http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/cat_ca… - I just read that article and it claims you can feed your cat commercial food, yet this other one claims you should not http://www.catinfo.org/ . Who is right in YOUR OPINION? I am inclined to caninfo since it makes sense that cats are carnivores not rice/grain eaters, however, the "Humane Society of the United States" says it is right... Another thing I found is that most pet food contains "animal-by products", I read what that means and is not very nice. It is dead animals not fit for human consumption. This can include bones, intestines, beaks, feathers, fish bones, blood etc... (do the research). Seriously, I don't think I want to feed my cat any of that. Truth is, if I won't eat it, why should my cat.
There are not thumbs up or down on this question cause at the end its just an opinion. I will award points to whoever answers first thoroughly. I just want to get additional feedback and possibly other sites I can look at to support both views.
It would be interesting to know if any of you work at a pet food manufacturer and what you have to say.
Thanx
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Show me another »Who is right hsus.org or catinfo.org?
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Just in case someone asks. I'm not here to argue, debate, or contradict anyone. I own fish and always try to replicate their natural environment...even food. I have found many things that people put their fish through just because they think of them as "ornaments". They use bowls and sometimes don't even provide them with the basics to let them live a nice life.
I think we have the responsibility as pet owners to understand that pets are not humans and should not treat them as such. This includes their eating habits. I have never owned cats before and should have researched this long before I got them, but I thought I was doing a good thing by "caring" for them when nobody else wanted them.
Im here in search of more information and how I can do the best for my cats Mumble and Cookie... Here is their pic http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cf…
I think we have the responsibility as pet owners to understand that pets are not humans and should not treat them as such. This includes their eating habits. I have never owned cats before and should have researched this long before I got them, but I thought I was doing a good thing by "caring" for them when nobody else wanted them.
Im here in search of more information and how I can do the best for my cats Mumble and Cookie... Here is their pic http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cf…
1 year ago
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The Humane Society works mainly with vets on health information. Vets are not nutritionists. Catinfo gets information from nutritionists who have studied extensively on cat's nutritional needs. Their information is current and sensible. Not to put down vets, but they don't have alot of training in nutrition and basically recommend what they were taught in their 3 hour nutrition course (which was taught by a pet food manufacturer). Their recommendations tend to come from whatever company taught the class.
As far as by-products, I worked at a poultry processor. I had to walk past the *gut trucks* on the way to my office. Those trucks were loaded with every part of the chicken we couldn't use for human consumption. They weren't even refrigerated and after sitting for a day or so in the hot sun, the stench was nauseating. I would never pour that into my pet's food bowls.
Another site which might interest you is http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?ac… The articles on nutrition have good info and there's even one which explains why dry food won't clean your cat's teeth (a very common misconception).
As far as affording premium food, it's much more affordable to feed a good diet than to pay the vet for expensive tests and treatments for conditions caused by improper feeding. I also find that by feeding a good diet, I don't buy as much cat litter (less waste) and I buy less food (it takes less of a good food for the cat to feel satisfied after eating).
As far as by-products, I worked at a poultry processor. I had to walk past the *gut trucks* on the way to my office. Those trucks were loaded with every part of the chicken we couldn't use for human consumption. They weren't even refrigerated and after sitting for a day or so in the hot sun, the stench was nauseating. I would never pour that into my pet's food bowls.
Another site which might interest you is http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?ac… The articles on nutrition have good info and there's even one which explains why dry food won't clean your cat's teeth (a very common misconception).
As far as affording premium food, it's much more affordable to feed a good diet than to pay the vet for expensive tests and treatments for conditions caused by improper feeding. I also find that by feeding a good diet, I don't buy as much cat litter (less waste) and I buy less food (it takes less of a good food for the cat to feel satisfied after eating).
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Other Answers (8)
- Cats are carnivores. However, when they catch a rodent or bird, they consume the contents of the stomach, which is filled with whatever that animal ate - grass, nuts, etc.
Although I feed my cat commercial food ( Royal Canin prescription diet for urinary stones ), I am beginning to think it's not good for her. I suspect the commercial food she was eating before caused the problem with stones in the first place.
I need to more research though. - I agree with the catinfo one as well. Yes, of course cats can eat commercial food with bad things like brewers yeast and rice and roadkill in it, but that doesn't mean they SHOULD. These foods have been shown many times to lead to pretty much all feline health problems (including diabetes and obesity). And a lot of people argue that higher protein/low carb foods (so, higher end foods) increase constipation in cats, but that's only if they don't get enough water. To combat this, you could feed them great quality wet food. Higher end foods also aren't fortified with a ton of fillers and preservatives - these aren't good for people and they're not good for our pets either. Foods like Evo (which I feed my cats) do include things like tomatoes and apples, but those are further down on the list (and preceeded by exceptional quality meats) - foods such as these mimic the actual diet of a cat in the wild, not one that science dreamt up so that people could feed their cats cheaply, with no regards to their health.
