I've seen a few of you mention raw food. What on earth is that? In terms of cats, I mean.
-
Too many ads? Join our community of cat lovers now to reduce ads by 90%! Click here to join for free!
Raw food
- Thread starter Primula
- Start Date
I think this site does a really good job of explaining what exactly raw feeding is: http://rawfedcats.org/feedingraw.htm
Simply put, it is IMO the best thing you can feed your cat (or dog, or ferret, or any other carnivore). I have 25 raw fed cats myself
I feed "frankenprey" raw which is balanced chunks of raw meat, bones, and organs. You can also feed ground or whole prey. I am horrible at explaining things, so just check out that site
Simply put, it is IMO the best thing you can feed your cat (or dog, or ferret, or any other carnivore). I have 25 raw fed cats myself
I feed "frankenprey" raw which is balanced chunks of raw meat, bones, and organs. You can also feed ground or whole prey. I am horrible at explaining things, so just check out that site
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #3
Thank you for the link.
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2005
- Messages
- 27,231
- Purraise
- 38
It is mostly a meat diet that "mimics" a natural diet.... It is the closest that the ave person can get but it is far from the natural diet...If you are interested: read and print then ; Please Get offline and talk with a Vet or someone with a /Certificate/Degree from a legit place( ie not a online site)in animal nutrition....
I feed whole prey animals including hair/feathers and everything, eg whole mice and small poultry like quail and pigeon, so I am a bit surprised about your blanket statement that a raw diet is far from the natural diet.
You can not get more natural than this!!
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2005
- Messages
- 27,231
- Purraise
- 38
You definitely have the most natural version of a raw diet ... this is not what most raw feeders feed
I can't feed whole prey, it costs way to much with 25 raw fed cats to feed. Instead I feed frankenprey style raw and try provide as much variety of meat/bone/organ sources as I can. Twice a year they get whole quail (on Christmas Day and then whenever I can get it in the summer). They do get whole smelt once a week if that counts as whole preyOriginally Posted by AmberThe Bobcat
You can not get more natural than this!!Whole prey is THE best thing you can feed your cat. My wild cats don't always get whole prey, when they do not, the meat is supplemented with vitamins designed for raw feeding of wild cats.
- Joined
- Feb 4, 2006
- Messages
- 2,435
- Purraise
- 61
Another raw-feeder here!
I totally agree with Mimosa and AmberTheBobcat - the differences between a cat's natural diet and a raw feeding one are nearly negligible and completely negligible if whole prey feeding; which is exactly why raw-feeding is so healthy.
The Feline Nutrition Education Society has tons of info you might find interesting, as does http://www.catinfo.org/ and http://www.catnutrition.org/index.php.
Happy researching!
AC
Just an FYI - Raw feeding using the frankenprey and ground methods are often considerably less expensive than purchasing a comparable amount of canned food. I cut my food bill almost in half when I transitioned my six cats to raw.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #10
Am I the only person here who is freaked out by this? I could not handle dead animals like that.
Obviously that's not the first time I've heard that
Most of the animals I feed to the cats are by products of the food industry for humans, pigeons come from people who breed them for "sport" and cull the ones not good enough for competition.
This may sound like an odd question, but what about salmonella and other pathogens in a raw diet?
read this:
http://rawfed.com/myths/bacteria.html
and this:
http://feline-nutrition.org/nutritio...nella-raw-food
for info about bacteria and why you don't need to worry about it
http://rawfed.com/myths/bacteria.html
and this:
http://feline-nutrition.org/nutritio...nella-raw-food
for info about bacteria and why you don't need to worry about it
They're a legitimate risk.
So are pathogens in commercial foods.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1...?dopt=Abstract
Others will probably contribute more references for you.
Not an odd question at all. Everyone has always learned that raw meat is dangerous and should be cooked thorouhly. But that's as it is for humans.
Cats have evolved to eat prey = raw meat so their fysiology is adapted to dealing with possible pathogens.
They have short digestive tracts which means their food does not sit in the body for long giving bacteria less time to multiply and infect them. Raw fed cats have very acidic stomach acid which helps protect against bacteria, as does their immune system.
When a cat is sick/immunocompromised it might get sick from pathogens in its surroundings, including in their food, so as with all food (there have been some salmonella scares with dry food recently too) proper hygiene should be observed.
Thanks all, that's all good information. I saw the photos of someone's kitty begging for some raw chicken and she looked so happy to get it, I thought that maybe my cats might like it for a treat, or is raw food an all or nothing proposition?
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2005
- Messages
- 27,231
- Purraise
- 38
Raw is NOT a all or nothing issue.. but if you feed like MANY experienced kitty owners a variety of foods : raw, canned and dry some precautions should be taken to ensure a bacterial bloom does not occur
Raw has risks just like any other food...
Please consult a Vet or other person trained by a Legit source ( ie not a website) for help with raw feeding.
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #18
I don't eat meat. It doesn't repulse me that you feed dead animals (they're dead, after all), but what I meant was I couldn't personally handle feeding dead animals. I'm squeamish!Originally Posted by Mimosa
Obviously that's not the first time I've heard that.
While I understand why you make this statement, sometimes its not feasible. Most vets don't recommend a raw diet because they don't know anything about it and won't admit it. The chances of having a holistic vet in ones area are slim. You can find good information online from reputable sites and forums and someone wanting to feed a raw diet SHOULD research thoroughly before they begin.
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2005
- Messages
- 27,231
- Purraise
- 38
I say you are not looking if you cant find.. now no not all recommend it nor understand but a good vet will learn so they can guide.. I live in a small area( five county area with under 150, 000 and have access to no less than 5 vets either trained via Advanced degree or by their own research on nutrition within 10 miles ....
