i just got my cat back from the vet who had to pull teach and carve out hyperplasia in his gums, some really nasty big chunky stuff

i'm pretty sure he got it because he was surviving by stealing food from locals who put their cat food out and it's cheap food because it gets stolen a lot, probably half wheat or some shit, or soy

i'm almost certain that he would not have had this gingevitis if he'd been eating mice and rats and rabbits, which are harder to get but better for him (and plenty around)... cats are lazy, they optimize their energy heavily, so if you give them easy food they prefer it, and this led to him developing a nasty problem, first the gingevitis, and then probably after that sinus and ear infection and eye infection

he's all good now and i intend to feed him primarily on proper meat in the future so his gums never flare up again, but at least he's recovered... cost him his two top canines and 4 of his molars

i'm sure the situation is basically identical for babies... as soon as they have pointy bones in their mouth they need to be exercising them