Is it ok to give cats tinned tuna occasionally?

[Ponders]

I've bought some of the \link{http://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/canned_cat_food_pouches/schesir/schesir_savings_packs/289367\Schesir pouches} & it's their absolute favourite thing, they can't get it down fast enough, but it's nearly £8 a kilo

They have Royal Canin biscuits + Bozita or Animonda Carny wet food regularly, the tuna is just a treat & not every day. Would tinned tuna chunks in sunflower oil be just as good???

I'll be interested in comments on this. I allow Seniorboy to have the odd few flakes if I'm having some (maybe once every 4-6 weeks or so) but I'd be very edgy about feeding it with any degree of regularity. I'm not sure it has a good nutrient balance and I don't like him having as much salt as tinned tuna seems to contain.

(I hate tuna in oil so we don't have that in the house and he doesn't get it - but I understand that the oil might also cause problems?)

My girl (8 yrs) has it as a very occasional treat. She will only eat it in sunflower oil, if it comes in springwater she refused until I mix a drop of olive oil in. The vet suggested it when her appetite was poor after she had been ill.

I really don't think it can cause harm if it is VERY occasional as I don't think the vet would have said to let her have it.

Well I haven't looked into the nutritional break down, but in my many years of being owned by cats I can tell you that the occasional tin of tuna is the law!

All of my cats have always had it as a treat.

The dogs get sardines in oil and the cats tuna in oil (then the left over oil goes on the dog food).

Mine used to get it every day as it was cheaper then cat food. He's 14ish now.

That schesir food looks interesting. (Although I looked askance at their notion of a savings pack price!)

oh this is great, thanks all, I will stop buying Schesir immediately!

cozietoesie, the Schesir kitten tuna has this composition:

tuna (58%), sunflower oil (1.3%), vegetable gelatin, minerals

so I thought tinned tuna in oil should be ok. (I'm wondering what the other 40% is though ) I think it'll only be tuna in brine which is salty - in sunflower oil it shouldn't be? Mine are still technically kittens, they're 8 months old, diet is different for an older cat I suppose.

agree about the 'savings' pack!

Just be aware that cats need taurine in their diet, otherwise they are highly likely to go blind and / or have cardiac problems.

A diet comprising of tuna alone is not sufficient for them.

Read this article to see why taurine is so important for cats: www.helium.com/items/2200292-taurine-tuna-for-cats

well I know that, Cailleach

(see OP. Royal Canin, Bozita & Animonda are just stuffed with taurine)

my cat LOVES tuna, mind you, she loves food in general. she will CHARGE if i cann tuna which she has a bit of as a treat once, sometimes twice a month.

*call

The other reason apart from the taurine aspect is that tuna is so tasty you can make a cat only eat that to the preference of everything else - bastard fluffies, you know what they're like when they think you're the tuna dispensing God.

ah well, I keep them on their toes re the tuna - they never know when they're going to get it

I let catface have tuna when we have some, which is not very regularly, but it's only the scrapings from the can. He can hear it coming out of the kitchen cupboard from half a mile away though, it's catcrack for him. The day the baby had a tuna sandwich (aka, the floor had a tuna sandwich) was probably the happiest day in his entire life. You could almost see him realise that maybe the tiny human wasn't the worst thing to happen to him, and may in fact be a useful addition to the household.

Sir does get the occasional tuna when I'm using it, but usually only a few flakes due to taurine / kitty crack issues. He will quite merrily lap the water from tuna in (unsalted) spring water without impacting on the actual food he takes in.

I dropped some tuna on the floor this morning while making my lunch. He was in kitty heaven

same here i use half a small can of tuna if im making myself a sandwich so the four cats get a spponfull each and they love it, as an ocassional treat

Crazycat hates tuna!

Sniffs it...and looks at me as if I have served her her own catpooh!

But...she loves sweetcorn, and melon.

Oh yeah mine loves sweet corn as well, especially on the cob!
Just to clarify mine has complete down all day (thus solving the other nutrient & toothy problem) but has wet food for dinner & that's when he had his tuna.

Current cat loves the stuff - it's what I use to get worming tablets and antibiotics into him (and he got it for Christmas lunch). His predecessor was considerably brighter and more discerning - I once fed her a worming tablet in some tuna, and she refused it in all forms ever after - wouldn't even eat tuna flavoured cat food.

crazy you have mad highly unusual cats

She is a weirdo Queen!

She will not eat roast chicken,either.

But she woofs down a bit of a scone.

Mine had a tin of tuna the other day, I had run out of catfood.

Your cat sounds quite demented, crazynanna. (Sorry to be frank and all. grin])

Your cat sounds quite demented, crazynanna

Eek, my kitty gets half a tin (in brine) each day as well as Royal Canin. Might check with the vet this is ok.