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Old July 24th, 2015, 07:56 PM
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RUSTYcat RUSTYcat is offline
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Hi PonyPile and welcome to the forum !

Quote:
Originally Posted by PonyPile View Post

my main question is, is fresh, wild salmon that is safe for human consumption safe for cat consumption
The answer: ABSOLUTELY NOT !!!!!!!!!!!!!

You may have found "mixed reviews".........but.......what you didn't find is that, a diet with a large component of unsaturated fatty acids can cause a very serious, painful and potentially fatal disease in cats. It's called Steatitis or "Yellow Fat Disease":

Quote:
Yellow Fat Disease in Cats

Steatitis, also referred to as yellow fat disease, is a disorder characterized by marked inflammation of adipose (fat) tissue and the deposition of wax pigment in between layers of adipose tissue in cats.

It is caused by an overabundance of unsaturated fatty acids in the food and a deficiency of vitamin E and most commonly affects cats and mink. The disease affects both males and females – young, plump or well fed individuals – and is most prevalent in individuals that have had fish or fish by-products as all or part of their diet.

Steatitis in Cats - PetPlace.com
(no need to 'register' - click no on the annoying pop-up)
This is a very painful condition - the cat will not be able to tolerate being touched...it's just horrible. That article describes the symptoms - you should carefully consider whether your kitten may be showing any of them.

You can also read about one case in this pathology summary: (Case #3) Armed Forces Institute of Pathology - Archive

REASON # 2 FOR NO SALMON AS "MAIN DIET"...
is the lack of Taurine in fish. Taurine is an amino acid that's absolutely essential to a cat's food intake (cats are unique in their inability to 'make' Taurine)....without it, permanent blindness results (retinal degeneration occurs) and heart disease develops. The retinal damage may well be the first to occur - and, that's a silently developing condition...you'll have no idea until it has happened - and, it's not curable. You can read more about Taurine as a must-have for cats here: Taurine in Cats - VCA Animal Hospitals

I have no idea how long you've been feeding fish as her main diet...if it's only been a week or so, immediately discontinuing may be all you need to do....that said, it seems she's really young, so my best advice would be to have her see the Vet. It might be that a short course of Vitamin E and supplemental Taurine (health food store capsules are fine, sprinkle the powder into wet foods) would be best....ask the Vet.

As for the bones, I wouldn't be feeding any raw fish bones to a cat - they're simply too fine and the obstruction risk too great.

FWIW here's some extra reading about feeding fish to cats: Fish - Tanya's "Oracle"

If you're interested in feeding your kitten raw foods - or, even homemade, there's a really good online forum with lots of knowledgeable help right here: Raw and Home-Cooked Cat Food - TCS

And, finally, if you want to ensure a full, healthy life for your kitten, ditch the dry foods: Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition
Lisa A. Pierson, DVM


Hope you pick this up - it's more than a week since you posted - and I hope some of it helps !

(you know, we never refuse pictures...especially of kittens !)
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