Debatable Topic – Diet – Box Turtles and Cat Food

[Eggsy]

I understand that when we are discussing turtle diets, cat food is considered a huge no-no. But I have a questions to throw out there:

1) Is it generally accepted that as turtle owners we ban all types of wet cat food from our turtle’s diet (not even as a treat, or appetite stimulant)?

2) If no to the first question, do any turtle owners use cat food as a small part of their turtle’s diet? If so, what kind?

3) When most owners think of wet cat food, are you thinking about the highly processed, low grade pate that most people give their cats or are you lumping the higher grade/excellent cat food that has limited ingredients into the “no cat food rule”?

My definitions of Cat Food Grades (see attached file for visual examples):

Low Grade: mystery meat pate and shreds, when you look at the ingredients there’s an entire book about what they used to create this food.

Medium Grade: still a long list of ingredients, but includes broth, true meat, and then lots of added minerals and vitamins.

High Grade: mainly meat and broth as the ingredients, with some added minerals and vitamins, generally has higher amount of protein in it.

Excellent Grade: only has three ingredients that you can see and recognize, has the highest amount of protein.

 

[Yvonne G]

I use cat food, but it's not the main part of the diet. For my RF and YF tortoises once week I soak Purina Pro Plan dry cat food until it's soft. For my box turtles, since I have cats and opening a can of food isn't wasteful, I pour off the juice/gravy from a can of cat food and mix the greens/veggies/fruit with the cat food juice. Since I'm only using it for scent, it doesn't matter if it's good quality or not.

 

[Kapidolo Farms]

I use the organic no grains wet cat food from Costco. For red-foots, forest hinge-backs, and Manouria.

Like many foods people see the animal likes it and then overfeeds the food item. I also feed hard-boiled egg.

It's all about moderation.

 

[Pastel Tortie]

I'm glad all of you specified what species your answers apply to. @Eggsy mentioned box turtles, @Yvonne G mentioned redfoot and yellowfoot tortoises, and @Will mentioned redfoots, forest hinge-backs, and Manouria tortoises.

@Eggsy - My thoughts are that you just have to read labels, unless you are using the juice only for smell and flavor like Yvonne does.

For context, there's a recipe for a feeder cricket diet, based largely on dry cat food, online at www.anapsid.org. Any reptile consuming a feeder insect ingests whatever that insect is gutloaded with, along with the insect.

I'm probably asking a loaded question here, but (other than moisture), is there really that much difference between wet and dry cat food? (I know a lot about cats, but I don't know that particular answer.)

 

[Tim Carlisle]

Years ago they sold a can of soft turtle food specifcally for box turtles. I used to mix that with a little dry cat food.