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Old December 2nd, 2010, 08:12 AM
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sugarcatmom sugarcatmom is offline
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Location: Calgary, AB
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jencell View Post
I've read the book by Elizabeth hodgkins and she says that it's not natural for them to nibble all day, the feasting-fasting is more natural..
I very much respect Dr. Hodgkins on many cat health issues, but I think she's wrong on this point. The feast-fast concept is more applicable to the big cats (lions, tigers, etc), not our smaller domestic cats. The metabolism of small cats doesn't down-regulate during times of fasting, which is one of the reasons they're so prone to developing hepatitc lipidosis when they don't have food for a certain period of time. Plus, you just have to look at the way a feral or barn cat eats to see what's more natural for them: many small catches of prey throughout the day: rodents, birds, insects, lizards, etc., as opposed to the gorge-fest a big cat has when it catches (far less frequently) its much larger prey.

Something else you have to watch out for with domestic indoor cats and free-feeding though, is eating out of boredom. It's a considerably different lifestyle to be out hunting for your food then it is to be able to stuff your face at any time without any effort. The reason why house cats become fat is the tendency for people to leave out the bottomless bowl of kibble. If one insisted on feeding dry food (and there certainly are many reasons not to), then it should only be a measured amount based on the appropriate number of calories that the cat requires.

I also think cats should get a little hungry now and then. If someone isn't going to be home in time to feed them, whats the big deal if they have to wait a while for dinner?


Quote:
Originally Posted by jencell View Post
...even Evo has to much carbohydrates compared to wet food...
It also doesn't have enough moisture, and it has a huge number of calories. And the phosphorus levels are way above normal.
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