People vs Animal Diets

[MrsChefV]

My cats lie around about 22 hours a day. When they wake up, they eat as much as they want and then go back to shedding hair and snoozing.

Ditto for the dogs.

None of 'em ever exercise, unless scratching and growling burn lots of calories. Why aren't they fat? And why doesn't the pet-diet regimen work for people?

Janis

[Admin]

Our vet says cats have a built-in mechanism that lets them know how much protein they need, and when they have eaten enough to achieve it. He said we shouldn't worry about our new kitten getting into the old cat's low-protein special diet food, as she will just eat more of it to get what her body requires. We have heard this said about dogs as well in reference to premium dog foods, that the stuff like Science Diet has more nutrition per pound than the grocery store stuff, so they eat less, but get more nutrition, and for your extra expense, you get hockey pucks in the yard as opposed to cow pies.

[buzd]

Each of my cats are roughly 20 lbs. A little fat- but really just big boned.

Oddly, they're really picky about people food. One cat love salmon and fish, but the other won't touch it. He likes pork and chicken. Neither likes turkey. Weird.

[kcdixiecat]

I am SO bad when it comes to letting my pets have people food. I had a persian cat that lived to be 20 years old..she would camp out in front of the oven any time we fixed a turkey or chicken...but would turn her nose up at any type of fish. We also had to make sure that the bag of doritoes was fastened tight or she would get INSIDE of the bag and lick the cheese until she made herself sick.

Now, we have two dachshunds. I'm quite obsessed with these little guys..but that's neither here nor there. They love McDonald's cheeseburgers.....plain..no bun. Willie likes his with cheese..while Ernie won't eat american cheese..but loves any sort of expensive cheese! Ernie will also pick poultry over beef or pork any time you give him the choice.

Last weekend I had cut up a watermelon to stick in the fridge to snack on all week...dropped a piece on the floor..before I could grab something to clean it up..Ernie was licking the floor. I think he swallowed the piece whole! He loves watermelon and canteloupe...and is like his Mama..doesn't care for honeydew. He has always snacked on sliced apples and fresh carrots with me.

They do eat dry dog food and there is always a bowl of it down to graze on. I don't know if it's because they were raised with a cat around or what..but they're not like most dogs...they don't wolf their dog food down at one sitting..instead they go in and get a few little pieces..take them to their corners and eat them. They nibble like a cat.

Ok, enough of my obsession with my dogs. Anyone know of a good support group? Can you tell that only child went away to college and feels that he was replaced by dogs?:p

[hungryone]

My lazy cat needs special low-cal (and expensive) cat food, or he would quickly grow to fill the entire house. So I guess some animals are just like people, and they eat for reasons other than hunger....

[edible complex]

they don't drink alcohol and eat desserts...
they do have different metabolisms, dietary needs, and digestive systems. they can get thyroid issues however, so be watchful of any weight gain or loss...loss especially, as this can be a sign of cancer. (I have a cancer dog and I mentor cancer newbies, so I tend to get more serious about diet and nutrition for pets...sorry.)

[jodyrah]

My vet says to NEVER give my dogs table food. My first Yorkie lived to be 17 eating table food. I leave a bowl of dog food out all day for my little guys. They get table food for dinner. As my husband says, you took sex away from them (neutering) and now you want to take food, no way.

[PNG]

My vet says to NEVER give my dogs table food. My first Yorkie lived to be 17 eating table food. I leave a bowl of dog food out all day for my little guys. They get table food for dinner. As my husband says, you took sex away from them (neutering) and now you want to take food, no way.

When my puppy was 16 years old, my vet told us to stop feeding her doritos and cake and fried chicken and all of the things that she loved to eat. I just laughed. She lived to 18 years old in great health. Relax and be merry.

[Schuarta]

http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1352/9723635/20105753/326216335.jpg


Sharky (short for Shark Bait) was born in the litter of a barn cat, lived on a boat for his first year, spent the next six years living outdoors in Rancho Cordova, and came to us in January, '08.

He is a solid muscular 9 pounds, and eats what he wants and then stops. He has no interest in "people food" and doesn't "pig out".

