On TV and in magazines there are all kinds of ads by food manufacturers claiming their food is healthy and good for you. Companies that manufacture pet food run similar ads.
I’m not going to tell humans how to eat. They are omnivores (they can eat meat as well as vegetables and grains). But cats and dogs are carnivores (meat eaters). We are created to eat meat. Our bodies are designed specifically for this purpose. Our teeth are made for tearing and chewing meat – not for grinding grass or grains like cows and other herbivores (vegetation eaters).
Our stomachs and system produce enzymes to help digest and assimilate (absorb and distribute) the proteins and nutrients in meats and some vegetables. That is why pet food made with grains as fillers are not healthy for us in the long run. We won’t die from hunger but our bodies will not live as long with a poor diet just as human bodies on a diet of junk food are prone to poor health.
There are pets that are herbivores, Guinea pigs, hamsters, and rabbits for instance. Their bodies would not be healthy with a diet of meat. In fact their teeth are not equipped to properly tear and chew it and their stomachs would not produce the right enzymes to digest meat.
Rats, opossums, and raccoons are omnivores and can eat meats, vegetables, fruit, grass and grain.
So, why do some manufacturers of dog and cat food put grains and fillers into the food? Because it reduces their cost to make it. When you shop for your pet gerbil or bird you can purchase food specifically for them at the pet store. And for the most part that will be healthy for them because the food herbivores eat are pretty inexpensive ingredients.
When shopping for food for your dog or cat often the price tag and not the ingredients may be the primary factor in what is purchased. I urge you to read the label. If you see corn, rice, wheat or oats in the top part of the list of ingredients please think again before buying it.
You would never see a cat eating an ear of corn or Rice Krispies. Why? because they know instinctively that that is not good food for them. If it’s all ground into some meat by-product it tastes okay to them, they can eat it and it will satisfy their hunger but it is not the best nutrition for their long term health.
I see more and more brands that are “grain free” and that’s good. They cost a little more but if you don’t feed your pet the healthiest food they will develop health issues and what you save on food now will be spent at the vet later.
My favorite food is Stella and Chewy’s Yummy Lickin’ Salmon and Chicken. I prefer the crunchy chunks of this freeze dried raw meat. Sometimes my human re-hydrates it by adding some warm water but I really like it dry best. I’m good at drinking water so it’s okay but many cats aren’t. In the wild cats get most of their water from the fresh meat they eat. Always make sure your pet has fresh clean water easily available.
My cat friend, Opie, likes Weruva brand canned food. That food is made like human food but without salt, sugar or grains. It looks and smells really good. The meats are cooked some and there are chunks of real meat and fish in it. It’s not all mushed up who-knows-what?
You and your family can choose what you eat, your pet eats what you provide for them. They deserve the very best because they give their best at all times. If you adopt a pet make sure before you do that high quality, healthy food for them will fit the family budget. If not, the kindest thing to do would be to wait until it can.
My human sees lots of animals at the shelter that are either very thin from lack of food or very fat from too much of the wrong kinds of food. Feeding your pet healthy, appropriate food in the right amounts is one of the best ways you can show you love your pet.
To your good health,
~Jack
