Question about the cat food thing

[Wifezilla]

I read that you can give quail cat food to bump up the protein percentage of their food. No problem. I have a high quality cat food for my 3 fur balls and I already give the ducks some of it for a morning snack and they really like it. So I smashed some up and gave it to the quail in their treat cup. THEY WENT BANANAS!!! They LOVE it. They love it so much when they see me smashing up more (mortar and pestle) they wig out. 2 of them even try to climb in my hand when I try to put it in the cage. If they had their choice, they would eat that instead of their game bird feed.

This is what I gave them. http://www.tasteofthewildpetfood.com/products/cats/rocky_mountain_feline_formula/

Despite their begging I am sticking to a little each day (yes, my English White BEGS! She stands in the empty treat cup and bobs up and down when I walk by. It's very pathetic actually

).

Is there anything in this I should worry about? Anyone else have their quail act like the cat food is crack???

 

[3goodeggs]

I could not get one of 24 hens to even try the cat food. I bought dry cat food. maybe I should have been using wet food?
Maybe the little fish shapes put them off. strange birds. They just about dismember a person for a band aid.

 

[Overeasyplz]

Quote:
This reminds me of that new movie "District 9" where the aliens "Prawns" acted like cat food was crack..it was funny. If you haven't seen it I recommend it if you like SciFi

 

[JJMR794]

Not Sure How Much Is Too Much, But You Can Overload Their System With Protien And Cause Renal (kidney) Failure Which In Turn Causes Death--- Do Some Research And See If You Can Come Up With Anything

 

[ranchhand]

I'd say as an occasional treat it's fine. My chickens in Austin always shared with the cats, much to the cats' dismay and disgust!

 

[Wifezilla]

The renal failure/too much protein thing is a total myth when it comes to people, but I do not know if it applies to quail. (I have been doing serious nutritional research over the last 3 years. This was one of the topics covered.)

Any googling on quail and renal failure brings up the case of a guy who ate a quail who had been munching on hemlock. His quail diner killed him!

(Note to self...do not plant hemlock in the quail run)

The protein percent on the Taste of the Wild cat food is 44.

I guess for now I will give it as a treat despite my little SNowball's begging

Side note: When the ducks had free run of the back yard (before the hawk found us), there were a couple of occasions when someone left open the patio door. The ducks snuck in and ate all the cat food!

 

[JJMR794]

For Humans Research Rhabdomyelosis And Also "rabbit Starvation"---- It Can Be Fatal To Us, Tho Hard To Get To That State

 

[Wifezilla]

I know all about it. It was also part of my research, but that isn't a too much protein thing, that is a lack of essential fatty acids thing.

 

[JJMR794]

Quote:
OKEY DOKEY THEN...

 

[smallbluejellybean]

Feeding your quail cat food?
I guess it would be ok, unless they start to meowing and chase mice.

My cat eats the dog food.
The dog eats anything.
My fish eat the cat food and my birds eat pretty much what I give them.
Then you have the frogs that eat pinkie mice and crickets and sometimes each other.