Won't eat canned food but gobbles up tuna...

[krazyaboutkatz]

I've read that feeding cats real tuna is very bad for their health because it's high in polyunsaturated fat which cats have trouble metabolizing. Tuna can rob a cat's body of vitamin E, leading to a painful disease called steatitis, or Yellow Fat Disease, in which the skin becomes unbearably tender. I copied this from a book that I have about cats. My parents learned the hard way because they fed their cat real tuna and also real chicken liver every day because she was a very picky eater. She didn't live as long as she could have.

If your vet thinks that your cat needs the extra oils then I'd just supplement his diet with some omega 3 fish oil instead. Good luck.

[emo]

I've read that feeding cats real tuna is very bad for their health because it's high in polyunsaturated fat which cats have trouble metabolizing. Tuna can rob a cat's body of vitamin E, leading to a painful disease called steatitis, or Yellow Fat Disease, in which the skin becomes unbearably tender. I copied this from a book that I have about cats. My parents learned the hard way because they fed their cat real tuna and also real chicken liver every day because she was a very picky eater. She didn't live as long as she could have.

If your vet thinks that your cat needs the extra oils then I'd just supplement his diet with some omega 3 fish oil instead. Good luck.

Thanks for that info... I knew there was some reason for it but I couldn't remember the details. The reason he wanted me to give him tuna in oil or some meats in his food is to fatten him up since he had lost some weight. I've been trying to give him extra treats too!!

[Catty1]

Woohoo! Now that he is gobbling up his new food, he'll put on a bit more weight yet!

After he is off the tuna, if that happens - I wonder if some canned salmon would be ok? It comes packed in water, and is a very oily fish anyway.

Or there is Omega 3-6 oil in a pump form for dogs. I use it for my two cats as capsules every morning would be a hassle. But you could use half a pump mixed in with some wet food. See what your vet thinks.

[columbine]

Solid Gold makes a "tuna for cats" that's got supplements to make up for the nutrients that straight tuna robs from a cat's body.

Wish you lived near me! Smudge was crazy for Venison & Green Pea and then decided he hated it. I had to drop it off at the shelter (he's getting the salmon now).

If you're using the limited-ingredients because of allergies, Solid Gold also makes a dry food called Indigo Moon (grain-free) that Smudge absolutely loves. It's chicken-based, but he'll gobble it before he'll even sniff his "paté."

Love, Columbine (personal chef to a floofball)