He has the longest hair, growing profusely, and we brush out enough each day to make a small kitten. He has become the perfect indoor boy, and never lays a hand (foot) on the furniture. When he needs to scratch he goes at the carpet and doesn't leave any lasting marks. And unlike our previous cats, has no interest in jumping up on things. The highest he goes is our bed or the cushion on a dining room chair.

And after living outside, began using a litter box the first day we brought him home at age seven!

[dragongrrl]

My cat Xena eats her cat food, has no interest in people food and is not overweight. Spike is my "garbage pail" kitty. He adores french fries and he gets one or two (all he wants) when I get fast food. But he'll check out whatever I'm eating, whenever I eat. I'll see this long, grey paw reach up and try to fish on my plate. I don't give him people food (except for the occasional fry) and he is huge. I find him overweight, but he could walk a tightrope if he wanted and makes leaps as light as a feather.

[Suzy Wong]

Sharky is a sweety! very nice fluffy hair....

Lucky! My cats live on the furniture. They go where ever they'd like, including the dining room table. My senior cat, will eat breakfast right next to my (human) son, he likes smoked salmon, cottage cheese, skim milk, toast, to name a few....And he's quite a big boy....But he takes his daily insulin shot like a trooper.....

[jodyrah]

I'm sure most everyone knows no chocolate for dogs. I did not know until recently that onion are garlic are toxic. Even foods cooked with onions can kill. Small amounts should not be harmful but should be avoided. Larger amounts of onion will not kill you pooch immediately, it takes appoximately 24 hours. I googled this and there are many articles.

[edible complex]

I'm sure most everyone knows no chocolate for dogs. I did not know until recently that onion are garlic are toxic. Even foods cooked with onions can kill. Small amounts should not be harmful but should be avoided. Larger amounts of onion will not kill you pooch immediately, it takes appoximately 24 hours. I googled this and there are many articles.

ham is not good either, and grapes can lead to renal failure.
cat food is not good for dogs either, as it is too high in fat and protein and can lead to pancreatitis.
while many feed people a homecooked, raw or BARF diet, you have to be very careful with "people" food in the canine diet and know how to get a good balance in the diet.
for a list of foods not to feed your dog:
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1661&articleid=1030

[Admin]

Years ago, I knew a very generous, golden-hearted woman who owned five dogs. They were her pampered babies, and she bought stew meat, which she cooked specifically for them every day. I once commented was that something she did for them because of their advanced age, as they all looked to be between 12 and 15 years old. It was only then I learned the oldest among them was five.

[justagirl]

My dad has a list on the fridge at his camp of the things that are bad for pets to eat. I guess that's a good idea.

My dogs get fed the same amount of the same food about the same time and in the same place every morning. I'm structured. lol

When they come in from outside, it's funny, the run right to the kitchen and sit in front of the 'treat' drawer.

I absolutely hate it when people come over and ask if my dogs eat people food. I tell them no, then just a short while later I get "well they like...such and such." No kidding really? Of course they'll eat it, I just don't give it to them. And they do not come around me when I am eating, they know better.

They are both in excellent shape, the right size and sweet as can be.

OK, got to run, time to sweep up more dog hair...LOL

[ChoWeb]

Of course, what has to be remembered about animals like cats and dogs is their relative size. A cat's healthy weight range is between 9-11 lbs., give or take a pound depending on the structure of your cat. However, in percentage, a pound gained is nearly 10% of their weight. Anything more than 5 lbs overweight and you're talking obesity. Cats are also strict carnivores (in spite of what the Beneful company would have you think) They don't digest starch well, which includes most plants. Forget grains. Dogs on the other hand are different and are a bit more flexible in their diets.

The bottom line is that lazy pets that don't exercise and have unlimited access to food can and will be fat, too. Its just not as easily recognizable in them as it is in us given how well fur hides it and that they don't need to have as much fat as we do in order to be overweight. My cat is currently 12 lbs and now is on a diet to shave off the pound. It sounds trivial, and would be to someone human size, just as an extra 15 lbs in a blue whale isn't going to be a big deal.

Oh, and I totally agree with JAG. No people food under any circumstances. It really isn't hard. I never offered it to my cat and she doesn't even look at it as something edible. She likes her dried food and only her dried food.

