# Feeding cat fish



## kittywitty (Jun 19, 2010)

Hello,

I am currently feeding my cats canned Weruva food which they absolutely love. My question is how safe is it to be feeding them the fish variety as my cats do not like the chicken or beef? I read an article regarding Weruva canned fish food and it states that the ingredient menadione bisulfite complex is in their seafood based food but in very small quantities. Apparently, menadiaone (vitamin K) is required by the AAFCO to be added in the seafood-based food but is not required in the poultry or beef canned food. So, should I try to find a canned cat food that is poultry and beef that they like, even if it is not the Weruva brand? They used to eat Wellness canned chicken but eventually they stopped eating it. Or do you think Weruva has such small amounts to menadione in their fish, that it doesn't matter if they only eat the fish flavors, which consists of tuna, dolfin, calamari, mackeral, etc. 

Any advise is appreciated.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Here's an article that was shown to me when I had questions about fish:

Little Big Cat


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

I did a fair amount of research into this issue a while back when my cats would only eat fish. I determined that there are various issues associated with feeding fish to cats, but you need to sort through them to determine which are relevant and which aren’t, depending on the circumstances. I don’t recall reading anything about issues with Vitamin K. 

Fish is said to be high in phosphorus, potentially leading to urinary tract disorders. That said, the phosphorus levels in fish-flavored Weruva wet foods are about the same as in the chicken-flavored Weruva foods, so that wouldn’t be a relevant issue in switching from fish to chicken (or beef) in the case of Weruva. 

Fish-flavored foods have also been linked to hyperthyroidism, due to high levels of PBDE’s (polybrominated diphenyl ethers), which are about 12 times higher in fish-based foods. PBDE’s have been linked to hyperthyroidism (in a study by Janice A. Dye, DVM, Ph.D., of the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency). As a result, an all-fish diet can result in a greater risk of hyper-T when the cat is older.

Once cats get in the habit of eating fish, they will often refuse to eat anything else. I had this problem with my girls. I started feeding them fish, not realizing the potential issues and, after researching the matter, I tried to switch them to other flavors. They had other ideas! Then, the brand of fish-flavored food I was feeding was discontinued and they refused to eat wet food altogether. They would only eat dry. I have finally switched them back to wet (chicken-flavored Weruva). I now don’t give them fish, because I don’t want to go back to the problems I earlier had with them refusing to eat anything else. 

Interestingly, when I was switching one of my girls (Abby) from dry to wet, the only way I managed to convince her to accept the wet was to put some fish Weruva on top of the chicken. But, each day, I reduced the amount of fish I was feeding her, so that by the end of a week, she was only eating chicken. So, if you do want to switch your cats away from fish, you might try putting a bit of fish Weruva on top of the chicken or beef and see if they just keep on eating through the fish into the chicken or beef.


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## Auntie Crazy (Dec 10, 2006)

marie73 said:


> Here's an article that was shown to me when I had questions about fish:
> 
> Little Big Cat


Great article, Marie!

Some of the high points (direct quotes): 


Many cats are sensitive or even allergic to fish; it is one of the top 3 most common food allergens.
There is a known link between the feeding of fish-based canned cat foods and the development of hyperthyroidism in older cats.
_The meat is toxic and the industry is environmentally destructive--need we say more?_
I do feed sardines to my kitties for the Omega 3s; one fish once a week. Sardines, invariably wild-caught and often in a sustainable manner, grow to adult size quickly, live only six or seven years and eat mostly plants (all of which limits their exposure to PSBs, mercury and other heavy metals and toxins).

AC


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

When I rescued Cinderella, she was being fed tuna. Not tuna-flavored cat food, but actual Chicken-of-the-Sea tuna! OMG, what a nightmare. She preferred fish-flavored cat food, of course, but near the end, she was almost completely switched over to non-fish food.


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## kittywitty (Jun 19, 2010)

Thanks for the suggestions, I was concerned because I had just ordered and received 6 cases of the Weruva fish flavored canned food. I had bought them on Amazon.com and they do not accept returns. That is a lot of food to waste. Then I started reading on here how so many do not feed their cats fish and started wondering why...I am now going to start buying the chicken flavored cans and do as Susan suggested, putting the fish flavored over the chicken and see if they will eat that. My two current cats never liked the non-fish flavored cans before so I am hoping that this works!! 

I also recently checked the Greenies treats ingredients and noticed that they also contain menadiaone in them too, all the flavors, not just the fish flavored treats. And I bought those in bulk as well! Does anyone else give their cats Greenies treats? Thanks everyone for your suggestions!


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

I haven't bought them in a long time, but my girls LOVE Greenies.

Like most things, in moderation - as a "*treat*" - I think they're fine.

