Can someone clear something up for me? Are peas an upgrade from catfood?

[hootinholler]

Or do I have that backwards?

:shrug:

-Holler

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. My cats won't eat peas.

[slackmaster]

5. Try Natural Balance Green Pea and Duck formula

HTH

[Jackpine Radical]

9. Cats don't get scurvy.

Peas are for Pea-ple.

[provis99]

2. Cheaper than cat food. Untill Republicans ban you from growing vegetables.

then we get neither peas nor catfood. Yippee! Soylent Green for everybody!

[The Magistrate]

3. Different Categories, Sir: the Left Must Eat Their Peas, So Old People Can Eat Cat Food

If the left refuses to eat its peas, old people cannot have any delicious, nutritious cat food....

[Jackpine Radical]

4. Thank you for that clarification.

BTW, I'm putting together a recipe book for dandelion greens, plantain and grass clippings. Should I aim it at the elderly or the working poor?

[hootinholler]

7. Why I've never tasted plantain clippings

Sounds interesting and economical.

Do you find the flavor changes between the roundup ready dandelions and the pure strains?

-Hoot

[Jackpine Radical]

10. Plantain is a really nice veggie, sort of like a mild spinach.

As for the dandelions, I personally prefer the original variety, but if my little business really takes off, I'll probably want to go with the rabbit-resistant GMO variety to increase my harvest.

[hootinholler]

13. I thought a plantain was a banana relative

:shrug:

-Hoot

[Jackpine Radical]

19. I can help it if people recycle plant names?

Take pepper for example. There's the black stuff that stands in the shaker next to the salt, and there is the family that includes jalapenos, bell peppers, etc.

The plantain I'm talking about is a common lawn plant. Many consider it a weed, but it has many uses including as a table vegetable and a medicinal herb.

This is the one I'm talking about:

[w0nderer]

25. soldiers herb! Plantago major

that plant is loved by hikers, and outdoor people all over europe at least

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plantago_major

[Jackpine Radical]

26. I was taught to use it as a poultice for insect bites & small cuts.

[w0nderer]

24. probably not the working poor

sounds like that could be healthy

it'd never be allowed in the long run for the working poor to eat healthy food
how can they then be kept buying price regulated drugs and health care?


when i first read it(your post) i thought you were joking
dandelion, plaintain and grass clippings (grass/weed)
could all be used to get slight buzz/highs

and that of course could not be officially sanctioned EITHER

[QC]

8. So typical of the Left do deny gramma her tasty, nutricious Puss 'n Boots.

Is there any limit to their wickedness?

[Divernan]

11. Actually, my vet just recommended I feed my cat baby food

Said it was healthier than commercial cat food - less additives, more quality control in the manufacturing. To my delight, I find it is also cheaper.

My cats are on an all meat diet, since they are carnivores, of course. So no peas! They get pureed chicken & turkey.

[Ruby the Liberal]

17. Really? I should look into that.

What brand are you using thats cheaper?

[Divernan]

28. Gerbers or Beechnut, "level 1" just meat & broth - no additives, salt, etc.

One of my cats was very ill and getting dehydrated. The vet gave him an infusion, and the vet tech brought in a jar of the turkey baby food - which Cat scarfed up. Then several months later, another cat developed diabetes. In my research on the web, I found there is a sea change going on in the attitude of what constitutes a healthy diet for cats. They are carnivores - they need meat, and their digestive systems are biologically designed to process meat/protein - NOT grains. Yet look at 98 % of the dry foods on the market, even many of the prescription dry foods, and the main ingredients are grains or grain byproducts, with very low protein amounts. The baby foods I get are all protein, with a little fat - NO GRAIN! (Obviously I'm referring to basic pureed meats, not vegetable or fruit baby foods.)

Even most of the canned "wet foods" for cats have more grain than protein. Really read the labels on these. The big word on the label may say "beef", but you'll find grains, additives, preservatives and beef "by-products" listed before the actual amount of beef. By-products can refer to "organ" meat, and that's not the protein source you're looking for. You want "muscle" meat. One exception to that is Fancy Feast Chicken Classic, which has NO grain and no meat by-products. If you go on the web and google "cats" and "diabetes" and "diet" you'll websites with detailed breakdowns of many brands of cat food, not provided by the manufacturers on the labels. You'll find recommended canned cat foods which are very high protein - some are prescription, some not. But they are RARELY available except by mail order. I have a huge pet store at my mall. They carry dozens of brands of cat food - but not any of the high protein ones I want.

I cannot recall the scientific explanation in detail, but another vet research piece I read, explained that cat's digestive tracts being relatively short compared to grain/grass eating animals, grains do not trigger a full feeling for cats, the way that protein/meats do. That is why if one leaves dry food out for cats to eat "at will" throughout the day, as I used to do, the cats will keep eating and eating, because they do not feel full. Add that to the lack of exercise indoor cats receive and you have lots of overweight cats, resulting to a big uptick in feline diabetes.

Also fascinating, is that cats' pancreases, unlike humans' can regenerate, given the right diet, and the diabetes is cured. My cat is on insulin, but has come down to a healthy weight on his grain free diet, and we're monitoring him closely in hopes that the insulin can continue to be reduced until he's off it completely.

I'm not claiming any scientific credentials here - I'm just trying to be a well-educated, well-informed, responsible pet owner. Not all vets agree on this, but I have the impression that the cutting edge is high protein, zero grains, and that is working well with my cats.

The best dry food I've found so far is Purina's "DM" Dietary Management dry food available at vets, which has 51% protein, 15% crude fat, 3% fiber and various vitamin and mineral supplements. I have no interest in pushing that particular product, but compare those numbers to the standard dry cat food at the grocery store, to get an idea of the difference.

[hootinholler]

14. If we don't eat our peas, and old people don't get cat food

Surely they will then have steak?

-Hoot

[The Magistrate]

16. In That case, Sir, Someone Or Other Is Likely To Have a Cow....

[hobbit709]

27. but if someone has a cow, then we can have bbq.

[The Magistrate]

31. Not If It Is A Sacred Cow, Sir: Then We Can Only Sacrifice

[suffragette]

21. After all, they are Austerity peas and delicious

despite their shriveled state.

[lib2DaBone]

6. Yes.. Peas are an upgrade. At least until the Republican Party..

... at least until the Republican Party and Jesus decides that Peas contain traces of THC.. at which time.... we all revert back to Beenie Weenies.

As we all know.. Beenie Weenies are a Class 1 Narcotic... so please don't throw them in the Urinal... because it makes them soggy and hard to light.

[eilen]

12. They are the vegetarian option. I sense Michelle's input. nt.

[TheMadMonk]

15. Not at all advocating it. However, chances are the cat food...

...contains better quality ingredients and is better prepared than most budget people foods.

Cats are bloody fussy eaters.

[LuvNewcastle]

18. If you've ever lived in a place where they

grind menhaden to make cat food, as I have, you know that peas are the better choice.

[QC]

20. But peas won't make your coat shiny. n/t

[Fuzz]

22. I just added petite sweet peas to a shrimp salad with much success.

;)

[Still Waters]

23. I am not a cat and I hate peas. What do I do?

[Buns_of_Fire]

30. My recommendation: Gravy Train. nt

[Buns_of_Fire]

29. Not an upgrade -- merely a tasty addition for those of us with gardens. nt

[nomb]

32. Anyone else noticed that Tuna is often/always on sale for cheaper than catfood? Cats are costly.

:)

[Divernan]

33. Yup, my cats get people food tuna, not cat food tuna.