Also on this note, I don't agree with feeding your cat a vegan cat food either. I'm vegan, but my cat isn't naturally able to do that - and make that choice - like I am. They're made to eat meat (along with a few fruits/veggies) and to me forcing on them a diet full of only vegetables is awful, especially because to give them all the nutrients they need you have to provide them with a lot of supplemental things - a cat shouldn't have to do that! - Just a quick clarification since so many people are confused about what by-products are.
If you have a food label that says "beef" it is often lower quality than one that says "beef by-products."
By-products DO NOT include hooves, fur, teeth, etc.
If the label simply says "beef" it can include any part of the cow including it's hair and hooves. Gross!
To answer your question, both articles are correct.
HSUS is right - your cat CAN eat commercial cat food. The cat will live and be "fine."
Catinfo.org is also right - some foods are better than others and if you can afford a high-quality cat food, it's good thing to do. I personally feed my cat Evo. It is grain-free. Even the dry food is grain free. - carnivore
- Just FYI, HSUS is basically PETA, but under the guise of the humane society. I wouldn't believe anything they stated if you paid me to.
http://www.corn-utopia.com/Corn%20Utopia…
http://www.veterinarypracticenews.com/ve…
http://www.arbreptiles.com/extremists.sh…
http://www.activistcash.com/organization…
I'd much sooner trust anything catinfo.org had to say than HSUS.
Some commercial diets are fine to feed- you just have to find the quality ones amongst all the crap. For people who can't feed raw for whatever reason, companies such as Wellness, Innova, Solid Gold, Natural Balance and Blue Buffalo create diets made of meat that contain no corn, soy, wheat, gluten or animal byproducts.
Kudos to you for actually taking interest in your cats' diet. I saw your question the other day and where most people would have gotten offended, you actually took the advice and are doing more research.
Best of luck in your research! - if you feed your cat a high quality food like Wellness or EVO, it is human quality food. just about anything else will have corn and animal by products and other fillers that shouldn't be consumed. the cheaper food is cheaper because they skimp on the quality and the animals who eat that crap (I feel sorry for them) are going to end up having higher vet bills and more illness etc.
when it comes to pet food, you get what you pay for. - Hi there,
Interesting question.
Actually catinfo's information is far more accurate. Cats are obligate carnivores and do require meat ( and high quality meat without grain and by-products) to maintain optimum health.
We are learning every day that grain, and high carbohydrates are not the best nutrition for cats. Most of these ingredients are added to provide protein, but vegetable protein is not digested well by cats, so it is actually just a filler in low end cat foods.
While big cats in the wild will hunt prey and prey may have vegetable matter in their stomachs ( such as herbivores) big cats prefer the muscle and organ meat of their prey as the first choice.
While HSUS does some really good things for animal protection, they are apparently not experts in the nutritional department, because if they were they would not recommend products containing grain and by-products.
For another excellent read about nutrition and the reasons for providing a high quality meat protein diet for cats, visit:
http://maxshouse.com/feline_nutrition.ht…
It has been through meeting people who are knowledgeable about proper feline diets that I have changed my feeding program with my cats. It has been very rewarding to see my cats become a lot healthier, and more fit since we made those changes from low end commercial diets to all meat, moist, grainless products.
Hope this helps,
Troublesniffer
Owned by cats for over 40 years
Member: Cat Writer's Association - HSUS recommend feeding high quality commercial food while catinfo.org helps you find out what is considered high quality and which diet is better suited for your cats. Therefore, there is no wrong or right with the information. The way I see it, HSUS only touches the surface on what to feed your cats while catinfo.or digs deeper.
So if anyone were to look into doing research on what to feed one's cat, of course catinfo.org would be a better site to turn to, as the information provided by HSUS is too vague.
Catinfo.org did not state that one should never feed Commercial prepared diet, but rather, it points out the danger of feeding DRY commercial diet. Commercial can food is acceptable as long as it contains wholesome muscle meat, no by products and as little grains as possible. There is a chapter in catinfo.org on how to transition from dry food to can food.
So, as an educated consumer, it is really our responsibility to sort through a myriad of information available on the net and to make decisions based on what makes more sense and who gives the better argument. I am glad that you have decided to research into feline nutrition and trust me, the more you sort through the information, the better you will be at choosing what to feed Mumble and Cookie.
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