#pet psa

[smolgwennie]

I wanna share a resource I found to other cat lovers and caretakers, a list made by a vet who actually cares about what their cat eats! It’s a list of wet cat foods with the amount of protein, fat, carbohydrates, phosphorus, and calories per can of food.

It reveals a LOT about bullshit in pet food. The number one thing is how cat food, ideally, needs to have 0% carbs. I typically go max 10% carbs.

High protein is best, especially for elderly cats. A lot of kidney health and geriatric diets have VERY LOW PROTEIN, which will kill your cat fast. Minimum of 35% protein is good, the higher the better. Low protein is what makes elderly cats so frail and bony, no protein means no muscles.

Fat isn’t generally something to fret over unless you have an obese cat. Carbohydrate levels are a bigger concern honestly. Cats that have trouble keeping on weight should get higher fat alongside protein.

Phosphorus, NOT protein, is linked to kidney disease, specifically high phosphorus. I typically aim for under 400mg per 100kcals, but since my kitty is 15, lower is better.

There are bad additives for cats! Of course each kitty has sensitivities, but tuna should never be a staple in a cat’s diet, which disqualifies a TON of otherwise fantastic cat food, including almost all of Tiki Cat AND Weruva’s foods. Fish in general should be a minimum, as it’s also a tad addictive for cats, especially saltwater fish for the metal contents.

Calories really depend on a lot of factors, but generally the average cat needs around 150-200kcals a day iirc. Bigger cats need more, older cats may need less, kittens and nursing/pregnant mothers need more!

My general value guidelines for my picks are:

- NO TUNA

- Min 35% Protein

- Min 30% Fat

- Max 10% Carbohydrates

- Max 400mg Phosphorus per 100kcal

And here’s the lovely list!

(P.S. Cats do not belong outside unaccompanied and free to roam and kill. That’s why the average lifespan has stayed lower, and why we see constant extinctions. This isn’t up for debate. If you let your cat out to free roam you are a bad person. I am not talking about barn/farm cats, which still are an issue, but do serve a purpose on a working farm.)

[southernsnowdogs]

Found this photo on a recent post to a facebook parrot group I'm part of.

Guys, if you have birds that aren't a specific harlequin mutation, and your bird has feathers that look like this, it's /not/ good. This bird is 4 months old and still was being fed hatchling food, and also nestle cerelac (and I think dry ramen noodles, according to the photo).

Well over 45% of this birds body, is just stress bars, which is often a sign of malnutrition in birds.

[hmvw2015]

[trinscabbage]

Rats! Please don’t buy them on a whim. A PSA

I made this post on twitter but i honestly see it more on tumblr, but PLEASE research rats before buying them. I know a trend now is to look at cute lil rats which I LOVE and rat love is NEEDED but please, don’t buy them on a whim. Rats need a lot of things.

-Rats need AT LEAST an hour outside of their cage EVERY DAY, but it is HIGHLY SUGGESTED that they get out much more. They can get cramped and aggressive if they don’t get out enough.

-Rats need pretty big cages. They can’t live in hamster cages. There’s a really great rat cage calculator you can use, but it is suggested 2 cubic feet per rat. It also should not be a 1 level cage, they LOVE to climb.

-RATS NEED FRIENDS. If you get rats, you need 2 at minimum, unless it is specified otherwise. Rats are pack animals. They need a friend, or else they get depressed or aggressive. 

-Rats need their cages to be cleaned preferably once a week, but at the max once every 2 weeks if you have only 2 rats. They get stinky and they do not like living in their stink. How would you like to live in pee?

-Rat diets should be diverse! They can eat a lot of different foods, but there are some you shouldn’t feed to certain genders (no citrus to male rats).

-Rats often get respiratory infections without the proper bedding. Cedar and pine beddings are POISONOUS to rats. Some people don’t use bedding in the summer months, which is fine. Paper bedding is best, but Aspen is ok too.

-Rats don’t have good eyesight. For albino rats (I’ve only had albino so i don’t know about black eyed rats), too much light can harm their already terrible eyesight.

-Rats have a LOT of body language. Learn it. It’s hard to explain in text, but there are a lot of videos on YouTube about this.