If your cats don't have any adverse reaction to the fish-flavored cat food, I think you could put it into your rotation every few days, or use it as topping as Susan suggested until it's gone. Cinderella and Cleo ate it for years with no problems.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

No Greenies in this house...Maggie brought one up one day...the first problem was that she swallowed it whole, so no help for the teeth. The second issue was that the darn thing had swollen to about 4 times it's original size and looked and felt like a piece of rubber. Can't imagine how they get digested.


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Whoa!! No more Greenies here then, either.


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## Time Bandit (Aug 17, 2010)

Uhh, good to know about the Greenies...I've haven't tried them yet, and now I don't think I will. :?

On the fish topic, I think Rochelle was fed fish by her previous owner. It was a nightmare getting her to eat anything but salmon and tuna canned flavors for the first month and a half we had her. I had read the 'Little Big Cat' article listed above, and I knew I wanted to switch her as soon as possible. I bought some 100% Tuna Flakes from 'Drs. Foster and Smith', and each time she'd get a non-fish canned meal, I would just sprinkle a few on top, lessening the amount over time. She'll now eat all non-fish flavors of canned, with no Tuna Flakes added.

Fish is only given as a treat now...I have both the 100% Tuna Flakes and the 100% Salmon Fishies from 'Drs. Foster and Smith' (at least I know the fish is all thats going into their systems with those), they get a can of salmon canned a week, and they will start getting the occasional raw sardine (I'm working on slowly switching them over to raw from canned).


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## WhiteKitties (Dec 22, 2008)

I ignored the warnings from people here about feeding fish to cats, and at one point was giving my girls fish can food every other day, and then they both developed bladder infections. Once I put two and two together and realized what it was, I stopped the fish completely and now they only eat EVO and Wellness beef and/or chicken flavors. It was a bit of a struggle, and I had to use the trick with putting a bit of fish food on top, but it worked.

When the girls would get fish once a week they were totally fine. I chose to cut fish out completely after the nightmare of watching them cry in pain in the litterbox and then have to force pills down their throat for ten days. Now, they will occasionally get a small piece of shrimp or salmon if that's what hubby and I are having for dinner, but this is a rare treat!


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## madpiano (Jul 30, 2008)

I am having a slightly different issue - trying to find food without any fish or fish by-products in them. My cat doesn't like fish. At all. Ok, he is getting better and can now tolerate a small amount of fish meal, but he always prefers food that doesn't have any at all. Last time I found one was in Germany, it isn't sold in the UK, not even online. He loved that one. 
Does anyone have any recommendations regarding food (wet or dry) thats free from fish/crab/shrimp/fish meal etc? Preferably free from lambs as well, as doesn't like that one either. I am going back to Germany in 2 weeks and will get some of that really nice stuff, but I can't keep travelling over there for it and it isn't exactly cheap either (daddy pays though :wink )

could someone maybe have the heart and develop cat food with Grasshopper and Bird flavour? Butterflies and other creepy crawlies also accepted.... why do we have cat food with beef in it? Cats don't hunt cows, but they do love Grasshoppers...


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Holly is allergic to fish, so finding non-fish foods is my 'specialty'. She does tolerate fish oil, so that may be present in some of these, don't remember which though since it's not an issue. Not sure if you'll be able to get any of these, but here's the list of high quality foods:

Dry: Holistic Select Duck, Fromm Chicken ala Veg, California Natural Chicken and Rice, Before Grain Chicken (the only grain free selection)

Wet...The following brands have fish free selections, but you'll need to read the labels:

Wellness
Holistic Select
EVO
Weruva
Nature's Variety
Halo
Merrick
Blue Spa
Tiki
Fromm
Before Grain
Natural Planet Organics
PetGuard


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## madpiano (Jul 30, 2008)

I will have a look around. Trouble is, these are not brands I can buy at the Supermarket / Petsmart here, and when I order online, there is rarely a full ingredient list. I think my cat will have a very varied diet for a while.... 

Thanks for that list. I will see if he dislikes fish oil as well, I have an inkling that he does. But hopefully some brands have less fish oil than others


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## Ducman69 (Aug 28, 2010)

Greenies are a treat though, not a big part of their diet. Ice cream isn't healthy either, but a small cup now and then if you're otherwise eating healthy and exercising is not an issue.


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## Susan (Mar 29, 2010)

madpiano said:


> I will have a look around. Trouble is, these are not brands I can buy at the Supermarket / Petsmart here, and when I order online, there is rarely a full ingredient list. I think my cat will have a very varied diet for a while....


If you're looking for good quality foods in the UK, you could consider Applaws, Nature's Menu or Bozita, all of which have non-fish flavors.


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## kittywitty (Jun 19, 2010)

I've been weaning my cats off the fish flavored foods by feeding them chicken flavor canned with either fish on top or tuna flakes. One of my cats has no problem eating chicken but my youngest is having trouble. I have to not only put the fish on top of the chicken flavor but also put treats and tuna flakes on top. Eventually I have to keep mixing it up so it looks fresh. She gobbles it all down at the end but it takes a lot of time.


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