Pet food

Pet food is plant or animal material intended for consumption by pets. Typically sold in pet stores and supermarkets, it is usually specific to the type of animal, such as dog food or cat food. Most meat used for non-human animals is a by-product of the human food industry, and is not regarded as "human grade."

Four companies—Procter & Gamble, Nestlé, Mars, and Colgate-Palmolive—are thought to control 80 percent of the world's pet-food market,[1] which in 2007 amounted to US$ 45.12 billion for cats and dogs alone.



Contents



* 1 Industry
* 2 Fish food
* 3 Bird food
* 4 Cat food
* 5 Dog food
* 6 Raw feeding
* 7 Human food for animals

Industry

Cat and dog food sales exceeded £1.4 billion in the United Kingdom[3] and US$14.3 billion in the United States in 2005.[4] In 2006 the value of the UK pet food market rose to just over £1.6 billion.[5] The leading exporters of pet food for 2004 were France ($993 million), United States ($786 million) and the Netherlands ($511 million).[6] while the leading importers were Japan ($718 million), Germany ($617 million) and the UK ($563 million).

Fish food

Fish foods normally contain macro nutrients, trace elements and vitamins necessary to keep captive fish in good health. Approximately 80% of fishkeeping hobbyists feed their fish exclusively prepared foods that most commonly are produced in flake, pellet or tablet form.[8] Pelleted forms, some of which sink rapidly, are often used for larger fish or bottom feeding species such as loaches or catfish.[citation needed] Some fish foods also contain additives, such as beta carotene or sex hormones, to artificially enhance the color of ornamental fish

Bird food

Bird food are used both in birdfeeders and to feed pet birds. It typically consist of a variety of seeds. Not all birds eat seeds. Suet (beef or mutton fat) is recommended for insect-eating birds like nuthatches and woodpeckers. Nectar (essentially sugar water) attracts hummingbirds.

Cat food


Cats are obligate carnivores, though most commercial cat food contains both animal and plant material supplemented with vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Cat food is formulated to address the specific nutritional requirements of cats, in particular containing the amino acid taurine, as cats cannot thrive on taurine-deficient food.

Dog food

There are many different recommendations on what diet is best for dogs. Some people argue that dogs have thrived off of leftovers and scraps from their human owners for thousands of years and that commercial dog foods (which have only been available for the past century) contain poor-quality meats, additives, and other ingredients dogs should not ingest, or that commercial dog food is not nutritionally sufficient for their dogs. Most store-bought pet food comes in either dry form, also known as kibble, or wet canned form.


Raw feeding


Raw feeding is the practice of feeding domestic dogs and cats a diet primarily of uncooked meat and bones. Supporters of raw feeding believe that the natural diet of an animal in the wild is its most ideal diet and try to mimic a similar diet for their domestic companion. They are commonly opposed to commercial pet foods, which they consider poor substitutes for raw feed. Opponents believe that the risk of food-borne illnesses posed by the handling and feeding of raw meats would outweigh the purported benefits and that no scientific studies have been done to support the numerous beneficial claims.


Human food for animals


Prepared foods and some raw ingredients may be toxic for animals and care should be taken when feeding animals left-over food. It is known that the following foods are potentially unsafe for cats and dogs:

* Chocolate, coffee-based products and soft drinks
* Raisins and grapes
* Canned tuna
* Macadamia nuts
* Onions and garlic

Generally cooked and marinated foods should be avoided as well as sauces and gravies which may contain ingredients that although well tolerated by humans, may be toxic to animals.