Tuna isn't proper diet for cats

By NANCY PARADIS

© St. Petersburg Times, published May 14, 2000

I have recently become aware that people tuna is cheaper than cat food. A neighbor recently told me that feeding cats people tuna was dangerous and not healthy for them. Is there any truth to this? Roger Smith

Response: The short answer is yes. Clearwater veterinarian Richard Brancato said that though most domestic cats do enjoy fish, feeding them a diet of only tuna can cause serious disorders.

Although it is high in protein, tuna lacks sufficient amounts of certain amino acids, mainly taurine, to maintain feline health. There is insufficient calcium to balance the phosphorus; the ratio in canned tuna is 1-to-14.8. This results in bone disease.

Many essential vitamins such as A and most B vitamins are also lacking, Brancato said. A common disease in cats fed a mainstay of canned tuna is steatitis, or yellow fat disease, an inflammation of the fat tissue in the body due to a deficiency of vitamin E.

All in all, an occasional treat of canned tuna is fine. Just don't make it your cat's steady diet.

Gym contract

I have a contract with Gold's Gym on 34th Street S in St. Petersburg. When inquiring about my renewal rates, I was quoted both a one-year and a two-year rate by the manager, Tony. I was told that a one-year renewal would be $299 plus tax and a two-year renewal would be $498 plus tax. Tony was not there when I first tried to sign a contract, and the acting manager told me that there was also a $20 fee. When questioned, he said it was to help pay for the club's new renovations.

I called another Gold's Gym, knowing it didn't have recent renovations, in hopes to avoid paying the extra $20. The representative there, Brian, reported that he would need to contact Tony in order to give me renewal information and that the $20 was a processing and handling fee. In a return phone call, Brian said that the $20 fee could not be avoided. He explained that it enabled me to use any one of the gyms in the area.

I made arrangements to meet with Tony to renew my contact on the morning of April 30. Having two children under the age of 2, things do not always go as planned and, needless to say, I didn't make it to the gym. My next opportunity was Sunday morning.

Because Tony was not there, I dealt with the acting manager, Al. He had been told I was due to come in and was ready to fill out a contract. I requested a two-year contract and, when asked, told Al the price I had been quoted. The final price with tax was $555.33, for which I wrote a check.

Later that day, Gold's called and said another $100 was owed if I wanted the contract to be enforced. I made three attempts to contact Tony before getting through. He said I had mistaken his original quoted amount and owed more money. I asked why I was allowed to sign a contract with an incorrect amount, and he told me the acting manager didn't know what he was doing. I replied that it wasn't up to me to ensure that his staff was trained and that I had a signed contract. He said he would not honor the contract. I feel Gold's should not be allowed to let this go uncorrected. Susan Ulrich

Response: Tony Metas, manager and part owner of Gold's Gym St. Petersburg South, said he told you from the start that the $498 renewal rate for 24 months was valid only if your husband was still a member of the gym. He has not been a member since December 1998. In an attempt to maintain your business and keep you happy, Metas said he offered you an annual rate of $319, the $299 12-month membership and a $20 processing/card fee. During the conversation he had with you about renewal rates, he said, he stated in no uncertain terms that the $498 24-month renewal would not be possible since you are no longer an add-on to your spouse's membership. This is in your original contract.

After this conversation, you called the 38th Avenue N location in St. Petersburg to further investigate the renewal rate. You spoke with Brian, who repeated that the $20 processing fee is simply a cost of doing business and that whatever rate you had been quoted at the 34th Street S location was the one you needed to pay, since that location is nearer to your residence and more likely to be used by you.

On Saturday morning, April 29, Metas said you called him to say you would be coming in within half an hour to renew. You never showed up.

The following morning, you came into the gym and told the representative that you would like to renew at the $498, 24-month rate. Metas said the representative was under the impression that this was all worked out, so he agreed and simply processed the paperwork. With as many members as the gym has, he said, there is no way the staff can be kept abreast of every person's renewal situation. When the representative called in his report during the day, Metas said he told him to call you back and tell you that the membership you signed was not what was agreed upon and that he would be in touch the next morning. Metas said he has returned your check but nonetheless hopes to have you as a continuing member.

With regard to your claim that you have a signed contract, we note on the copy you sent us that it was not signed by the business.

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