**DISCLAIMER**
I'm bored and feel like debating something for my own amusement. Its been far too long since we discussed anything controversial in an adult manner.
What I present here is theory, not fact and should be taken as such. This is not suggestion for new keepers, this is food for thought for the experienced. Read and respond at your own risk. (If you do choose to respond please do keep it civil, thanks )
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It's an established "fact" in tortoise keeping that cat and/or dog food is bad for tortoises. We often hear about some poor tortoise that was fed cat food and see pictures at times of horribly disfigured animals.
I would suggest that this fact is actually fiction and that cat food in and of itself only plays a small part with the animal's poor condition with environmental and behavioral issues playing a larger role. This is not to say that cat food is an ideal food for tortoises, and definately not that it should be an exclusive diet. Over the long term I expect that cat food would prove harmful as an exclusive diet.
First if we look at the ingredients of Mazuri:
http://www.mazuri.com/PDF/5M21-5E06.pdf
Which is an accepted primary dietary component for many successful tortoise keepers and compare it to the ingredients and analysis lists for cat and dog foods they turn out to be similar. Typically the dog and cat food contains animal matter, more protein and fat, and less fiber than Mazuri Tortoise diet, but not in extreme proportions. (IE 30% protein versus 15% protein, 10% fat versus 3%, 5% fiber versus 18% etc.) Obviously, this shows Mazuri Tortoise Diet to be a superior product by common "standards" to cat food, but cat food is FAR better than a slab of bacon for example.
Assuming a tortoise fed either diet has full access to additional greens and grasses in a warm outdoor environment full of sunshine and mental stimulation I would fully expect that tortoise to be healthy and happy.
Same tortoise on either mazuri or cat-food deprived of additional dietary items (and even possibly on a "perfect" diet of natural weeds, grasses and greens), crammed in a small, dark, cold, (or too hot, end yes to wet or too dry) container indoors will assuredly experience terrible health problems.
I'm bored and feel like debating something for my own amusement. Its been far too long since we discussed anything controversial in an adult manner.
What I present here is theory, not fact and should be taken as such. This is not suggestion for new keepers, this is food for thought for the experienced. Read and respond at your own risk. (If you do choose to respond please do keep it civil, thanks )
************************************************
It's an established "fact" in tortoise keeping that cat and/or dog food is bad for tortoises. We often hear about some poor tortoise that was fed cat food and see pictures at times of horribly disfigured animals.
I would suggest that this fact is actually fiction and that cat food in and of itself only plays a small part with the animal's poor condition with environmental and behavioral issues playing a larger role. This is not to say that cat food is an ideal food for tortoises, and definately not that it should be an exclusive diet. Over the long term I expect that cat food would prove harmful as an exclusive diet.
First if we look at the ingredients of Mazuri:
http://www.mazuri.com/PDF/5M21-5E06.pdf
Which is an accepted primary dietary component for many successful tortoise keepers and compare it to the ingredients and analysis lists for cat and dog foods they turn out to be similar. Typically the dog and cat food contains animal matter, more protein and fat, and less fiber than Mazuri Tortoise diet, but not in extreme proportions. (IE 30% protein versus 15% protein, 10% fat versus 3%, 5% fiber versus 18% etc.) Obviously, this shows Mazuri Tortoise Diet to be a superior product by common "standards" to cat food, but cat food is FAR better than a slab of bacon for example.
Assuming a tortoise fed either diet has full access to additional greens and grasses in a warm outdoor environment full of sunshine and mental stimulation I would fully expect that tortoise to be healthy and happy.
Same tortoise on either mazuri or cat-food deprived of additional dietary items (and even possibly on a "perfect" diet of natural weeds, grasses and greens), crammed in a small, dark, cold, (or too hot, end yes to wet or too dry) container indoors will assuredly experience terrible health problems.