Pet Keeping Basics: Cats and Dogs

 

Many people like keeping dogs and cats due to their love of furry, four-legged company. While keeping pets is fun as they can brighten your day with their undivided love and attention, it is important to note that these animals have basic needs such as food,  shelter, medical care, and general wellness.

Food

Just like human beings, pets need food to grow, develop, and thrive. The food must meet their nutritional requirements to keep them healthy. You can opt to use home-cooked food or commercial food.

Commercial dog and cat foods are categorized as dry, canned, and semi-moist. These classifications depend on the moisture content and method used to make them. Each of those categories is formulated to provide the necessary quantities of nutrients to the respective pets.

Dog food should not be substituted for cat food or cats fed with dog food. Why? Because each of these animals has unique nutritional needs. Dogs are normally versatile and can eat most cat foods, but cats should not eat dog foods. Why? Because dog food contains lower protein and fat content. In addition, dog food does not contain sufficient levels of taurine, unlike cat food which should have enough concentration of this amino acid.

Cats need taurine in higher concentration unlike dogs because it is critical for their heart muscle function, vision, fetal development, and immune system. Taurine deficiency in cats causes retinal degeneration, heart problems, blindness, and fetal deformities. In addition, propylene glycol, a common component in semi-moist dog food, can cause health problems in cats.

At the same time, you should not allow your dog to eat cat food regularly no matter how much the canine enjoys it because cat food has more fat content compared to what the canine requires. Dogs that eat cat food regularly usually experience fat intolerance which can lead to digestive tract problems.

Occasionally, you may feel like sharing your food with your furry buddies. That is quite normal but not always a good practice. Human food is not considered ideal for cats and dogs because most of these foods contain garlic, salt, and onions which are bad for your pets. In addition, human food tends to stick to the teeth of your beloved furry friends posing the danger of tooth decay.

Good pet care comprises providing your pets with the required quantity of food. Too little will lead to malnourishment and too much will lead to obesity. Overfeeding your pets or giving them too many treats is likely to cause health problems similar to human lifestyle issues such as heart and joint problems.

Raw versus cooked food
In the recent past, raw meat-based diet enthusiasts have sought to convince pet owners to turn to uncooked food. Proponents of these diets often say that dogs and cats ate raw meat before they were domesticated and have never evolved to absorb commercial food. In addition, those who argue for the raw diet also claim that cooking pet food destroys some basic enzymes that are critical for effective digestion.

Opponents of the raw meat diet say that uncooked food poses major health risks to pets and their owners. Raw meat such as chicken is a common source of Salmonella, a bacteria that is passed to animals or humans by eating food contaminated with fecal matter. Statistics show that there are more than 40,000 cases of salmonellosis in the US annually.

 Water

Your pets need to stay hydrated, and cool. Therefore, you need to provide your pets with sufficient, clean drinking water. The water should be placed near the bowl of food so that the pets have ready and easy access to the water when they need to drink. Ideally, you should change and refill your pet’s water bowl at least twice a day