I don't know if there is a 'Food Poll' already, but if there is, I apologise!
There's always been battle after battle between what's considered 'good' and 'bad' pet food,
and I really don't think animal nutrition is given the attention it desperately needs, for the sake of the welfare of our animals.
Health and Nutrition are VERY important to me, both as a Kitty owner, and as a previous Animal Behaviour/Health student.
And I wanted to know what you guys thought about the quality of Branded Pet foods, when it comes to
what actually goes into them, and how much of it actually benefits your pets Health.
Our animals rely on us to provide for them. What we feed them should be what we would feed ourselves and our own children.
A good healthy balanced diet.
There is a legal limit for meat quantity in pet food. And if I remember rightly, it's around 4%.
Most pet foods only contain 4% actual meat, and unfortunately not usually the parts you would want to eat yourself,
I'll call it 'creepy meat' for the want of an easy phrase.
Pet Food brands that only contain minimal meat quantities, or 'creepy meat', are not allowed (by law) to display
pictures of actual meat on their packaging because they would be lying to the consumer about the quality and quantity of the meat in their products.
That's usually how you can tell a good brand from a 'creepy meat' brand.
If you do feed your kitty food that has only 4% meat, have you ever wondered what the other 96% of the food is made up of?
Some foods do actually contain vegetables, or rice, or corn. Veg isn't so bad! Vitamins and nutrients, etc..
But cats are Carnivores.. and most of that really isn't digestible, they're just not built to eat those things.
But veg, rice and corn make great fillers for the production companies, making the meat go further in their products.
The trouble is, it's hard to wean a cat off of a 'creepy meat' cat food, when they've grown up on it.
Most pet owners have this trouble when they want to convert, but it's always worth checking out other cat foods that contain a
better meat content. Or definitely supplementing their 'creepy meat' diet with some good old fashioned home cooking and raw food!
I've never understood why Vets recommend feeds like Royal Canin and Science Plan, when their meat quantity is so minimal.
And I don't want to say it, because I feel like a terrible person... but!... I guess healthy cats don't pay a Vets rent.
(I am soooo sorry to any Vets who might be on the forum, it's just what I've heard said in various places.)
I feed my cats 'Nature's Menu' because of their high meat content, and general clean quality.
And I also supplement with home cooked fish, prawns, raw lamb (Yuki's favourite!) and cooked chicken.
So tell me, what do you guys think about pet food brands?