Wednesday, April 7, 2010

No More Biscuits?

Word has it that pets on processed food diet die three years earlier than those fed home made stuffs. A few days ago we found this article:


PARIS (AFP) - The junk food and poor eating habits affecting humans is also killing their four-legged pals, say veterinary surgeons and experts.
Allergies and obesity are reducing the life expectancy of Lassies and Mittens nourished worldwide on industrial foodstuffs, said Gerard Lippert, a Belgian acupuncturist for animals who has just completed a study on the diets of 600 dead dogs.
"Pets, like humans, are victims of junk food," he told AFP.
Of the 600 furry corpses he examined "those fed on processed foods died three years earlier than those fed on food made in the home."
Dogs, he added, "originally were omnivores who shared their food with humans."
Rippert said he was increasingly called on to heal skin, motor and digestive problems as acupuncture was an all-embracing method enabling work on practically all organs.
"Dry dog food and cat food croquettes are over-heated, which destroys vitamins, trace elements and other basic nutritional elements," he said.
"We don't know the origin of the proteins in the foods," he added. "And there's an excessive amount of cereal, often genetically modified, and very little vegetables."
"We're turning our dogs and cats into ruminants," he said.
Laurence Colliard, a veterinary surgeon and nutritionist located in the Paris suburbs, estimates that only five percent of French pet-owners cook food for their four-legged companions.
France is Europe's top pet nation -- with 7.8 million dogs and 10.7 million cats, according to a 2008 study by the Sofres/Facco polling institute.
"I'm seeing an increasing number of allergies, diarrhea, vomitting, skin dermatitis as well as cases of obesity, specially amid cats because of the excessively high energy content in industrially-produced cat foods," said Colliard.
Pet owners tend to favour processed foods because of the difficulty of preparing nutritionally balanced meals, which in an ideal world should contain some 50 nutrients as well as meat, vegetables, rice and pasta. An animal's age, weight and exercise routine also need to be taken into account.
The packs on offer on supermarket shelves also claim as a bonus to reduce nasty urine smells and modify the consistency of animal poop.
The pet food industry was born in England where James Spratt produced the world's first dog biscuits in 1860.
Some 150 years later, many Internet sites are calling for a return to natural foods for pets.
"BARF or Biologically Appropriate Raw Food is a type of pet diet that consists of raw meat, bones, and organs," says www.barf.com. "It is the practice of feeding domestic pets their evolutionary diet as a way of maximizing their health and longevity."
"Dogs should not eat cooked or processed food," it adds. "Instead, your pet should consume foods that are similar to a dog's wild ancestors. This includes bones, fat, meat, and vegetable materials."
Likewise, it offers tips for natural home-made meals.
"It's only in the last 100 years we have been led to believe that dogs cannot survive without packaged food. We are told it would be harmful if we were to give them the scraps from our own home cooked meals. This is pure poppycock!"



Now, should we believe the results of a study based on 600 dead canines? Dogs and cats are totally different in anatomy, habits and nature. The acupuncturist did not state the lifestyle of those 600 dead (and lamented) dogs. Were they healthy? As in, did the owners take them out for regular exercise? I wonder what's the basis of him applying the findings on cats too. I would say that this acupuncturist's story is poppycock too. (oops...pardon my language.)


There are many factors that can lead to the death of a pet. I've even heard stories of pets that die of heartbroken-ness due to death of partners or owners.

My Mama would occasionally give us treats like raw beef or chicken. Yummy but I don't think I'll like eating that all the time. Oh, we also get raw chicken wings once a while - that's our dental treatment and recommended by our vet. However, my Mama did say feeding us the raw meat will save her a lot of money. Is she hinting something? Hmmm....purrr....meow!

Surely, Mama won't deny us our rights to this delectable gourmet catfood, eh?

21 comments:

Unknown said...

Angelina or is it Brad? You look so lovely in the blog header pic!!!! If I were a cat, I would plunge into the laptop screen to kiss you LOL!!

Ah - my dear, your mama knows what's best for you. All you have to do to get what you really want is to purr lovingly into her ear and then presto - her heart will melt and you will get your favorite munchies!!

My Nick loves your pics very much and because of you,he is always on the lookout for kittens to adopt!

Take care and have a great day!

Salam

Cat-from-Sydney said...

Aunty Paula,
You still can't figure out which is one is us. That's me in the blog header...
My hugs and kisses and licks for Nick. mmmwwwaaahhhh....
purrr....meow!

Angelina

Pi Bani said...

