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pets on whole 30?


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i have a cat who is basically a real life version of garfield. orange and fat! would it be acceptable to put my cat on this diet? i could feed him compliant tuna, salmon, chicken and maybe some sweet potato or other vegetables. i dont know how well my cat would stick to the rules, when i let him outside he muches on grass sometimes (compliant???), but what are your thoughts on this? would it help my big fat cat lose some pounds?? 

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This has actually been discussed on the forum before -- I think much of the discussion was about dogs, but if I'm remembering correctly, there was talk about cats too. Google Whole30 pets for more. Definitely talk to your vet and do your homework -- there are foods animals are not supposed to eat. I'm pretty sure for cats that includes garlic and onions and anything related to them. You'd also need to consider things like salt -- do animals need salt like we do? And how much? Also, just personal experience, I have two cats. One will eat just about anything, one turns his nose up when I give them something new. The one that will eat anything occasionally will eat a bit of what I'm eating, if I don't watch my plate. The other one, I've offered him canned salmon and canned tuna and he looks at me like, what do I do with this? 

 

If you wanted to go with a premade food (I'm not sure of the cost, but understand that might be a consideration), there's actually a Whole30 approved pet food.

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If you feed your cat foods prepared for humans... Salmon, tuna, chicken, and maybe some veggies, your cat will love it. However, after awhile, your cat will become sick and die from nutritional deficiencies. In the wild, your cat would eat all of a whole fish, for example, to get nutrient needs met... Bones, brain, intestines, etc. not just the parts we would eat. Cat food is specially formulated to include stuff that cannot be gotten from human food.

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If you feed your cat foods prepared for humans... Salmon, tuna, chicken, and maybe some veggies, your cat will love it. However, after awhile, your cat will become sick and die from nutritional deficiencies. In the wild, your cat would eat all of a whole fish, for example, to get nutrient needs met... Bones, brain, intestines, etc. not just the parts we would eat. Cat food is specially formulated to include stuff that cannot be gotten from human food.

 

thank you! maybe i will stick to some healthy cat-food. maybe i'll buy a laser pointer for him to chase around to get more exercise.

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Tom is correct, our animals have different dietary requirements than humans do.

 

It is possible to make healthy cat food, but it requires some knowledge and effort, i.e. grinding up whole animals with organs and skin and bone. My city has several "pet food delis" that make dog and cat food this way and you can buy it fresh. If you want to go for it, I would give that a try first and see how your pet adapts.

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Guest Andria

I agree with what Tom says, but I will add that it's not really different from what we, as humans, *should*eat.   We should really be eating the whole animal, as well, and not just the muscle meat ;)

 

The Whole30 forum is not the place you want to get information about feeding your pets.  Please consult you veterinarian regarding your pet's specific needs.  With that said, I will comment a bit (I am a practicing small animal veterinarian).  Cats do not need veggies or starches in their diet; they will munch on a little bit of grass for digestive health only.  If you wish to feed a commercial diet an all canned (moist) grain free or a commercial raw diet would be best.  If you wish to prepare your pet's food yourself you can look at Dr Laura Pierson's website www.catinfo.org for feeding homemade raw diets - it gives you all the info you need for incorporating bone meal and organs meats.

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  • 1 month later...

Thank you Shannon! I will buy the approved pet food and see if he eats it. Once his weight loss journey begins he will be the talk of the town! Charming the furr off the lady cats and making fitness models envious of his purrfect physique!!!

 

If he doesn't eat it right away give it at least another one.. I know my cat was very picky with what was in her dish.. but eventually she got hungry enough. 

 

Now, not all cats are like that and they could starve themselves (Luckily us Pet Moms & Dads know when to try something new) 

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We feed our dogs raw.  I do not agree that pet food is the only way your pets can get all of the nutrition they need.  However, a W30 forum is not the best place for advice.  There are plenty of published guidelines and raw forums out there  - I'd refer to those.  With that being said, our dogs get mostly chicken (bone in), liver 1-2x a week, other assorted organ meat (kidneys, heart and gizzards mostly) 1-2x a week, scraps from all our meat, treats from the local butcher from time to time, marrow bones once a week or so and grain free kibble from time to time when we run out of meat.  When they are eating all raw their poop is much better, their coats shinier.  You can pet them and not have that "dog" smell left on your hands and their teeth are so white that people ask me what I use to brush their teeth.  Both of our dogs were rescues and transitioned to raw with little effort (I had to hold onto the chicken at first b/c one of ours thought that swallowing a drumstick whole was a good idea until she figured out to chew it).  We've had one for 4 years and the other for 3 - so far both are fine - lean, energetic, never sick, no allergies like many of our friends' dogs.  Both are also good with satiety - when they are hungry the eat, when they aren't they don't.  

 

I would never go back to just kibble for them.  

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If you feed your cat foods prepared for humans... Salmon, tuna, chicken, and maybe some veggies, your cat will love it. However, after awhile, your cat will become sick and die from nutritional deficiencies. In the wild, your cat would eat all of a whole fish, for example, to get nutrient needs met... Bones, brain, intestines, etc. not just the parts we would eat. Cat food is specially formulated to include stuff that cannot be gotten from human food.

Dog food, too.  "Cat food is specially formulated to include stuff that cannot be gotten from human food."

 

I buy my dog food from my Vet. 

 

  

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 "Cat food is specially formulated to include stuff that cannot be gotten from human food."

 

I think what is meant by this is that if you choose to feed your pet whole foods, you should prepare them specifically for your pet taking their needs into account (taurine, etc). Feeding them human meals (even whole30 meals) is not a good idea.

 

It does not mean that people can not make a food for their pets that is better than commercial pet food. They can. Most commercial kibble is really no better than breakfast cereal, maybe worse.

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I agree.  My Vet rolls her eyes at big name store branded dog foods.  I would never feed my dog any of that stuff or commercial dog jerky.  We make our own beef, bison, moose, elk, deer, fish jerky, she can handle it.

 

She sits by it, guards it and waits for a crumb to fall while it's drying.

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