Cat food

[Teeah3612]

My goat, Peanut, likes dry cat food. He was raised in the house and bottle fed for awhile and every time he got loose he would head straight for the cat food bowl. My husband thinks it is cute and gives him a few pieces (about 10) as a treat in the evenings. Is this going to hurt him?

He gets plenty of normal goat food (hay etc.).

 

[elevan]

Catfood contains meat and potentially ruminant parts. Not a good or healthy treat for goats.

I'm gonna venture a guess that there are minerals that Peanut is lacking that made him head for the catfood bowl, they'll sometimes eat dirt for the same reason. Make sure he has loose minerals available at all times (formulated for goats). Nix the catfood regardless of the small amount it is not healthy.

Appropriate things to use as treats - fresh or dried fruits, dried leaves, sunflower seeds or nuts.

 

[sunny]

eewww, I don't even feed my cat commercial cat food. You don't want to know what's in some of them. Grocery store brands have a lot of corn in them. That may be what he's after as well.
My herd likes yogurt covered peanuts, apple, dried fruit of any kind, popcorn, garden produce, etc.

 

[doxiemoxie]

Technically, it can be against the law! FDA banned the feeding of ruminants any ruminant products as part of containing "mad cow disease" (Cruetzfeld-jacob variant b)

So now you have to make sure your goat never gets used for food. Beyond that- stop it, now. Your goat is not an omnivore. He probably likes the saltiness, so make sure he has access to loose minerals.

 

[SheepGirl]

Technically, it can be against the law! FDA banned the feeding of ruminants any ruminant products as part of containing "mad cow disease" (Cruetzfeld-jacob variant b)

The goat (and sheep) version of Mad Cow Disease (Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy) is called Scrapie. In elk and deer, it's Chronic Wasting Disease. (Cruetzfeld-Jakob's Disease is what develops in humans.)

 

[Teeah3612]

I didn't think it was good for him. Now I have the opinion of others and information. I will find something that he likes that my DH can feed him as a treat. I have to keep an eye on him or he will give the critters too many treats

 

[SuburbanFarmChic]

You can buy goat treats. If those are hard to come by then Nilla wafers also work wonders. But like any treat it needs to be limited in qty.

 

[sunny]

Beet pulp pellets are nicely sized for a treat and he could feed as many as he wanted to without hurting anything.

 

[elevan]

Beet pulp pellets are nicely sized for a treat and he could feed as many as he wanted to without hurting anything.

Or alfalfa pellets

 

[Teeah3612]

I will have to check in TSC the next time I am there for Alfalfa or beet pulp treats. My DH is just as bad with all the other animals. He buys apple/oat treats by the gallon jug for the horses. Thanks for the advice.