Feeding tuna to cats

[8bit]

Is tuna in brine bad for cats? Someone recently told us they'd heard that the stuff in brine wasn't good for cats and suggested the stuff in spring water. They'll eat it but with very little of the enthusiasm they have for the stuff in brine.

I hate tuna personally but the mrs. likes it, the first time she opened a tin of tuna in brine after we got the cats they came charging into the kitchen and went berserk trying to get it off her, so she relented and gave them a little bit. Since then we've only very occasionally given them some as a treat, not wanting them to get too used to it. Just wondered if anyone knew more.

[Slink]

yes they do LOVE it, not tryed it in spring water but my old cat used to love tuna, so much that she would appear from whereever she was about 30 seconds after you open the can and be tapping my leg and even the odd claw[just gentle mind]

i dont think it did her any harm as she lived to be 21, but she didnt have a lot of it and it wasnt that often.

just watch out for garlic like in salami as too much garlic can be toxic to cats, altho a little is supposed to help get rid of fleas.

[bexVN]

It's a lot of salt for a cat to have. They do tuna in sunflower oil that they'd probably like.

If they are young fit cats that have wet food in their diet an occasional treat of tuna in brine (ie once a week) shouldn't be so bad esp if you wash the tuna out first but I definitely wouldn't advise more than that.

[MitchT]

I've heard the same about tuna in brine. My two had only had one tin of it when I found out and switched to tuna in spring water. They go berserk for that too, so no problems here!

[Wacky Racer]

Tuna in brine is not good for cats, due to the salt content.

Always better to buy it in springwater, the cost is usually about the same.

That's what our vet said anyhow.

[8bit]

Thanks folks. Bex, yes it would be very occasionally, probably not even as much as once a week, we try to keep them to a routine (1x wet food pouch each in the morning and 1x each evening, unlimited dental dry food through the day) so just for the odd occasion. They drink plenty of water too, although only ever from the bathroom sink...

Might try the tuna in sunflower oil then, although might that not upset their stomachs? The wee one (well, younger one) seems to get an upset stomach occasionally, I'd have thought that would be likely if we fed her something oily?

[bexVN]

That could be possible I was still meaning to wash the tuna first to get rid of the worst of it but you'd be right to be cautious if they have sensitive tummies!

[8bit]

Ah ok, cool - we'll see next time then, may try the brine stuff and give it a rinse out first, thanks

[mrmaggit]

Ours like the tuna in spring water, Guzzi even has his own special way of saying he'd like some tuna. He either head-butts the cupboard door, or jumps onto the work-surface, depending on which will get the best result.

[ali_kat]

Another vote for Tuna in SpringWater here

No more expensive either

[jimmyjimjim]

Slink said:

yes they do LOVE it, not tryed it in spring water but my old cat used to love tuna, so much that she would appear from whereever she was about 30 seconds after you open the can and be tapping my leg and even the odd claw[just gentle mind]

One of mine used to try the gentle clawing, until the day he got me in the back of the knee and I stepped back reflexively. On to him*.

I'll give him this, the silly sod learns quickly.

He's progressed to gentler techniques such as whiskering you, battling you, or mewling unconsolably until you give in.

• not heavily, I was in socks, and it didn't prevent him from diving in once I'd actually got the damn can open. But he clearly didn't like it enough to prevent him from doing it again.

[Ace-T]

Our 21 year old absolutely loves tuna. We cook a tuna pasta dish and she has learned the smell of the tomato sauce means a tin of tuna will be opened shortly.

We give her the stuff in spring water but be careful, Aldi have started doing tuna in "salted spring water'!?!?!

If we don't supply tuna when it is demanded we get miaowed at very crossly.

[Broomsticklady]

Another vote for spring water - always been scared of brine for cats so buy the spring water one. Also found when I had an ill cat she'd drink the tuna spring water so I got fluid down her that way when she didn't fancy proper water.

[8bit]

I'd be quite happy giving them the tuna in spring water but they don't seen to like it as.much as the stuff in brine.