Kitchen · cat safety
Can cats live on tuna or fish alone?
Moderate
Fish now and then is fine, but an only-tuna or only-oily-fish diet can cause yellow fat disease (pansteatitis), a painful, feverish illness. Feed a complete cat food and keep fish as a treat.
Why moderate: Oily-fish-only diets can cause painful 'yellow fat disease'.
- Name
- Tuna- or fish-only dietalso Canned tuna, Sardines
What's in it
Too much unsaturated fat with too little vitamin E.
Where it hides
- Canned tuna or sardines as the main food
- Canned fish made for people
Symptoms to watch for
- Not wanting to move
- Pain when touched
- Fever
- Poor appetite
What to do
See your vet if a fish-fed cat seems sore to touch or feverish.
- Vary the diet; use food labelled complete for cats.
Where Indian cats meet it
Homes that feed canned tuna or sardines every day.
Sources
Facts last checked
General information for cat parents, not a diagnosis or a treatment plan. The facts come from ASPCA, Pet Poison Helpline, International Cat Care, the Merck Veterinary Manual and the other sources listed on every page — and we say so when the evidence comes from dogs or people. If your cat may have eaten something harmful, call your vet.