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Further to the point made by Darwin above that cats do better without being fed grains, I have looked more carefully at this cat food that is now available in U.K. I have had communication with the man who began importing this food and he sent me a sample last year. Certainly it was eaten with gusto, but it was a period of change for me after losing Merlin and I can't really remember all the details. I am thinking of giving it another go. No cereals, but I am not sure that cats are natural eaters of sweet potato Anyway, here are the nutritional details just in case anyone is interested ..... |
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The trouble with discussions about what to feed one's pet is that they often get a bit controversial. Orijen is a really excellent food and Angie is wise to give it another go, but I have to take some exception to the way in which Darwin has worded his response. To say that he is now better informed is (to my mind at least) to suggest that those of us who feed other dry foods are ill-informed. My cats are very happy on James Wellbeloved (which does contain grains - rice and maize gluten) Fair enough, cats weren't designed to eat grains but there are a lot of ingredients in all cat foods including Orijen which fall into the "unnatural for cats" category. Blackcurrants, turnip greens, sweet potato, carrots, pumpkin etc. are surely not natural foods for cats yet are in Orijen and I'm sure there are very good reasons for their inclusion, but please, don't imply that by feeding other brands we are feeding our cats the equivalent of McDonalds ie junk food. If we avoided all "unnatural for cats" foods, we'd be queueing up to source fresh, live mice! |
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However, my interpretation of what I have read and now consider to be valid evidence, is that cats should not eat grains and I do consider much of the commercial food available, both wet and dry, not to be best suited for a cats ideal nutrition. Even Orijin is not ideal but of all the dried foods on the market I do consider it to be one of the best available. I do still consider many of the foods people feed to be the feline equivalent of fast food, but I stand by peoples rights to feed them to their cats if they choose to. I would not (although have in the past). It is just my opinion, which is what a discussion board is about, the expression of different opinions. People may agree or disagree as they wish. I know many consider owners like me who feed raw food to cats to be reckless, placing their cats at risk of salmonella or choking on bones, but that is their view. There are lots of viewpoints, we are entitled to our own. As for the mice, well I do know some people do indeed feed thawed frozen mice occasionally to their cats (you can get them from pet shops for reptiles). A step too far for many people I expect But I suppose the bottom line for me is that dry food is not a good option for cats, it is convenient for owners, myself included, and in small proportions probably does no harm, but I would never again feed my cats dry food as a major component of their diet. Peace out |
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The following was taken from the felinecrf.org website. Cats are obligate carnivores. This does not mean they can only eat meat. It means that unlike other species, such as humans and dogs, they cannot manufacture certain amino acids essential to life. In order to obtain these amino acids, they must eat food which contains them, and ideally that means they must eat meat. It is a myth that our domestic cats are miniature versions of the big cats such as lions. Big cats are part of a pride, and hunt together. Domestic cats, in contrast, are solitary predators, and if they are living in their own version of the wild, normally they would only eat what they could catch. They catch mice, insects, whatever passes by or what they can hunt. This means they have evolved to eat little and often. They eat very little plant material, only what would be found in a mouse's stomach. They eat very few carbohydrates for the same reason. Originally cats were desert animals, so they evolved not to want to drink much. Since a mouse is approximately 60% water, historically this was not an issue - they got sufficient fluid intake from their food. Therefore ideally cats also need to eat wet foods. So to summarise, cats need a food containing a large percentage of meat-based protein, with limited vegetables and grains. They need to eat little and often, and ideally a wet food. That is the ideal. However, back in the real world, there can be problems. |
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Some of you know that I am not a fan of dry food diets but would never condem anyone else who feeds them to healthy cats. I have fed dry foods in the past and my experiences tell me that it was more convenient for me than for my cats. I now feed an all wet diet. |
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I agree that sometimes it's easy to misinterpret a post, as we don't have the advantage of hearing the tone of voice, facial expressions and body language that we do in a face to face conversation. That said, I am a convert to wet food with a little additional water added, and only a tiny sprinkling of dry on top for increased palatability, and small but frequent meals - 4 daily in my case. Dry is a convenience for the owner as Elaine has said, and most cats do like it, but there is also the danger of cystitis. |
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