Cat fancy magazine article

For anyone interested just to let you know there is an article about the dangers of feeding your cat a raw diet in this months Cat Fancy

Proponents of raw feeding will disregard it, those who believe salmonella is going to kill all the pets will quote it, and people on the fence will be even further confused.

Some magazines (not Cat Fancy specifically, Mods) are becoming less and less reliable as to where they get their information. I've been published in a mag- I know how easy it is to get misinformation spread around. I remember when a certain dog magazine was the best source of information going- now they are just a collection of puppy mill ads.

Raw feeding is just like any other topic- read everything you can get your hands on and make your own well informed decisions. Do not rely on anyone elses research- do your own.

Having lost a cat to salmonella (not a pleasant thing) I am very careful what my cats are exposed to. Kahuna was getting into a neighbor's compost pile.

They can catch salmonella by eating birds, chewing on dog toys (smoked pig ears) and by raw meat. But BARF enthusiasts will discount as Toni said any warnings about raw diet. Sadly, there are more cats that die from raw diets than recorded. When I did an article, I found that a lot of deaths were chalked up to "other reasons."

hissy- I just KNEW that this post of mine would be the first you'd see after writing me that lovely note, and that you would be anti BARF !

It's kind of ironically funny, actually.
There is plenty enough room for both viewpoints, though, and open discussion is always good.

I really, really just knew it...

I haven't received the latest issue of Cat Fancy yet (they send it by surface to Europe), but I wonder if they said anything about avian flu in the article. Germany has had not only a fair number of dead birds, but also at least one dead cat (Austria has had several infections in felines), so even a lot of BARFers are warning against raw poultry.

Yes, they did talk about the bird flu virus. I have a subscription to Cat Fancy magazine and I too received that issue and read the article. I don't know what to think about it. It seems evident there are risks to feeding cats raw meat and then I think about all the wild cats at the San Diego Zoo who are probably fed raw meat. I know the tigers and lions are and I'm guessing the smaller wild cats at the zoo, the caracals, the ones with the long pointy ears and the ones that are more closely related to our domestic cats probably are not fed dry kibble or the canned cat food we feed our cats. I never asked the people at the zoo what they are fed but I should ask them one day and they probably do feed them raw meat. If they can safely be fed a homemade raw meat diet why would it be any less safe to feed our domestic cats? At the same time I have many reasons why I won't try it. Fear of salmonella and bacteria infection, fear of not being able to trust the raw meat at my local grocery store, fear that I may not provide the proper balance of nutrition and also because the transition would be very difficult for me to do. My cats may not eat it, I'd be wasting food. I would definitely have to change vets as my vet would be against it. It's just easier for me to buy premium commercial quality cat food. But I do question that article in Cat Fancy and at the same time I don't completely doubt it either. But based on what the wild cats in zoos are most likely fed and the lions and tigers at the San Diego Wild Animal Park, I'm willing to bet that it's not impossible to safely feed a homemade raw diet. But it should never be done without consulting a certified veterinarian.

Also consider the shows on the animal planet with baby cheetahs and baby tigers. What did their caretakers feed them? Raw meat.

Eh this argument has been done a million times.

Feeding a balanced raw diet is fine for some animals, others not so much. There's always a risk in feeding your pet, they could have a food allergy etc. I don't feel feeding raw food is bad but I do feel it's best to feed homemade if you're a person with a lot of time on your hands. I don't have time to calculate what ingredients my pets need to keep their diets balanced.

My dogs get a premade raw in the evenings and kibble in the mornings. My dogs do fine, again, some dogs don't, it's okay if you can accept the fact your dog isn't a wild animal.

It's just like I know several people who feed their dogs whole chicken and animal carcasses, yet I work in a vet clinic and have seen the results of feeding dogs bones, pieces and fragments get lodged in places they shouldn't be, dogs end up with mega esophogus from getting pieces stuck. However, there are many dogs who eat raw bones all the time with no problems.

I feel to each his own, but when feeding raw you really need to do your research.

I think what's most important is feeding your pets a food they like that you feel comfortable feeding.

Originally Posted by Cearbhaill

hissy- I just KNEW that this post of mine would be the first you'd see after writing me that lovely note, and that you would be anti BARF !

It's kind of ironically funny, actually.
There is plenty enough room for both viewpoints, though, and open discussion is always good.

I really, really just knew it...

Click to expand...

When Hissy lost her beloved Kahuna to Salmonella...
it was not a laughing matter, her heart was broken.

The danger of Salmonella to our kitties is real.
Stay informed.

I personally do not feed a raw diet, it's just not me everyone has to do what's right for them...I just mentioned the article because it's always a controversy on here and thought maybe people would want to read it..didn't want to start any problems with anyone!

