Can Cats Have Mayo with Tuna?

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Mayo is a great condiment. As a result, if you are feeding tuna to your cat, it is natural for you to ask the question, “Can cats have mayo with tuna?” Generally speaking, the answer seems to be, “No.” Cattime says mayo isn’t poisonous for cats. Even so, it takes a cautious stance on the subject. Likewise, Hepper says mayo contains ingredients that can harm cats. Due to this, if you are feeding tuna to your cat, you should avoid putting any mayo on that tuna.

What Is In Mayo?

The exact origins of mayo are unclear. That seems strange when mayo appeared around the early 19th century, which would be the end of the early modern period. Still, people don’t record everything, so gaps in our understanding of those times aren’t uncommon. There are theories about the origins of mayo. For instance, the most popular of them claim mayo originated in the port of Mahón on the island of Minorca. Unfortunately, they remain theories because there isn’t enough evidence to settle the matter.

In any case, the ingredients of mayo are much more important. HowStuffWorks says it consists of oil, egg yolks, and either vinegar or lemon juice. First, people mix the egg yolks with either vinegar or lemon juice. Then, they add the oil drop by drop while they whisk the mixture. Under normal circumstances, the oil wouldn’t mix with either vinegar or lemon juice. Mayo works because egg yolks are an emulsifier. It is very common for mayo to have other ingredients. Still, these are the basics that interested individuals should always expect.

These ingredients aren’t the best for cats. Most oils aren’t poisonous to cats. However, cats shouldn’t be consuming a lot of oil. In the short run, too much oil can cause gastrointestinal distress; in the long run, too much oil can lead to obesity.

Meanwhile, vinegar and lemon juice can be more problematic. In most cases, cats dislike their smells. That is a good thing rather than a bad thing. Vinegar shouldn’t be harmful to cats, but it provides minimal benefits for cats. The same isn’t true for lemon juice. Every single citrus fruit is poisonous to cats, meaning cat owners should avoid feeding either citrus fruit or citrus fruit-derived products to their feline companions.

As for egg yolks, they should be fine for feline consumption under normal circumstances. Still, interested individuals should keep a couple of things in mind. Commercial mayo uses pasteurized eggs. That makes it safer for consumption because the mild heat kills harmful microorganisms. Homemade mayo uses unpasteurized eggs, which can contain salmonella. Cats can get sick from that just like humans.

What Is In Tuna?

Tunas are saltwater fishes of the tribe Thunnini. It isn’t a particularly big tribe, but it is a surprisingly diverse tribe. The smallest tuna is the bullet tuna, which can reach a length of 1.6 feet. For comparison, the biggest tuna is the Atlantic bluefin tuna, which can reach a length of 15 feet. Regardless, tunas are a popular food for humans, much to the detriment of the tunas themselves.

The Spruce Pets recommends that tuna be an occasional treat for cats. Supposedly, it doesn’t provide cats with all of their needed nutrients. As a result, tuna is best as a small part of a cat’s diet rather than a staple. That is particularly true because cats can get addicted to tuna, which will make it more difficult to feed them anything else.

What Else Should You Keep in Mind About Feeding Tuna to Your Cat?

Here are some other things you should keep in mind about feeding tuna to your cat:

Consult Your Veterinarian

As always, you should consult your veterinarian if you are thinking about feeding your cat something new. They are supposed to have the best understanding of your cat’s health, which makes them the most capable of deciding whether your cat can eat tuna or not. That is important because an individual cat isn’t necessarily capable of eating everything that most cats can eat.

Go For Tuna With Less Mercury

Tunas are carnivores. Moreover, they are carnivores that live for a long time. Thanks to this, tunas can accumulate a fair amount of mercury. What happens is that fish absorb mercury from both their food and their water. Their bodies can get rid of mercury, but their bodies do so at a very slow rate. As a result, tunas can accumulate a fair amount of mercury because they are ingesting more of the chemical from everything they eat. The highest species in their food chains tend to be the most problematic in this regard. That makes it a good idea for people to avoid apex predators such as albacore and bluefin tuna.

Go For Cooked Tuna

If you are going for fresh tuna, you should cook it before you feed it to your cat. Raw fish can contain harmful microorganisms. Furthermore, raw fish can cause a nutritional deficiency in cats because it contains an enzyme called thiaminase that breaks down thiamine.

Go For Canned Tuna in Water

Canned tuna tends to be a bad idea for cats. People often pack it in oil, which isn’t even mentioning the salt and other potential ingredients used for flavor. That kind of canned tuna isn’t good for feline consumption. Instead, go for canned tuna packed in water, which should be safe.

Avoid Problematic Ingredients

We like to flavor our food. Due to this, it is common for cooked tuna to come with other ingredients. Some of those ingredients can be either poisonous or otherwise problematic for cats. If you are cooking tuna for your cat, you should avoid cooking it with anything else to make it easier on yourself. Failing that, you should be very careful when choosing the ingredients for your tuna dish.

Keep Treats to Less than 10 Percent of Daily Calories

Treats should provide less than 10 percent of a cat’s daily calories. This is a general guideline. If veterinarians have something more specific in mind, be sure to listen to their professional thoughts on the matter. They are the ones who should know best about these issues. It is quite literally how they get paid.