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Taurine is in all meat. So if you make your own food and you have a high ratio of meat, your cat would be getting what she needed. Pet food manufacturers only had to start adding it because they don't put enough meat in their food and cats were getting really sick. I think my cats would be thrilled if I started feeding them clams though. :-)
I'd be more worried about making sure she gets calcium if you're going to make your own food. In the wild she would be getting it from the bones of her prey. Some pet owners do buy grinders and grind up bones to add to their cats' food. But it can be dangerous if a cat ends up swallowing a sharp bone shard.
From what I understand, the taurine loses its potency once the meat is cooked, hence the clams.
As for calcium, cooked egg shells ground into powder works well (it's what I use).
Oh good point! I never thought of egg shells, but that's an awesome idea! Do you make your own food?Quote:
Originally Posted by Andit
I do for the dog (kibble for breakfast, home cooking for dinner), but the cat is too fussy. He refuses to eat anything other than kitten kibble (I've tried everything on the market, kibble, canned, pouch, fresh :rolleyes:). He'll eat a tiny piece of cheese or chicken or beef, but hardly a meal's worth. Oh & he will eat peas and peanut butter doggy cookies (yes, I often question his sanity :P).Quote:
Originally Posted by abbasgirl
I used to do thge eggshells in my dogfood. They came "out" pretty much the way they went in. . .so you would indeed have to grind them up finely. I'm lazy. . .so I just do the calcium supplement.
I often give my cats raw meat too. . .especially fat, if they've been getting alot of lean meat. They stand on the bar-top waving their paws at me when I'm trimming the meat for supper. . . .sooooo spoiled lol
Anything but pork. . .NO PORK.
I've ground egg shells before in a coffee grinder and they come out as a very fine powder. I just hadn't thought of using them in pet food...I've been considering making my own for awhile now. I'm just a big chicken when it comes to my babies!
Don't be a chicken! Just read the ingredients on your dog food label. . . .look up each ingredient (and try not to have nightmares) and then realize the petfood industry has very little quality regulations. No one truly knows where all the ingredients come from.Quote:
Originally Posted by abbasgirl
After that ask yourself, if you think you could do a better job for your furbabies. .. . :) You can DO it!
Yesterday I went to a specialized pet store to try to get "healthy" food for Keisha since I had some Purina left over to mix with so she'd eat it. The woman boasted about this product "Vet Diet" and said how it's absolutely amazing. I paid $30 for the bag, got home, looked up the ingredients online and nearly cried. At least it's refundable. I'm getting frustrated trying to find healthy food on the market. I guess I shall go to another store that a friend recommended me, but it's an hour away by car lol.
go GRAIN FREE cat food
like orejen or performetrin
My dear Natynat. . . in the time you did (or do) all that you could have made the food which is so much better. . . .Quote:
Originally Posted by natynat
Oh Dear MQ...I know :( I'm just so scared to do it...
Well, if you're scared, then find a good recipe online and stick to that til you gain a little confidence. Now go back to the kitchen and read your petfood ingredients. That should help! :)Quote:
Originally Posted by natynat
All that being said, Natynat. . .you do whatever you feel comfortable with. The main thing is you obviously love your cat and have given it an awesome home! :)
Now if we could only find several more thousand people like you, we could find forever homes for more kitties. :(
I'm in the same boat. Student on a budget so I can't afford the high price "healthier" stuff for my kitty....she just gets the Purina Indoor Cat dry food. Occasionally i'll buy her some wet food, but she likes her dry kibble just fine. My old family cat lived to be 19 and all he ate was generic dry food, so i'm not too concerned. Doesn't make you feel the best though, I can understand how some mothers feel not being able to feed their children high-quality food :(
What the vet sells isn't good for your kitty either. The ingredients aren't much better than Grocery store brand cat foods. I do not suggest you feed your cat dried, bagged food at all actually. It's moisture deficient which dehydrates cats. Cats will never drink enough water on their own to hydrate themselves so they need to be fed canned or raw food. You can make food for them yourself but you have to be very careful and make sure the meal is completely balanced or they could get really sick. You should AT LEAST feed them a cheap canned food if you can't afford the all natural stuff. They will at least get the water that they need.
My cats get picky from time to time so I have to change their food on occasion which you're supposed to do anyways. Currently I am feeding them ByNature and Natural Planet Organics canned foods, usually the chicken and turkey varieties.