[scottd]

I've never really tried feeding Tina tuna. I'm thinking about trying to get her to eat wet food again and I want to use tuna as a step. I honestly don't know if she will eat it.

Is tuna in water okay as a treat?

What about white chicken in a can? That's what we're feeding the new chihuahua right now (with Nutri-Cal added). Vet suggested it for chihuahua but I won't assume it's safe for cats.

 

[marie73]

I don't think I'd try tuna. I'm pretty sure she'd eat it, but getting her to try other wet food after having that heavenly treat might be even harder.

 

[laurief]

I agree. Don't feed tuna, or you may develop additional pickiness. Cats can easily become addicted to fish and refuse to eat anything else.

I also wouldn't feed canned chicken for several reasons:

1) I assume canned chicken contains salt.
2) I assume canned chicken is a lot pricier than just buying raw chicken and baking it yourself.
3) Raw chicken is healthier than cooked chicken. Cooking destroys nutrients.
4) Dark meat chicken is more nutritious than white meat, so if you're going to feed chicken, feed dark meat (thighs).

Laurie

 

[Geek_Chick82]

If you're looking for a meaty treat to feed your kitty, my vote is on small bits of raw meat. Cats are designed to eat raw, they don't need their food to be cooked. When I'm chopping up chicken for dinner, I'll usually drop a couple small chunks in to Lance's bowl. It's like heaven!

You should avoid canned meats because of any salt or nitrates (nitrites?) they could have. As well, give fish to cats sparingly, because their bones contain magnesium which could start urinary issues.

 

[cinderflower]

i agree with marie. trying to get her to eat regular cat food after tuna could prove to be a problem. i wouldn't feed her fancy feast first either. most of the premium foods taste good enough that you'll be able to tell. oh, i wouldn't start with weruva tilapia either but i'd work that in later along with paw lickin' chicken if she'll eat it.

as far as chicken, i wouldn't buy the canned stuff. you can buy fresh chicken so cheaply (like .89 a lb. for a package of 6 legs and thighs together) that's it's not worth it to buy canned. then you have control over what goes into it. my cats love it.

 

[cinderflower]

You should avoid canned meats because of any salt or nitrates (nitrites?) they could have. As well, give fish to cats sparingly, because their bones contain magnesium which could start urinary issues.

just so you know (i'm not telling you to be picky)--the magnesium myth was started by dry food mfrs. going on the assumption that too much magnesium was causing bladder stones because that's what the stones are (as well as oxalate but i don't know as much about them). so they started offering "special urinary tract formula with low/no magnesium" when the problem all along is the lack of water. if they knew, they didn't want to stop selling dry food. if they didn't, they just did shoddy research.

 

[3furbabies]

I feed them a can of tuna about once a month. I also feed them cooked chicken/fish if we are eating it for dinner. The one who only eats dry won't touch it but the other two go nuts for it. They go back to eating their normal food right after it too. I also feed them canned pumpkin occasionally as a treat.

 

[Xanti]

just so you know (i'm not telling you to be picky)--the magnesium myth was started by dry food mfrs. going on the assumption that too much magnesium was causing bladder stones because that's what the stones are (as well as oxalate but i don't know as much about them). so they started offering "special urinary tract formula with low/no magnesium" when the problem all along is the lack of water. if they knew, they didn't want to stop selling dry food. if they didn't, they just did shoddy research.

I think she means human grade canned meat which tends to have added salt etc

 

[scottd]

If you're looking for a meaty treat to feed your kitty, my vote is on small bits of raw meat. Cats are designed to eat raw, they don't need their food to be cooked. When I'm chopping up chicken for dinner, I'll usually drop a couple small chunks in to Lance's bowl. It's like heaven!

I'm a vegetarian. The only meat in my house is the cat's food.

i agree with marie. trying to get her to eat regular cat food after tuna could prove to be a problem. i wouldn't feed her fancy feast first either. most of the premium foods taste good enough that you'll be able to tell. oh, i wouldn't start with weruva tilapia either but i'd work that in later along with paw lickin' chicken if she'll eat it.

as far as chicken, i wouldn't buy the canned stuff. you can buy fresh chicken so cheaply (like .89 a lb. for a package of 6 legs and thighs together) that's it's not worth it to buy canned. then you have control over what goes into it. my cats love it.