Makan hati je lah...

Cat-from-Sydney said...

Aunty Pi,
Kenalah berulam jantung pulak.... purrr...meow!

Pat said...

Don't let that study worry you lah. Just wait, the pet-food manufacturers will soon come up with a study of their own, saying exactly the opposite! That will leave us back at square one!

We got a little puppy from the SPCA who lived happily for 14+ years with us - and only on 'biscuits'. It was the good stuff, of course, and occasionally supplemented with little treats.

So, if it was good enough for our Betsy - who was the alpha dog while she was with us - it is good enough for the other little doggies and kitties out there.

Just get your mama to get you the better stuff, or the ones recommended by a good vet. Then, you should be just fine!

So don't worry your pretty little head about it, ya' hear?!

~CovertOperations78~ said...

Everything in moderation, dear Kitties! It's good to have a mix of commercial dry food, wet food and homemade food. I give my kitties chlorella and/or wheatgrass for the fibre and vitamins and to boost their immune system. The only thing my kitties are not allowed to eat are those cockroaches and lizards they caught. Eeeewww! Eeeewww!

Cat-from-Sydney said...

Aunty Pat,
Those stuffs in the pix are what my Mama has been feeding her feline babies. Must admit that my bro Tom is rather obese...and he prefers the biscuits than the wet ones. Hmmm....makes you wonder, eh? The rest of us, thank God, are not too bad. purrr...meow!

Oh, did you just say that I'm pretty? Aaah...you're a woman after my heart.

Cat-from-Sydney said...

CO78,
Mama's been planting what is called catgrass here so that we can munch whenever we go to the garden. She used to have pots of catnips and cat mints too. Cockroaches and lizards? Now, you're giving me ideas. Aren't those sources of protein? purrr....meow!

Razee Salleh said...

Hiya Ange,

I guess it is more about moderation and mixing the kibbles with some supplements in the form of other less processed foods and vitamins. And of course exercise for the body and mind.

I have seen that part about how some animals waste away when their partner/love/owner dies. Our own Watchgeese pair sort of just declined after the passing of my dad. Somehow they werent the same after the fact. I'd like to believe that animals do love their carers as much as their carers do for them.

Covert Operations 78 was right about not letting cats eat cockroaches and geckoes though, they carry a boatload of parasites and could pass them to you. So be careful there, maim them all you want, just dont snack on 'em.

Our own family cat, Koko loves the little nasties though, whenever I getthe chance, i steal the geckoes and feed them to my Asian Vine Snakes. Hehehe.

Cat-from-Sydney said...

Uncle Razee,
You have cats and snakes living under the same roof? Wow!!! Don't worry about me munching on those little critters. I'm the good girl here. It's Brad who's bad. You should see catch a fly with his small paw....amazing... purrr...meow!

Cheqna said...

u can have my "femouz onas" cookies when u come over...hehe

:-)

Naz in Norway said...

Puasa je lah, Angie...nanti Raya boleh pakai baju kebaya....haaaaa! ;)

Cat-from-Sydney said...

Cheqna,
Ada choc chips ke? yummmm...purrr...meow!

Cat-from-Sydney said...

Aunty Naz,
Baju kebaya bandung? teeheehee...purrr...meow!

tireless mom said...

What about japanese food? Does your Mom serve you that too?

Cat-from-Sydney said...

Aunty Yatt,
Japanese food? Sashimi...maybe but not sushi. The Japanese rice is similar to glutinous rice. You wouldn't want me to go bald, eh? purrr....meow!

Lee said...

Hi Cat, I only have one pet at home, eats vegetables like a rabbit, eats fish like a shark, eats like a horse....but this pet cooks....my wife, ha ha.
I sure miss having a dog or cat though.

You have any babies? Ha ha, have a nice day, Lee.

Cat-from-Sydney said...

Kon Abga,
Am thinking you're a spammer. Shoo! DOn't disturb this cat. She bites. Really hard and painful. So, shoo!

Cat-from-Sydney said...

Uncle Lee,
Your pet is one in a million. Appreciate her and all your wishes will come true...purrr...meow!

Zendra-Maria said...

Aiyah Cat, your mama pampers you so. Go hone those hunting instincts and catch a mouse or two.... MIIAUUU!!!

Cat-from-Sydney said...

Aunty Zendra,
We live in a concrete jungle...so how to go hunting? Except for the occasional cockroach and flies? Let me tell you a secret. I've never met a mouse...in real life. Ever. What a disgrace to my kind. purrr...meow!