Are there any human foods that cats can eat?
I ask this because there are some ferrol (sp.?) cats in the neighborhood that every once in a while BEG for food and I don't have any pets or cats, so I don't have any cat food or pet food for that matter, but I wonder what could I put out for them to eat? On the one hand though, I have really small children and my friend said cats being in close proximity to babies could be dangerous and also that the cats would always be coming to my door for food. I know for a fact that the nextdoor neighbor feeds them and is kind of their 'mama' so I don't know why they cry and beg for food...maybe they just want to see if they'll get more? I did kind of google around for this a while back and came up with nothing, so I'm just curious if there are any suitable foods that they could tolerate such as lentil stew, cheerios, soy yogurt,???, etc? Or I may just cave in and buy some emergency cat food for them..... we'll see :-\
I'd give them tofu dogs cut into pieces. Something meaty (umami?).
Alternately you could try something like beans that have been cooked down, like garbanzos.
I don't know if they'd eat it or not, but my garbage-eating cat used to love that stuff.
My vegetarian, naturopathic vet said soy is not a good choice for dogs or cats. Tuna, sardines, salmon, mackerel, chicken etc., are good choices. Not sure if it is something you could do being vegetarian. Cat food is not a good choice as it is generally filled with things a feral cat would not be used to. Could actually make them sick.
My vet feeds her feral cats chicken, fish, eggs. Two of my cats are from her feral cats. She grabs the kittens when they are 5 or 6 weeks old and finds them good homes. They may be crying for food more than you think they should because they could have parasites that are taking all of the nutrients from what they eat. Hence, they are always hungry.
Cats need meat. They are not vegetarians.
I used to home cook for my cats and in the last year put them and my dog on pet food. I have seen no improvement in them. Actually have seen negative results with my dog. Once the kibble is gone, I am back to home cooking. I don't love buying the meat for them or cooking it but I will do what I have to do.
A feral cat does not need tofu or beans. It needs a good sound animal protein. That is what cats need for optimum health. Cottage cheese is also good but can spoil quickly if outdoors in the heat. Not as a main protein source though.
I cook when I home cook for my pets. My vet gives her feral cats raw chicken and fish. She has fed them for years and you would think they are her cats when you get to her farm. Try to touch one and they are gone!
Hope this helps.
Di
i used to have a cat who loved soy-dogs and corn chips, but she was a weirdo.
i'm not sure why your friend said that the cats being near your kids would be dangerous. maybe the old myth that cats smother babies? i dunno. cats are very tolerant of kids, in my personal experience - they'll take a lot more crap from a toddler than they will an adult human.
i'd go with the emergency stash of cat food. but of course, the best thing to do would be to get them trapped & sterilized, so at least feeding them won't increase the population =/
Di, your vet feeds the ferals raw chicken/fish? :o I'd always heard that raw meat can give them parasites (like giardia), hence the frozen raw stuff in the pet stores. But I guess maybe there's a decently low chance of parasites.
I don't know where your at but around here there are a couple of organizations that work with feral cats. They will work with a person who is willing to take responsibility for caring for them. For example the organization will come out and trap the cats in order to have them nuetered and get them their shots (paid for by organization) then supply the person with cat food. Maybe there is something similar where your at?
A feral cat organization sounds like the best solution to me!
I know cats need meat, and obviously I'm no expert ... but when I tried to feed my cat meat (cooked, raw, or from the can) he just licked it. He didn't eat it. Maybe he was a little retarded, but he did better with dry food.
You can get a big sack of dry cat food for $5, and mash it up with canned tuna. We fed a few feral cats on that one summer, and they got very friendly.
A feral cat organization sounds like the best solution to me!
I know cats need meat, and obviously I'm no expert ... but when I tried to feed my cat meat (cooked, raw, or from the can) he just licked it. He didn't eat it. Maybe he was a little retarded, but he did better with dry food.
You can get a big sack of dry cat food for $5, and mash it up with canned tuna. We fed a few feral cats on that one summer, and they got very friendly.
Cats get addicted to the sugar and additives in pet food. It took me a long time to make my cats like a more natural diet.
Once eating home cooked, they poo pooed pet food. Now I have to start the process all over again.
Di, your vet feeds the ferals raw chicken/fish? :o I'd always heard that raw meat can give them parasites (like giardia), hence the frozen raw stuff in the pet stores. But I guess maybe there's a decently low chance of parasites.
They are feral cats. They eat birds, mice an whatever they can find/catch. They probably already have parasites. She feeds them as natural a diet as she can. They are not pet/domestic cats, they are feral. Wild. They don't have the luxury of us cooking for them. Mind you, Emma Orange Blossom and Smedley Hoover's mom is the healthiest looking cat I have ever seen. Their grandmom was healthy too until sadly a coyote got her at the age of 15 or 16. My vet estimated her age as she fed her for 14 years.
i used to have a cat who loved soy-dogs and corn chips, but she was a weirdo.
i'm not sure why your friend said that the cats being near your kids would be dangerous. maybe the old myth that cats smother babies? i dunno. cats are very tolerant of kids, in my personal experience - they'll take a lot more crap from a toddler than they will an adult human.
i'd go with the emergency stash of cat food. but of course, the best thing to do would be to get them trapped & sterilized, so at least feeding them won't increase the population =/
My cats and dogs have always loved tofu too. Soy dogs, tofurky etc. Loving it doesn't mean it provides them with the nutrition they need. My dog also loves BBQ chips. Not healthy and I stop people from giving them to her.
I think the reason of the worry for feral cats being near kids is parasites. Some can be transferred to children. In their feces, saliva.
Feral cats can also have fleas, lice, mites. So touching I guess can also be a worry.
I am in no way an expert on the subject. My qualifications are having many pets over the last 50 years, working for vets, having amazing vets(both naturopathic and conventional), rescuing the ones no one want because they are full of parasites, mange, heartworm etc., and bringing them back to health. As well, reading huge quantities of books and data.
I have fed sh*tty pets foods, pet foods that were supposed to be the best, home cooking and decent pet foods.
I now realize my year of going back to pet food was not a good thing. Yes, a major convenience for me and loving it.
It is now time I put my pets first. Cali will be going back to home cooked in about a week when her food runs out. The cats in about three weeks when theirs run out.
I will know what they are getting and although will take me time to prepare it, I will be happy once again that they are getting the optimum diet. For their species.