Is feeding my cat a fish-based diet long-term safe and healthy?

Yes, as long as the cat food you're feeding contains and AAFCO statement it should be fine to feed those flavors. You do want to make sure Oliver doesn't end up with vomiting or diarrhea as this may indicate he cannot tolerate a certain type of food. This article may be of interest to you: https://www.petcoach.co/article/what-to-look-for-when-choosing-your-pet-s-food/ Thanks for using PetCoach!

If it's a complete and balanced cat food that contains tuna, that is fine to feed regularly. However, 100% tuna from a can (meant for human consumption) should only be given as a rare treat. You're welcome to post another question with the specific type of cat food in question, if you're unsure whether what you have is considered "complete and balanced."

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is OK to feed Bandit tuna and salmon along with his dry food. It is not necessarily "healthier" than wet food. Most commercial cat diets, whether dry or canned/wet, are formulated to be balanced in the appropriate macro- and micronutrients that cats require as part of their daily nutrition. As long as Bandit is eating an appropriate amount of the dry commercial cat food (there should be feeding amounts based on weight on the bag), giving him extra food in the form of tuna and salmon is OK. Just be careful about giving him too many calories, as this can cause him to be overweight. Obesity in cats is linked to many disease processes such as arthritis, diabetes and liver disease. I recommend asking your veterinarian to help you determine the correct amounts of each food that you should be offering Bandit to keep him at a healthy weight. I hope this is helpful!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! As long as it is a good quality diet, these levels are usually kept to a minimum to the point that it is ok to eat it longterm. I recommend brands such as Royal Canin, Purina and Science Diet. Good luck and have a good night!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Raw diets are not safe for pets as they can contain bacteria, like salmonella, which can cause serious health problems. Your cat is not a wild cat and does not need protein only diets. They also need grains and carbohydrates in their diet to be balanced and complete. Most veterinarians recommend the top 4 brands of pet food- Hill's/Science Diet, Purina, Iams, and Royal Canin. We also recommend any diet you chose to have a statement on the bag regarding its use in AAFCO feeding trials and not just formulated according to AAFCO requirements. This means it is used for complete and balanced nutrition for a specific life stage (vs. “intermittent and supplemental feeding” which should be fed only as treat items). This means that the diet has actually been fed to a group of animals and they thrived, instead of someone simply calculating a “good diet” in a computer program. I hope this helps! Kisses to Sweetie!

If your cats have not had any issues with either product then they are probably ok for a treat occasionally for your kitties. The sardines if they contain bones may pose a slight risk as occasionally we can see obstruction or damage to the esophagus or stomach due to bones. If the sardines in tomato sauce have garlic or onion in them, they would not be recommended. Neither food would be recommended as a sole diet however as they wouldn't be a complete and balanced diet for your kitty.

Home prepared diets can be successfully fed to cats but it is important to fully research in order to provide all of the necessary nutrients in appropriate amounts to prevent over or undersupply of nutritional needs. IT is important to consult a trained nutritionist such as the Tufts University clinic which provide a range of well balanced recipes for home prepared food. A complete and balanced prepared diet should be fed with occasional treats otherwise