Can you feed cat chow as a treat?

[nccountrygirl]

I think I have read posts where some people give their chickens cat food as treats, can you? It won't hurt them will it? I just wanted to know before I gave some to them and hurt them. Thanks Laura

 

[cheeptrick]

I have given mine cat and dog food. They prefer the canned...and do not prefer fish. Which I thought was interesting. I only give them organic dog food though...Paul Newman Organic is a good brand!

 

[silkiechicken]

I don't give mine cat food... the go and steal it!! Cat runs as soon as it sees the birds running straight at her.

 

[nccountrygirl]

I bet that's a funny sight.

 

[allen wranch]

Because of the salt content, just feed dog or cat food as an occasional treat, not part of their regular diet.

 

[FluffyChickenMama]

I have to wait until bedtime for the girls before I feed the cats otherwise the cats dont get much... they love the dry catfood... Friskies Seafood Sensation..

I do give them moist and meaty dog food. My mom always gave it to hers and my cousins shows his OEB gives it to his for the extra protein.. but not all the time..

 

[rooster-red]

I feed mine dry cat food as a once week or so suppliment, they eat every piece.

 

[chicks rule]

My chickens eat the cat food right along with the cats,

We fed them(the chickens) some leftover noodles and the cats jumped in the middle of that, well the chickens were taking the noodles right out of the cats mouths, the grandkids thought it was a hoot.

 

[Barnyard Dawg]

I would never feed our chickens cat food, that is my personal choice.

 

[Barnyard Dawg]

PURINA CAT CHOW INGREDIENTS (Top 18 ingredients):

Ground Yellow Corn, Poultry By-Product Meal, Animal Fat, Corn Gluten Meal, Brewer’s Rice, Soybean Meal, Animal Digest, Calcium Carbonate, Calcium Phosphate, Salt, Potassium Chloride, L-Lysine Monohydrochloride, Choline Chloride, Zinc Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Proteinate, Ferrous Sulfate, Added Color (Red 40, Yellow 5, Blue 2, Yellow 6)



Interpretation: “Ground Yellow Corn” is the entire ear of corn, including the cob but without the husk, ground up. Corn is a leading source of allergies in pets. And more importantly, why would corn be the first ingredient in any cat food? Cats are obligate carnivores. In addition, corn is very difficult to digest and utilize. The official definition of “Poultry By-Product Meal” is as follows: “Consists of the ground, rendered, clean parts of the carcass of slaughtered poultry, such as necks, feet, undeveloped eggs and intestines, exclusive of feathers, except in such amounts as might occur unavoidable in good processing practice.” Note that this is an inconsistent ingredient, because of the multiple organs used and their constantly changing proportions. They are cheaper and less digestible than chicken or chicken meal. It is also better to see a specific protein named, such as chicken, rather than the generic “poultry.” Anything called a “by-product” means it is not deemed fit for human consumption, and may even contain diseased or chemically tainted tissue. “Animal Fat” is obtained from the tissues of mammals and/or poultry in the commercial process of rendering. This can come from any type of animal in a rendering plant, including road-kill, chemically tainted, diseased or euthanized animals. Clearly, animals fit for human consumption are not sent to rendering plants. “Corn Gluten Meal” is the dried residue from corn after the removal of the larger part of the starch and germ, and the separation of the bran. Not only is this another corn fragment, it is added to pet food to slow down the transition of rancid animal fats (think toxic waste!), which then holds waste in, stressing the kidneys and liver. “Brewer’s Rice” is officially defined as “the dried extracted residue of rice resulting from the manufacture of wort (liquid portion of malted grain) or beer.” Brewer’s Rice is a low-quality rice fragment that is missing many of the nutrients found in the whole rice kernels. “Soybean Meal” is obtained by grinding the flakes that remain after removal of most of the oil from soybeans. Not only is it a fragment, it is a poor quality protein filler used because it is so cheap. It is also believed that soybeans are a leading cause of allergies in pets. “Animal Digest” comes from the chemical or enzymatic treatment of “clean and undecomposed” animal tissue (in a rendering plant). It says it cannot contain hair, horns, teeth, hooves or feathers, except in trace amounts. Just as in “Animal Fat” (above), it can come from any type of animal, and from the same questionable or even contaminated sources. “Calcium Carbonate” is a source of calcium, but that is what raw bones are for! Calcium Carbonate is also an ingredient in many antacids. “Salt” is not something we need to be adding to our pets’ food! “Potassium Chloride” is used as a salt substitute and to replenish electrolytes, but it is also used in fertilizer and in massive doses for lethal injections. “Vitamin E Supplement” sounds like a great idea, but (just as with all the un-bolded mineral supplements listed) why is it needed if they are using good ingredients, and how much of the nutrition survives the cooking process? “Added Color.” What needs to be said? These are chemical additives, which some fear are carcinogenic, simply to make the food pretty colors. Do cats care what color their food is???