RAW Feeding

I am thinking of feeding my 8 month old kitty some raw food. I feel that kibble is simply not enough for optimal health, and should eat what nature has intended them to eat...at least in addition to kibble.
I did some research, such as feeding chicken and beef organs, chicken game hens, chicken parts, ect...
Now my 1st question is: given that cats cant fight bacteria, and states giving them "fresh" meat, what clearly defines "fresh"? Is it packaged from store before exp. date?
Thanx for any feedback regarding raw feeding...

A word of caution: make sure your dry meal is as far apart timewise from the raw meal as possible. Kibble digests many times slower than raw food, and if both are in your kitten's stomach at the same time, the kibble will prevent the raw from digesting quick enough and bad bacteria can form in his system.

Thank you for your response!
About how long, in hrs, is a digestive cycle for kibble?
I am thinking take away food at bedtime, about 10-11pm, then feed raw in the morning hours..about 8 or 9.
Does this sound about right? At the same time I dont want to be cruel and starve the kitten...

Welcome to TCS, Usaalways!

I'm curious where you found the information that cats can't handle bacteria; in truth, they can manage bacterial loads far in excess of anything they'd typically find in their natural diet (and keep in mind, feral and wild cats bury breakfast left-overs and then dig them up and eat them for dinner).

Store bought meats and organs are perfectly fine to feed. I buy everything except my hearts and rabbit meats from local grocery stores.

Best regards!

AC

Hello AC! Thanx for your reply.
Well, for one the 1st response to this thread stated bacteria build-up, and have seen numerous articles online about obtaining the "freshest" meat for raw feeding regarding the risk of bacteria.
Im thinking about buying chicken hearts, gizzards, wings, thighs, ect...from a typical grocer's store...and your saying that wouldnt be a problem to make a meal from?
Thank you!

Cats do have higher tolerances for bacteria than humans for the reasons stated (they frequently eat food that is soaked in bacteria like day old mice), but that has been calibrated for their quicker digestive system through eons of evolution. Raw food passes through the system extraordinarily fast, which is not enough time for a majority of the bacteria to build up. However, if the raw is sitting in your cat's stomach for hours waiting for kibble to digest, the meat rots (it is 102 degrees inside your cat) and harmful bacteria is released.

Originally Posted by usaalways

Hello AC! Thanx for your reply.
Well, for one the 1st response to this thread stated bacteria build-up, and have seen numerous articles online about obtaining the "freshest" meat for raw feeding regarding the risk of bacteria.
Im thinking about buying chicken hearts, gizzards, wings, thighs, ect...from a typical grocer's store...and your saying that wouldnt be a problem to make a meal from?
Thank you!

Click to expand...

You want to purchase the freshest meats you can for your cats meals for pretty much the same reason you buy it for yourself - it's fresher - meaning less degraded. For us, that means better taste and fewer tummy upsets; for cats, that simply means better nutrition.

AC