Is it true that a male cat SHOULD NOT eat any fish wet foods as it causes crystals in the urinary tract?

Question

My male cat only likes canned fish varieties. Tuna is his favorite.

A good friend of mine who is a volunteer at a S.T.A.R.T(a cat rescue group) told me fish is not good for male cats.. I would be grateful for any input regarding this subject.

Answer 1

it can be true in cats already prone to crystals as fish has high levels of magnesium, which causes crystals. also it has high levels of mercury these days due to pollution so i don't feed it to my cat any more

Answer 2

I feed tuna to my cat every day and he is just fine. In fact I have done it every day for about 8 yrs now and he is getting old but still healthy.

Answer 3

Fish "flavors" are not recommended as a daily staple. However it's dry food that's really the culprit of most male blockages. I would rater you feed your cat a canned fish diet only, that to see you feed hin a dry diet only.

Cats were never meant to eat dry food, also known as cereals or kibble. We, humans, make them eat it for convenience to us. It has nothing to do with them or their nutritional needs. It's completely species inappropriate.

All small domestic cats descended from desert cats. In the wild, desert cats derive their entire liquid intake from their prey. They do not have a thirst mechanism because they don't need it when eating a species appropriate diet. They get all they need from what they eat. Additionally water was usually not available to them in their desert climate. So they do not often drink water. Regular ol' house cats have descended from those same wild desert cats.

So in a home environment, your kitty does not get the moisture it needs from dry food and it’s almost always in a constant state of dehydration. Water fountains are encouraged to TRY to get your cat to drink more and your kitty may even enjoy it, but it will never meet its water intake needs drinking from a bowl.

Deadly feline illnesses such as diabetes, kidney failure, obesity, allergies, Irritable Bowel Disease (IBD), bladder stones, kidney stones,  urinary tract blockages and Urinary Tract Infections (FLUTD), with and without deadly crystals run rampant these days. Cats are not taking in enough water to stave them off. Proper water intake through a species appropriate diet alone can prevent most of these conditions.

Overall,  wet is all around better for any cats diet, be it canned or Raw and they should never be fed dry cereal kibble if we wish to most closely match their wild nutritional and dietary needs. Kibble meets our needs… not our cats.

Answer 4

I haven't heard it (might be true).  I'd be more concerned about the mercury in fish.  I suggest feeding him only a few bites of tuna a day.  Don't give him a whole can.  (In fact, the amount he eats per week should probably only equal one can.)

Answer 5

You might want to go to: http://www.littlebigcat.com and read Dr. Jean Hovfe's article titled "Why Fish is Dangerous for Cats".

Answer 6

Hi

No that is not true. Fish does however have high phosphorus levels and the percentage of fish dishes you feed during the week should be kept to a minimum