Can Kittens Eat Raw Meat

Should Cats Eat Raw Or Cooked Meat

As with most things in life, especially those where a decision has to be made, there are different points of view. Some say that cats are able to eat meat. Others will say raw meat, no matter how fresh it is, is not a good food option for your cat. But, what is the correct answer?

When deciding between raw and cooked meat, it will depend on your beliefs about the matter. This is a controversial topic on the internet, and verifying the pros and cons can help you make a decision. When in doubt, we suggest going to your veterinarian and consulting with them to know if your cat can eat raw meat.

Lightly cooked and unseasoned meat is a good idea. However, you have to consider that cooking meat transforms its nutrients and composition. That is why it is better to cook it with steam and not until the well-done point, always using a lower temperature.

Cooked meat can be beneficial for cats with very damaged or sensitive digestive tracts. Also, if your pet has diarrhea, vomiting, inflammatory bowel disease, or pancreatitis, it is better to feed them with cooked meat.

Some facts about feeding your cat cooked meat:

Companies That Sell Better Cat Food

This article encourages cat owners to feed their cats a variety of different meats. If you end up ordering ground meat for your cat, you may find it just as easy to order a variety.

I recommend Hare Today, if you need to order raw meat. This company started as a small rabbit farm but now works with a variety of small farms. Hare Today provides many kinds of ground meat, ground meat already mixed with bones and organs and many other whole meats. The price per pound may seem high, but consider that your cat may eat as little as half a cup per day. Prices vary considerably, depending on the kind of meat.

If you know youre not up for raw meat at all OR if youd like a commercial cat food to alternate or supplement the raw meat, consider freeze-dried raw meat from Hare Today.

Or, for more normal cat food, consider Open Farm Cat Food. Open Farm sources their meat better than most other cat food companies.

You still have some unnecessary fortifications in this cat food, in my opinion, but its hard to find pre-made affordable cat food without these amendments. Thats why, if your cat isnt overly picky, its helpful to consider alternating commercial products with raw beef or other meat.

Raw meat + the optional added supplements means no fruits and veggies for your cat, and thats great news.

Can Cats Eat Roast Beef

Sharing that tasty Sunday roast with your cat should be fine if you follow a few guidelines. Apart from your cat feeling far too important to be tossed table scraps, the parts of a roast you share with your cat are very important.

Any fat or gristle should not be given to your cat. Bones are not recommended. Lean cuts with no sauce or gravy seem to be the best options for cats. Remember, cats should never eat garlic or onion, so avoid gravies and sauces which may contain these.

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Whats Missing From A Straight Raw Beef Diet

In the wild, cats dont just eat the raw muscle meats of their prey. They also ingest bones, skin, hair and other parts. These parts may play a role in regularity, by providing fiber.

So, fiber, for one, might be missing from a cats diet, if all you feed them is raw ground beef. Some raw cat food recipes include a little psyllium husk powder or ground up bones for that purpose.

When feeding your cat good quality raw red meat, how else should you amend the diet to provide needed nutrients?

Most websites with raw cat food recipes have a long list of ingredients thats very intimidating for most of us! We DONT want to buy and use a big meat grinder every two weeks.

Very approximate: For every 6 pounds of raw chicken meat, its recommended to add:

• 1 pound of bones

While I greatly respect anyone who chooses to make their own cat food, I know I am not up for this especially the grinding of meat, organs and bones part.

Why Raw Meat Is The Healthiest Cat Food

Formulated cat foods add many ingredients that cats should not be eating: vegetables and fruits, vegetable oils, even vitamins that are dangerous.

These companies add taurine because its an essential nutrient for cats thats lost when meat is cooked.

Taurine is only found in raw meats or in supplement form. Cats are meant to eat raw meat. Yes, we can supplement with this nutrient, but raw meat is better.

Nutrients when theyre found in their natural setting have all their co-factors present, and no added fillers.

Studies show that carnivorous diets help cats overcome food sensitivities and inflammatory bowel conditions.

Why beef over other meats? Most of us can access great quality freshly frozen beef more easily than any other meat. And, beef is a lot more affordable than other raw meats.

If you already have it in the house to feed yourself, it takes just a minute to give your cats a healthy gentle meal!

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How Much Raw Food Should I Feed My Cat

Just like dogs, cats have their own ways of letting you know they are hungry. They may climb on you, meow in your face, paw at you, or even follow you around.

However, cats require different portions than their larger canine friends.

Cats are significantly smaller than most dogs- with some exceptions, of course. Heres what you need to consider when you are making the switch to raw food.

Should We Cook The Meat First

Yes, if you are going to feed your cat meats, you should cook them first. No matter what you feed your cats though, the most important thing is that they get a balanced diet sufficient to their lifestyle and health profile .

