This morning, a friend of mine posted on her Facebook page that her dog was unhappy because she was out of tomatoes, and that started me thinking about how some dogs (and cats) enjoy different foods, like veggies and maybe even fruit, and some only eat pet food.
I realized that while we think of some food as "people food" and other food as "pet food", our dog does not make that distinction. To my Chipper, all food is food, and it just depends on whether it is a food he likes or not.
I think that, to some extent at least, dogs are a lot like kids in that they learn to eat and enjoy the foods we expose them to. I had never thought of giving Chipper any tomato, since I presumed he would not like it; but now I see that it might just have been me thinking that, since Suzy's dog (Lilly) loves tomatoes.
I will try offering Chipper more of a variety, and see what other foods he enjoys. What foods do you feed your pet that are not usually fed to pets, and they like eating it ?
My dog, Roman, would often eat carrots when he had the chance. We never understood why he would just eat carrots, but that was his favorite vegetable. And since his eyes were glossy to begin with, we figured that it was a healthy and helpful snack for him randomly. As for foods in general, he eats anything.
As for my cat, Wolfy, he loves to chew more than eat. He would often take a banana and chew on it, but never eat it. The same goes with a carrot. It's quite strange, but he's the type to enjoy the juices of food than the food itself. Whenever I give him wet food, he doesn't eat the food. Instead, he drinks the water substance around it. As for food in general, he eats meats. But we hardly give him human food because his stomach, or a cat's stomach in general, are a bit more sensitive than a dogs.
I don’t know about dogs, but I am a big fan of cats. I have 3 cats at home at the moment. They are all healthy and happy. They play a lot when they are happy. Do you want to know the secret? It’s the veggies I mixed in their wet food. I always mix different kinds of grass with their food. Why grass, because they naturally eat it, so the nature must have dictate that grass are good for cats. I encourage other cat owners to do the same like me.
Kipper loves vegetables. I really don't know a food Kipper would not eat. He loves green beans, black beans, carrots, corn, cauliflower and broccoli the best. He wolfs down all foods like it's been 100 years since he's eaten, and will be 100 more years before he'll get his next piece of food. He begs so hard for his vegetables. And they are good for him, I wouldn't deny anybody their vegetables. Kipper just loves rice, vegetables, and fruit, mainly blueberries which are great for dogs.
I have one dog and two cats. The cats don't eat vegetables because I have never offered it to them and I have no plans to because I am concerned about feeding them anything other than cat food because I don't know how they would digest it. The dog eats lots of veggies, she seems to really like them and I don't mind giving them to her because the calories are really nominal. Her favorites are green peppers and the harder pieces of iceberg lettuce (I actually usually throw them out) that are near the core.
I think that veggies are such a healthy food group that any vegetable that my little dogs will eat; I am happy to feed it to them.
Now that I realize that they might actually like foods that I didn't think they would ( like the tomatoes), I am trying them on different foods.
I know they will pretty much eat anything that comes on a bite of pizza; but I have also been giving them some homemade soup with a lot of good veggies in the broth, and they really seem to gobble that down as well.
I am also giving them more raw veggies, which they do not seem to like nearly as well as they like the cooked ones; but they do chew on them for a while, and I always praise them when they make any effort at all to eat something new and different.
Sadie loves vegies. She eats pieces of carrot raw. However; she likes them cooked too as well as green beans, peas and corn. If I eat it, she wants to try it.
i have discovered that one of Chipper's new favorite foods is sautéed zucchini. I have been eating anti-inflammatory foods since I came home from the hospital, to help my heart heal. That means NO sugar or flour products, or even some veggies, like potatoes.
So the diet is mostly vegetables, and a little meat or fruit.
For breakfast, I usually have the zucchini and an egg or two. Chipper always eats with me, so he now has bites of egg and slices of zucchini for breakfast, too. That little dog just loves his zucchini slices ! !
I did try him on the tomato, and he will eat it if it comes off of my plate, but raw tomatoes are just not Chipper's thing. I guess we will leave those to Miss Lily.
My dog loved Chinese stir-fried vegetables. If we dropped any on the ground, she'd immediately lick them up. My cat shows interest in sniffing the vegetables but not eating them. And neither dog or cat liked raw vegetables. I guess they lacked the smell and savoriness. It was like they couldn't tell it was food.
My white cat, Flour, eats almost anything and everything. He is crazy. He has gotten up on my kitchen table and eaten many foods. He has eaten tomatoes, watermelon, plums, and bread. Other foods he has eaten would include onions, Icee Pops, and of course, chicken and fish. I do know one food he hates- pickles! He runs away from them. It is funny to watch.
For cats veggies are not really advisable, they can't break down vegetable food properly. My little Alt likes chewing on grass when I take him out for a walk, but that is because it helps him clean his stomach. Ever since he does I've never seen him coughing up a hairball, so in his case grass is probably working!
