Our dog is also fond of “Kitty McNuggets,” and discussing this with a friend who came up with the idea for a new dog snack- to be called “Pick of the Litter.”
They’d be chewy cat turd-shaped morsels, liberally coated with crunchy “flavor granules.”
Anybody want to get in on the ground floor?
I wonder why dogs enjoy cat nerdlings. Is it the protein content? Cats eat plenty of protein, giving their urine that nice ammonia smell (the action of kidneys on protein is to produce ammonia, or, in the case of humans, to shut down if we eat too much). I imagine cat shit would be fairly protein-rich, especially since predatory digestive tracts are fairly simple and inefficient.
That, and the fact that dogs are naturally disgusting animals.
(I love dogs. I do. I was telling my puking dog how much I love him as I fought the urge to add my own two urps to his mess. I love cats, too, but a cat’s never hidden beneath me during a bad storm.)
Why do dogs love chewy granola kitty treats? I asked my vet this, since both of my dogzillas enjoy snacking out of the litter box.
Vet says: cat food is way higher in protein than dog food. Consequently, what comes out of the cat smells – to a dog – much better than dog food. So they slurp it up. Vet also told me that dogs getting that much protein can be dangerous and over time, result in kidney and/or liver damage.
Which is why our litter box is in the laundry room, with a baby gate in front of the door. Cats can jump over the baby gate – dogs cannot. (I’m sure it’s just a cruel tease because the dogs can see and smell the cat poo… but they can’t get to it!) For those pet lovers who have both species in-house: try to find a place to keep your cat food where the dog(s) can’t get to it. My cats have their own “dining room table” which, of course, the dogs can’t jump up to either.
Now, if anyone has suggestions on how to keep dog B from eating dog A’s poo… I’m all ears.
It’s what’s for dinner tonight!