Is Raw Food Necessary???

[10009891]

Best may be dependent on the particular animal.
I know some cats that were exclusively fed dry their entire lives and seemed to thrive just fine.
Who knows, maybe those cats were avid water drinkers and managed to get enough fluids into their diet.
Having said that, I'd say the 'best' way to limit potential health complications down the road, try to add in wet and/or raw to their diet.

I give 1 can of FancyFeast (~ 80 kcal) & 1/4 cup of premium dry (~120 kcal) per day.
My cat enjoys drinking water as well. Actually, she usually lays down and leisurely drinks but that's just her style.

Once in awhile, I'll try commercially frozen ground rabbit (couple of brands), or some raw chicken hearts/wings as a treat. Giving her some variety makes me feel better as well.

If you have the time and storage space to whip up a big batch of raw food weekly/monthly, then try it - but I'll be honest & say I can't be bothered to go that route.
Commercially prepared raw on a regular basis sounds pricey as well, but I'm really not sure as I haven't priced it out.

My Ragdoll drinks water like it's his food! He loves water. Maybe it's the breed, but that's healthy.

 

[10009891]

Best may be dependent on the particular animal.
I know some cats that were exclusively fed dry their entire lives and seemed to thrive just fine.
Who knows, maybe those cats were avid water drinkers and managed to get enough fluids into their diet.
Having said that, I'd say the 'best' way to limit potential health complications down the road, try to add in wet and/or raw to their diet.

I give 1 can of FancyFeast (~ 80 kcal) & 1/4 cup of premium dry (~120 kcal) per day.
My cat enjoys drinking water as well. Actually, she usually lays down and leisurely drinks but that's just her style.

Once in awhile, I'll try commercially frozen ground rabbit (couple of brands), or some raw chicken hearts/wings as a treat. Giving her some variety makes me feel better as well.

If you have the time and storage space to whip up a big batch of raw food weekly/monthly, then try it - but I'll be honest & say I can't be bothered to go that route.
Commercially prepared raw on a regular basis sounds pricey as well, but I'm really not sure as I haven't priced it out.

I've read awful things about those supermarket brands by cat nutritionists. You'll see them on Youtube giving lectures about cat food brands.

 

[orange&white]

I think you could have been talking about human food as well, here

Yes, in 2008 I started researching what the "human-feed" industry has been serving us in processed foods since the 50's and 60's. I started buying whole fruits/vegetables and fresh meats for myself to cook from scratch, and try to leave the miles-of-aisles of processed "human foods" out of the basket. That garbage is addictive though...and convenient.

Once I ate better and felt a lot healthier, I kicked myself for pouring "canned and bagged vitamins" into my dogs' and cats' bowls.

Technology in shelf-stable processed foods allowed "us" to feed millions more people in the world. Unfortunately the food isn't healthy as it used to be. Younger generations seem to be suffering from the "modern" diet of the last 50-70 years. People and pets. Trade offs?

 

[laura mae]

Canned foods are perfectly acceptable for food for your cat. I will second the freeze dried raw like Stella & Chewy, Primal and NW Naturals. Those all include ground bone in the food though for the calcium. My cat Booberry ate them for a while and had the most beautifully white teeth. However, he tends toward constipation and cannot eat those foods any longer. Rad Cat uses egg shell rather than bone and so could be better if a kitty had issues with constipation. The freeze dried raw with bone could be an issue for cats with kidney issues too because of the increased phosphorus. The foods are very well made and once re-hydrated smell like the food it says it is. My other cats didn't want anything to do with it.

While canned pet foods can have questionable ingredients, I have noticed that the most strident websites that speak against commercial canned foods tend to make sweeping indictments of all canned foods as they are trying to get people to purchase their own vitamin supplement that they want you to purchase to put into your homemade raw or cooked cat food diet. Just like with people stuff, there are websites that raise all sorts of alarms about all canned cat foods. Even if you cook your own food, or mix your own raw food, it is a tricky thing to get the appropriate vitamins and minerals that your cat needs without resorting to a mix (there are versions for raw and versions for home cooked food). I tried the home cooked food thing and the cats HATED the mix that needed to added to the food.

