can Cats Have Tuna in Sunflower Oil?
Tuna packaged in any type of oil including sunflower oil isn’t suitable for cats. Keep in mind that excessive amounts of oil can cause diarrhea.
However, tuna packaged in sunflower oil makes a better choice than tuna packaged in canola oil due to the added health benefits. Still, any type of excess oil can cause a stomach upset such as diarrhea.
Can Cats Eat Star-Kist Tuna?
Cats can eat Star-Kist tuna in moderation. In fact, Star-Kist tuna makes a perfect treat for most cats as it’s high in protein and omega-3 fatty acids.
Can Cats Eat Raw Tuna?
While tuna isn’t on the ASPCA list of toxic foods for cats, raw or undercooked meat is as it can contain Salmonella and E. Coli.
Overall, raw or undercooked meat can be harmful to you and your feline. Moreover, if your cat gets Salmonella poisoning, you will have to take them to the vet.
Therefore, make sure to cook tuna properly before offering it to your feline. People can eat raw fish (sushi) every once in a while, but their pets shouldn’t.
How Much Tuna Can I Give My Cat?
Cats love tuna because it’s delicious.
However, if your feline eats tuna daily, they can get addicted to this treat and refuse their cat food. Also, daily consumption of tuna can cause mercury poisoning, so you shouldn’t make tuna the primary source of food for your pet.
One teaspoon of tuna a few times a week is more than enough for your cat. Keep in mind that experts recommend that treats shouldn’t make up a large part (over 10%) of your feline’s diet. I personally mix some tuna with my pet’s regular cat food.
If you make tuna a part of your cat’s regular diet, they can become picky eaters and gain weight. Therefore, make sure that about 90% of your cat’s diet consists of well-balanced and appropriate life-stage commercial cat food.
Lastly, always feed tuna and other treats in moderation.
Extra tip: If your cat doesn’t seem to hydrate enough, you can add a small amount of juice from tuna canned in spring water into their water bowl.
How to Prepare Tuna for Cats?
You can either feed your cat canned tuna in spring water or fresh tuna.
As I already explained, canned tuna in oils, brine, and other flavorings aren’t suitable for cats as they can cause different health issues such as salt imbalances, diarrhea, etc.
Feed your cat chunk-light tuna as it’s a far better choice than albacore which contains a lot of mercury, which can result in mercury poisoning. Moreover, pay close attention to other sources of tuna your feline might be ingesting.
For example, if you’re feeding your pet canned food that already consists of tuna in a healthy amount, adding more on top of it can be too much.
As for how to prepare tuna for felines, keep in mind that freshly cooked tuna is the best choice for cats. Some people can eat sushi occasionally, but giving raw tuna to felines can be extremely harmful as it’s packed with bacteria.
Furthermore, raw fish has thiaminase. This enzyme can break down vitamin B, also known as thiamine, potentially causing thiamine deficiency.
So, you should definitely cook raw tuna before providing it to your pet. That way, not only you will kill any bacteria, but also take care of the thiaminase.
If it’s canned tuna, make sure it’s packaged in spring water without additives and/or chemicals. If it’s fresh tuna, make sure it’s properly cooked, boneless, and without any added spices and/or ingredients that can harm your feline.
Summary
I want to wrap up this article by suggesting alternative treats for your cats that aren’t harmful.
Aside from canned tuna in spring water, you can give your cat some cooked chicken, beef, and turkey, as well as celery, carrots, scrambled eggs, spinach, peas, pumpkin, and broccoli.
Note that introducing new snacks to your pet can be exciting, but they should never replace full meals. Your cat should consume a properly-formulated food for cats and have some of these treats occasionally.
In fact, your cat’s diet should consist of 90% commercial pet food and about 10% of treats, so keep that in mind.
Alternatively, you can buy commercial food that includes meat such as tuna if your cay enjoys tuna. That way, you can be sure that they’re simultaneously getting all the necessary nutrients while also satisfying their taste buds.
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*image by NewAfrica/depositphotos
