Stew Meat Ugh

[MoonstoneWolf]

Is Stew Meat terrible to give a cat? Raw? I gave like 2 little pieces to Sopdet. Now someone from the feral society here is telling me she's going to turn me in for animal abuse, and so on as she lives next door to me. She said the cat is going to get food poisoning. Is Sopdet going to be ok? I thought raw feeding was ok if supplemented properly or just as an occassional treat. Please I'm in tears over this latest tragedy.

 

[EmersonandEvie]

Sopdet will more than likely be fine. Raw feeders have to acknowledge the risk of foodborne pathogens. If you want to give it to Sopdet as a treat, just be aware that they could get sick. You can always cook the meat before you feed it to put your mind at ease.

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

Sopdet will more than likely be fine. Raw feeders have to acknowledge the risk of foodborne pathogens. If you want to give it to Sopdet as a treat, just be aware that they could get sick. You can always cook the meat before you feed it to put your mind at ease.

Oh ok. That neighbor had me scared. I read all of these threads in here and thought I saw that beef stew meat (like the little cubes) can be fed as a treat or mixed with EZ Complete as a raw treat. Wasn't sure. I get nervous when people start in on all the bad things that could happen. This is my first time with something raw for the cats.

 

[Tobermory]

I’ve fed my cats raw with appropriate supplements for almost four years. They’re very healthy. One of the ways people who are thinking about switching their cats to homemade food test the idea is to give their cats a small piece of raw meat. If the piece of meat was small and fresh, and Sopdet doesn’t have any health issues, there shouldn’t be a problem.

You shouldn’t give your cats ground meat because there are more surfaces for pathogens to grow, and you also don’t know how long it’s been ground and how clean the grinder was. But a small piece the size of your thumbnail as an occasional treat should be okay.

I should add that my vet knows I feed homemade cat food, and he’s seen my recipe and is okay with it.

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

Thank you. I just gave her like 2 bites (well you know the size of the stew meat as they're cubed). She was back this morning running with energy like I've never seen before. I did want to test it though so I gave her a bite. She sniffed and ate one bite and left the rest. So obviously the meat is ok, just not all the time. The reason I wanted to test again is that I know that if cats have a bad reaction to something they remember I doubt she would have had the one bite if she had a bad reaction. BTW: this is in no way at the moment replacing the Purina One I give them. Treasure needs to be on Purina One. All types so I switch around for the two. I just thought the raw meat to supplement or as a treat. Do you use EZ Complete with the raw? And what type of meat grinder? Maybe if I ground it up and mixed it I could serve it in place of buying can food.

 

[Tobermory]

I just gave her like 2 bites (well you know the size of the stew meat as they're cubed).

Any unsupplemented treat, whether raw meat or a commercial treat, should be less than 10% of their overall daily meals. Based on the size of stew meat I’ve seen, I’d be a little cautious about giving two whole pieces.

She sniffed and ate one bite and left the rest. So obviously the meat is ok, just not all the time. The reason I wanted to test again is that I know that if cats have a bad reaction to something they remember I doubt she would have had the one bite if she had a bad reaction.

Hmm. I’m not sure cats can necessarily make that connection. Humans can eat food that has pathogens without knowing it (thus, food poisoning), and I don’t think cats are any different.

Do you use EZ Complete with the raw?

I have used it although I’m not currently. Mine liked it for awhile but got tired of it. I’m using the individual supplements you need to have for a balanced batch.

And what type of meat grinder?

Mine has been discontinued. It’s a Tasin. I’m just hoping it keeps going! It was about $150.

Just FYI, there’s a fairly significant financial investment up front to feed homemade by the time you buy the grinder, supplements, and whatever containers you’re going to use to freeze the batches!

 

[Cat McCannon]

Is Stew Meat terrible to give a cat? Raw? I gave like 2 little pieces to Sopdet. Now someone from the feral society here is telling me she's going to turn me in for animal abuse, and so on as she lives next door to me. She said the cat is going to get food poisoning. Is Sopdet going to be ok? I thought raw feeding was ok if supplemented properly or just as an occassional treat. Please I'm in tears over this latest tragedy.

You’ve done nothing wrong and your neighbor is overreacting and creating unnecessary drama. I wouldn’t share any more information with her about your cat or its diet.