Before commercial cat food.....

In article ,
(Steve Crane) wrote:

"Mary" wrote in message
.. .
"Kitten M" wrote in message
...
Please help my research for cat food. Before lots of people started
feeding their cat commercial cat food, (crunchy type or canned food)
what were they feeding their cat?
Is there such a thing like a traditional "home made" cat food?


Sure. It's called "table scraps." Dogs lived on it too, somehow.

But alas not for very long. Modern commercially prepared foods, good
veterinary care and routine vaccinations have vastly extended the life
of domestic pets.

Cite source or retract!!!!!!!!!!

(smiling, but serious)

-Alison in OH

In article ,
(Steve Crane) wrote:

"Mary" wrote in message
.. .
"Kitten M" wrote in message
...
Please help my research for cat food. Before lots of people started
feeding their cat commercial cat food, (crunchy type or canned food)
what were they feeding their cat?
Is there such a thing like a traditional "home made" cat food?


Sure. It's called "table scraps." Dogs lived on it too, somehow.

But alas not for very long. Modern commercially prepared foods, good
veterinary care and routine vaccinations have vastly extended the life
of domestic pets.

Cite source or retract!!!!!!!!!!

(smiling, but serious)

-Alison in OH

In article ,
(Steve Crane) wrote:

"Mary" wrote in message
.. .
"Kitten M" wrote in message
...
Please help my research for cat food. Before lots of people started
feeding their cat commercial cat food, (crunchy type or canned food)
what were they feeding their cat?
Is there such a thing like a traditional "home made" cat food?


Sure. It's called "table scraps." Dogs lived on it too, somehow.

But alas not for very long. Modern commercially prepared foods, good
veterinary care and routine vaccinations have vastly extended the life
of domestic pets.

Cite source or retract!!!!!!!!!!

(smiling, but serious)

-Alison in OH

There's very strong evidence that supports the theory that domestication
of
Felis silvestris libyca (African Wildcat) -- which produced Felis catus
libyca ("domectic" cat) -- began over 6,000 years ago in Egypt. The
original reason for domestication of the African wild cat was for rodent
control in the granaries rather than for pets.

The first step towards domestication began with the cats that tolerated
the
close proximity of other cats (conspecific-tolerant) in the graaries --
highly territorial cats wouldn't have been very successful in controlling
the large number of rodents. .

The next step was selecting those cats from the original
conspecific-tolerant population that displayed affiliative behavior
towards
people. Those affiliative behaviors could have been refined further by
breeding only within that population. This "selective breeding" would
have
.produced kittens which inherited their parents' more sociable
tendencies.
After a few generations, the Egyptians "created" a "new" cat that was
human
and conspecific-tolerant

The process of creating this "new" cat might have made her even more
accepting of members of her own species. Maybe that's why when some
cats
become feral, they're able to form independent social groups.

I shake my head in amazement when I read articles that say the domestic
cat
is a solitary creature! I wonder if those authors ever lived with or
even
saw real live cats! They should manage a few feral colonies....

Wonderful synopsis, Phil, thank you. I agree that they are social
creatures. Otherwise my dear kitty would first run to her food bowl in the
morning rather than downstairs to visit with our other cat and watch the
birds and squirrels from the window ledge with her, side by side. As it is,
she watches while I put the food in her dish, then does the classic
"approach/avoid" looking from the food down to the family room, and opts
for the family room and the company of the other cat every time.

There's very strong evidence that supports the theory that domestication
of
Felis silvestris libyca (African Wildcat) -- which produced Felis catus
libyca ("domectic" cat) -- began over 6,000 years ago in Egypt. The
original reason for domestication of the African wild cat was for rodent
control in the granaries rather than for pets.

The first step towards domestication began with the cats that tolerated
the
close proximity of other cats (conspecific-tolerant) in the graaries --
highly territorial cats wouldn't have been very successful in controlling
the large number of rodents. .

The next step was selecting those cats from the original
conspecific-tolerant population that displayed affiliative behavior
towards
people. Those affiliative behaviors could have been refined further by
breeding only within that population. This "selective breeding" would
have
.produced kittens which inherited their parents' more sociable
tendencies.
After a few generations, the Egyptians "created" a "new" cat that was
human
and conspecific-tolerant

The process of creating this "new" cat might have made her even more
accepting of members of her own species. Maybe that's why when some
cats
become feral, they're able to form independent social groups.

I shake my head in amazement when I read articles that say the domestic
cat
is a solitary creature! I wonder if those authors ever lived with or
even
saw real live cats! They should manage a few feral colonies....

Wonderful synopsis, Phil, thank you. I agree that they are social
creatures. Otherwise my dear kitty would first run to her food bowl in the
morning rather than downstairs to visit with our other cat and watch the
birds and squirrels from the window ledge with her, side by side. As it is,
she watches while I put the food in her dish, then does the classic
"approach/avoid" looking from the food down to the family room, and opts
for the family room and the company of the other cat every time.

There's very strong evidence that supports the theory that domestication
of
Felis silvestris libyca (African Wildcat) -- which produced Felis catus
libyca ("domectic" cat) -- began over 6,000 years ago in Egypt. The
original reason for domestication of the African wild cat was for rodent
control in the granaries rather than for pets.

