Lemon pepper tuna is tuna that has been coated in a combination of lemon zest and cracked black peppercorns. Delicious for humans, and cats will probably find the tuna delicious too. But, is it safe? Can cats eat lemon pepper tuna? We have the answers.
Cats can’t eat lemon pepper tuna. This is because citrus fruits (of which lemon is one) are toxic to cats. While a cat may be able to get away with consuming a small amount of lemon pepper tuna, it probably isn’t worth it. If you own a cat, then you will know just how sensitive their stomachs can be.
Let’s expand upon this a little bit. This is because it isn’t just the lemon part that you need to worry about.
Can Cats Eat Lemon Pepper Tuna?
As we said, lemon (and other citrus fruits) are toxic to cats. In fact, they are toxic to most domestic animals. If your cats ate enough of it, they could potentially die. Although, they would need to eat a lot of it. In most cases, they are just going to get very sick. Think along the lines of an upset stomach.
Surprisingly, black pepper is fine for most cats. It isn’t toxic, although it could irritate their stomach. Your main concern with black pepper is that your cat probably won’t like it. Most cats seem to find the taste of black pepper absolutely revolting. You can literally see the cats cringe when they tuck into it. However, if your cat seems to like the taste, then, by all means, let them have it. It isn’t going to have that much of an impact on them.
The tuna is also OK for cats. However, cats can suffer from a tuna addiction. This means that they want to eat it pretty much all the time. We suppose they do find it that delicious. The problem is that tuna, while a good part of their diet, doesn’t contain everything that they need. If a cat develops a tuna addiction and you only feed them tuna, then it will suffer from a nutritional deficiency.
So, 2 out of 3 of the main ingredients in lemon pepper tuna aren’t going to be great for your cat.
Can Kittens Eat Lemon Pepper Tuna?
Just like adult cats, the answer is still no. You should not feed lemon pepper tuna to your kitten. In fact, we wouldn’t even risk giving your kittens anything other than their normal diet.
As you will likely know, most cats have a very sensitive stomach as it is. Kittens are even worse when it comes to stomach sensitivity.
Kittens are also much smaller than adult cats. This means that it takes less of the lemon to lead to toxicity.
So, don’t even be tempted to give a kitten some lemon pepper tuna. It is never going to end well. It probably won’t kill your kitten, but it will make them sick.
What To Do If Your Cat Has Eaten Lemon Pepper Tuna
Most of the time, you aren’t going to need to do anything. If your cat has consumed only a small amount of lemon pepper tuna, then keep a watchful eye on them.
If they appear sick, or their behavior changes, then take them to the vet as soon as you can.
Can Cats Eat Flavored Tuna?
No. If you are going to give your cats tuna, then you should ensure that it is pure tuna. No oil either. Cats are carnivores. Their stomachs aren’t really designed to handle anything other than meat.
Furthermore, it is important to remember that not all flavors are created equal. Some flavors, like garlic or onion, can be toxic to cats. So, it’s best to not choose a flavored tuna and just stick to pure tuna.
How Often Can You Give Your Cat Tuna?
We wouldn’t recommend that you give your cat tuna more than once or twice per week. Ideally, the only time they should be eating tuna is if they are eating a tuna-flavored cat food. Too much tuna can cause mercury poisoning, so it is important to limit the amount of tuna you give your cat.
Final Thoughts
Cats should not be eating lemon pepper tuna. The lemon isn’t good for them. Too much lemon is going to be toxic. In addition to this, a cat can develop a tuna addiction. If you give them too much tuna, then this may be the only thing that they want to eat. If they only ever eat tuna, then they will suffer from malnutrition. If your cat has accidentally eaten lemon pepper tuna, then keep a close eye on them.
Does your cat love Tuna? If so how, how often do you feed them it? Let us know in the comment section below and be sure to checkout our cat nutrition page to findout what other foods your cat can and can’t eat