I know it sounds gross, but does anyone out there feed their cats raw meat from the butcher?

Question

I've stumbled across some info on it, and it seems to make sense if you think about it. I don't know anybody who does it at home willingly. Any thoughts? I should add that they're all indoor cats

Answer 1

Ours get raw ground turkey that was flash frozen. I microwave it to room temperature and they each get two tablespoons of it every morning. It's not completely balanced as a raw diet, so it's only a small part of what they eat during the day, but it's made a nice difference in their coat condition.

There's sites online that tell how to do a balanced raw diet, but you have to supplement with minerals and vitamins, and it's hard to get a good balance. But if you want to give raw meat occasionally, that works fine. Just don't overdo it on liver, cats can get diarhea from that if they eat too much.

Make sure the meat is ULTRA fresh, because the more bacteria on it the easier it is for them to get food poisoning (uncooked meat gets more the longer it's been off a live animal unless it's frozen).

Answer 2

That's an excellent idea, except you don't want to get the meat from the grocery store....necessarily.

Even though the meat you get there will be human grade, you want to ensure that it's also organic or at least hormone and antibiotic free. So it's really best to get cat meat from a raw supplier. There are several online sources or there might be a supplier in your area.

I recommend going to Yahoo Groups and searching for raw feeding feline. There are several groups out there that will tell you tons more about how to properly feed a raw meat diet. Because it's important to get the balance right - it can't be just meat - they also need the stuff they'd get from bones and organs. They can get that by either eating the bones and organs or you can supplement the meat with other items to provide those nutrients.

It's easy enough to figure out - you just have to find a supplier and choose the method that will work best for you.

Answer 3

I do not do this but I know a lot of people who do and the numbers seem to be increasing. It is a perfectly valid and acceptable way to feed cats but you do need to do the research thoroughly and know what ou are doing to get it right. Some people will also give raw meat as an occasional treat, and it is also sometimes used by cat breeders when dealing with a kitten who is difficult to wean.

Answer 4

The link below has tons of info about different kinds of diets from dry kibble to raw food diets. You have to do what you think is best for your cats. I have two cats that are on Innova Evo dry and Merrick wet food and do great and one cat that on the same diet has problems with diarrhea because the Innova is too rich for her. I'm still trying to figure out the best food for her. Just do your research and make an informed decision and your cats will be fine.

Answer 5

Hi,

I have three indoor cats and I don't feed them raw meat at all.

I know there are web sites that advocate this as well as those that don't.

Cats should eat proper cat food and there is an organization that scientifically tests and approves animal food to make sure nutritional standards are met. This is the AAFCO, Association of American Feed Control Officials. If the food meets these standards, the information will appear on the packages and labels of cat food.

Answer 6

I have an F2 Savannah cat, his grandfather is an African Serval, so he's a step closer to being ''wild'' than the average domestic cat is, so I do feed him some raw ground beef/chicken/or turkey at least once a week, but he still needs other nutrients, so I also feed him dry mixed with wet food.

Answer 7

Raw meat is not good for cats because it can cause worms and Salmonella.