THE TRUE NATURE OF CATS AND DOGS...The classification of dogs has long been a point of contention among taxonomists (those who decide what genera, specie etc., to which all creatures large and small belong). Recently, a startling bit of news was released by that scientific community; dogs, wolves and foxes are now believed to be one and the exact same animal. Anyone looking at a Chihuahua and timber wolf might find themselves perplexed by such a seemingly bizarre statement. But truth is apparently stronger than fiction and both size and appearance differences can be explained by geographic conditions. Cats are somewhat easier to explain as the taxonomists have always agreed that domestic felines and their 35 wild cousins, spanning the range from snow leopards to Persians, are one and the same creature.
Once one accepts the scientific statement, it is much easier to understand the dietary requirements of dogs and cats. Consider this; no one has ever spotted a dog or a cat dragging down an ear of corn or a head of wheat in the field and devouring it. Why then, are we feeding our dogs and cats wheat and corn, cereal products, from which most, if not all, nutritional benefit has been removed? No one would consider feeding a tiger or a wolf cereal products. Why then, are we feeding such things to our own domestic tigers and wolves? Consider this; the majority of the large pet food companies are owned by or closely associated with cereal companies who long ago realized that they could remove all that was nutritionally beneficial from cereal grains and sell what was left to pet owners.
Cats' requirements are more specific than dogs' needs. All cats, whether tigers or Persians are what is known as "obligate carnivores." This means that they cannot extract protein from anything but raw meat. Cats have a very short intestinal tract; far too short to break down the complex carbohydrates and starches contained in grains. Further more, they lack an enzyme which is absolutely necessary for these processes to occur. Far more critical is the matter of amino acids and enzymes which are essential for the proper digestion and use (generally referred to as bioavailability) of food by the body. Heat, which is an integral part of the canning process and dry food extrusion, destroys the vital amino acids and enzymes as well as degrading many of the vitamin values. Equally important, but less well known, is the fact that the saliva of cats and dogs is very acidic. This is the first step in breaking down and obtaining nutrition from meat. One side benefit is that acidic saliva also serves to keep plaque and tartar from settling on teeth. A healthy dog or cat mouth should contain bright white teeth and healthy gums. The sideways shearing action of teeth and gums against raw meat fibers provides all the natural cleaning and massage they need to remain in top condition. This same high level of acidity is also maintained in the stomach. When cats and dogs are fed cereal based diets, the high alkaline/magnesium level contained in cereal neutralizes the acidity of their urine. This is the single largest cause of FUS (Feline Urinary Syndrome) in cats, as it allows the formation of crystals in the urinary tract, a condition which is both extremely painful and can be fatal if unrelieved. The specialized formulas that have been created to deal with this problem are merely chemically acidified cereal based diets. Wouldn't it be more logical to simply feed raw meat in the first place? Think about this. The pet food industry has existed for approximately 50 years. What did dogs and cats eat before that? Rabbits, mice, birds and fish probably made up the bulk of their diets. Larger canids and felines eat exactly the same things; bringing down the occasional larger prey whenever possible. We cannot offer you mice, but we can provide the next best thing.