I find the concept of a raw diet very interesting.
If my kitties were younger, they are 6 yrs old, I might even attempt it....
if I was positive that I had the knowledge to do it safely and a lot of time to get it right.
There certainly is not a lot of room for error with a raw diet.

I find the discussions about feeing raw or any other diet that might optimize out kitties long term heath, fascinating.

PS...Bella is beautiful.

It's just like I know several people who feed their dogs whole chicken and animal carcasses, yet I work in a vet clinic and have seen the results of feeding dogs bones, pieces and fragments get lodged in places they shouldn't be, dogs end up with mega esophogus from getting pieces stuck. However, there are many dogs who eat raw bones all the time with no problems.

Click to expand...

That's why I don't believe a raw diet should include bones. There are other sources of calcium that can be included so it's not necessary to include bones. What about eggshells and other calcium supplements? Also I wonder why we don't find much information about how to prepare a homemade cooked diet for our pets?

Hissy, I'm so sorry to hear that you lost your cat to salmonella. I'm not going to attempt a raw meat diet for my cats. Especially knowing that the meat at my local Vons grocery store is probably pumped up with hormones, ok we eat it but the difference is human beings are not carnivores so we eat a lot of other stuff besides meat but to feed a primarily grocery store meat based diet that is pumped with hormones and antibiotics and besides that I don't know if I can trust the meat at my grocery store not to infect my cats with salmonella and bacteria, I might as well just buy Innova or California Natural that is actually tested to be free of hormones and added pesticides. I don't have easy access to stores like Trader Joe's and Henry's anyway, not without spending a lot of time on the bus. By then the meat is spoiled by the time I get home.

Now the carnivores at the zoo, I've heard Natural Balance prepares some of that food. I'm real curious to know how zoos prepare safe natural diets for their animals because I've never heard of a tiger or small wild cat at the zoo getting salmonella or bacteria infections. Is there perhaps a certain correct procedure that many pet owners don't know about?

Zoos prepare the food about 10 minutes prior to it being comsumed...

I feed two of three animals a raw or 50/50 raw cooked diet... Personally I work with my vet and raw feeding is much easier ... As the vet know what I am feeding and when ( I buy predone from her) ... I also found it easy since I had to find a calcuim source as my two arent found of the pre done with bone mixes.. Vet had the answer ...

Originally Posted by xocats

When Hissy lost her beloved Kahuna to Salmonella...
it was not a laughing matter, her heart was broken.

The danger of Salmonella to our kitties is real.
Stay informed.

Click to expand...

You've misunderstood my post entirely- it was in regard to a PM from Hissy to me, and I guess I should have replied to her that way as well.

I know full well the devastation that can engulf a family over the loss of a pet- believe me.
I make light of no one's loss.

Originally Posted by Cearbhaill

You've misunderstood my post entirely- it was in regard to a PM from Hissy to me, and I guess I should have replied to her that way as well.

I know full well the devastation that can engulf a family over the loss of a pet- believe me.
I make light of no one's loss.

Click to expand...

Woops....sorry.

I don't get the magazine; can someone summarize what the article said about raw diets? Is it strictly the salmonella issue that's been discussed in this thread? Or is there more to it? Thanks....

The article was in answer to a question about the safety of a raw food diet for domestic cats.
The authors say that...
Raw meat can contain E coli or Salmonella.
People preparing the raw food are also at risk.
Freezing does not kill serious pathogens nor does grapefruit seed extract.
It goes into more detail but the bottom line is that the authors of the article do not recommend a raw diet for many reasons.

Tim, it might be worthwhile for you to buy the magazine or see if you can find it on the web.
Are you still grinding your kitties meat?

I only do it very occasionally. The last time was sometime last winter. And that was the time that Rocket vomitted after eating. Now, he is one of those "sensitive stomach" cats, and he might have just eaten it too fast, and it was fresh meat properly stored and prepared. But I've been a bit leery since. However, this thread is the first I've heard of a cat actually dying from salmonella.

I thought of attempting a raw diet for my kitties and a local holistic pet store recently gave me a 2 lb. sample of raw to try but...
in light of the problems, I decided against raw for Dexter & Sadie.

Thanks for your feedback about your kitties and raw Tim.
I wonder what it was in the raw meat that caused a prolonged sensitive tummy issue.
I guess we will never know.
I hope that your kitty fully recovers.

Ummm...I think there was a misunderstanding, Lei. Rocket was just fine about 60 seconds after he tossed his "cookies" He's always had a sensitive tummy as long as I've had him. His main problem is that he eats too fast. But cheap food with high proportions of grains also gives him "pudding poop." Nothing we can't handle with just a little bit of caution.

I read your post incorrectly Tim ....
I thought that Rocket had some residual digestive sensitivity from his raw food upset.
I am glad that Rocket is his usual handsome self.
Sadie has a sensitive tummy too.
We move slowly with any change in her diet...
but she is fine too.