From When Raw Food is NOT the Right Food for Your Pet:

an unbalanced raw diet of high quality fresh meat is in my professional opinion a greater risk to your dog or cat than cheap processed pet food.

If you do want to prepare food for your cat, I strongly recommend you at the very least read Walthams pocketbook guide for Essential Nutrition For Cats And Dogs. For a comprehensive overview of the vitamin and minerals needed, see The National Research Councils Nutrient Requirements of Dogs and Cats. It is an expensive book, but an overview of the nutritional requirements is available by consulting the charts starting on page 13 of the AAFCOs article, AAFCO Dog and Cat Food Nutrient Profiles.

Regarding the dangers and inherently unsafe practice of feeding your cat raw food, it is a very good idea to know what to look out for if you decide to make a habit of this.

Cats can eat raw meat and not get sick is not the same as cats can eat raw meat and will never get sick from it.

People also can eat raw meat and not get sick, however all it takes is one contaminated piece of meat which you would not be able to tell until after youve eaten it to ruin your week, or worse.

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Is It A Good Idea To Put Your Cat On A Raw Meat Diet

Theres a lot of controversy surrounding this question. Many pet owners want to add raw foods to their cats diets because they believe its more natural for them. Other owners think there are too many risks with raw meats too many to consider it beneficial at all.

Youll also find that veterinarians are split on this matter, many of them saying they dont recommend exposing your cat to all the pathogens and toxins in raw meat. They may be against it because of the way food gets handled in the U.S. Others believe its one of the best ways to connect domesticated cats to their roots.

If you have done the research and concluded that you want to give the raw diet a try, be sure you only purchase the highest quality meats from reputable sources. There are benefits to giving your cat raw meat, but you have to do it with precision and high caution.

What Are The Benefits Of A Raw Diet For Cats

Now weve looked at the potential risks of feeding your cat raw food, its worth considering why pet parents put their felines on this controversial diet. Feeding your cat raw meats makes good sense, biologically speaking. Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they must eat meat to survive. Cutting out any unnecessary carbs, fruits, and vegetables from your cats diet will put less stress on their digestive system.

Its worth mentioning that some of the nutritional value of meat is lost when you cook it. As a result, your cat may not be getting the same vitamins, amino acids, and minerals from meals as they would in the wild. Many commercial cat foods use supplements to make up for any lost nutrition however, these additions may not meet your cats exact nutritional needs.

Many pet parents who have their cats on a raw food diet have noted health benefits. Raw foods tend to lead to a healthier coat due to an increase in unsaturated fatty acids, while you may also notice an improvement in your cats digestion due to a lack of carbs. Other potential benefits include improved dental health, weight loss, and increased energy. While there do seem to be benefits to a raw food diet, they are outweighed by the potential for cross-contamination and illness.

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Ideal Food Portions For Kittens

Anyone who has ever owned a kitten before knows how rambunctious and curious they are. They need more food than adult cats so they can fuel their thirst for adventure.

Kittens cant eat as much as adult cats at one time, so you may want to consider feeding them smaller meals more often instead of a few larger meals. They need all of the nutrients they can get to maintain their energy levels and keep up with their daily activities.

Here is a general guide for feeding raw food to your kitten:

• 2-4 months old: 10%-13% of their current body weight per day
• 4-8 months old: 6%-10% of their current body weight per day
• 8-12 months old: 3%-6% of their current body weight per day

Is Raw Cat Food Better Than Other Cat Food

Nutritionally inadequate cat foods are widely available, and this is true for both processed cat food and raw cat food diets.

Many of the benefits that are often ascribed to feeding cats a raw diet could be gained simply by switching to any higher-quality, more biologically appropriate cat food.

Here are some factors to consider and how different diets stack up.

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What Kind Of Raw Food Can I Give My Cat

There are lots of types of meat you can give to your cat I like to include cheap cuts of steak, including chuck steak and round steak. Ideally, the meat should be free-range, organic and free of chemicals. As already stated, I always recommend feeding human grade meat to cats. Avoid feeding the same type of meat all the time, as this is more likely to result in a nutritional deficiency. When feeding raw meat, you are unlikely to provide a nutritionally adequate balance with every meal. So one meal may be mostly muscle, another mostly offal or bones. Over a few days, it should all balance out.

• Raw chicken breast or thighs.
• Raw chunks of steak. The cheaper cuts are chewier, and your cat has to work harder to chew them, which is good for the teeth and gums.
• Beef or lamb heart and kidney.
• Beef or lamb liver can be fed to cats, but only in small quantities. Liver contains high levels of vitamin A and too much can lead to vitamin A toxicosis.
• Rabbit cut up into chunks.
• Turkey breast, wings and legs, cut into chunks.

