In Reply to: Catfood, seeds and nuts.. posted by Bourbon on June 24, 2000 at 19:19:09:

Bourbon,
I have been in contact with MSU as it is within
40 miles of my home. The people I contacted there have not been able to help me much but, I am going to keep trying!
I as well as many here are very interested in this study.
I hear a lot of talk but need the facts & many Oz friends are also waiting for factual info on this study!

There is a lot of out dated info not only on the net but in the books as well.so I am going to try to clear some of these up.. remember if ever in doubt in your own mind.. DON'T..
: 1. Catfood - The University of Michigan did a study regarding catfood, they found it caused intestional blockages, and some vet believe that it also causes renal (Kidney) failure. Now according to the people I have spoken with we haven't seen this report, I have spoken with many long time breeders that advocate the use of catfood about this research by the U of M and their responses were much the same in that, they would love to see that report, the questions that were left hanging were.. what kind of catfood was used? what other foods were fed with it as well, was their enough fruits offered in the diet, etc.. NONE of the long time breeders would ever advocate the use of any dry cat food as a sole diet, they also would never advocate the use of a cheap cat food. In Carolines book she MENTIONS cat food, however she also only offers less than a teaspoon each day and only of a very high grade food. Whether or not she still uses it I don't know, but she did allow me to place her simplified diet on the diets page of Sugar Glider Info's Diets Page located at
: http://www.angelfire.com/nb/sugarglider/dietc.aspl
: Also keep in mind that the dietary needs of a glider is VERY different from that of a cat or any other animal for that matter.
: 2. Seeds - Some seeds have been said to have a toxicity for gliders, but not for birds, the smaller seeds also have been known to also get caught in the intestional tract of a glider, again the nutritional needs are different between a bird and a glider.
: 3. Nuts - The digestive system of a glider is VERY tiny, and softer nuts if any are suggested, due to the chances of blockages. The fat and oil content of most nuts are extremely high, Gliders DO NOT digest and remetabolize their fats well at all, It is very difficult to turn a gliders weight around, many times you have to just be sure they don't gain any more. I know of a woman with a glider she had rescued, he was very obese at the time, although he has plenty of exercise and is on a great diet, he hasn't gained, but he hasn't lost much either. He is on a low fat diet, but it doesn't seem to help much.
: This will be a controversial issue, so lets stay to the "ISSUES" and stay away from the "personal"

Follow Ups:

• Re: Catfood, seeds and nuts.. Sandy 14:13:21 06/26/2000 (1)
  • Re: Catfood, seeds and nuts.. Pockets 16:34:34 06/26/2000 (0)