Are raw diets for cats truly so bad?

Question

I have a cat who has recently had a litter of kittens. Before she got pregnant she used to have stomach problems (testimony from her previous home). She had serious flatulence problems. While she was pregnant the problems went away but came back again after giving birth. So when she started having diarrhea I decided to change her diet a bit. For the past couple of weeks I have began feeding 2 meals a day of raw meat. I still feed dry food but she eats much less of it. Within a few days her problem cleared up and she's been fine ever since.

I've read alot of stuff about the pros and cons of both commercial food and homemade food. For example, commercial food could have go rancid and have bacterial and mold growth as well as being filled with 'filler' grains or animal byproducts/feces. Raw food could be diseased and our domesticated cats have evolved in a way that they are not able to safely process raw foods. Itseems that there is no good alternative. Your thoughts?

Answer 1

Everyone else here has made some great points, I'll just throw a bit of advice in because I've done some research on the subject

Raw meat is GOOD for cats -- however, raw meat is BAD for cats if all you ever feed them is say raw breast meat from a chicken, I can't stress that enough. Cats get different nutrients from different parts of an animals dead body as all carnivores do. It's analogous to someone who only eats radishes, compared to someone who eats 10 different types of vegetables.

Cats don't just need raw chicken breast meat, they need to eat the raw bones (which aren't brittle like cooked bones and are essential to health -- teeth included), internal organs, skin, brain, feathers, and stomach contents of the chicken.

If you're going to put your cat on a strict raw meat -- say chicken diet, then ideally you need to get a complete chicken (probably minus feathers unless you're on a farm lol) and grind it in a sausage grinder. Then your kitty will have a balanced diet. I'd still use some supplements though to make sure.

Frankly I think it's such a hassel to chop up an entire chicken that I feed my cats mainly canned wet and dry food, and supplement their diet with raw meat treats frequently.

Answer 2

My two kittens had problem after problem when we first got them. Granted, some of this was from worms and whatnot (My Armin cat was from a farm). But, I know some of the problems were from the food they were being fed. They were switched to Wellness kitten blend, and things started getting better.

I then decided I wanted them on a no-grain, low carb, high protein dry food. This is about the time I decided I wanted their primary diet to be raw/canned. They took to the change right away, and have been on it ever since. If you compare my cats to cats that are on junky dry food, you can tell the difference. Their coats are shiny, eyes are brights and clear, and they are very active and healthy in general.

It's whatever works best for your lifestyle, if you have the time/energy/money to make a homemade diet, by all means, do it. But like Old Cat Lady said, join a group dedicated to homemade diets. I'll go a step further and suggest finding either a regular vet that supports a raw diet, or find a holistic vet in your area. This way your vet can periodically go over the diet, suggest changes, and suggest supplements.

It really seems like you want what's best for your cat. I wish more people took the time and energy to do the best. Bravo!

Answer 3

The main thing with raw foods is that the meat isn't fresh enough. Every hour out in temps above 40 degrees the bacteria count go up exponentially, and if you've got ground meat, that's a lot of surface area, which means a lot more bacteria than what'd be on a single slab of meat.

If the meat is more than a day off the original animal, and hasn't been flash frozen, it may not be ok to give. Salmonella especially is associated with chicken/turkey type meats.

While I've given fresh meat to our guys, it's usually bought that day from the grocery store and has a full 5 days left on the expiration date--not anything that's right up there on the expiration date. You need to know how long it's sat at the store, sat in your fridge, and how long it's not been below 40 degrees.

Flash frozen stuff can be warmed in the microwave to a warm temperature, and used that way. But with all meats, unless you killed the animal you're eating yourself, sometimes you just don't know.

Answer 4

I don't know where you read that about cats devolving away from processing raw foods, but I would question that statement. I don't believe it's true.

I don't feed raw but I have done quite a bit of research on it. I believe it's safe so long as you take common sense precautions.

I think many of the people who say these things are not even doing any research - they simply assume that since it would be bad for humans to eat raw meat, it would be bad for anyone or anything.

One thing you can investigate is commercially prepared raw foods - there are a few different brands out there. Nature's Variety makes one that is very popular.

Answer 5

I have fed a home-prepared diet of raw organic chicken and raw organic turkey to my cats for seven years now.
I use a commercial supplement powder with ground meat.

So it is certainly the best food for a cat and you certainly have to get the necessary supplements in the food (particularly calcium if there is not bone in the meat).

Personally I would stay away from beef as it is more difficult and expensive to find beef from cattle that are hormone and antibiotic free. If you are feeding you cat those things along with the meat you are not doing it any favors.

WholeCatHealth is a good Yahoo group to join if you are preparing your cat's food and feeding raw.

Answer 6

Why not cooked homemade food? I know you can do it with dogs, but haven't researched it for my cats. You would just have to be sure to give her vitamin supplements.