Pet Grub

I was home all of today, and Bekkie Boo Boo was outside running around, and one of the things she loves to do is hunt for mice. This afternoon she caught a field mouse in the woods and ate the whole thing — in less than 2 minutes tail and all.

Should I feed her in the morning now — so she eats my food versus mice, since mice have parasites?

Or should I not concern myself about parasites, and with mice she is getting a complete nutritional package?

And did she hunt/eat the mouse because she was hungry — even though I feed her as much as she wants at night?

Also I am wondering how hungry she will be tonight... but I'll find out in a couple of hours. Although as soon as she came inside she went right to her food plate, looking for food — go figure! :)

Continue as normal.

If Bekkie Bekkie Boo had just eaten the food you fed her, chances are she would not have been interested in the mouse, at least from a food point of view. She may still have wanted to catch the mouse as part of a game, but she wouldn't have eaten the mouse if she was full.

She's a hunter. She will naturally hunt for food when given the chance. She didn't hunt because she was starving, she did this because its in her nature — she's a hunter.

Ultimately, don't confuse hunger with starving. Also don't confuse her catching and eating the mouse with the need for 2 meals per day. This is not what Bekkie Boo Boo is saying. You must remember that you fed Bekkie Boo Boo the previous night... so by the time she went outside to hunt, more than 12 hours and possibly 16 hours had already passed. So of course, there would be a little bit of room in her stomach for a mouse. So when she saw the mouse, she did what came natural. To me, this is a good thing. It helps Bekkie Boo Boo be the hunter... it allows her to fulfill her nature. It also reduces your feeding costs!

I wouldn't be surprised though if Bekkie Boo Boo was showing off a little and saying See, look what I can do!

Still feed her as normal. I wouldn't change the schedule at all. Of course, she may not eat as much tonight but I would stick to the nighttime feeding schedule.

Remember, carnivores have an absolutely huge stomach. Their stomach is approximately 65% of their digestive system allowing them to eat up to 25% of their own body weight.

Parasites are really a non–issue. Not only do cats and dogs have natural antibacterial saliva, but the hydrochloric acid they produce in their stomach is approximately 15 times stronger than a humans — but only when fed raw meat. Only raw meat stimulates this high acid production in the stomach. Cooked meat shuts this production down. The body doesn't produce enough acid when the meat is cooked because there is no parasites or bacteria to kill as the cooking has done this for the body and the body can sense this.

The high acid production when eating raw meat is ultimately what allows carnivores to more efficiently break down the meat, bones, skin, fur, feathers, etc... plus, more importantly, to extract the nutrition (especially the calcium) from the food.

Myself, I would consider this a bonus that Bekkie Boo Boo caught a mouse. Mice are one of the highest source of taurine, an amino acid, that's very important to cats.

The reality is that cats have eaten mice for a very long time — thus always think in terms of carnivore nutrition rather than human nutrition.

As long as you continue to feed Bekkie Boo Boo once per day, as much food as she wants, then that's perfect. Should Bekkie Boo Boo go out and hunt, you can still feed her again. It's not a huge issue. Just stick to the schedule and routine (:

Please always remember that only mature cats and dogs need one meal per day. Puppies and kittens have different feeding schedules.

1. Bekkie Boo Boo: Part 1
2. Bekkie Boo Boo: Part 2
3. Bekkie Boo Boo: Part 3
4. Bekkie Boo Boo: Part 4
5. Bekkie Boo Boo: Part 5
6. Bekkie Boo Boo: Part 6
7. Bekkie Boo Boo: Part 7

• Ask Jesse
• How Can I Help My Cat Eat More?
• Is Feeding Chicken With Bones A Good Source of Calcium, Iron and Potassium?
• Part 1: Meet Bekkie Boo Boo and Her Ear Mites
• Part 2: Bekkie Boo Boo Has Had Cystitis Before
• Part 3: Can I Feed Too Much Raw Meat or Protein
• Part 4: Things Make Sense
• Part 5: Can I Feed Later at Night?
• Helping Others Help Their Pets With Love
• Part 7: She Likes Meat Straight From The Package
• Boomer Part 1: Do I Have To Add Calcium To Fish?
• Boomer Part 2: Cooked Meat and Calcium
• Boomer Part 3: Should You Change The Diet As A Pet Gets Older
• Boomer Part 4: How Often Can I Feed Raw Fish
• Three Questions About Calcium For Pets
• What Can Be Done To Help Severe Demodectic Mange?
• Nancy Question 1 — What Cut of Beef Should I Feed?
• Nancy Question 2 — My Dog Has Bad Gas!
• Calcium Citrate versus Ground Egg Shells
• Diatomaceous earth and worms