It is perfectly fine to give your cat cooked meat some pet owners prefer this. Never give cooked bones, they are too brittle and can splinter. As has already been mentioned, cooking destroys taurine, which is essential for your cats health. If you decide to cook your cats meat, it will need supplementation with taurine.

Chicken necks or wings are great for your cats dental hygiene. There is more information on feeding cats boneshere.

What Should I Feed My Cat

Cats are obligate or true carnivores, meaning that they need a source of animal protein to survive. In the wild, cats eat the carcases of the prey animals they hunt, which consist of raw meat, bones and organs. They also consume a small amount of the vegetable matter contained in the gut of their prey.

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Let’s Talk About Organ Meat

The liver packs a high-iron punch for humans, but can cats eat liver? What about other organs such as kidneys, gizzards, hearts, and tripe? Are these a healthy addition to your cat’s diet?

Liver can benefit your cat in small amounts. Consider for a moment an average prey for a domesticated cat: birds, mice, etc. When your cat catches and consumes one of these animals, they will likely eat the liver and other organs too. Now imagine the size of, say, a bird’s liver or a mouse’s liver. Not very big at all for a human, but just suitable for a cat.

However, do note that including too much of liver to a feline’s diet can cause vitamin A toxicity, leading to bone problems and even death.

Similarly, kidneys are packed with nutrients that can benefit your cat in small quantities as overconsumption poses a risk of vitamin A toxicity. Still, as an occasional treat in small amounts, kidneys are perfectly fine to give to your cat.

Heart meat contains some very beneficial nutrients for your cat and can be included in your cats as an occasional treat. Don’t be too generous with the heart meat, though, since it can be very high in fat.

Tripe and gizzards are safe as an occasional treat for your cat. If cooked, these can be pretty rubbery, so it’s better to cut them into small pieces. Not all cats are fans of giblets, but it’s worth a try.

Can Cats Eat Raw Chicken

While not suitable for humans, raw chicken for cats is not entirely bad, but you must handle it with care. Raw meat has been included to the ASPCA list of toxic foods for a good reason.

So, make sure you obtain chicken from a reputable source, clean utensils, and disinfect your cat’s food bowl regularly. If you want to be extra safe, use chicken that has been frozen as this usually eliminates parasites.

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Commercial Raw Diets For Cats

If you are not able to take the time to develop recipes and prepare raw food at home, you may wish to try one of the many commercial raw diets available. Raw diet supporters often consider commercial raw diets inferior to those prepared at home. However, they are considered healthier than feeding kibble.

Commercial raw diets are usually frozen or freeze-dried to reduce pathogens. Remember that safe-handling precautions should still be taken with these diets to prevent cross-contamination. Ask your veterinarian or veterinary nutritionist for help finding the right commercial diet. Make sure it is considered complete and balanced according to AAFCO standards.

What Raw Meat Can I Feed My Cat

Since raw meat has been established to be a safe part of your cats diet, the question is, what kind of raw meat can be given? A raw food diet is also known as a BARF diet, which translates into bones and raw food or biologically appropriate raw food.

Human grade raw meat such as raw chicken and lamb is safe to be fed to your cat. Even raw meaty bones are a safe bet, although we would advise asking your vet before you give your cat bones, and theyll tell you if your cat has oddities such as dental issues, a deformed jaw, or are simply a bit too old for bones.

Raw meaty bones have quite a few health benefits attached to them, such as keeping your cats gums and teeth healthy. The bones suitable for your cats consumption include raw chickens neck, drumsticks and wings, and raw lamb shanks. Always remember to feed uncooked bones. The reason behind this is that cooked bones tend to splinter, which can end up causing internal blockage or damage that can be fatal.

It would be best if you always made sure the raw meat that you include in your cats diet is fresh.

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What Type Of Raw Meat Is Good For Cats

For cats, the meat must be fresh. According to the pro-raw-food diet community, it could be chicken, beef, or even some fresh, never cured bacon. Some experts say that when it comes to raw food, meat can be good and highly beneficial for your cat, as long as you follow some instructions and tips mentioned below:

• Meat should be as fresh as it could be.
• Buy high-quality raw food.
• Buy the meat from a reliable source.
• Follow food safety processes.
• Wash your hands before and after handling raw meat. You could also use single-use gloves and, after using them, dispose of them safely.
• Disinfect bowls and surfaces before and after getting in contact with the raw meat.
• Grind the raw meat yourself to reduce the risk of bacteria.
• Do not use plastic bowls as they can harbor bacteria.
• Keep the raw meat sealed and in the freezer, avoiding cross-contamination.
• Wait until your cat is at least 20 weeks old before starting to feed them with raw meat. Kittens immune system is not well-built and will not be able to fight some potential pathogens.