All foods have the potential to have bacteria issues. Feeding raw it's probably not advisable to use grocery store ground meat, for example because of all the issues with e coli that affect humans--that's going to affect a cat too. So you have to find a specialized source for your meats. The raw/home cooked foods forum will help you with sources, recipes, etc.

I will cook some chicken breast, hearts and chicken liver and offer it every once in a while for the cats. I've scrambled eggs for them too--just to get some variety but they are commercial canned food cats now. Weruva, Wellness, Nature's Variety, Kasiks, Merrick, Pure Vita (not a hit), Lotus. There is kibble for snacks and Booberry the cisapride cat gets prescription kibble in addition to his Lotus and Weruva to keep things moving along

 

[10009891]

Laura, what kind of cat you have? My 14 weeks old Ragdoll kitten is thriving on Primal and Fromms kibble. I am only feeding him kibble on week day mornings only, as I rush out of bed to work. But for dinner and before going to bed I feed him Primal, mixed with Go Fit Petcurean can food. I think these are quality foods, but raw, I think it's the best option, if the raw meat does not have harmful bacteria. One last note, when I am out for a few days on short vacations or something, he free feeds on the automatic kibble dispenser.

 

[10009891]

Kibble is not healthy. Do your research and see what you think. Raw is not a rule or anything but, many (including me) believe a raw fed cat will live a healthier life. I have fed raw for years my cats are really healthy and I would never feed kibble or even a canned diet again.

What's the easiest way to make the raw food? How do you make it?

 

[Merlin77]

What's the easiest way to make the raw food? How do you make it?

Easiest way is to buy pre-made raw food, but to actually make it requires a good deal of calculations and planning. You will need some freezer space (unless you want to make food every two-three days in smaller batches, which also technically works), the supplements (bone, bone meal, vitamins, minerals, taurine, etc.), meat (obviously!), a cutting board, a good knife, and a real recipe. I only feed gizzards, thighs and livers as supplementation to my cat's actual diet, so I don't know much about actual recipes and vitamin/mineral adding.

And may I add the importance of perseverance? Cutting up organ meats and raw meat in general is messy and a little gross the first few times around. Some people prefer to wear gloves, even if only to keep their hands warm.

There are different types of raw feeding, such as grinding or prey-modeling or BARF, each one differs slightly. With grinding, you just grind everything together, prey-modeling mimics making a piece of prey (you might also need to use brains, hearts, kidneys, the like...) and BARF (Bones and raw food, or biologically appropriate raw food) focuses on raw meaty bones.

 

[Ardina]

10009891 , if you're interested in learning about raw, I'd encourage you to check out these sites: catinfo.org, feline-nutrition.org, and catcentric.org. There are also some great resources in the raw feeding/homemade food subforum. Feel free to start a thread there - lots of experienced members to help you out!

 

[orange&white]

I think the feline-nutrition.org recipe is very straightforward: Recipe: Feline Nutrition's Easy Raw Cat Food - Feline Nutrition Foundation

I don't have a grinder though. I smash bones with a hammer which is work, but it's been effective for 6 years of making cat food. The rest of the ingredients, I cut into chunks. If you're not sure you want to transition to raw long term, I'd purchase pre-ground bones from Hare Today or ask a butcher if they can grind the bones for you. You could go unsupplemented for one batch, but if you continue, you'll want to invest in all the supplements.

Buying a tub or two of ready-made is a good idea to see how your cat takes to it.

 

[lisamarie12]

I've read about this, and can't say this is thrilling/surprising news, but definitely not in the best interest of the cat. However, I'd like to point out that it's a pretty effective way to reduce waste. Plus, a lot of things unsuitable for humans are suitable for cats. Brains, kidneys, lungs, spleens, all that gross stuff most humans don't want to touch, are actually an important part of a cat's diet.

Although a cat in her natural habitat would generally consume the entire mouse or small bird, there is no comparison, imo, to a fresh kill vs the 4D (dead, diseased, dying or disabled waste -- animals that died other than by slaughter for the purpose of pet food) that comprises most byproduct ingredients. Moreover, pet food manufacturers are not required by law to warehouse or even transport those waste ingredients in clean or refrigerated conditions.

While utilizing trash ingredients may be an "effective way to reduce waste" there is no place for any of it in commercial pet food.

