Obviously many of our cats aren't lucky enough to be this close to a fresh catch daily – some of them never even make it outside! – but there are pet owners that treat pets to people food, either as a treat or as a primary meal. I recently learned of some dangers of tuna (which I thought was kitty friendly):
Tuna does not contain significant amounts of vitamin E, for example, so too much of the fish can lead to vitamin E deficiency, resulting in yellow-fat disease, or steatitis. Symptoms include loss of appetite, fever, and hypersensitivity to touch, due to inflammation and necrosis of fat under the skin. Felines who are fed too much tuna can develop other nutrient deficiencies, too, because most deboned fish are lacking in calcium, sodium, iron, copper, and several other vitamins.
The vet recommends feeding fish to a cat as an occasional treat, and choosing premium commercial food for meal time. Is this a surprise – how many of you knew about these dangers?