Raw Cat Food - Why It's the Best Diet For Your Cat, and What Are the Trade-offs For You?

Raw Cat Food - Why It's the Best Diet For Your Cat, and What Are the Trade-offs For You?

The biggest myth surrounding cat ownership is that cats are worry free, self-contained and self-providing pets that require little or no maintenance. Take the cat for example. This defines cats as creatures who derive most of their food nutrients from the animals they hunt and consume (raw cat food). Cultural purists use this description as an argument that feeding cats store bought, mass produced canned or dry cat food is doing your cat a disservice by depriving her of the natural nutrients she would normally get in the raw cat food she captures in the wild, and for which she was biologically designed.

Between 1932 and 1942 he conducted what is know as the Pottenger Cat Study. One part of this study was what effect heat had on the nutrient value of raw food. The adrenal glands of these cats were removed for the experiments and Pottenger noted that most of the cats died during or following the operation. He was feeding the cats a supposedly nutritive diet consisting of raw milk, cod liver oil and cooked meat scraps of liver, tripe, sweetbread, brains, heart and muscle.

When the number of donated cats exceeded the supply of food available, Pottenger began ordering raw meat scraps from a local meat packing plant, including organs, meat, and bone; and fed a separate group of cats from this supply. Pottenger conducted studies involving approximately 900 cats over a period of ten years, with three generations of cats being studied.

Meat study:

In one study, one group of cats was fed a diet of:

Two-thirds raw meat, one-third raw milk, and cod-liver oil

A second group was fed a diet of two-thirds cooked meat, one-third raw milk, and cod-liver oil.

The cats fed the all-raw diet were healthy while the cats fed the cooked meat diet developed various health problems:

By the end of the second generation, the cats had developed degenerative diseases by mid-life and started losing their coordination.

Many of the third generation cats couldn't even produce offspring. Bones became soft and pliable and the cats suffered from adverse personality changes. Today many cats thrive on a cooked meat diet where taurine has been added after cooking. The deficient diets lacked sufficient taurine to allow the cat's to properly form protein structures and resulted in the health effects observed. Milk Study:

In another study, dubbed the "Milk Study,", the cats were fed 2/3 milk and 1/3 meat. All groups were fed raw meat with different groups getting raw, pasteurized, evaporated, sweetened condensed or raw metabolized vitamin D milk. The cats on raw milk were the healthiest while the rest exhibited varying degrees of health problems similar to the previous cooked meat study.

This particular Pottenger cat study has been cited by advocates of raw milk as evidence that it is likely healthier for humans than pasteurized milk." +

Though Pottenger's experiments don't conclusively verify that raw cat food diets are better for sustaining a healthy support for the physiological needs of cats than cooked (canned) or dry kibbles, (because he didn't use canned cat food or kibbles in the experiments) certain conclusions can be drawn.

Cooking meat can destroy certain food nutrients, namely amino acids (proteins)

Cats thrive more healthily on raw meat rather than cooked meat with less degenerative results

Cooking meat for your cat requires the replacement of the essential amino acid taurine, and possibly other nutrients destroyed in the cooking process

Pet food marketing hype says that "XYZ" cat food products are healthy for your pet because it adds "ABC" nutrients, vitamins and minerals to their product which safeguards your cat's health. Fortunately, marketing laws require that the ingredients in any given product be listed on the packaging of your cat's food. For a discussion that details interpreting cat food labels CLICK HERE

Here's an example of a raw cat food meal preparation from scratch:

400 grams [14 oz] raw heart, ideally from the same animal (if no heart is available, substitute with 4000 mg Taurine)

If you can't find the liver, add another 200 grams of meat/bones.

4 raw egg yolks (use eggs from free-range, antibiotic-free chickens if you can)

4 capsules raw glandular supplement (such as, for example, "Raw Multiple Glandular" from Premier Labs)

OPTIONAL: 4 teaspoons psyllium husk powder (8 teaspoons if using whole psyllium husks) ?

It looks like this recipe will produce about 5- 6 lbs of finished raw cat food product which would feed a single cat for several weeks. The digestive system of a cat is designed to handle things human systems can't. In the wild, cats sometimes eat some pretty iffy stuff with no ill effects. Wild cats die more often from infection due to injuries than from food poisoning. However, there are steps you can take if you have concerns about raw cat food bourn bacteria.

Add priobiotics (which help maintain intestinal health) to your raw food preparation

Proper handling of raw cat food is essential since some raw cat food may contain bacteria that could cause illness to you or your pets. Be sure to keep raw cat food meat and poultry separate from other foods. Wash hands prior to, and after handling raw cat food. Wash working surfaces, bowls, and utensils that come in contact with raw meat with hot, soapy water. Always wash your hands after cleaning your cat's waste; this includes litter boxes.

