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Is raw meal good or not?

post #1 of 15
6/27/06 at 2:59am
Thread Starter 
some people say it is good because cat are carnivore by nature and some said it is not good because can introduce toxoplasma and other parasite such as worm and stuff.. some also said raw food is not a balance food.... I'm confused now. ....help

p/s: currently I'm on the commercial dry and wet cat food
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post #2 of 15
6/27/06 at 8:35am
I feed raw as supplement to thier normal dry cat food-not at same time. to make it a complete meal other thigns would need to be added to the meat(try searching google and you'll get so many different recipes for raw cat food) I have had no issue with them eating raw. At one time I did have 2 cats on raw only diet and they looked so good RJ
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post #3 of 15
6/27/06 at 8:51am
I feed the dog about 95% raw ( she gets kibble and some cooked treat s)

One cat eats raw and wet since she is a fish addict

the other kitty eats dry kibble and what she catches since she doesnt like pre done raw
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post #4 of 15
6/27/06 at 9:01am
Before deciding to even try switching over to a raw diet for your cats, you need to become an expert at it. Going to the grocery and buying some raw meat and throwing it in their food bowls isn't going to cut it. You can successfully feed a raw diet if you know what you're doing, but if you don't it can be more unhealthy than a commercial one. There are many people here who are experts at it and can give you advice, and I've seen that Sharky and Ryanjay have.

There are pros and cons to both types of diet. If you're cats are having dietary problems, allergies, or chronic health issues it is certainly something to look into, and of course it can have benefits even if they're perfectly healthy. Cats are not as susceptible to food-borne illnesses simply because they are carnivores so their bodies are very well designed to handle meat (also, their intestines are much shorter, leaving less risk of infection). That does not mean there is no risk.

How about looking at a 100% meat cat food, already prepared and cooked? There are several on the market, and that could be a good bridge as you are researching more about a raw diet.
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post #5 of 15
6/27/06 at 9:04am
Raw feeding is excellent, as long as you're prepared to do it properly. Either by feeding a pre-made frozen raw product (many pet shops are beginning to sell these) or by doing your research and knowing how to do it properly yourself.

Feeding a raw diet is a lot more than just giving your cat a steak and calling it a day. That kind of raw feeding IS unbalanced and would not be beneficial to your cat. They need an equal balance of meat, organ and bone (and there's debate about veggies as to how much/if any). I myself feed a pre-made raw product (100% of their diet) because I do not feel comfortable making it myself.

Feeding raw does increase possible exposure to toxoplasmosis, but that is not anything most people need be concerned about. Pregnant women and immune compromised people should not be cleaning the litter of a raw fed cat

As for worms and other bacteria, that is not a concern. Cats are meant to digest raw meat. Their systems are designed to process these things without the bacteria making them ill. Their systems are dramatically different than ours, which is why this is possible in them and not us!

If you need any more info, feel free to ask, there are lots of us "raw feeders" here on the forum with experience to share.
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post #6 of 15
6/28/06 at 5:45am
Like everyone said, RAW is good if you know what you're doing. You can't feed strictly organ meat and expect your cat to be healthy. You have to feed various different tissues/organs, raw eggs, all kinds of stuff. What really detourred me to doing it afte I tried a basic diet to try on my allergic cat I realized I just don't have time to make something like that. If you have the time it's a great way to go.
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post #7 of 15
6/28/06 at 7:07am
This web site was reccomended to me not too long ago when I had questions about raw food and I have found it to be very helpful.

http://www.catinfo.org/

I am currently feeding Nature's Variety frozen rabbit patties and we're doing well. Someday I may start making their food myself based on the information on this site and others, but for now, I find it very convenient to take one patty out of the freezer, stick it in the fridge to thaw a day ahead of time and then serve just like any other food.

It probably is cheaper to make your own raw food, but there is a significant up front investment because you need to buy a really good meat grinder and some supplements, plus you may have difficulty finding everything you need locally and having frozen products shipped isn't cheap. But its certainly worth looking into if you think you're ready for it.
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post #8 of 15
6/28/06 at 8:22am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Etain
This web site was reccomended to me not too long ago when I had questions about raw food and I have found it to be very helpful.

http://www.catinfo.org/
Aha..good thing I read the whole thread, I was just about to post this link. Thank you (and I'm glad it has been so helpful )
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post #9 of 15
6/28/06 at 8:27am
I supplement my kitties with raw meat. They love it, of course!

I give them about a golf ball size ball of raw hamburger twice a week. It's supposed to be really good for them since the vitamins and amino acids in raw meat (and blood in the raw meat) are more bioavailable to them than they are in a pelletized formulated food.
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post #10 of 15
6/28/06 at 10:24am
Like, just ground meat from the supermarket? I would think that would be the worst choice since ground meat is the most likely to be contaminated... Perhaps I'm wrong?
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post #11 of 15
6/28/06 at 10:42am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zissou'sMom
Like, just ground meat from the supermarket? I would think that would be the worst choice since ground meat is the most likely to be contaminated... Perhaps I'm wrong?
Most pre made raws are ground... i would make sure of the source and when the grinding was done ( my local market grinds 4 time s a day )
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post #12 of 15
6/28/06 at 10:33pm
Quote:
Like, just ground meat from the supermarket? I would think that would be the worst choice since ground meat is the most likely to be contaminated... Perhaps I'm wrong?
That's what my vet said, however I fed my cat ground Turkey in the patties I made him and he was fine. I think you have to worry about Ecoli and Salmonella or something, but I think it's more worrysome for a person than a cat.
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post #13 of 15
6/28/06 at 10:42pm
Ask Hissy about salmonella and cats...it truly is a concern.
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post #14 of 15
6/28/06 at 11:27pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pat & Alix
Ask Hissy about salmonella and cats...it truly is a concern.
Very true ... I discussed that with my vet and got tips on taking precautions
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post #15 of 15
6/29/06 at 10:15am
When I adopt Nana, I switch her from the cheap dry food she eats at the shelter to Wellness. After 1 week, I see significant results, her feces is less smelly, her coat is more shinny. Approximately a month later, I read about raw diet on this forum and switch her to a commercially made raw diet (Healthy Paws and HomeMade4Life from Ontario), yet i found even better result than the wellness. Nana's energy level is a lot better, her coat is shinnier and she produce less feces. Her digestive system seems to be a lot stronger too, when we first adopt her, she has hairball problem, now not only she doens't have hairball problem, but pretty much all the inproper things she happened to ingest, (elastic, strings, stuffing of her toy mouse ..), she could pass through. so i found that raw diet is really good for her

I am thinking about doing homemade raw diet, for those of you who make your own, do you mind sharing ur recipe?
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