Some animal food production standards are said to be superior to human food production standards. They are sourced from the same farms that produced the meat and vegetables you eat. In the article you will learn about the composition and production of dry and wet cat food, why they attract people, whether it is safe for humans to consume cat food and what the possible consequences are.
Taste preferences of dogs and cats: nutritional characteristics and differences in diet
Canines and cats are carnivores. Wild cats hunt birds and rodents on their own and eat them whole. The victim's gastrointestinal tract contains plant fibers, carbohydrates, proteins, and food enzymes.
Small mammals eat grains, fruits, and vegetables. Complex carbohydrates are partially broken down into simple sugars. That's why cats love sweets; there is always a lot of glucose in their blood. The cat takes its prey to a secluded place and enjoys the food, eating it in small portions.
Wild dogs hunt in packs, mainly on small ruminants. Dominant individuals approach the prey first. The remaining members of the pack wait until the leaders are full, then pounce on the food, swallowing the pieces without chewing. Most of the contents of the gastrointestinal tract are occupied by feed containing coarse fiber - green or dry grass, tree bark.
Therefore, dogs are accustomed to eating food with a high concentration of fiber. If the dog is walking around the garden, he can eat bell peppers or grapes. Compassionate animal lovers feed their dogs bread.
Recommendations from veterinarians
Every person who gets a cat at home should be aware that the pet’s health and life expectancy are entirely dependent on him (with the exception of chronic and hereditary diseases). The well-being and condition of the cat depend on the correctness of the diet.
Basic recommendations from veterinarians:
- You cannot mix industrial food with natural food, since each variety is digestible in its own way. The interval between such meals should be at least 8 hours;
- You cannot purchase different types of wet or dry food, for example, expensive and cheap, and mix them with each other. This is due to the fact that a sudden change in product can have an extremely negative impact on the health of the pet.
Some experts may also advise you to refrain from purchasing budget food, since there is practically nothing useful in its composition, except for chemicals.
Note! If financial capabilities do not allow you to buy expensive formulations, it is better to switch your pet to natural food and introduce fortified supplements into the diet with a certain frequency.
Basic rules for creating a diet for domestic cats
Food for cats and dogs: what is the difference?
Supermarkets sell economy or premium food. Manufacturers do not disclose the recipe for ready-made food; at best, they list the components in general phrases: meat ingredients, grains, vegetable oils, herbs, etc.
To find out how food for cats and dogs differs, let’s go to a pet store and look at ready-made food of at least super premium class. So, on the packaging of 1st choice dry food for kittens it is written that the food contains 17% fresh chicken meat, the same amount of chicken flour, as well as dried eggs, herring fish meal, and liver hydrolysate. The food contains 30% proteins, 20% fats.
The packaging of 1st choice dry kibble for puppies states that it contains 33% chicken meal and liver hydrolysate. Even an ignorant buyer understands that the nutritional value of fresh chicken meat is higher than flour, which is prepared from the heads, paws, and contents of the digestive tract.
The feed mixture contains 26% proteins with a large percentage of vegetable proteins, 14% fats. In addition, taurine is added to cat food, since the body produces little sulfoamino acids.
Canines do not need taurine, since it is synthesized in sufficient quantities. Excess biologically active substances have a toxic effect on the body. L-carnitine is added to cat food. During high physical activity, this amino acid extracts energy from fats, and with physical inactivity it leads to excess weight gain.
The need of cats and dogs for minerals and vitamins is not the same, so consuming food that is not intended for a given species and age leads to an imbalance of nutrients and negatively affects the health of the pet.
Veterinarians' opinion
If you listen or read reviews from veterinarians, you can see that almost all of them agree that Whiskas should not be fed not only to kittens, but also to adult cats. No matter what kind of food (wet or crushed dry) a kitten is given, it will not grow up healthy. Sooner or later he will begin to have health problems, because the daily portion of Whiskas contains a tiny amount of protein (only 5%) and harmful chemicals.
Of course, there will be people who are ready to argue with this, and will give more than one example of how cats eat only Whiskas for years and feel great without any health problems. But before drawing any conclusions, it would be a good idea to carefully analyze such cases. Most likely we are talking about non-pedigreed cats, since their bodies are resistant to even the most severe influences. And in fact, such animals can live 5-7 years without illness, eating low-quality food. But then they will still start to get sick and will live no more than 9 years, not reaching the required 15.
