Can and do domestic cats eat dragon fruit (video)?

Yes, on both counts according to one cat who was caught on video making the mess of a lifetime when eating brightly coloured dragon fruit. Unless this was set up which it very much looks like to me. It makes a good video though. It seems extraordinary to me that a domestic cat would want to eat dragon fruit. I can't see any reason why a domestic cat should want to eat dragon fruit as it is so far from their natural diet which is a mouse!

Can and do domestic cats eat dragon fruit (video)? Yes, but do they want to!! Almost never I'd think.

But dragon fruit is apparently non-toxic to domestic cats and, I suppose, if a cat wanted to nibble a bit of dragon fruit to entertain themselves then there is no reason why they should not. However, the video is misleading. I am convinced that the cat's owner smeared the fruit over their cat! It seems that there is a bit of a trend on social media of videoing cats eating dragon fruit because it creates a lot of bright colour and plenty of mess; good visually.

@xlcr6 Lol I don’t know how to react 😂#cutecat #kitty #funnycat #fyp ♬ OWN BRAND FREESTYLE X DRILLA by JVKE - JVKE

It is definitely contrived and created to make a successful video because dragon fruit is a bright pink colour which covers this cute cat. The idea was to create an image, if you like, of a child eating in their baby chair with their face covered in chocolate or baby food. 

This video conjures up that kind of image in my mind. And I am sure that the video maker wanted to create a scene along those lines. It is anthropomorphising the cat which hundreds of millions of people do every day including me.

RELATED: Can cats eat cucumber? Is cucumber safe for cats to eat?

One last point which is irrelevant really but it irritates me slightly. The woman who made the video reprimands her cat. This is punishing a cat. Nobody should punish a cat at any time for any reason because they do not understand it. It won't do any good but it may do some bad.

Dragon fruit is high in vitamin C and other antioxidants, which are good for your immune system. However, that does not make it any more acceptable to a domestic cat. When do you last see a cat eating any kind of fruit? 

Microwave 4 king prawns for 5 seconds for a delicious cat treat

Each cat has their own individual preferences but I would be surprised if this treat fails to please your cat. It is my cat's favourite. He requests it when I come in from buying the newspaper. It is one of those routines we all set up when living with a domestic cat. Don't overdo treats. If you do, they are no longer treats and your cat will be less interested.

Microwave for 4 king prawns four 5 seconds for a cat treat. Pic in the public domain.

I use cooked king prawns bought from a local supermarket. You might think that the price is high but with the cost of high-quality cat food equalling on a pound-for-pound basis that of human food I don't think the cost of king prawns is particularly high particularly when it is used as a treat.

I take 3-4 out of the packet and spread them out on a plate. I put the plate into my microwave and microwave them for a maximum of five seconds. This warms them up nicely. It is not essential to warm up the prawns because cats love the taste of prawns normally. But if you do warm them up it's a bonus for your cat because they absolutely love the smell and taste.

Warming up any cat food is a good idea when feeding your cat particularly when they have lost their appetite. But in the case of prawns, it must be done very gently to an absolute minimum otherwise you destroy the product. 

I then break each prawn into two pieces leaving eight small pieces of prawn on the plate. I deliver these to my cat. The reason why I break them apart is because it lets out more of that aroma which he loves and which in turn encourages him to eat. It also makes them slightly easier to get into his mouth. I have watched him push around whole prawns trying to get a grip of them.

Shrimp is a healthy product that it is high in several vitamins and minerals and is a rich source of protein. It has a high content of omega-3 fatty acids and the antioxidant astaxanthin. Antioxidants are good for health as they mop up free radicals which can damage the cells of the body. 

Free radicals can contribute to health problems such as cardiovascular and inflammatory disease, cataracts and cancer. One website calls free radicals "unstable atoms that can damage cells, causing illness and ageing."

That's my personal tip for a treat for your beloved cat companion. What about the downside? You can't feed your cat prawns all the time. They must only be a treat because they are not a balanced diet. Your cat will miss essential nutrients such as taurine and arginine.

As for environmental issues, it is said that shrimp farms tend to occupy coastal land which used to be covered by mangroves. The mangroves are drained to make way for aquaculture. This is harmful to the atmosphere because the farmers destroy the trees and vegetation of the mangrove swamp. It is akin to clearing forest for cattle to provide meat for humans. This is an environmental downside of giving shrimp treat to your cat.

2 nutritional advantages cats have over humans

There are 2 nutritional advantages that cats have over humans. The domestic cat does not require vitamin C. This is because it is synthesized in their livers. Humans don't have this ability. Apparently this deficiency in human biology is due to "a mutation in the GULO (gulonolactone oxidase) gene, which results in the inability to synthesize the protein" (stackexchange.com). 

2 nutritional advantages cats have over humans. Cat drinking. Domestic cats are in general poor drinkers because of their wildcat inheritance. Photo: in public domain.

