Why do some “healthy” pet food brands put VEGETABLES in cat food?
When cats cannot digest or assimilate nutrients from vegetables? Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning that they only eat MEAT, and nothing else. They might chew on grass occasionally but eating vegetables everyday is not normal or safe for cats in my opinion (especially vegetables that cats would never eat in their natural setting, such as peas). Plus, I read online that tomatoes can be toxic to cats, yet some cat foods actually list tomatoes as one of their ingredients! Can anyone explain this all? Thanks.
CF: I am aware of those ingredients, and that’s why I only choose healthy cat food brands such as Weruva and Wellness. But it puzzled me that the healthy ones have vegetables in them.
I remember hearing that tuna is bad for cats, but most seafood-flavored cat foods are mostly composed of tuna. It’s crazy.
January 31st, 2010 at 11:50 pm
Carnivores also eat the stomach contents of their prey (which are usually herbivores), the vegetables are a way of substituting this
February 1st, 2010 at 12:13 am
Cats also eat the stomach and intestines of prey, often including plant matter. A minute amount of plant matter in the diet is perfectly normal. What matters is the amount in which plant ingredients occur.
It’s not perfect, but by pet food standards, it’s healthy. A small amount of vegetable matter is actually more normal than an all meat diet. Cats eat birds, and small rodents which actually do eat grains. So even those, in very tiny amounts as they are often found in higher brands, are a normal part of a cats diet.
February 1st, 2010 at 12:37 am
thats only the tip of the iceberg
pet stores sell many products KNOWN to be bad for pets..
http://www.gomestic.com/Pets/10-Dangerous-Pet-Products.111964
read this link on 10 legal but known to be dangerous pet products…
EDIT – to other answerer -carnivores DO NOT always eat the stomach contents of their prey – on Christmas eve, and once back in January.. I had coyotes kill and eat my pet sheep… in BOTH cases the only thing left was the spine, legs and stomach!!! -(head was missing… ew)… anyhow so this is a myth..
EDIT to Suzy.. I am aware you know.. but you also know those other foods are NOT “Healthy” no food is going to market itself as CRAP!!! Just wanted you to see the link to other lies in the pet industry.. you can add comments at the bottom of the link too if you like..
I do think pumpkin is one that is beneficial – helps with fur balls.. and Beet Pulp is good for them too..