Why are so many people giving their cats food they shouldn't have?

Question

While I understand giving your baby the occasional treat, I'm appalled at the number of people here who regularly give their cats rice, wheat, or corn based food, or vegetable or dairy. When was the last time any of you saw a lion on the Discovery Channel who was munching on a root?? Cats eat MEAT and nothing else...they are pure carnivore and need the Taurine in meat to live. Filling them with the rest of aforementioned garbage will only lead to long-term health problems. Am I right or what??

I include FISH in as a meat for cats.

Yes, I know cats eat grass for digestion...but what I'm talking about is what OWNERS feed their animals. A cat eating grass has nothing to do with the human food cats are regularly given. Cats have no need for carbs whatsoever and corn, wheat & rice should NOT be in their diets.

Answer 1

That's why I do a home-made raw meat diet (with a supplement powder) with my cats.

People don't read the ingredient labels on the bags of food they buy and pick the food up at the grocery store because of the convenience and lack of interest in educating themselves about what is appropriate for cats. Even a quality dry food is not a good diet for a cat because cats are constantly dehydrated on dry food which causes early urinary and long-term kidney problems. Grains are also responsible for the continual puking and hairballs so many people complain about on cat questions.

Like with the tobacco companies who for years lied to people about the harmful effects of smoking, people who feed their cats these inappropriate foods are the victims of national advertising. The pet food manufacturers put more money into advertising than they do into the quality of their food.

My particular quibble is with Science Diet (the most expensive of the cheap foods). There is no "science" in this food at all. It is poor quality meat protein and 2/3 corn.

Answer 2

When was the last time you kept a Lion in your house? You can't equate the nutritional needs of a wild animal to that of a domestic pet especially indoor cats. Wild animals have different nutritional values than meat purchased in a supermarket or butchers.
Many things affect their lifestyle such as temperature, lighting, reduced activity and especially that they always have food available. In the wild a cat has to hunt for it's food and can go days sometimes weeks without a meal.
Rice and wheat are added to aid digestion and are far better than corn. By-products can be heads, feet and intestines, use chicken or lamb meal which doesn't have those in.
Kittens, Adults and Seniors all have different nutritional needs. There are many good products for Weight Mangaement, Hairball Control etc. etc. I use Royal Canin and Nutro, both excellent products and have 2 very fit and healthy 3 year olds and a fit and healthy 6 month old kitten.
By feeding a Premium (not supermarket canned food) dry food you're assuring the health of your cat.

Answer 3

I rely on what scientific information my veterinarian provides for me. While I can understand your concerns, your comparison between lions in the wild and domestic house cats contains one minor flaw. Lions expend a lot of energy to get what food they can, since there isn't some overlord with a giant can opener making sure the lions all get their kibbles. Consequently, they need all those extra calories from the meat in their diets.
"Fluffy" the sweet little housepet, on the other hand, doesn't need to worry about where her next meal is coming from and so does not necessarily need to devote energy (and calories) towards catching her next meal.
This means that there are some commercial cat foods that cater to cats that are overweight or who have problems with hairballs. Some of those cat food products contain ingredients other than meat. It isn't necessarily that owners are indulging their pets by giving them rice cakes instead of raw steak; rather, owners are trying to make sure their cats stay as healthy as possible.

As for treats (which should be a now and then kinda thing) imagine how you would feel if you only ate corn flakes for three meals a day every day for the rest of your life. Wouldn't you find that boring? Cats are no different.

Now, imagine a cat whose cholesterol level is high or who has diabetes or is just plain fat. Do you think it would be sane to then give her fat-laden, saturated fat riddled meat 'cause cats are carnivores'? Come on!

Answer 4

I feed my cats meat but I read somewhere for something I don't remember what they recommened feeding the cat white rice and chicken (for diahrrea maybe) my cat eats bugs and grass (on his own) and he also eats doritos and man just about everything else that we eat. He loves peanut butter to. He only has these things as a treat every once in a while and he loves it and he is perfectly healthy. So I mean I don't know if you are talking about treats or just the regular food but that's how my cat eats.

Answer 5

Cats eat grass. They do this in order to obtain folic acid, which aids in the production of haemoglobin. If a cat is lacking folic acid, it can become anemic. A lot of cat foods include vitamins and things like folic acid, in order to promote better health in the cat. Domesticated felines are not the same as lions... they're domestic and require a much different diet. Having said that, though, lions do munch on grass and brush in order to stimulate haemoglobin production, as well.

Answer 6

A lot of people are old school and live out on farms where they give their cats a little corn meal kibble and let them hunt the rest. The rest is lack of priority.

Answer 7

True..
But I also know that my cats will choose to go to the compost pile and retrieve scraps of dinner, such as rice and other things, they do carry certain vitiamins and minerals helpful to the cat, and if the animal doesnt have a problem eating it, why not let it...

Answer 8

Diabetes is usually treated through a combination of diet (low sugar), exercise and medications/insulin. Read here https://tr.im/0M425
Milder cases can be controlled with just diet an/or exercise while more severe cases require meds or insulin as well.

Answer 9

cats should only eat cat food and not scrapes from the table I agree cats are not vegetarians only meat eaters and I got my food from the vet yes it was more costly but it was what the vet suggested for my cats
thank you

Answer 10

YES, YOU ARE RIGHT !! I agree with you. Cats are not vegetarians, or do they need to be eating foods with "fillers" in them. If only others would see and understand this !!