The first step towards domestication began with the cats that tolerated
the
close proximity of other cats (conspecific-tolerant) in the graaries --
highly territorial cats wouldn't have been very successful in controlling
the large number of rodents. .

The next step was selecting those cats from the original
conspecific-tolerant population that displayed affiliative behavior
towards
people. Those affiliative behaviors could have been refined further by
breeding only within that population. This "selective breeding" would
have
.produced kittens which inherited their parents' more sociable
tendencies.
After a few generations, the Egyptians "created" a "new" cat that was
human
and conspecific-tolerant

The process of creating this "new" cat might have made her even more
accepting of members of her own species. Maybe that's why when some
cats
become feral, they're able to form independent social groups.

I shake my head in amazement when I read articles that say the domestic
cat
is a solitary creature! I wonder if those authors ever lived with or
even
saw real live cats! They should manage a few feral colonies....

Wonderful synopsis, Phil, thank you. I agree that they are social
creatures. Otherwise my dear kitty would first run to her food bowl in the
morning rather than downstairs to visit with our other cat and watch the
birds and squirrels from the window ledge with her, side by side. As it is,
she watches while I put the food in her dish, then does the classic
"approach/avoid" looking from the food down to the family room, and opts
for the family room and the company of the other cat every time.

Sure. It's called "table scraps." Dogs lived on it too, somehow.

But alas not for very long. Modern commercially prepared foods, good
veterinary care and routine vaccinations have vastly extended the life
of domestic pets.

Cite source or retract!!!!!!!!!!

(smiling, but serious)

-Alison in OH

I must agree, Alison. If one were to choose a single factor that has
extended the lives of cats, for example, I would choose the fact that more
people keep them inside where they are safe. UK or US, I make no
distinction. Anywhere there may be fleas and other parasites, dogs and
other predators, motor vehicles, vicious humans, and/or potentially
dangerous temperature extremes is not a safe place for a cat. Do they have
more fun outside? You bet! They just do not tend to live too long. I had a
friend who once said she would rather her cats live shorter lives and be
outside "as they are meant to be." She got her wish. Three disappeared,
either poisoned, stolen, or killed, two got hit by cars, and one was killed
and tossed in her yard. She has a new one now.

Sure. It's called "table scraps." Dogs lived on it too, somehow.

But alas not for very long. Modern commercially prepared foods, good
veterinary care and routine vaccinations have vastly extended the life
of domestic pets.

Cite source or retract!!!!!!!!!!

(smiling, but serious)

-Alison in OH

I must agree, Alison. If one were to choose a single factor that has
extended the lives of cats, for example, I would choose the fact that more
people keep them inside where they are safe. UK or US, I make no
distinction. Anywhere there may be fleas and other parasites, dogs and
other predators, motor vehicles, vicious humans, and/or potentially
dangerous temperature extremes is not a safe place for a cat. Do they have
more fun outside? You bet! They just do not tend to live too long. I had a
friend who once said she would rather her cats live shorter lives and be
outside "as they are meant to be." She got her wish. Three disappeared,
either poisoned, stolen, or killed, two got hit by cars, and one was killed
and tossed in her yard. She has a new one now.

Sure. It's called "table scraps." Dogs lived on it too, somehow.

But alas not for very long. Modern commercially prepared foods, good
veterinary care and routine vaccinations have vastly extended the life
of domestic pets.

Cite source or retract!!!!!!!!!!

(smiling, but serious)

-Alison in OH

I must agree, Alison. If one were to choose a single factor that has
extended the lives of cats, for example, I would choose the fact that more
people keep them inside where they are safe. UK or US, I make no
distinction. Anywhere there may be fleas and other parasites, dogs and
other predators, motor vehicles, vicious humans, and/or potentially
dangerous temperature extremes is not a safe place for a cat. Do they have
more fun outside? You bet! They just do not tend to live too long. I had a
friend who once said she would rather her cats live shorter lives and be
outside "as they are meant to be." She got her wish. Three disappeared,
either poisoned, stolen, or killed, two got hit by cars, and one was killed
and tossed in her yard. She has a new one now.

In article ,
lid enlightened us with...
In article ,
But alas not for very long. Modern commercially prepared foods, good
veterinary care and routine vaccinations have vastly extended the life
of domestic pets.

Cite source or retract!!!!!!!!!!


As to the first...
http://www.purina.com/institute/news.asp?article=421

Not to mention the fact that people didn't know (or care) about dog
nutrition. They gave them scraps from the table or killing room, not a
healthy, balanced BARF diet. The people didn't live as long, either. A
healthy diet, commercial or otherwise, extends life. Since people
usually won't prepare (time, money, etc) a well balanced raw diet,
commercially prepared foods are the healthiest option.

Logically:
Healthy diet extends life.
BARF (prepared correctly) is healthy.
Commercial dog foods are healthy.
Scraps are not healthy.

Conclusion: If people won't prepare a BARF diet and there is no
commercial food, dogs don't live as long.

The second two are common sense and need no source. Good health care
extends life.
-------------------------------------------------
~kaeli~
All I ask for is the chance to prove that money
cannot make me happy.
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart
http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace
-------------------------------------------------