 

[Ladewyn]

Short answer: no, raw food is not necessary at all, feed what you feel is best.
Long answer: Cat nutrition and food types is not well understood. Anyone making absolute claims to which food is better is largely doing so without any scientific backing because there is a dearth of studies. Currently studies have linked dry food to obesity, but there's isn't a lot of evidence beyond that on the impact of dry vs wet. Both are fine as far as current research shows
Raw is a bit more complicated, and the AVMA and CVMA recommend against raw feeding because the fact is, it CAN make animals sick (yes cats handle it better than people, no that doesn't mean it doesn't come with risks). The major risk is that homemade raw diets often aren't balanced. So currently, raw is the only food there has been much studies around and currently those studies lean more towards cons than pros. So while it's fine if you choose to feed raw, you should do so carefully. If you choose not to, you are also fine because in that sense you're going with current scientific consensus. Basically until cat nutrition is studied more in depth, it's pretty much up to individual discretion. Just ensure they're getting the appropriate nutrients.

 

[orange&white]

So currently, raw is the only food there has been much studies around and currently those studies lean more towards cons than pros.

There aren't many actual studies on raw food that I've found. Could you like a few of those links please? I try to read everything I can find on cat nutrition, which to your point, most info is anecdotal. Most proponents of a raw diet are steadfast simply because of the results we see with our own cats.

 

[laura mae]

Laura, what kind of cat you have? My 14 weeks old Ragdoll kitten is thriving on Primal and Fromms kibble. I am only feeding him kibble on week day mornings only, as I rush out of bed to work. But for dinner and before going to bed I feed him Primal, mixed with Go Fit Petcurean can food. I think these are quality foods, but raw, I think it's the best option, if the raw meat does not have harmful bacteria. One last note, when I am out for a few days on short vacations or something, he free feeds on the automatic kibble dispenser.

The particular cat is a black short hair kitty. Booberry. All my cats are garden variety kitty :-)

 

[lalagimp]

Raw is necessary for me. Tommy got very sick, very fast, and we've seen many benefits of switching him from kibble to raw. There were cans opened in the interim, but they usually have some kinds of vegetables in them and costs so much more to feed him the cans I was most interested in, rather than making our food myself. The way his health has been in the last year, I want him running as efficiently as possible. He's got energy, he lost more weight, he's alert, he's gorgeous, and it's a clean and simple obligate carnivore meal. Cans were my first choice, but this way there are no peas and carrots or carbs, and it's not $70 more per month.

 

[10009891]

Why add the supplements to the raw meat? I thought the raw meat naturally in itself already had the vitamins in it.

 

[sweetblackpaws]

My cats have been on Fancy Feast for years, except for one that needs prescription food. I don't believe FF has ever had a recall. Those "fresh" cat foods in the refrigerator section have had a lot of recalls. Like you, I am also afraid to feed them raw meat. Beyond is a good quality wet food,too.

 

[10009891]

I know several cat owners feeding their cats Rachel Ray's cat food. I read somewhere that it's poor quality cat food. Celebrity endorsements or names mean a hill of beans to me.

 

[orange&white]

Why add the supplements to the raw meat? I thought the raw meat naturally in itself already had the vitamins in it.

Whole live prey is complete. The theory on supplementing is that cutting/grinding and freeze/thaw storage cycles degrade and deplete some nutrients. Look at processed foods; you'll see 2 to 4 times the number of ingredients listed which are supplements/additives over recognizable "food" ingredients. The more processing; the more supplementing.

 

[LTS3]

Why add the supplements to the raw meat? I thought the raw meat naturally in itself already had the vitamins in it.

Plain raw meat does not contain all the essential vitamins and minerals a cat needs. If you make your own raw food from scratch with a recipe, the recipe will list the supplements needed. If you do "frankenprey" you have to make sure to use 80% meat, 10% bone, 5% liver, and 5% other organs to ensure that the cat is getting the necessary vitamins and minerals. No supplemention is needed with whole prey but some people do. Commerical raw pet food is always supplemented except for those that are labeled as treats or toppers and chubs / rolls of meat which are meant to be used as part of a recipe.

 

[10009891]

Thanks for the information!