He is really a weird cat when it comes to food. He doesn't like ham, chicken, salami, and many other things that would be delightful to any other cat. He only eats wet cat food from two brands, any other brand and he'll scratch the ground to signal his dislike. But he likes potatoes and croissants!
I noticed that he is more willing to try unorthodox food when he sees me eating it. For example, if I'm eating bread and I give him a small piece of it he will eat it gladly, but if I leave it in his bowl he won't touch it!
09-01-2014, 01:12 AM, (This post was last modified: 09-01-2014, 01:13 AM by Happyflowerlady.)
My Chipper definitely likes his special food to come from my plate, too. He will even eat a bite of lettuce if it was part of my salad that he has been watching me eat.
So, yesterday, I was eating apple slices, and he was sitting there beside me, just giving me the "share it " look. I told him that it was just an apple, and I was sure that he would not like it, but he just kept asking for a piece. Finally, I took a small bite and gave it to him. He sniffed it once, and gave me a look that said "I don't want any of that !", turned around and ignored me.
I guess apple is just not one of the things Chipper wants, regardless of whether I am eating one or not. He is going to stick to his zucchini and eggs.
Oh, and one of his most favorites, is when I have my morning cup of coffee. Chipper has to have a dab of cream in his doggie bowl. He stands right there while I am making coffee, waiting for his cream.
Yes! In fact, while I was eating breakfast today, my cat came in. As always, he jumped on the table to check if there was anything tasty laid out. I felt sorry for him even if he just ate, so I gave him a piece of the carrot I was eating. I thought that he wouldn't eat it, but I was surprised when he did. He also asked for more! I never thought that cats would eat vegetables knowing that they are carnivores. As for our dogs, they eat anything! They eat different kinds of vegetables such as potatoes, peas, and broccoli. I think that dogs are more tolerable when it comes to eating these sort of things though.
Yes, sometime dogs get unhappy if their choice of foods is not available. If you own a pet, then several questions regarding what fruits and vegetables you should be feeding your pet might have crossed your mind. You wont imagine Dogs even eats banana.
My dogs sometimes eat grass, but I know it's normal. The grass contains the ingredients that are needed for their stomach. Just found "3 Reasons Why Your Dog Eats Grass"
I have a vegan cat. He can't live without grass, eats it every day like a sheep. Besides, he digests it well. He doesn't eat meat at all! It surprises me a lot, of course. He also loves grapes, but then I found out cats don't have enzymes to digest sugar. This can lead to diabetes, so you should refrain from giving it too many sweets. Interestingly enough, grapes are great for guinea pigs, I found this out in an article - https://pawbility.com/can-guinea-pigs-eat-grapes/. As it turns out, this food is a great source of healthy essentials for guineas. So, in addition to oats and bran, I often feed her a grape or two.
Yes my rabbit eat veggies. A rabbits diet should consist mainly of fibre, so hay/grass should be plentiful. Rabbits graze so do need food at all times and should never be restricted, this can cause the guts to slow and this is a very serious condition particularly in youngsters. However its best to limit the amount of pellets they eat as this is where the problems with obesity etc come in.
There are generally two different types of rabbit food: the extruded pellet type, and the muesli mix. Of the two, the pellet one is the better one to go for. Muesli mix can encourage selective feeding-this is where the rabbit choose just the nicer (often sugary and unhealthy!) pieces, and leaves the more nutritious ones. The bowl is then topped up so again the nicer bits are consumed leaving more of the better pieces. With pellets you don't have this problem as all pieces look the same. It can be difficult with some bunnies to change over from a muesli mix to pellets as they don't find it as appealing!
With any pellet/mix, feeding too much can lead to obesity and dental/gut problems. An egg cup amount of pellets is enough really for the average adult if hay is unlimited. You can of course still add some fruit/veg to the diet, but mainly fibre should be aimed for.
People have been feeding their pets foods that are not usually fed to pets for years. All kinds of foodstuffs, from candy to vegetables, have been given to dogs and cats in an effort to make them happy and healthy. Some pets even seem to enjoy eating things that most people wouldn't consider edible. Here are six examples of unusual pet food choices:
1. Raw meat: Many dogs love chowing down on raw meat, and some cats love it too. If you're worried about your pet getting sick from eating raw meat, be sure to cook it first. 2. Yeast dough It's best to avoid yeast dough treats, as they can make dogs sick. However, some dogs love them and seem to benefit from eating them. 3. Fruits Many fruits are poisonous to cats, but some cats seem to enjoy eating them. It's best to avoid fruit treats for your pet, though. 4. Spiders Some pets have a hard time digesting spiders.
. He can't live without grass, eats it every day like a sheep. Besides, he digests it well. He doesn't eat meat at all! It surprises me a lot, of course. He also loves grapes, but then I found out cats don't have enzymes to digest sugar. This can lead to diabetes, so you should refrain from giving it too many sweets. Interestingly enough, grapes are great for guinea pigs, I found this out in an article -