[Titchou]

For neutered male cats, people food can be very bad. My current angel had a plate of people food every night when we ate dinner...chicken, shrimp, potatoes, and had a piece of angel food cake (he's a confirmed sweets addict) every day. Well, then his urine crystalized (very common in neutered males) and after two days in the vet, IV'd and catheterized, no more people food. 10 years later, he's doing fine but still wants whatever I'm eating. He doesn't get it but I do have to sometimes lock him up so I can eat in peace. You'd think he'd forget what it tastes like by now. He got up to 15 pounds on Science Diet but we changed the formula he was on and now he's down to about 12 which is much more in line with where he should be. He was so fat he's never learned to jump a fence...was 3 before he ever learned to jump on the counters.

[Oyster]

Of course, what has to be remembered about animals like cats and dogs is their relative size. A cat's healthy weight range is between 9-11 lbs., give or take a pound depending on the structure of your cat. However, in percentage, a pound gained is nearly 10% of their weight. Anything more than 5 lbs overweight and you're talking obesity.


Our Maine Coons will eat your puny little 9lb cat. How about up to 25lbs!

From Wiki:
Maine Coons are very large and energetic cats, sometimes weighing up to around 11-12 kilograms (25 pounds); the average weight is 6 to 9 kilograms (13-20 pounds) for adult males and less (7-11 pounds) for females. Male Maine Coons may grow to a length in excess of 1 meter (40 inches); as of 2006, the longest cat on record is a male Maine Coon measuring 122cm (48 inches) in length.[9] Growth to full size often takes longer than for most cats, with Maine Coons usually reaching full size at age four or five.

[ChoWeb]

Our Maine Coons will eat your puny little 9lb cat. How about up to 25lbs!

From Wiki:
Maine Coons are very large and energetic cats, sometimes weighing up to around 11-12 kilograms (25 pounds); the average weight is 6 to 9 kilograms (13-20 pounds) for adult males and less (7-11 pounds) for females. Male Maine Coons may grow to a length in excess of 1 meter (40 inches); as of 2006, the longest cat on record is a male Maine Coon measuring 122cm (48 inches) in length.[9] Growth to full size often takes longer than for most cats, with Maine Coons usually reaching full size at age four or five.


Yeah! Those are big boys. My friend had one who hated woman and it'd corner me whenever I'd walk in the house hissing. Or maybe my friend just said that to make me feel better and it really was just me. That's probably more likely.

Ok, I should amend to say for your standard domestic short hair house cat they should be in between 9-11 lbs. If you have a Bengal, or something other breed that runs big, then by all means. Of course, the Vets know best.

[edible complex]

From Wiki:
Maine Coons are very large and energetic cats, sometimes weighing up to around 11-12 kilograms (25 pounds)

so I guess one of my girls is a Maine Coon...that's her story and she's sticking to it.

[justagirl]

So, maybe it's because I'm from Maine that I weigh so much....yeah, that's what I'm going to say from now on.

[dragongrrl]

Maybe Spike is part Maine Coon. He's definitely not pure but he has longish hair and is huge but his size doesn't slow him down. He can leap up into the window with graceful precision.

[PNG]

they don't drink alcohol and eat desserts...
they do have different metabolisms, dietary needs, and digestive systems. they can get thyroid issues however, so be watchful of any weight gain or loss...loss especially, as this can be a sign of cancer. (I have a cancer dog and I mentor cancer newbies, so I tend to get more serious about diet and nutrition for pets...sorry.)

I know a cat that used to guzzle vodka. She loved it.

[kcdixiecat]

Did she use a chaser or drink it straight? I prefer mine with a little tonic and a slice of lime:p

[sbu22]

My father raised certain breeds of dogs professionally. I have a sister and a daughter in law that are vets. All three agreed that the best bet is to free feed good quality dry food and NO table food. Have a 10 month old rescue kitten that now weighs 15 pounds and not an ounce of fat on him. Doesn't know what table scraps are. Waiting to see how this turns out.

[Oyster]

Tonight, my cat found a wing tip from a fried chicken wing a thoughtful neighbor threw in my yard. I figured she would chew on it for a while, but I turned away for no more than 1 minute, and the cat is licking it's lips. NO sign of a bone. ALL gone!

Man...cats!

[PNG]

The only time that my old puppy used to knock over the trash can in the kitchen was to get at Popeye's chicken bones. She would stuff herself on the bones until she could no longer move.