It is time, right now, that you start to pay close attention to the ingredient list on the pet foods that you buy at the store. This article is dedicated to that need and what you learn here will forever change your attitude about commercial pet food. We have already seen what happened last year on the pet food recall due to using contaminated melamine as a protein source.
That is just the tip of the iceberg as to what also goes on in the manufacture of pet foods. There are some other things that are just as bad if not worse and the sad thing is we pet owners spend a huge amount of money feeding our pets poor quality food that will eventually affect your pet's health and life span.
Seems odd that just a few months ago I was blogging about homemade cat toys and condo's and now I am pursuing the value of commercial cat food. In a past blog I had quoted several veterinarians, that cats did not produce enzymes to digest grains in their feed. Yet almost every can, pouch, or bag lists some type of grain, (wheat, corn, oat, or rice).
There is also evidence that feeding cats grains will cause stress to the kidneys causing renal failure. There are also other kinds of carbohydrates in the ingredient list that have no value to a cat's nutrition such as soy and potato. One has to ask the question why do they use this and the answer is cost. It is cheaper to add grain protein so the nutrition values look good on paper but have nothing to do with a proper diet for a carnivore.
This is all filler so for your cat to have the proper level of good usable protein it would have to consume two to three times more than recommended on the label. You get the picture real quick, make it cheaper and feed the cat more so you buy more frequently. The almighty dollar comes before your pet's health and that is what is wrong with the pet food business.
This is not a highly regulated business like human food so a lot of cheap sources of protein are used and unfortunately are not good for your pet's health. Oh, but it is so convenient to pop open the can or scoop out the dry pellets without much fuss or mess. This is great and easy for us but not so great for your pet and its health.
Over the last two months I have been blogging about feeding your dog or cat a natural or raw food diet supplementing or reducing the amount of commercial food. There are several brands that are grain free that can be considered but watch out for another nasty protein additive.
This one is gross if not criminal in my mind and that is using protein from rendering plants and replacing good fresh protein with another cheap source. It is usually listed as protein concentrate, bone and protein meal, protein byproducts, or any other non-specific animal protein wording. What I mean is the obvious words like protein from chicken, beef, or fish are not listed meaning this comes from many sources.
Because the pet food industry is not highly regulated this rendered protein and fats are considered acceptable sources of feed for animals. It consists of sick or diseased animals not fit for human consumption and can even be "road kill" animals or worse euthanized cats and dogs from the pound or shelters.
At this point I am totally grossed out and perhaps cooking for my pets is not such a chore after all. Most of it can be fed raw or just heated so it is warm and not to cold. Also I have noticed some smaller businesses starting to produce quality pet food for your convenience. Yes it may cost more but less is needed per feeding compared to other cheaper commercial products.
Artificial additives such as flavoring and color plus the addition of preservatives to extend shelf life of the feed up to two years is not what I would consider as healthy additives. I can understand why it is in the feed but you need to ask yourself what will be the consequences of using these products and how much will it cost in future medical bills.
There is more to learn about what to do to protect your pet and the proper diet you can make in your home. Please visit my web site http://cattoysandcondos.com for more information and resources. I have been raising cats for over thirty years and have a wealth of information to share with you.
The site covers homemade cat toys and condos to your cat's diet and disposition. Follow me on Facebook and Twitter as well. Please leave comments, questions or concerns at the end of each blog. I blog all about cats at http://cattoysandcondos.com and if you find this web site useful please donate at the tip jar because all proceeds go to the animal shelter to help place pets into good homes.
