Caring for cats: a Holistic approach

OK, my family has been searching the 'net lately for Tonkinese breeders in our State (California) in order to purchase a kitten for my sister. A few websites I've come across require in thier purchase contacts that, among other things, the kitten/cat you aqcuire will be fed a diet of fresh raw foods and also that you will not vaccinate the kitten or cat as vaccinations can cause allergic reactions. The health guarantee is void if you have your cat vaccinated. Instead they give their kittens a 3-way modified live vaccine at 9-12 weeks. The cats are then said not to need further vaccinations, for the rest of their lives, but ahould be tested every 3 years.

I want to know if anyone agrees with this approach or knows more about it (more website links with more info would be appreciated). I also want to know your opinions if you disagree.

I am not sure if this approach can be inforced all over the states. Where I live I have to register my cat and prove a rabise vaccination was done otherwise I am fined. No, I do not agree (Yes, I understand that with every vaccination there is a risk a very minor risk) - I want my littles one protected as much as possible. Regarding the food, that is a personal choice - I would not mind if I had a proper mix of ingredience.

No, I do not agree. I know a Tonk breeder. They vaccinate their cats. They have to. They feed people as well as cat food to their babies.

I also think that the risk of vaccinations is outweighed by the benefits. I wonder if these breeders have seen problems of allergies to particular vaccinations in their lines of breeding...

As for feeding raw meat - I know some people do support that. You may want to check this thread that had quite a lot of info about this:
http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...p3?threadid=95

I, too, recently read the article "What's Really in your Pet's Food?" that zuzu cited in that thread (it can be found at this URL if anyone wants to read it: http://www.api4animals.org/doc.asp?ID=79 )

There are recipes out there for homemade cat and dog food in which COOKED meats are used, but I think I'd be a bit wary of feeding my cat RAW meat. Wouldn't you think this would increase the risk of parasites? Are cats affected by e-coli, salmonella and botulinum (botulism) bacteria like humans? One web site was Celesticats cattery which is run by a woman with a PhD. and she writes books on holistic care for dogs and cats. She stated that in a study done in the 30's or 40's one group of cats were fed packaged pet food and one group was fed a raw meat and vegetable diet. Well the meat industry has chaged drastically since then. I mean now they have all these machines that gut the cows or chickens and most of the time organs and intestines get ruptured and contaminate meat with bacteria that reside inside (this is why we cook it!) She also advises feeding a cat pastuerized milk and I am sure we all know what cow's milk does to cats!

As far as vaccinations go - my cat has never had a problem with them. Most Tonk breeders whose websites I visited do vaccinate their cats and kittens so I am not sure that it's a breed-sensitive issue. Satey does not go outside, but what if he got out? I want him to be protected as best as he can be! The Celesticats site mentioned something about a shot or series of shots called NASIDS (I don't know if I got that one correctly) are given as a kitten and no other shots are needed for the rest of the cat's life, but you should have the cat tested every 3 years for FeLV. Do any of you know any more about this?

I have not read that one yet. It sounds like a new vaccine to protect against FELV. Of course as with the vaccine for FIV it could acually cause the virus. I will not vaccinate for FELV because the chances of anyone getting out for more than seconds is slim to none. I will only vaccinate for rabies and RCCP.

Originally posted by Sandie
I have not read that one yet. It sounds like a new vaccine to protect against FELV. Of course as with the vaccine for FIV it could acually cause the virus. I will not vaccinate for FELV because the chances of anyone getting out for more than seconds is slim to none. I will only vaccinate for rabies and RCCP.

Click to expand...

I was told there was no vaccine for FIV.
And I'm not sure if this NASID (NOSAID, NOSAD...I don't remember the darn abbreviation ) deal is a new vaccine, but a sort of immunity booster.

No they came out with a vaccine for FIV and some vets still use it. There is no vaccine for FIP at the moment.

I began feeding an all raw meat diet 2-1/2 mos. ago and have already noticed a vast difference in my two cats; one a 7 mos. Maine Coon and the other a 4 yr. Ragdoll (Harry) who suffered several UTIs and then a serious bout with pancreatitis. The web site I found most informative was Feline Future.com - This company manufactures a powdered formulation that needs only raw meat and water to make it PERFECT. It's sold thru Feline Instincts. Not cheap, but after dropping $1200+ in vet bills?