Can cats eat tuna salad?
Tuna salad, a light and fresh comfort food, is made by blending canned tuna fish with mayonnaise, onion, and celery. This article will cover the concern “Can cats eat tuna salad?”, the health concerns associated with its consumption, what kind of tuna is safe for cats, etc.
Can cats eat tuna salad?
No, cats cannot eat tuna salad. Most cats will enjoy the taste of tuna, but they will not be able to digest this salad. Tuna salad is often considered a healthy lunch choice, but only true when you’re careful about feeding a certain amount of tuna salad.
Cats are obligate carnivores and their diet mainly comprises animal-based proteins. Some cats are picky eaters and won’t eat canned food including tuna salad. But if your cat eats fish or chicken, they may enjoy eating tuna salad.
What are the health risks if your cat eats tuna salad?
The major health risks for cats associated with tuna salad consumption are as follows:
Mayonnaise
Mayonnaise, being an important part of tuna salad, doesn’t have any harmful impact on a cat’s health. But the oil component of mayonnaise is toxic for cats as it can lead to diarrhea, vomiting, etc.
Eggs
Cats can eat eggs in small amounts, but since yolks are high in fat. They also contain high cholesterol content and can lead to obesity as well as pancreatitis, heart disease and a condition called hyperlipidemia (seizures, rough skin, and problems with the nervous system).
Salt
Tuna salad contains a salt content which is considered toxic for your cat. Salt poisoning can lead to dehydration and sometimes can cause severe conditions like hypernatremia.
Sugar
Sugar in tuna salad is not toxic to cats, but it can easily lead to weight gain, obesity and diabetes. It can lead to hyperglycemia in older cats and may increase the risk of dental diseases.
Garlic
Garlic, added in mayonnaise, is considered toxic for cats as it can cause anemia in them by damaging red blood cells, and the symptoms of garlic poisoning involve blood in urine.
Mustard
Mustard is not toxic to cats but it often has many preservatives and other ingredients that can cause severe conditions like gastroenteritis, characterized by persistent vomiting and/or diarrhea.
Onions
Onions are special spices that add flavor to any kind of salad, but they are toxic for your cat. A single bite can produce hard symptoms and can be lethal for your cat.
Celery
Celery leaves are safe for your feline friend, but too much consumption can cause an upset stomach.
Lemon
Lemon juice, like other citrus fruits, is considered toxic for cats. It contains a compound limonene which can cause diarrhea, vomiting, depression, liver failure, tremors, low blood pressure and sudden death.
How much tuna salad can your cat eat?
It’s best advised to give tuna salad as a treat to your cat, and it should not be made a permanent part of their daily diet. Tuna may be healthy food for cats but too much tuna can make your cat sick. If you’ve to give your cat canned tuna salad, you should avoid giving it to your cat during their kitten years.
It’s much more preferable if your cat eats tuna only in small servings, as tuna in large servings isn’t appropriate. Tuna treats should not exceed 10% of your cat’s daily diet. Going over this limit can put your cat’s health at risk.
How can you make tuna salad for your cat?
Following are the steps if you want to feed tuna salad to your cat:
- Take a small amount of water in a pot and boil it.
- Make sure to cut broccoli florets into small bite sized pieces.
- Boil broccoli until tender, and let it cool.
- Combine cooked broccoli greek yogurt, and tuna in a medium sized bowl.
- Serve this treat to your cat.
What kind of tuna is safe for cats?
Tuna has proved to be a great protein source for cats as long as you monitor the amount of tuna you feed. Tuna is a healthy fish for cats that don’t have sensitive stomachs. Some cats like to eat plain boiled tuna, while some prefer herbs and spices for variety in their diet.
High quality canned tuna can increase the protein content of your cat’s food. Moreover, tuna is also a good source of calcium and you can add tuna in your cat’s diet even if they don’t like other types of fish. You should prefer tuna packed in water instead of oil for your cat.
Conclusion
Today, we covered the article “Can cats eat tuna salad?”,the health concerns associated with its consumption, what kind of tuna is safe for cats, etc. From the above discussion, it’s concluded that your cat can’t eat tuna salad due to its toxic ingredients.
References
https://www.animalfate.com/can-cats-eat-mayonnaise-with-tuna/
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thedodo.com/amphtml/dodowell/can-cats-eat-tuna
https://www.google.com/amp/s/pethelpful.com/.amp/cats/Can-My-Cat-Eat-Tuna
