If a cat eats one can of cat tuna or other fish each day, is there a risk that the cat will develop something from consuming too much mercury? How much is too much canned cat tuna or other fish?
This is a link I found on the mercury content of fish.
Personally I think a can of human type fish a day is wat too much, I give my cats a spoonfull of tuna whaen I make tuna sandwiches. Cat food is ALWAYS better, it is formulated for a cats digestive and urinary systems, also overall health and nutrition.
The real issue with feeding tuna is more than just the concern over mercury. Tuna does not provide the vitamin E that is necessary or other vitamins such as sodium, copper and calcium. Specifically, the lack of Vitamin E can cause yellow fat disease/steatitis (lumpy fat tissue deposits under the skin. With steatitis, the cats may become sensitive to touch, lethargic and loss of appetite). The lack of calcium can cause problems with bones, teeth and gums.
The risk of problems associated with feeding tuna far outweigh the fact that the cat just finds it yummy - served as a treat, it should be fine - but served as a significant part of a cats diet is not a good idea. Lastly, cats tend to get very finicky and if you serve tuna, they may snub their nose to everything else and in turn, would create additional issues.
