If you are feeding or considering feeding your cat a steady diet of tuna, you should consider several things before making this decision. Tuna prepared for human consumption is not good for cats because it lacks an amino acid, Taurine, that cats need for maintaining normal strength and function of the heart muscle. Tuna prepared for cats will have this amino acid added to maintain your cat's good health.
- Tuna has unsaturated fats which can cause yellow fat disease in cats. Tuna does not contain Vitamin E, which is an antioxidant. Unsaturated fats in fish oxidize into unhealthy, yellow fatty tissue underneath your cat's skin. This causes pain, lethargy, and hypersensitivity in a cat. Your cat will resist any handling or petting, and your cat's muscles weaken, and your cat does not want to move.
- Yellow fat disease is treated with Vitamin E dosages and with the elimination of tuna from your cat's diet. It is probably best never to start feeding human food to your cat so there is no bad habit to break, although it seems that the smell of tuna can be as hard for cats to resist as catnip. An occasional treat will not hurt your cat, but you should not make the mistake of feeding him tuna regularly.
- There have also been some reports of excessive mercury in tuna and other fish, but there is some doubt as to whether these tests were accurate. If you are worried about mercury poisoning, you should stick strictly to a dry pet food for your cat.
Keep in mind that this doesn't mean your cat can never have tuna. Tuna can be a special treat for your cat. However, you should only give it as an occasional treat. It is important to remember that although your cat loves tuna, it isn't healthy for him.
