Going RAW (with your cats diet).

Raw diets  are quite popular with some  people, and with many cats.  There are those who believe that a raw diet is the best thing since sliced bread.  Many veterinarians however extol the dangers of raw diets with words of Salmonella poisoning and zoonotic disease potential.

My opinion has changed with my recent study of Traditional Chinese Medicine.  You see, the Chinese have believed for 1000's of years that "you are what you eat".  In  Chinese Medicine, it is believed that different foods and herbs have varying potentials to help keep the body balanced.  Some foods support a deficient condition (like chronic renal failure in an old cat) and some foods are more appropriate for an excess conditions (like some types of cancers).   Balance is an essential key to good health, and our diet is a large part of what keeps us healthy. 

The face is that raw diets are a feline's natural diet.  The healthy gastrointestinal tract of the cat is specifically designed for this diet, with a very acidic stomach and relatively short intestine, allowing a shortened transit time.  This decreases a cats risk of infection from eating a raw diet.  However, a raw diet, being unprocessed, requires a very healthy GI tract to breakdown, and also requires more energy to metabolize.  Therefore, while being a VERY APPROPRIATE diet for the young healthy cat, it is not an appropriate diet for EVERY cat.   For example, cats that have gastrointestinal disease  may not tolerate a raw diet, until the imbalance in the GI tract is addressed.   Cats that have a weakened GI tract due to old age or chronic disease may not have the extra metabolic energy required to break down and utilize an  unprocessed and "cold" raw diet. 

Raw diets, if fed as a sole source of nutrition for your cat, need to be well balanced with essential vitamins, minerals and essential amino acids for health.  Some premade raw diets ARE balanced and some ARE NOT.  Be sure to label read. If its nutritionally balanced, it will say so.  If your inspired to make your own raw diets, do your research thoroughly first, including consultation with a veterinary nutritionist.  How to contact a Veterinary Nutritionist.

When chosing a raw diet, it is best to stick to the motto "feathers and hooves".  This means chicken, turkey, duck, beef, venison, lamb.  No raw fish -there are a variety of reasons for this: about feeding your cat fish.

Transitioning to a raw diet, as with any new diet, should be done slowly, over a period of 2-4 weeks.  This allows the gut's flora to accomodate to the food change.

At my house, my 2 young healthy cats, Posie and Peabody, enjoy a meal of Nature's Variety raw medallions as part of their diet 3 times a week.  My dog Franklin, who I am managing for a cancer condition, has been on an  exclusively raw diet for over 1+ years, and doing very well!  Consider adding a raw meal into your weekly rotation of food for your pet.
Dr. Maureen Flatley
Fox Valley Cat Clinic