god I know, it's sick the way they treat there animals..how could a company dedicated and built around the market of animals be so heartless...
Maybe they just want to make money and aren't going to worry about trivial details like animal welfare. TTFN Sage
i know there are horrible things associated with iams (and most other commercial pet foods), but right now it's the only food i can find for my 10 month old kitten... certainly the only brand of kitten food readily available in supermarkets, and i can't just drive out to somewhere that stocks more variety. i intend to start her on a natural diet (make-it-myself kind of deal, with organic free-range meat, veggies and appropriate supplements) when she's full grown, but right now i don't want to mess with her nutrition... so what brand of kitten food is "good"?
Fi-J: PETA supply lists of companies that don't test on animals. I got one through their Iams site. I don't know a lot about cats but can't imagine it would be difficult to wean your kitty on to a healthy diet. Just gradually introduce new food mixed with whatever the cat usually has seemed to bethe best method. Didge: Good point. However your suggested diet doesn't seem totally practical. Just have to try and make the best of a bad situation. I couldn't bring myself to fed an animal meat. Which is partly why we adopted a rabbit (naturally vegan) TTFN Sage
didge, i'm not sure how to take your suggestion, but i can guarantee this cat wouldn't know what to do with an animal she caught, other than play with it. she does eat bugs, but as her mummy was an indoor cat too, she never learnt to hunt, kill and eat the prey. (one incident with a small mammal in our last place of residence proved that.) a cat's survival is not all instinct. i'm going to track down some "natural" prepared cat food and see how she reacts... eventually i'll get brave and go to a butcher that specialises in organic, "free-range" meat and see what i can do with that. i never liked butcher shops even when i did eat meat, but i want a happy healthy cat!
do cats have to eat meat? not beef or pork or anything right? i mean you wouldnt see a cat killing a cow in nature...
Okay now for something completely diffrent... It is possible for cats to survive on a veggie diet. However very very close attention must be paid to ensure they achieve the right nutritional balance. I quote: "A vegetarian diet fails to supply adequate amonuts of protein, taurine, arachidonic acid and retinol (vitamin A) for a cat" Of course there are commercially made veggie cat foods and the vegcat (or is it veggiecat) suppliement for those willing to give it a go. In case you were wondering it is so much simpler for dogs. As they are omnis. TTFN Sage
