Are cat and dog rations bad for human health?
Almost 30 million Brazilian households own dogs, while 11.5 million households own cats. That huge amount of pets makes billions in the pet supplies industry. Among the most consumed are rations and snacks, so here is the question: have you tried your pet's food?
I've particularly eaten a grain of my cats' lobster-flavored snack - after all, if even they would "taste" this delicacy, I had that right too. The taste, for me, was very dry and bland. Already my cats loved it! Then I wondered if it wouldn't hurt me, but, well, I'm here telling the story, right?
In short: eating a little bit of your pet's food has no problem, but some caveats need to be made. Let's start with a history class: dogs were domesticated when wild wolves came to live with humans between 19, 000 and 32, 000 years ago. They understood that it would be much easier to obtain food if they were near groups of prehistoric humans who used to leave the remains of their hunts.
The domestication of cats is much more recent, between 3, 000 and 10, 000 years ago. The theory goes that with the advancement of agriculture, men began to stock more grain, which attracted rats and hence cats - all in search of a free lunch box.
For each animal, a different diet
Interactions with humans had consequences on their physical and behavioral characteristics. Dogs had a reduction in head, brain and paw size, and adopted more diurnal habits. Cats, on the other hand, look a lot like their wild cousins of the past, but a little smaller, more docile and with a larger memory.
These changes, coupled with the sedentary lifestyle of not having to look for food, made dogs and cats demand fewer calories to survive, developing nutritional habits quite different from their ancestors, who fed primarily on raw meat. Dog food nowadays is high in fat, which is its main source of energy.
Feline rations are high in taurine, found mainly in meat. And while dry food encourages water consumption, cats generally still drink less than they should, as they are historically accustomed to more arid conditions. Therefore, wet food should be offered from time to time, so that your cat does not develop diseases that attack the kidneys in particular.
Humans, on the other hand, have a great adaptation to food, so much so that they do not suffer if they eat cat or dog food. However, as these foods are thought of in animal diets, some of them can harm humans. Most diets have a large amount of vitamin A, for example, which for us can be very dangerous and even fatal if consumed to excess! So you know: you can even share the ration with your pet from time to time, but ideally just leave it to him.
* Posted on 6/20/2016
