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Environmental impacts of food consumption by dogs and cats

journals.plos.org

21–30 of 95 posts

Re: Environmental impacts of food consumption by dogs and cats

#21

Sounds like a perfect application for lab grown meat.

I don't think it even needs to be meat...just synthesizing the raw amino acids would probably be much easier, and dogs probably won't care that much since their primary sensory pleasure in eating comes from the proteins themselves.

Re: Environmental impacts of food consumption by dogs and cats

#22
post #14

I'm sure most pets wouldn't be able to survive on their own, so its pretty obvious that we are putting an inflated strain on the food chain by providing meals for them. I wonder if there are a lot more carnivores than would otherwise naturally exist (with pets included), or if there is a similar number of carnivores but less diversity (e.g. an ecosystem that would have housed other carnivores is now hosting pigs and…

What a bollocks argument. Humans in their current numbers could not exist in a traditional food chain, that's why we made our own. Pets live off that same increased food supply.

While modern agriculture is significantly more efficient, the food surplus and over consumption is also massive. So, I am not sure the numbers are that different.

Re: Environmental impacts of food consumption by dogs and cats

#24
post #22
post #14

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What a bollocks argument. Humans in their current numbers could not exist in a traditional food chain, that's why we made our own. Pets live off that same increased food supply.

While modern agriculture is significantly more efficient, the food surplus and over consumption is also massive. So, I am not sure the numbers are that different.

Plus its not like we have our own food chain in a vacuum. There is a lot of space required to house livestock and even more space required to grow their food.

Re: Environmental impacts of food consumption by dogs and cats

#25
post #4
post #2

Clickbaity title. Original: Environmental impacts of food consumption by dogs and cats Anyway,it's not like the article seems like being a particularly good one, while it cites the concept that meat fed to pets is (largely) not suitable for human consumption, doesn't take into account the actual related impact and vaguely talks of post-processing the non-suitable parts. The IMHO terrible part is this one: >And much p…

>> Your cat and/or dog is probably too fat Slightly above 50% of US pet dogs and cats are overweight.

One thing that can help a lot is to give dogs and cats more vegetables. In particular, they love brassicas, especially brussels sprouts and broccoli. Either mixed in with their regular food or as a treat, it helps fill them up with very few calories - and really good for them too.

If you haven't tried this, I recommend it. Simply microwave some brussels sprouts or broccoli until tender, let cool, and either chop it up, add a little water, and mix into their food, or else take the sprouts and slice them in quarters as a treat.

With broccoli, they like the stems more than the heads. Sweeter and less pungent.

When I give them the sprouts as a treat, the dogs get the quartered sprouts, and the cats like to have me peel off a leaf and tear it into pieces for them. I sit down on the kitchen floor, the dogs line up, and the cats muscle in between them and sit on my legs to get their share. (That's why I sit down, so they don't climb my legs!)

I've had a couple of people tell me, "You must be kidding. Dogs and cats don't like vegetables, they want meat!" They change their mind when they see how our dogs and cats respond to the brussels sprouts.

BTW, if you are used to steaming brussels sprouts for yourself when you don't do something fancier with them, I highly recommend microwaving instead. It cooks them evenly, unlike steaming which ruins the outside by the time the inside is done. Rinse them first - the bit of water avoids burning - and undercook them a little because they continue to cook when you take them out. A microwaved brussels sprout dipped in hummus is a tasty treat. (For people, not for the pets! The garlic wouldn't be good for them.)

Update: I didn't expect this to spark quite such a discussion, but thank you everyone for the replies - I learned some things here. Rest assured that I only give the cats a small amount of the brussels sprouts - the dogs get more.

Re: Environmental impacts of food consumption by dogs and cats

#26
post #2

Clickbaity title. Original: Environmental impacts of food consumption by dogs and cats Anyway,it's not like the article seems like being a particularly good one, while it cites the concept that meat fed to pets is (largely) not suitable for human consumption, doesn't take into account the actual related impact and vaguely talks of post-processing the non-suitable parts. The IMHO terrible part is this one: >And much p…

> meat fed to pets is (largely) not suitable for human consumption

30% unsuitable for human consumption? This choosiness is a just one more sign of affluence and one of the habits we have to get rid of if we want to improve our ecological footprint.

Go to a rural village in a developing country and you will see them using 95% easily.

This is just

Re: Environmental impacts of food consumption by dogs and cats

#27
the crap that is put into the most of the dog/cat food may be 30% by weight, yet it isn't a 30% of "all meat products" - because it isn't "meat product", it is "by product" like hoofs, beaks, bones, some internal organs nonconsumable by humans , etc... which at best would be processed into chicken/cattle food (and which doesn't make for good chicken/cattle food) or would be just thrown away.

Re: Environmental impacts of food consumption by dogs and cats

#28
post #2

Clickbaity title. Original: Environmental impacts of food consumption by dogs and cats Anyway,it's not like the article seems like being a particularly good one, while it cites the concept that meat fed to pets is (largely) not suitable for human consumption, doesn't take into account the actual related impact and vaguely talks of post-processing the non-suitable parts. The IMHO terrible part is this one: >And much p…

> meat fed to pets is (largely) not suitable for human consumption 30% unsuitable for human consumption? This choosiness is a just one more sign of affluence and one of the habits we have to get rid of if we want to improve our ecological footprint. Go to a rural village in a developing country and you will see them using 95% easily. This is just

Yeah, more hot dogs.

Re: Environmental impacts of food consumption by dogs and cats

#29
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>> Your cat and/or dog is probably too fat Slightly above 50% of US pet dogs and cats are overweight.

One thing that can help a lot is to give dogs and cats more vegetables. In particular, they love brassicas, especially brussels sprouts and broccoli. Either mixed in with their regular food or as a treat, it helps fill them up with very few calories - and really good for them too. If you haven't tried this, I recommend it. Simply microwave some brussels sprouts or broccoli until tender, let cool, and either chop it u…

Our dog absolutely loves carrots -- if you dare to eat a carrot near him, you won't hear the end of it until he's had one too.

We stopped making homemade (meat) treats for him in favor of just keeping a baggie of small carrots in the fridge. It's still hilarious to me, but he just goes crazy for them, time and time again. I'm not sure if it's just the crunch, or maybe the 'social factor' of him watching my wife eat them, but he truly adores a healthy carrot snack/treat. =)

Re: Environmental impacts of food consumption by dogs and cats

#30
post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>> Your cat and/or dog is probably too fat Slightly above 50% of US pet dogs and cats are overweight.

One thing that can help a lot is to give dogs and cats more vegetables. In particular, they love brassicas, especially brussels sprouts and broccoli. Either mixed in with their regular food or as a treat, it helps fill them up with very few calories - and really good for them too. If you haven't tried this, I recommend it. Simply microwave some brussels sprouts or broccoli until tender, let cool, and either chop it u…

Occasional greens are OK for cats, but do NOT feed them carbohydrates; and especially do not feed them carbs regularly. Cats are obligate carnivores, and the grains that are common in cheap pet food contribute to kidney disease.
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