Interesting video: Whiskas kills cats
An owner who loves his pet and wants it to grow up active and healthy will never skimp on its food. He will choose expensive ready-made premium food or will feed the animal with good quality natural food, which will be healthier than any ready-made food.
May or may not be given
Cat food contains more calories and protein than a dog that lives in an apartment and doesn’t move much needs. Some veterinarians recommend a cat diet for malnourished animals. The pet will quickly gain the missing pounds, but when experimental feeding continues for 2 weeks or more, health risks arise.
Feeding wet cat food makes the situation worse: canned food tastes better than kibble. Begging develops, the dog terrorizes the household, and when its whims are satisfied, it becomes impudent and tries to steal food from the table. The risk of mental illness in the animal increases.
If a dog eats cat food once, nothing bad will happen to him. You cannot constantly give your dog ready-made cat food: it is dangerous to health.
How to give
If a kitten eats Whiskas no more than once a month, then there should be no consequences for its body. It happens that a kitten has to be left at home alone for more than half a day, then Whiskas is suitable as a one-time meal. It’s just important not to forget to leave him enough water. For such a case, Whiskas will be very useful.
But it is not recommended to purchase it for a kitten as a treat, even occasionally. It is better to give him a natural treat that will benefit the small, vulnerable organism.
Why do dogs eat cat food?
Dogs are accustomed to living in a pack and obey the established hierarchy. A low-ranking individual strives to rise one step higher, so he mocks those who are weaker. This is how the dog eats food from the cat's bowl for the first time.
If owners use economy-class food, the dog develops an addiction due to flavor enhancers that give the cheap food the taste of meat. The dog makes the next approach to wet food, which it likes more than dry food. With the connivance of the owner, the animal develops a reflex. The dog demands his way, and when the owner decides to show character, he whines until he gets his way.
Is it possible to give Whiskas to kittens?
Many people have a stereotype that it is impossible for a kitten to get all the substances necessary for full development from natural food. That’s why ready-made food in dry or wet form is so popular today. Every person who has a small fluffy ball in their home remembers the advertisement about Whiskas and wonders: is it possible to make it a permanent diet for their pets? This food, as you know, belongs to the economy class, which means there can be no talk of any high quality. Therefore, when giving food to a kitten, it is impossible to predict how its body will react to such food.
But if, nevertheless, the owner of a kitten decides to feed his pet Whiskas, it must be done correctly.
Harm of cat food to a dog's body
Systematic eating of cat food leads to the following pathological symptoms or diseases:
- Obesity, which provokes diabetes mellitus, pancreas and liver diseases.
- Protein overfeeding: increases the risk of urolithiasis and nutritional allergies. The kidneys are affected and a stomach ulcer develops.
- Cholesterol plaques form on the walls of blood vessels, increasing the risk of heart disease.
- Shortness of breath develops, and the likelihood of respiratory diseases increases.
- If a dog is given economy class cat food, it gets used to flavor enhancers that imitate the presence of meat in the food mixture. The pet refuses dog food and demands cat food.
A large breed dog rarely develops an addiction to food that is not his own, but miniature dogs develop an addiction.
They refuse any other food. Cats may eat dog food when they are very hungry or for self-esteem. In the latter case, the matter does not go beyond eating a few croquettes.
To summarize: how should cats be fed?
Fanaticism on any issue is bad. If you are assured that cats need to be fed only natural food or only food, the person does not understand the issue, but blindly believes in his “theory”.
Whether to feed your cat dry food is up to you. It has both advantages and disadvantages. One thing is certain - choose industrial feed if you don’t have time. Meal planning and cooking takes effort.
Porridge with fish is no better than Whiskas, and fresh rabbit meat is no cheaper than holistic food. Both food and natural food can be fed in very different ways.
You need to focus on the result. If a cat has shiny fur, perfect plasticine poop, optimal physical fitness and activity, then the food is suitable for her.
What to do if your pet ate cat food?
We need to figure out how to make cat food inaccessible to the dog. Super premium food does not contain flavor enhancers, so the dog may remain indifferent and not look into the neighbor’s feeder in the future. Economy class food smells delicious and attracts the dog. A radical solution is to cut off the cat's access to food. Place the cat feeder somewhere where the dog cannot get into. A cat hole is built into the interior door.