I worry about her only wanting Tuna but at this point she won't even lick wet food.

I feed them a can of tuna about once a month. I also feed them cooked chicken/fish if we are eating it for dinner. The one who only eats dry won't touch it but the other two go nuts for it. They go back to eating their normal food right after it too. I also feed them canned pumpkin occasionally as a treat.

Does the one that eats dry even lick it?

 

[laurief]

I'm a vegetarian. The only meat in my house is the cat's food.

I'm primarily vegetarian myself (I do eat a little seafood), but I have four freezers full of raw meat for my 4-legged carnivores. You're already buying chicken for your dog, and you're willing to buy tuna for the cat. Morally speaking, there's no difference between canned and raw meats, if that's an issue. If it's just that you don't want to handle raw meat, well, I can't help you with that. I can just second others' opinions that it would be the healthiest option for your cat (and dog). If your cat won't eat canned food, there's also a possibility that he won't eat raw, either, but you won't know until you try it.

Laurie

 

[scottd]

I'm primarily vegetarian myself (I do eat a little seafood), but I have four freezers full of raw meat for my 4-legged carnivores. You're already buying chicken for your dog, and you're willing to buy tuna for the cat. Morally speaking, there's no difference between canned and raw meats, if that's an issue. If it's just that you don't want to handle raw meat, well, I can't help you with that. I can just second others' opinions that it would be the healthiest option for your cat (and dog). If your cat won't eat canned food, there's also a possibility that he won't eat raw, either, but you won't know until you try it.

Laurie

I'm not really open to a raw diet. Not because I don't think it's acceptable, I would just prefer to feed her canned food. I'll guess I'll buy some Weruva when I see it and try to convince her to eat it.

By the way, you're a pescetarian. :-o

 

[3furbabies]

I'm a vegetarian. The only meat in my house is the cat's food.



I worry about her only wanting Tuna but at this point she won't even lick wet food.



Does the one that eats dry even lick it?

Nope. She doesnt like any wet food at all, even the Tuna. There are certain flavours/brands of wet food she will lick a little bit but stops after about 5 seconds then won't touch it again

 

[cinderflower]

I think she means human grade canned meat which tends to have added salt etc

oh. (best emily litella impression: "never mind." lol)

scott, i've been a vegetarian for 36 years and i've been buying human tuna for my cats for the last 20.

if the cat absolutely won't eat canned food, i don't know that tuna is your only alternative. you don't want her to get so addicted to it that she refuses all other food because a cat can't live on chicken of the sea.

i don't give it to mine more than once a month, and i buy those little lunch-sized packs.

i'm not going to feed raw either. it's bad enough for me to buy the meat, but i just can't handle touching that much raw meat. i tried it, it made me queasy, pre-made like rad cat is too expensive, and i'm just not going to do it.

cooking it doesn't destroy every single nutrient--how else would people who rely on meat for their protein source survive? yes, the longer it's cooked, the more vitamins you lose and the protein becomes somewhat denatured but you can cook it lightly. minerals can't be destroyed, but if you can manage to spare the time to make your own cat food, you can buy bone meal (for humans, not for the garden), nutritional yeast, vitamin e oil and salmon oil. hearts have a lot of taurine and liver has vitamins a & d so the less you cook those, the better.

it's challenging. you might try the bonito flakes. my little fish junkie will eat the food he won't touch if i sprinkle some of that on it. it smells really strong, you don't need much. you can also try parmesan cheese (kraft, not the deli kind) some tuna juice, my cats happen to love bacon fat. (yes i bought them bacon. the people at the king soopers where i've shopped for 30 years think i've gone insane. )

 

[nicichan]

My cat also still mostly eats dry food, but I sometimes give her bits of cooked chicken or a little bit of cheese or yoghurt as a treat, she loves all of those. I get the chicken already cooked and sliced (for sandwiches etc.), maybe try that? I gave her tuna once and it upset her stomach, so I won't feed it to her again.