My Cat Wont Eat Anything But Tuna (How to solve this)
Canned tuna is a great choice for your cat’s diet. It’s low in fat, high in protein and contains essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients.
If your cat has been eating only tuna for several weeks or months, he may not eat anything else. This can be dangerous because it deprives him of the nutrition, he needs to maintain good health.
Cats love tuna because it tastes good to them. It also smells like dinner to them because they’re descended from desert-dwelling cats that ate mostly fish and reptiles.
Your cat may refuse to eat anything else because:
He’s addicted to the taste of tuna. You’ve trained him to know that you’ll give him tuna every time he meows at you during dinner time.
The texture of tuna doesn’t bother him as much as other foods do, it doesn’t require chewing or grinding down into smaller pieces like dry cat food does, so he doesn’t associate its taste with other foods that have similar textures (e.g., chicken).
Read also: Can Cats Eat Lemon Pepper Tuna?
How Much Tuna Should a Cat Eat?
Most cats love tuna, but it’s not the best thing to feed them. Tuna contains mercury and high levels of protein that can cause kidney damage if fed too much.
The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals recommends limiting your cat’s tuna intake to one can per week.
Cats are carnivores, so they need a lot of protein in their diet. But tuna contains too much protein and not enough essential vitamins and minerals for your cat’s overall health and well-being.
Tuna also has a high mercury content, which is dangerous for humans and animals alike. Mercury can cause kidney damage, so limit your cat’s consumption of canned tuna or avoid it altogether.
If you must give your cat tuna, be sure it’s canned Chunk-light and Skipjack tuna these have lower levels of mercury than yellowfin or bigeye tuna varieties do. Also, don’t give your cat more than one tablespoon per day because this amount will still contain too much mercury for his body to handle safely.
Can cats eat nothing but tuna?
The short answer is, probably not.
Tuna is a great source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, but it’s also high in salt and mercury.
So, while your cat might like the taste of it, he may not be able to tolerate the sodium content or the heavy metal poisoning that comes with eating too much tuna.
Tuna contains high amounts of sodium (salt), which can make cats sick. Too much salt in a cat’s diet can cause dehydration and even death because cats are unable to drink enough water to compensate for all the fluids lost through urination.
If you feed your cat canned tuna, pay attention to the sodium content listed on the label. If you feed your cat dry tuna treats, don’t use more than about half a teaspoon per day for every pound your cat weighs.
Even if you don’t see any immediate effects from giving too much tuna, there could be long-term health effects down the line if you continue feeding it in large quantities.
Mercury is another concern when it comes to feeding your cat too much tuna or other fish products (especially those with high amounts of mercury such as shark). Mercury poisoning can cause everything from brain damage to kidney disease
What age can kittens eat tuna
Kittens can eat tuna as early as they can eat solid food.
In general, kittens can eat tuna when they are between eight and 12 weeks old. However, you should never feed a kitten often because it can cause anemia in young kittens.
Tuna is a good source of protein and omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for a kitten’s growth and development.
A kitten should have an overall balanced diet that includes other types of protein, in addition to tuna. It’s also important to ensure your kitten gets enough calcium and vitamin D in his diet, since they’re essential for healthy teeth and bones.
It’s best if you provide your kitten with canned tuna that has been deboned or flaked into small pieces before feeding it to him.
Why Does My Cat Only Eat Fish?
You may be wondering why your cat only eats fish. The answer is that, in most cases, the cat has been raised on a diet of fish. Y
Your cat may have been weaned on a diet of fish/seafood and now prefers it as an adult.
If you are not sure what kind of food your kitten was fed when it was weaned, try different types of cat food and see which one your kitten likes best.
Cats are carnivores and need protein to survive.
Fish is a great source of protein and it’s also easy to digest. In nature, cats would have eaten whatever they could catch but because humans have domesticated them and taken care of their every need, we often provide them with a steady diet of fish.
Cats don’t always eat fish because it’s tasty or nutritious. It’s sometimes just because we’ve trained them to do so. If you’re not happy with this situation, you’ll need to find another way to get some variety into their diet without upsetting them too much.
Some people think their cats only eat fish due to poor nutrition from pet food companies but this isn’t necessarily true. Some cats prefer fish over other types of meat simply because it’s what they’ve been fed since they were kittens
Is tuna good for cats with digestive issues?
How do I know if my cat has mercury poisoning?
Can cats be allergic to tuna?
Yes, cats can be allergic to tuna. Tuna is a meat product and not an allergen. Cats can get food allergies from any type of meat.
Tuna is a popular treat for cats, but it can cause an allergic reaction in some felines. Your cat may have an allergy to the fish itself or to the ingredients used in processing.
Allergies are common in cats, and they can manifest themselves in different ways. Some of the most common symptoms include itchy skin, ear infections and digestive problems.
If your cat is having an allergic reaction to tuna, you will likely notice some of the following signs:
- Eczema
- Itchy paws or belly
- Excessive scratching and licking of paws and skin
- Ear infections (otitis) and/or hair loss around the ears
- Diarrhea or constipation
Cats can also be allergic to other types of fish, such as salmon and cod. If you suspect that your cat is allergic to fish, it’s best to avoid feeding him any kind of seafood altogether until you’ve consulted with your vet about the best way forward for treating your pet’s allergies
What to feed a cat that only likes tuna?
Read also: Can Cats Go 12 Hours Without Food?
How Often Can Cats Eat Tuna?
The problem with tuna is the mercury content. Mercury is a neurotoxin, which means it can damage your cat’s brain, heart and kidneys.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that you limit the amount of canned tuna your cat eats to once a week, if at all.
Cats are especially sensitive to mercury poisoning because they are carnivores and eat more meat than humans do. The FDA says that there is no safe level of mercury in food for any species.
If you feed your cat tuna or other types of fish, check with your vet first because there are many different kinds of fish and some have higher levels of mercury than others
“Cats are carnivores and their bodies are designed for a meat-based diet,” says Dr. Joni Jugenburg, an associate professor of nutrition at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine in Urbana-Champaign. “Tuna is pretty much like a high-quality protein source.”
But there’s a downside to feeding tuna to your cat: It can lead to mercury toxicity — a condition that affects the nervous system, heart and kidneys.
“We have seen several cats who have died from eating too much tuna,” says Dr. George Marder, clinical assistant professor of veterinary medicine at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University in North Grafton, Mass.
On the downside, tuna contains varying amounts of mercury, a toxin that can cause neurological damage if ingested in large enough quantities depending on how the fish was caught, stored and cooked.
So, while tuna may be good for your cat in moderation (and even more so when canned rather than fresh), it’s important to keep tabs on how much you feed him so as not to overdo it
Final Thought
The bottom line is that cats can develop flavor preferences just like we humans do. If you’ve ever wondered why your cat won’t eat anything but tuna, they probably taste the protein that they are accustomed to.
More resources
https://catbehaviorassociates.com/ten-common-mistakes-when-feeding-cats/
https://pets.webmd.com/cats/ss/slideshow-foods-your-cat-should-never-eat