The White-bellied Green-pigeon feeding on fruit
Pied Imperial Pigeon, Ducula bicolor
The unusual Nicobar Pigeon, Caloenas nicobarica
The Zebra Dove has been widely introduced around the world..jpg)
A Fantail pigeon
Emerald Dove, Chalcophaps indica, native to tropical southern Asia and Australia
Ruddy Ground Dove
The Common Ground Dove is among the smallest species in the family.
Luzon Bleeding-heart Pigeon Gallicolumba crinigera, native to the Philippines
Pigeons and doves constitute the family Columbidae within the order Columbiformes, which include some 300 species of near passerine birds. In general parlance the terms "dove" and "pigeon" are used somewhat interchangeably. In ornithological practice, there is a tendency for "dove" to be used for smaller species and "pigeon" for larger ones, but this is in no way consistently applied, and historically the common names for these birds involve a great deal of variation between the term "dove" and "pigeon." This family occurs worldwide, but the greatest variety is in the Indomalaya and Australasia ecozones. The young doves and pigeons are called "squabs."
Pigeons and doves are stout-bodied birds with short necks and short slender bills with a fleshy cere. The species commonly referred to just as the "pigeon" is the feral Rock Pigeon, common in many cities.
Doves and pigeons build relatively flimsy nests from sticks and other debris, which may be placed in trees, on ledges, or on the ground, depending on species. They lay one or two eggs, and both parents care for the young, which leave the nest after 7 to 28 days.[1] Doves feed on seeds, fruit and plants. Unlike most other birds (but see flamingo), the doves and pigeons produce "crop milk," which is secreted by a sloughing of fluid-filled cells from the lining of the crop. Both the sexes produce this highly nutritious substance to feed to the young.
Dry cat food can also contribute or be directly related to certain health conditions:
Isn't Raw Food Better?
In a word, yes, if you can feed your cat a nutritously-prepared raw food diet, such as one of these:
Certainly, raw food is exactly what cats eat in the wild, by necessity. Dr. Pottenger did a study in the mid 20th century, which resulted in evidence that a cooked meat diet caused physical deterioration in cats and their offspring, over a period of time. (Some contemporary experts have questioned whether it was the lack of taurine, rather than the cooking, that caused the nutrional deficiencies Pottenger cited.)
While many feline nutrition experts recommend a raw meat diet for cats, this isn't always workable for some cat caregivers. Other experts recommend canned food only, with dry food reserved as "treats," to be doled out two or three kibbles at a time.
A Word About Dental Care
The old axiom was that "canned food can cause dental disease in cats." The reality of the situation is that fancy kibble shapes aside, food is not a dentifrice. All cats require a regular dental program of brushing, rinsing, along with regular veterinary dental exams and professional cleaning, if required.
I would encourage a raw diet as a long or short term goal, and striving for an all - or mostly - canned cat food in the interim. My own cats have historically eaten a dry diet, but of the "new generation" three of my present four cats, are now eating canned food exclusively. My rescued stray, Jenny, knows only dry food and has been resistant to converting to canned, but I'm still working with her toward that goal.
It's important to note that I feed only premium foods to my cats, both dry and canned. I never purchase a new brand without reading the label thoroughly. They also get a variety of brands and flavors of foods. As I mentioned earlier, no one wants to eat french fries every day.
Then, some day, we'll see about a raw food diet.
