So, to sum it up – cats can eat tuna and salmon, and they'll adore them, but too much of either of these will become harmful in the long run. Therefore, use these fish as only occasional treats. After all, what is more important to you – satisfying your feline furball's gluttony or keeping it healthy and thriving?
Much as you can feed your salmon-loving cat salmon, you can alternate cooked salmon with cooked tuna-although in moderation, of course. Preferably as an alternate cooked fish treat. As with cooked salmon, cooked tuna is nutritionally beneficial and safe for you tabby-though maybe not as much as salmon.
If you're choosing to feed your cat salmon, make sure it is always cooked but isn't smoked or mixed with any herbs and spices that may upset your cat's stomach. You should avoid canned salmon as it often contains too much salt and preservatives that are bad for your cat. Avoid commercial cat food that includes salmon.
Fish, such as tinned sardines in spring water, tinned tuna and tinned salmon (take care with any fish bones) can be offered as a treat occasionally but please avoid feeding fish constantly because this is not a complete diet.
While tuna is fine for cats in moderation or as a treat, too much canned tuna can be bad for your cat. Fish is a great source of protein, but there are a few reasons why a steady diet of human-grade canned tuna can cause health problems for your cat. Tuna alone is not nutritionally complete.
Feed your cat tuna like it's a treat, meaning only give your cat tuna occasionally and only up to 10% of their day's calories. As part of a balanced diet, you can safely offer one teaspoon of tuna a few times a week, or about one-half can per month.
Tuna on its own is not nutritionally balanced. For example, tuna has too much unsaturated fat and is not supplemented with Vitamin E or other antioxidants. Therefore, tuna should not be fed as your cat's primary source of nutrition.
The easy answer is yes! Your cat can eat salmon. However, like all good things, salmon should be fed to your cat in moderation. If you feed them too much salmon, they may decide they like it so much, that they won't eat anything else — and that's no way to feed your cat a healthful, balanced diet.
In the sardines vs. tuna debate, sardines come out on top. Tuna, particularly albacore, tends to have higher mercury levels, which can build up in your cat's system over time and cause health problems. Moreover, sardines contain more of the vital nutrient taurine compared to tuna.
Moreover, remember that all supplemental treats, including tuna, must make up less than 10% of your cat's daily calorie intake. The other 90% must be proper, high-quality cat food. Avoid feeding them too much tuna. Try and limit tuna treats to 2-3 times a week.
While there is no hard rule on how much salmon to feed your cat at one meal, experts recommend that it should be no more than one-tenth of a half fillet of salmon.
While canned salmon and other fish can be an enjoyable addition to your cat's meal plan, they should never replace a nutritionally balanced, vet-approved diet. Feeding cats a variety of foods can lead to a picky eater or imbalanced nutrition, so always discuss any major dietary changes with your vet.
Meat. Cats are meat eaters, plain and simple. They have to have protein from meat for a strong heart, good vision, and a healthy reproductive system. Cooked beef, chicken, turkey, and small amounts of lean deli meats are a great way to give them that.
If you choose to offer your cat the occasional tuna treat, you can choose canned tuna or fresh tuna. Select canned tuna packed in water, not 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.
Although cats are notoriously finicky, most felines find the mild flavor of chicken appealing. Fish, on the other hand, may be a good choice for a cat that hasn't been eating well, advises Tracy R. Dewhirst, DVM, who writes a pet advice column for the Knoxville News Sentinel.
Both cats and humans can get mercury poisoning if they eat too much tuna over a long period of time. Signs of mercury poisoning in cats include: Loss of coordination. Unsteady gait.
While it's perfectly acceptable to feed your cat a commercial dry or wet food, you can offer variety in your feline's diet by feeding it cooked or raw, fresh meat. Many cat's love fish; however, it is not an acceptable food for daily feeding.
Cook any chicken you give to your cat. Canned meat or fish (in moderation only). Your cat may come running when you open a can of tuna, oysters, sardines, salmon, or shredded chicken. However, canned meat is high in sodiuim and canned fish (tuna especially) contains higher levels of mercury – both harmful to kitty.
However, many cats will love to eat sardines and other oily fish. Half of a typical 3.75 ounce can should be plenty for your kitty, and can be given up to once or twice a week.
Salmon contains materials that are difficult to digest in some cats. An over reactive immune system will fight proteins and chemicals which make up the salmon. Immune system builds a defense against certain molecules within salmon and salmon-containing cat foods.
It does seem more likely that cats' love of fish simply stems from the taste, smell, high nutritional content, and the fact they thrive on being opportunistic feeders. Whatever the reason for their seafood soft spot, we do know that there are many benefits to including fish in our cats' diets.
No, cats cannot eat salmon every day as it does not contain all the nutrients a cat needs to thrive. How much salmon can I give my cat? Cats should be fed a tablespoon or two of salmon at the most, and no more than once or twice a week.
We mentioned that the mercury content of a fish is related to its size. Consider swapping out tuna for an even smaller fish, like herring, sardines, anchovies or other types of seafood and shellfish.