The answer to the question in the title is YES but please read the article and feel free to chip in especially if you are an expert nutritionist. Comments are welcome. Compared to animal proteins, it is said that some plant proteins are incomplete in terms of amino acids and when we talk about proteins …
Are plant proteins as good as animal proteins for cats? Read More »
Following the publication of a study about the health benefits of a vegan diet for domestic cats, the news media have jumped on the bandwagon and published headlines which I fear will be misleading to many people. I have written about this study which you can read by clicking on this link. It’s not a …
High quality dry cat food results in a cat pooping ‘normally’ in the cat litter box whereas low quality dry food can lead to poor quality, smelly poop and frequent pooping (see below for more details). This diagnostic method requires the use of a litter tray which is not always available to owners of indoor/outdoor …
How do I know if I’m feeding my cat good quality dry cat food? Read More »
Online currently there is a GeoBeats story about an adorable cat called Pugsley who when adopted from a rescue center was orange. It was an extreme case of tyrosine deficiency due to him being on a very unbalanced diet for a long time before he entered the shelter (on my assessment). Normally black cats go …
Cats that change colour from orange to black and black to orange Read More »
The internet provides discombobulated information on this topic! For example, the website Excited Cats tells me that cats like salt. They like the taste of it they say. And of course, a modicum of salt (sodium chloride) is necessary for body functions. I’m not sure that they are right that cats like salt because a …
Do domestic cats like the taste of salt? Plus info on flavour and odour enhancers. Read More »
Taurine has been discussed a lot on the internet in the context of the domestic cat’s diet as it is an essential nutrient. For cats a diet lacking in sufficient quantities of taurine can lead to taurine deficiency the symptoms of which can include feline taurine retinopathy, or more commonly, feline central retinal degeneration (FCRD). …
Taurine is essential for cat health AND it may extend the lives of humans Read More »
My favourite author, Dr. Desmond Morris, in his book Catlore, states that cats cannot survive on a vegetarian diet and one reason for that statement is that cats “can only obtain [taurine] by eating animal proteins” i.e. flesh. And without taurine a domestic cat will become blind. Early disclaimer: I am not for or against …
Domestic cats can only get their taurine through eating animal proteins. True or false? Read More »
In general terms, the answer to the two questions in the title are (a) yes and (b) yes but it depends upon the food quality. Eating cat food to save money is not a long-term solution and it is not ideal. And people tend to store cat food less well than they do human food …
Introduction Raw meat properly handled, stored and prepared with correct supplements to ensure that it is balanced and complete is arguably the best cat food as cats are obligate carnivores as we all know but few people are in a position to successfully serve it up to their cats. There are strong arguments from afficionados …
The experts are unsure why but the snow leopard living on the high plains of the Hindu Kush and the rocky, scree slopes of the Himalayas eats a large amount of vegetation, far more it seems that is typical of the cat species. Fiona Sunquist writing in Wild Cats of the World by Mel and …
Snow leopards eat a large quantity of vegetation Read More »
The experts at the Clinical Nutrition Service say that “The yearly costs ranged from $86 to over $2,100” when assessing the price range of wet and dry cat foods in the United States. The infographic below shows the range. It is entirely based on their assessment. The cheapest dry food costs 23 cents a day …
Expensive cat food can be 25 times more expensive than the cheapest. Is it worth it? Read More »
Why do domestic cats eat the heads of mice that they catch? The answer is simple: it’s nutritious food. The domestic cat does not differentiate between different parts of the body except for one part which is the gallbladder because it’s too bitter. It contains bile. Often domestic cats will leave it behind. But in …
Summary: Before the 1980s pet food was not great. Due to ignorance, it did not contain all the required nutrients for cats. They had to hunt to ensure they had a balanced diet containing the nutrients they needed. The title to this article might surprise people. It surprised me when I read about this in …
Domestic cats had to hunt before the 1980s to obtain the correct nutrients Read More »
Introduction: this is quite technical. It is essentially saying that a domestic cat’s diet should be altered to take into account the cat’s bodyweight and body composition in terms of lean tissue and fat as reflected in the cat’s ability to digest fat and protein which varies throughout their life. We know that commercially prepared …
3 life stages of the domestic cat in terms of body weight and nutrient requirements Read More »
Sometimes domestic cats like to chew or lick plastic bags. It looks troublesome but the more likely reason is that the bag is made of cornstarch which is edible. The bag is also biodegradable. Nowadays they even make bags which are fit for human consumption and they can be broken down into a liquid and …
Domestic cats sometimes lick and eat plastic bags because they are made of cornstarch Read More »