If the dog is too small, this option will not work. Then the cat feeder is placed high so that the dog cannot reach it. This could be a window sill, a refrigerator, a special shelf for a cat with a mini-dining room that is mounted on the wall.
An avid animal lover, she had 5 dogs and 8 cats. She placed dog feeders on the floor and cat feeders on the closet.
Whiskas food for kittens - reviews from veterinarians and owners
Everyone knows about Whiskas food for kittens, even children. It has been produced for a very long time - since the 50s of the last century and throughout this time this brand has not lost popularity. This is not surprising, because a memorable advertisement for Whiskas food with a cute gray cat and the slogan “Your pussy would buy Whiskas” are constantly flashing on TV screens.
The products of this manufacturer can be purchased in any store at a very affordable price, and from a wide range of diets, every kitten owner will be able to choose food with a suitable taste for their pet. But whether this food is as good as it is presented in advertising should be found out.
How to stop your dog from eating cat food
The dog will wean itself off cat food when it loses access to it. Instead, you can buy wet dog food and give 1 pouch (bag) per day. If the dog refuses to eat, let him fast for several days.
The diet will not affect your health, your four-legged friend will again eat the same ready-made food with appetite. Pay attention to the condition of your pet's fur. If it is dull and comes out, it means the dog does not have enough nutritional components, or an allergic response to the components of the diet has formed. You need to switch to hypoallergenic food or super premium food.
How to provide your pet with a healthy diet
To keep your pets healthy and happy for many years to come, it is enough to provide them with a healthy diet.
Considering the disadvantages of dry food, create a healthy diet:
- there should be a sufficient amount of liquid in food;
- carbohydrate content should be minimal;
- use animal protein;
- use raw bones for dental health,
- Buy products only from trusted suppliers.
If you are not comfortable preparing healthy food yourself, pay attention to ready-made natural food, for example, SUPERPET.
Remember that a natural diet is the key to your pet’s health.
Pros and cons of Whiskas food
As mentioned above, Whiskas food is produced in dry and wet form, giving kitten owners a choice. But only the owner, and not his pet, can discover any advantages in food that belongs to the economy class. And the statement “your pussy would buy Whiskas” has nothing to do with the truth. A kitten who eats budget food with great appetite does so only because of the presence of various chemicals in it, which cause gradual addiction to this food and a desire to eat it. It's similar to how people get addicted to drugs.
According to kitten owners, the advantages of Whiskas include:
- Ease of feeding . If you don’t have enough time, feeding your kitten with ready-made food is very convenient; you only need to spend a couple of minutes on the whole process. Since the food is already ready, all you need to do is open the pack and put it in a bowl. Even a child can cope with feeding a kitten.
- Avoiding food spoilage . Those who have a kitten left alone for the whole day put a portion of dry food in a bowl designed for this time, and can rest assured that the food will not spoil and the kitten will not be poisoned after eating it.
- Eating food with appetite . A kitten may adore Whiskas, but not for its quality composition, but for the chemical components contained in the food in large quantities.
- Low cost of feed . The kitten owner may like this because he won't have to spend a lot of money on his pet. But this is only an appearance, but in fact, having carefully calculated the funds spent on the purchase of ready-made food, it will become clear that natural food will be much cheaper.
As for the disadvantages of Whiskas, they are associated with the condition of the kitten. If he feeds only on it, his health will be undermined in a short time. An animal that grew up on such food will no longer be able to live a full life, even if the owner later switches it to feeding high-quality natural food.
So, the main disadvantages are:
- Bad composition . He will not be able to saturate the kitten with the required amount of proteins, microelements and vitamins, so with such a diet there will be no full development. And if the kitten grows well outwardly, then its insides are still not formed correctly. Sooner or later, problems will begin with the baby's health.
- Presence of addictive chemical components . Eating only Whiskas, the kitten gets used to these substances, and then it will be very difficult to switch it to nutritious food.
- Development of urolithiasis . This is due to an increase in the level of mineral salts in the urine. Normally, a kitten should drink a glass of water after eating 100 g of food. But it is clear that this is impossible, and the baby gradually begins to develop this disease from childhood.
