Opinions On This Food, Please.

[kskatt]

Getting a good list (thank you katnapper) I found recalls on Diamond pet food; 3/13 there was a dry cat food, 2012 looks like quite a few concerning some dry dog food, 11/09 cat food, didn't say if it was wet or dry.
Granted I did not spend the time to list every single recall for others, don't have that kind of time! From what I did and have seen of some other brands, that doesn't look like that many on the Diamond. Only one that might include wet cat food. Mostly dry dog. Willowy, where did you find the recalls you are referring to? If there are more, I'd love to see.

 

[orange&white]

My boss was talking about wild rabbits over-running one of his properties. I joked that he needed to trap a couple so I could start breeding. He said a couple of rabbits can turn into 50 a year. I said, "I know, and a dressed 3-4 pound rabbit sells for $20-$25, plus shipping." I'd love to feed my cats and dogs rabbit, but the price is way out of my budget. I was only half-way joking with him.

I also considered raising mice for cat food, but I read that they really stink.

Anyway, as much as I would hate having to humanely kill bunnies that I raised, I feel a little hypocritical not minding at all if someone else does it for me so that I don't have to see it. My boss said, "You couldn't kill them." I replied, "I think I would get used to it just like anything else that becomes a routine or habit."

 

[Willowy]

Wild North American rabbits can't be kept captive. Well, I suppose if you had a large natural pen they'd be OK. But they won't survive in a cage even if you raise them from a young age. Cottontails are very different from the European rabbits that domesticated rabbits came from. Mice do stink, bad. Rats are OK but I find them too personable and would have a hard time killing them.

I know what you mean about feeling hypocritical about allowing other people to kill them for us, especially since I buy whole frozen rats for the snakes. But for me it's about knowing their personality. How can I kill that rat, when I know she likes carrots and doggie biscuits best and likes it when you tickle her left ear? I'd miss them! So it's better for me if I don't know them personally.

Mars we probably all know to be the makers of Fancy Feast.

Fancy Feast is made by Purina/Nestle, not Mars. Mars makes Whiskas, Sheba, Iams, and Royal Canin.

Diamond had a bunch of recalls a few years ago. Apparently they haven't had any since 2013, which is why I said we could maybe hope they've learned their lesson. Diamond Brand Pet Food Recall Info - Petful

This list was easier for me to read: Recalls & Withdrawals

 

[kskatt]

Friskies one and Fancy Feast none.

Are Rabbits the New Super Meat? - Modern Farmer

10 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD EAT RABBIT MEAT

I learned this years ago; low calories and fat, no cholesterol, lots of easily digestible protein. Probably the healthiest meat. When I was a teenager, we raised rabbits. Once had an outbreak of gonorrhea. Lots of penicillin. A dog got in the yard, not in any hutches, but two rabbits died from fear, heart failure. As said in one of the articles, rabbits are not hardy enough to factory farm, which I have to admit, I like. Not so much for buyers, but producers will have the market. If you could get over the killing of "widdle bunny rabbits" it could be a money maker.

 

[orange&white]

Friskies one and Fancy Feast none.

Are Rabbits the New Super Meat? - Modern Farmer

10 REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD EAT RABBIT MEAT

I learned this years ago; low calories and fat, no cholesterol, lots of easily digestible protein. Probably the healthiest meat. When I was a teenager, we raised rabbits. Once had an outbreak of gonorrhea. Lots of penicillin. A dog got in the yard, not in any hutches, but two rabbits died from fear, heart failure. As said in one of the articles, rabbits are not hardy enough to factory farm, which I have to admit, I like. Not so much for buyers, but producers will have the market. If you could get over the killing of "widdle bunny rabbits" it could be a money maker.

I wasn't looking to sell rabbits for profit. I was thinking about stocking my freezer with rabbits that cost less than $20-$25 each for pet food. Don't know how much it costs to feed and raise them though.

 

[kskatt]

Understood. Just spreading info. It's crazy that such a cute critter has the healthiest meat, go figure.

 

[Willowy]

I know wild rabbit has almost no fat, but I don't believe that about domesticated bunnies. . .my girl is pretty fat! I wonder if they analyzed domestic rabbit too. Although they're butchered at 8 weeks so they probably haven't had time to get fat.

I'm told that China mass-produces rabbits for meat (ideal meat source for a crowded area---quiet, not too smelly, can have a large-scale facility in the middle of a city, etc.) but I don't know how they do it.

A lot of the info I looked up said that you can expect it to cost about $1 per pound live weight to raise a rabbit to butcher age. I'm not sure how they're figuring in the initial cost of supplies, or if that's just how much their feed costs. If you dress it out for human consumption, dressed weight is figured at 50% of live weight, of course for pet use you'd keep most of the organs so you'd get more. One thing said that initial costs can be figured at $200 per "doe unit" (meaning cage/supplies per breeding female), so you'd have to raise quite a few to offset the initial investment.

If you're willing to buy whole undressed rabbits, you can usually find them cheaper on reptile sites. Although with shipping it might add up to about the same again.
Buy Feeder Rabbits - Small, Medium, Large - Rabbit Sale Online
Frozen Rabbits - LayneLabs.com

 

[_spadekitty]

If theres a Trader Joe's near you, I like their store brand. I think its 79 cents (?) for a 5.5 oz can, may be a little more or a little less depending on where you are. The ingridients are pretty good for the price, but some of the protein sources can be vague (the ocean blue can simply has "oceanfish" as an ingridient for example).
My cats doing good on it, coats healthy and he's got plenty of energy to wreak havoc around my house lol
He gets a rotation of some higher quality/premium brands as well tho.