Cats and tuna

Cats just love their tuna don't they? Well, perhaps not....... It's one of those myths that's developed over the years, much like cats loving their milk. And it's since become so much of a cliche that many people believe it. They might like tuna and milk but their digestive systems often don't!!

Think about it...... cats are originally desert animals; where on earth would they and their digestive systems have learnt to deal with tuna, or any other fish? It certainly appeals to them - their diets tend to be protein rich - but it has to be the right sort of protein.

I even fell into the trap of believing that it would be ok. Bella was never that bothered, but every now and again she'd enjoy a little tuna as a special treat. Then one day she got sick. In fact, 3 days of vomiting and the runs. Poor thing was clearly very distressed, as was I, so I took her to the vet to see if there was anything wrong. They asked me about her diet, and I explained she'd had some tuna over a period of 2-3 days - once I'd opened a tin I'd want to finish it!!

The vet felt that this might be irritating her digestive system - hers is rather sensitive! - and explained to me that the protein in tuna is really the wrong sort of protein for many cats. I cut out all fish products, and also red meat for a few days (also the wrong sort of protein), and pretty much stuck to chicken and bland foods. And very quickly she returned to normal. Since then I've not given her any tuna, and only infrequently give her any cat food that contains fish or red meat products. That was 6 months ago, and the problem hasn't returned.

The other day, I was meeting a new cat and her family for the first time. They explained that she has to have tablets as she's been diagnosed as hyper-thyroid, and to help her, they are giving the tablets wrapped in some tuna. I explained that this tuna might upset her system, and they then said they were wondering why she seemed to have an upset tummy recently. They'd thought it might be the tablets, but are going to try to give the tablets without tuna to see if the problem resolves itself.

I work with so many cats who have very sensitive digestive systems and are on vet diets with bland food. It can seem boring for them, but it means that they are more likely to have happy digestive systems. But there are ways you can make even this diet a little more interesting - so just ask your vet for ideas. We are so used to living with our cats as members of our families that we can sometimes forget that they are built very differently to us. Our digestive systems have evolved very differently to theirs, and can tolerate a much wider range of food than our cat friends can.

Or you could have a cat like Dylan who will and does eat almost everything!!! Even the bread crusts I throw out for the birds!!! But I can always tell if he's eaten something that's not right for him - the next time I check his litter tray!