• blahsay@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    6
    arrow-down
    3
    ·
    9 months ago

    If cats can eat grass, entire mice, and weirdly even potato chips then I’m pretty sure salami is fine

      • AngryCommieKender@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        7
        ·
        edit-2
        9 months ago

        They can get hydration out of ocean water. They have excellent kidneys. They’re literally one of the only mammals on land that can drink salt water, and get hydrated. They are extremely specialized to desert environments.

        • BorgDrone@lemmy.one
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          7
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          edit-2
          9 months ago

          Their kidneys are super efficient, but that also makes them fragile. Kidney failure is the leading cause of death for cats. It’s better not to put them under unnecessary stress.

        • BorgDrone@lemmy.one
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          7
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          9 months ago

          Well, it doesn’t. Kidney failure is the leading cause of death for cats. So much so that a Japanese professor is working on medication to improve kidney function in cats, which is expected to double their lifespan. Source

          Cats are desert animals by origin and they have super efficient kidneys to retain as much water as possible. This also makes them much more fragile. Compare it to a highly tuned racing car, when you push it to the limit you get the most performance but also get more wear on the parts which reduces the lifespan.

          • blahsay@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            arrow-up
            2
            arrow-down
            4
            ·
            9 months ago

            Very interesting! I’ll be more aware and avoid salt in future for my cat. Thanks!

            Weird they seem poorly adapted to their diet though. 🤔

            • BorgDrone@lemmy.one
              link
              fedilink
              arrow-up
              1
              arrow-down
              1
              ·
              9 months ago

              That’s evolution for you. No sense in having kidneys that last a long time if you’re dying today from dehydration.

      • Drusas@kbin.social
        link
        fedilink
        arrow-up
        2
        ·
        9 months ago

        I used to have a cat with pterodactyly and he would grab French fries in his little fist to eat them. That guy loved French fries.