-Rats can get sick easily, so make sure you have a vet that can take rats. Learn the symptoms of Upper Respiratory Infections (Sneezing, honk like breathing, raspy breath, etc.). When they get older, check for tumors by patting them down. 

-Rats don’t live for long, sadly. If you get them from a pet shop (WHICH YOU SHOULDN’T!!!!!), they live for about 1-1.5 years. If you adopt, it’s more likely they live 1.5 - 2 years. 

-You will get scratched. Their nails can get very sharp, and when they don’t trust you, it’s hard to slip their nails. I personally don’t clip my rats’ nails because I don’t want to hurt them. They still love you even though they scratch you because you pulled them from out under the sofa.

There’s so many more things I could put in here but there are a lot of videos on youtube about first time rat owner tips, so go check those out too. I’m also not perfect and if I am missing or I have wrong information PLEASE TELL ME.

here are my happy boys eatin snacks.

TL;DR Research your pets before buying them!!!!!!!!!

[theshadowytiger]

Seven things you should but might not know about cat food/eating habits:

No milk: Despite what is portrayed in cartoons cats are lactose-intolerant. Cow’s milk should never be given to kittens. Specially formulated milk substitutes are the biologically appropriate alternative.

Doesn’t chew well: Chewing is stage 1 of digestion in humans, but cats only break food up enough to swallow. Break larger foods up small to help them!

“Made with real meat”: When you cook at home think about how often you cut fat off meat. If all that fat is thrown into pet food they can put all sorts of things on the packaging, yet it’s actually lower in protein than the consumer realizes. Don’t just read the front and ingredients list, check the protein percentage count.

Low thirst drive: Unlike humans cats are less likely to drink when thirsty. High kibble, low water diets sometimes lead to kidney problems, UTIs, etc. Make sure to at least add in some wet food for balance!

Low carb > grain free: Lots of products can be grain free but in reality remain high carbohydrate if they replace grains with starchy vegetables. Don’t be fooled by misleading terminology.

Fish; hormones/mercury: Pet-grade fish is below human-grade for a reason! Fish can be high in unhealthy substances like growth hormones and even in quality fish-products mercury can remain a problem. Give fish sparingly.

Elevate Dishes: Most cats need to get down lower than is comfortable for them because humans tend to place bowls directly on the floor. Elevating their dishes is a small ergonomic change to increase their comfort that sometimes can lead to cats eating/drinking more.

[adilab]

Just a reminder to all USA dog owners that Forth of July celebrations can be very stressful and dangerous for your pup! 

Don’t bring your pet with you to festivities - large crowds and fireworks are stressful

Keep your pet indoors and watch exits (doors and windows) closely

Make sure pet has proper and current identification, just in case

Try to keep the same routine and diet as any other day

Remember that dogs are allergic to human foods (i.e chocolate, beer) and products (i.e. sunscreen, insect repellent)

If possible, a long walk will tire them out and help with stress

Radio music or TV on as background noise can drown out sounds

Have a safe place they can “hide” like a crate in a quiet room with closed blinds

[holoitsryn]

Random Pet PSA

Yo I just feel like letting everyone know that pets and a lot of plants don’t get along. Plants can be very hazardous for pets of any kind, so please ask a vet and do research before bringing any plants into your home.

There are also certain natural bug-repellents, like peppermint to deter spiders, that are bad for some pets to breathe in!

Please just be cautious of what kinds of things you bring around your pets! They’re family, not replaceable entertainment items!

[autistic-goblin666]

I cannot believe I have to fucking explain this...

Do NOT give your birds cigarettes (even if they are unlit) or alchohol. This should be a no-brainer but apparently some people are too fucking dumb to realize this. Do not smoke around your bird. Or any other pets for that matter. Do not leave toddlers or babies alone (unsupervised) with birds. They could injure each other and toddlers will most likely not know to not squeeze a bird (birds lack a diaphragm which means if you put too much pressure on their chest they will suffocate and die.) Your bird could also bite a toddler or baby which could (depending on the size of the bird and how hard they bite) really hurt them. Do not leave cats or dogs alone with your birds. Even if they get along and play, cat and dog saliva could kill a bird. Do not leave a bird out of the cage when you are not at home. They could get into mischief and hurt themselves. Do not give your birds drugs and this includes caffeine. Feel free to add more.