Pick up and dispose of uneaten raw cat food within 30 minutes of feeding your cat

Preparing raw cat food meals from scratch for your cat is a labor of love indulged in by purists. There are complete raw cat food meals which are shipped frozen and there are mixes which all you have to do is add the meat. If not then be sure to add the heart (a source for taurine) and other organ meat from the same animal if possible, with the raw cat food meal so that your cat won't be deprived of these critical ingredients.

Orders for raw cat food meals or mixes are mostly made on-line so you will have to deal with credit or debit cards. Pre-planning will have to be regular routine so that you don't run out of raw cat food before the next shipment arrives. The real trade-off is with the quality of cat food you will be providing. The store bought 'meal' based cereal foods will be replaced with the high quality fresh foods that cat's were designed for. Some cats may balk at the transition at first because they weren't socialized with raw cat food as kittens. But, their health will show marked improvement, you will probably be surprised by the results which can be compared to how your cat behaved before being fed a fresh, high quality raw cat food diet that meets their needs nutritionally, plus their immune systems will be stronger giving your cat a chance for a longer, healthier life.

Like magic and miracles, instant knowledge occurs only rarely... and you can grow old waiting for it while your cat pines for a raw cat food meal.

Cat Food Info #1 Cats Need Protein in their Cat Food

The cat food you feed to your cat should always be rich in protein. Many cat food brands advertise chicken, beef, and tuna flavored cat food because they know that cats need protein and cat owners are looking for quality cat food. However, you need to make sure the cat food you buy has a sufficient amount of cat food regardless of what flavor it is.

Cat Food Info #2 Cat Food with Taurine

Also check the cat food you typically buy for an amino acid called taurine. This particular amino acid is very important in the overall health of your cat, and your cat will eat as much food as it has to in order to supplement this particular amino acid. So, if you are buying cheap cat food that does not have the proper nutrients your cat will eat a lot. If you buy a nutrient rich cat food then your cat will eat little and save you more money while still getting proper nutrition.

Cat Food Info #3 Canned Cat Food or Dry Cat Food?

Many people do not know whether they should buy canned or dry cat food, or whether it even matters. Because of this, many people simply buy the cat food that is most affordable or convenient for them. Cats should be fed a mixture of cat food. The dry cat food should be given for free feeding, especially if you are away on vacation or out for the day. Canned cat food should be supplemented at other times as well because it has water in the food and significantly more protein than the carbohydrate rich dry cat food. Not to mention the same food over and over might bore your cat and cause him to stop eating that cat food altogether.

Cat Food Info #4 Avoid Cat Food Fillers

Cats need to eat a cat food that is rich in protein, so make sure the amount of fillers is kept to a minimum. Carbohydrates are not essential for a cat's existence, so don't buy cat food that is full of them. Instead, read labels and buy cat food that is not filled with fillers and other by products.

Raw Cat Food? Really?

Cats are natural hunters and carnivores - just consider their ancestry. The Advantages of Raw Cat Food

Just as it is with humans, your cat's diet is the bedrock of her health. Raw cat food diets have been shown to aid a cat's body when dealing with many common infirmities like flea infestations, hot spots, excessive shedding, poor dental and gum health, allergies, gastrointestinal issues like IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease), immune disorders and degenerative diseases. Remember, cats' digestive systems are designer-built to accommodate raw meat. A cat may contract parasites after an instance of eating wild, whole prey or game meats, but is extremely unlikely to do so with correctly handled human grade meats. The research sited in America supporting a raw cat food diet is actually quite persuasive. Dr. Pottenger kept cats as lab animals for experiments in human health (I know, but keep reading). As both his research and cat population grew, he resorted to feeding them raw meat scraps from a local packing plant rather than cooked kitchen leftovers. In just a few months, he began to notice distinct improvements in those cats who had been eating the raw meat.

Detailed observations were made over many generations of cats. Older, weaker cats who may not easily tolerate unprepared food, or cats with certain gastrointestinal issues where the stomach needs to be brought back to a healthier state using herbs and/or supplements should have a home prepared, cooked diet as the best alternative to a raw food diet.

Raw Cat Food Diets

Ideally, our feline companions would eat an all raw diet that includes some organ meat and bones. In general, the more raw food you can add to your cat's diet, the better, but any is certainly better than none at all. Feed your cat raw chicken necks and chicken backs as some or all of a meal many times each week, if you wish. Raw chicken bones don't chip, they crunch. If your kitty has a delicate digestive tract, consider grinding meat and bones through a quarter inch blade before feeding. Commonsense precautions should be taken when dealing with raw meat. Transitioning to Raw Cat Food

You know your cat will do her best to dictate what goes into her food bowl. So, it's best to introduce raw food slowly into your cat's diet over the course of a couple of weeks. Finally, replace one full meal with raw food for a day or two, then complete the transition to raw food for all meals.

If your cat is resistant to the idea of going raw at first, you may want to use a bit of canned food to entice her. Cats, in particular, can be resistant to a change in diet. It will most likely take some serious commitment on your part to transition your kitty to a raw cat food diet, but it is well worth it for the long term health of your little companion.

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