(02-15-2013, 02:16 AM)scotty Wrote: Cats cannot make their own taurine and require it, all cat food must contain it.
Even if cats are unable to make their own taurine, it does not mean that every single thing they eat has to contain it. If they are fed some foods, which do not contain taurine it should do them no harm so long as they are taking in sufficient amounts from other foods.
Everyone in this thread seems to be under the impression that foods aimed at cats are in some way better than foods intended for humans. This is completely incorrect. Pet foods are always of a lower quality than human foods. By law, human food has to meet certain standards to ensure that it is safe for consumption. There are simply no such laws for pet foods. You might say that, "I'm sure it should be illegal," but it simply is not. As a result, pet food companies can and do put anything they want into their products. They normally use meat, which is not good enough to be given to humans legally. In fact, pet foods have been found to contain levels of various toxic metals such as lead, which would be regarded as too high for childrens' food. Considering that most pets would be smaller than a human child, the effect on them would be even larger. You have to bear in mind that pet food companies do not care at all about your pets' health. All they are interested in is making money so they can and will use the cheapest ingredients available. Have you never wondered what happens to the meat they mention on the news is "not fit for human consumption"? It is destined to be put into pet food.
Regarding the original topic of this post: I have read that fish in general should only be fed to cats in limited quantites due to the possibility of high levels of mercury and other toxins. The same advice applies to people in fact. A certain amount is apparently beneficial but eating it in large quantities regularly should be avoided.
