7 Rules to Feed Stray Animals & Responsibly!

Compassion! A philosophy that flows in the veins of Indians. Majority of Indian households, urban or rural, reserve some portion of their food for dogs and cows. It shows a noble gesture of people towards stray animals. 

Have you ever thought that what we feed to stray animals is nutritious for them or not? Is it good for their designation? 

Researchers said that stray animals are canines and they are allergic to some categories of food. The number of stray animals in India increased and reached 30 million (as per the report of “The Washington Post” in 2016). Many people in India volunteer as an organization or an individual level to feed home-made food to dogs, cats, etc., and care for stray animals. While there are many do’s and dont’s for animal feeding to ensure legitimate help.

Pin all 7 rules before feeding stray animals. 

Table of Contents

• Lactose intake
• ortant to note
• Sweets and chocolate
• Indian spices and fried foods
• Fruits and vegetables
• Attention to fruit feeding
• Overfeed and underfeed
• Give them water
• Caution- Say no to plastics

Lactose intake-

A million-dollar myth around Indian society is feeding biscuits and milk to dogs and cats. But do you know milk can leads to intense distraction in their digestion system and can give worth to stomach worms? For example, avoid feeding milk to puppies for one year from their birth. It is important to check with the veterinarian before feeding lactose and biscuits to stray animals. 

Important to note:

There are two types of biscuits, flavored and unflavoured, not every biscuit is for feeding. Always serve those biscuits which are unflavoured and have less amount of sugar. 

Sweets and chocolate-

Anything which is sweet to tongue has the obromine. The human body is adaptable to the obromine but dogs are allergic to it. Whenever they intake chocolates and sweets, an array of toxins formed in their body which puts their health at a big risk. 

Indian spices and fried foods

Our leftover food has a flavour of different spices which is easy for the human body to digest. If we talk about stray animals, their immune system is weaker than pet dogs. It is very hard for dogs to tolerate the intensity of oil and species.

Fruits and vegetables

Dog food has all the ingredients which are beneficial for dogs, the same goes for every stray animal. But when it comes to homemade dog food there are no criteria for the weightage of protein and vitamins. Feeding raw fruits and vegetables can be harmful to the dog instead of feeding boiled vegetables to stray animals. 

Attention to fruit feeding-

Every stray animal has a different level of capacity to digest fruit and not every animal can digest the same fruits. For example- cats may be allergic to papaya but the cat may not. Avoid feeding fruits before the stray animal is checked with a veterinarian. 

Overfeed and underfeed 

Researchers said that the main cause for the high rate of deaths in a stray animal is overeating or under-eating.  

Amazed right! Animals never say “no” to food, if you are feeding what they like the most. Before feeding always look at the time gap between the food feeding. Overeating can lead to the direct death of a stray animal. Be a responsible feeder to protect a living outside the home. 

Give them water- 

Whenever you feed something to any stray animal try giving them water before or after feeding. Water will help them to digest the food easily. 

Caution- Say no to plastics- 

Feeding packet food like dog food, cat food is always an add on to the health of stray animals. Always remember don’t throw the full packet towards them, tear out the plastic, and then serve the food. Feed them by cutting the food into pieces so that their body can easily digest it.

Be a responsible feeder, once you feed them to pin it in your routine and do it daily. But always remember to feed them what is good for their health and having rich quality nutrients.