Mercury in cat food?

[cattailgal]

My cat currently will only eat the fish/seafood variety of Merrick canned food.  I've tried many "premium" foods.  I'm concerned about mercury levels - Merrick says their fish are "farm raised" and meet USDA standards.  Does anyone have any info on this?

TIA,

KC

[Bonkers]

From what I know is that farmed fish is often fed commercial food along with antibiotics to prevent them from developing diseases. Salmon is often fed food that contains food coloring to keep the fish a nice pink color. IMO wild caught fish is best. Here is a list from the FDA that tells the mercury levels of various fish and shellfish. http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~frf/sea-mehg.html

[kaffe]

I also read several articles a year ago that claimed farm-raised fish to have higher mercury levels than deep sea wild fish.  Also, in general, the lower in the food chain the fish are, the lower the mercury levels.  So, sardines will have a lower mercury levels than say tuna.

[GreyGhost]

I have read the same. Farm raised usually has more mercury than wild.

[Bonkers]

  Why Fish Is Dangerous To Cats by Jean Hofve, DVM.   "Fish may not be safe to feed to cats. Predatory fish at the top of the food chain, such as tuna and salmon, may contain very elevated levels of heavy metals (including mercury) as well as PCBs, pesticides, and other toxins. Tilefish (listed on pet food labels as "ocean whitefish") are among the worst contaminated, along with king mackerel, shark, and swordfish. These fish are so toxic that the FDA advises that women of child-bearing age and children should avoid them entirely'; and they recommend only 1 serving of albacore tuna per week due to its high mercury levels. If these fish are dangerous to children, cats are at even more risk!"

http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=whyfishisdangerousforcats