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Elephant 'smoking' footage baffles experts

theguardian.com

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Re: Elephant 'smoking' footage baffles experts

#51

Post by cimmanom »

nitrogen wrote: post #24
lovelearning wrote: post #22

I don't see much value in trying to use logical speculation to generalize such behaviors to an entire species. Anybody who has observed animals and pets will have noticed how each and every animal has its own personality, likes, dislikes and peculiarities. Just like people, who, despite our airs, are just another species. Some of my pets eat people food which my other pets don't even look at. Some of them play with b…

...a pure vegetarian pet cat... How does the cat obtain whatever missing nutrients cause most cats to be obligate carnivores?

And it's not just that cats have to eat meat to get nutrients they need. Their systems aren't able to process significant amounts of carbohydrates at all. A cat consuming more than a couple grams of carbs per day will develop kidney disease extremely quickly.

Re: Elephant 'smoking' footage baffles experts

#52

Post by icebraining »

lovelearning wrote: post #29
nitrogen wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

...a pure vegetarian pet cat... How does the cat obtain whatever missing nutrients cause most cats to be obligate carnivores?

I'm not sure actually. In many videos, he offers it things like fish and chicken and wet cat food but that cat doesn't touch them. It does eat some dry kibbles - maybe that's enough? Now that I think about it, calling it "pure vegetarian" was my mistake because it does eat those kibbles which probably contain non-vegetarian nutrients.

Yes, dry kibble certainly contains meat (fish, poultry or even red meat).

Re: Elephant 'smoking' footage baffles experts

#54

Post by 52-6F-62 »

latch wrote: post #46
arama471 wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How is the the youtuber making sure the cat still gets stuff like taurine? I ask because I've always heard that cats are obligate carnivores and cannot live off a vegan/vegetarian diet[1]. [1] https://pets.webmd.com/features/vegetarian-diet-dogs-cats

How does a vegan get B12? Synthesis. Synthesized taurine is already added to some pet food. A cursory search shows that small levels of taurine is available from vegan sources. Goat and buffalo milk appear to be the best vegetarian source, but, if ~75mg/day for a cat is correct, neither seem close to significant enough.

I have a natural b12 deficiency and can’t eat a vegetarian diet right now because of it. At the same time lactose intolerance runs in the family (though I don’t have much of a problem wth it). My doctor ordered me to eat more red meat. The difference in my overall well-being has been exponential over the past two years because of it.

Re: Elephant 'smoking' footage baffles experts

#55

Post by amelius »

52-6F-62 wrote: post #54
latch wrote: post #46

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How does a vegan get B12? Synthesis. Synthesized taurine is already added to some pet food. A cursory search shows that small levels of taurine is available from vegan sources. Goat and buffalo milk appear to be the best vegetarian source, but, if ~75mg/day for a cat is correct, neither seem close to significant enough.

I have a natural b12 deficiency and can’t eat a vegetarian diet right now because of it. At the same time lactose intolerance runs in the family (though I don’t have much of a problem wth it). My doctor ordered me to eat more red meat. The difference in my overall well-being has been exponential over the past two years because of it.

How did you discover you had a deficiency?

Re: Elephant 'smoking' footage baffles experts

#56

Post by lepton »

nasredin wrote: post #34
lovelearning wrote: post #22

I don't see much value in trying to use logical speculation to generalize such behaviors to an entire species. Anybody who has observed animals and pets will have noticed how each and every animal has its own personality, likes, dislikes and peculiarities. Just like people, who, despite our airs, are just another species. Some of my pets eat people food which my other pets don't even look at. Some of them play with b…

"pet cat" And the other type being a stray cat? Confused about the term. Not a cat person myself.

Barn cats, mousers

Re: Elephant 'smoking' footage baffles experts

#57

Post by LarryL »

nitrogen wrote: post #24
lovelearning wrote: post #22

I don't see much value in trying to use logical speculation to generalize such behaviors to an entire species. Anybody who has observed animals and pets will have noticed how each and every animal has its own personality, likes, dislikes and peculiarities. Just like people, who, despite our airs, are just another species. Some of my pets eat people food which my other pets don't even look at. Some of them play with b…

...a pure vegetarian pet cat... How does the cat obtain whatever missing nutrients cause most cats to be obligate carnivores?

I've been told that the cats of a great-grandparent were only fed pastas...

I've always wondered how they could survive on that! But I suspect that since those cats lived mostly outside, they probably ate many other things, including small animals they caught in gardens, sheds, etc.

Re: Elephant 'smoking' footage baffles experts

#60

Post by celticninja »

lovelearning wrote: post #29
nitrogen wrote: post #24

Earlier quoted context omitted.

...a pure vegetarian pet cat... How does the cat obtain whatever missing nutrients cause most cats to be obligate carnivores?

I'm not sure actually. In many videos, he offers it things like fish and chicken and wet cat food but that cat doesn't touch them. It does eat some dry kibbles - maybe that's enough? Now that I think about it, calling it "pure vegetarian" was my mistake because it does eat those kibbles which probably contain non-vegetarian nutrients.

also, unless it is an indoor only cat you cannot determine what it actually eats.
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