The second advantage cats have over us in terms of nutritional requirements is that their kidneys are very efficient. This is because their ancestors (North African wildcat) lived on the edge of deserts. They get most of their water from the prey animals they eat. Mice are 70% water. This is why domestic cats are poor drinkers, which is also why they tend not to drink enough water to make up for the lack of water in dry cat food. This arguably leaves them mildly dehydrated if they are on an exclusively dry diet.

ASSOCIATED PAGE: Do older cats need vitamins?

Both these nutritional advantages proved very useful to ships' cats. We've all heard of scurvy due to the lack of vitamin C in a sailor's diet. That health problem does not exist for ships' cats. And if water is scarce onboard ship, the frugal water requirements of ships' cats leaves more for the sailors.

ASSOCIATED PAGE: Link between fish-based foods and chronic kidney disease in domestic cats?

If you throw in polydactyl ships' cats so they can maintain their balance while at sea (thanks to the extra toe!), you have a very useful working animal on board ship. It is said that polydactyl cats were preferred over standard cats because sailors believed that they could keep their balance better. I doubt the story but it makes a bit of sense.

Dog food destroyed by the manufacturing process causing ill-health and shortened lives

I am discussing dogs again today! Forgive me. There is an overlap with cats. Dr. Michael Lazaris has an axe to grind, he wants to promote his dog food supplement but he is worth listening to. He says that dog food is destroyed by the high temp cooking process. Reminds me of dry cat food. Perhaps the same issues relate to cats. A good reason why it is worth having a look at the issues.

Dog food destroyed by the manufacturing process causing shortened lives. Screenshot.

First dog food destroyer: extrusion cooking process

Dog food is always brown because of the 320 degrees F cooking for hours on end to burn food to a crisp to stop it going off. It allows foods to sit on shelves for 2+ years before sale to boost profits. But this 'significantly reduces nutrients'. The cooking process destroys vitamins like vitamins A, E and the B vitamins. It reduces protein and makes it harder for dogs to digest food. Probiotics and digestive enzymes don't get to the food bowl. These are important for digestion as the gut needs good bacteria. Dogs eat grass to acquire good bacteria to their gut to make up for its lack in pet food. But grass can be contaminated and create additional health problems.

He recommends: good probiotics and digestive enzyme foods for increased energy, better immune system and healthier digestion.

Second destroyer: creation of AGEs

Advanced glycation end product (AGEs) form in the cooking process as a byproduct. They are not on the label. They are a health hazard leading to faster aging and diseases. Toxic AGEs are one hundred times more common in dog food than in the human diet. AGEs cause inflammation in dog's body leading to itching. And cancer. There has been an increase in cancer in dogs. Over half of dogs over 10 get cancer. They age dogs faster. Labradors used to live to 17 years but now have a 10-year lifespan.

Ther are zero requirements by law for pet food manufacturers to include: antioxidants, polysaccharides, pre and probiotics, omega 3s and digestive enzymes in their foods

He claims that pet food laws are shocking and shortening dogs' lives (presume he means in the UK). One dog he treated changed his views on dog nutrition. He fed the dog, Champ, who'd be involved in a car accident, through tube with his special supplements and his health improved greatly improving his life chances.

Vital foods for health: superfoods, probiotics, prebiotics, digestive enzymes, vitamins and minerals, super-nutrients. Create better digestion and immunity.

He created Canine Prime which contains all these nutrients destroyed by the super-cooking process. It is a supplement to sprinkle on dog food.

Expectation management

The voice of reason: expect some benefits with the doctor's supplement formulation but not miracles! :) 

Bio

Dr. Michael Lazaris studied at the University of Edinburgh and is certified by the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. At the forefront of pet health and wellbeing he practises treating animals with a heavy emphasis on nutrition. His goal is to help dogs live long healthy lives through education and proper nutrition.

Do tigers and lions eat the same food?

Tigers, lions, domestic cats and all the other cat species (about 36) have the same nutritional needs and therefore at a fundamental level, in terms of nutrients, they eat the same food. What is different is the way the food is packaged. We know that domestic cats eat mice (primary prey) and commercial cat food together with the odd treat of human food. 

Lion and tiger. Image by Gerhard G. from Pixabay 

We know that tigers will kill any animal that puts itself in a vulnerable position. Few animals appear to be immune to tiger predation. Few animals are off the tiger menu. The same can be said about the lion. However, there will be differences in the prey animals that they eat because of availability.

The lion and tiger live in different places on the planet and the availability of prey animals differs in these places. Also, both these big cats require large animals to successfully feed adequately. The tiger, for instance, will hunt chital in the Royal Badia National Park, Nepal as a primary prey animal. Across their distribution, primarily in India, they will hunt barking deer, sambar, gaur, hog deer, chital, wild pig to name some animals but there will also attack and eat small mammals, primates, badgers and porcupines for example. 

The lion will eat fish sometimes and impala, waterbuck, springbok, zebra, eland, warthog, giraffe, buffalo, bushbuck, ostrich to name some examples including the porcupine and other small animals. It's a huge range of animals. It has to be because they take what's available and the same goes for tigers.

To recap, the lion and tiger prey on different animals but there is an overlap and at heart these big cats have exactly the same nutrients in their make up and so, yes, tigers and lions eat the same food.