Feeding doubts

[Genchy]

I‘m starting the BARF diet with my kitten, he is a Bengal 4 months old.
He‘s already used to raw meats.
As it is my first time with this type of diet I have some doubts

1: Can I give my cat raw egg or is it better cooked?
2: Can I give him raw fish? (sardines, tuna)
3: I have bought him chicken feet, do I give them to him completely raw and the whole thing?

He is a 4 month old Bengal kitten.

Thank you very much for your help

 

[LTS3]

Raw egg yolk is fine. Raw egg white is not because it contains a protein that affects the cat's body to absorb vitamin B7. A entire cooked egg (yolk and white) is fine to feed.

See this recent thread about feeding raw fish: Can I feed my cats whole fish?

In general, fish / seafood should only be given as occasional meals or treats. Fish / seafood can be too addicting to cats and such cats will refuse to eat anything else.

Why Fish is Dangerous for Cats | Little Big Cat - Dr. Jean Hofve

The fish used in pet food may contain all kinds of toxins and drug residues, including persistent organic pollutants that actually stop the body from eliminating it and other toxins. Another common toxin, domoic acid, may be an unrecognized factor in chronic kidney disease.

littlebigcat.com

Can I Feed My Cat A Fish-based Or Fish-flavored Diet? [Answered] - TheCatSite

It’s a question that often comes up in our cat nutrition forums. Many cats adore the flavor of tuna, sardines, or just plain old “fish” and will happily eat nothing but fish flavored meals. But is it good for them? What’s the Harm in Fish? Fish may contain an enzyme called thiaminase. As its...

thecatsite.com

Chicken feet is good for dental health purposes and to exercise the jaw. It's mostly cartilage and ligaments and very little meat so it's not good as the meat part of the diet. With any type of bone, you always want to feed it raw. Cooked bones splinter into sharp fragments that may cause internal injury if swallowed. You can offer the entire foot to your cat and see what he does with it. Chicken wing tips and the flat part next to it are also good choices for cats. I'd throw out raw bones after an hour or so even if untouched because of bacteria concerns.

 

[Maurey]

Entire whole raw egg is fine to give, just whisk it. The yolk contains enough b vitamins that the egg white poses no issue.

 

[LTS3]

I personally would err on the side of caution and not give any raw egg white. Separating the yolk from the white isn't hard to do. The whites can be frozen and used for baking purposes.

 

[Genchy]

Thanks guys

 

[Box of Rain]

Genchy To help up hit a target of approx. 6% edible bone in the diet, it may be helpful to you to split the chicken feet. Too much bone can be constipating and throw off mineral balances.

That said, being able to feed raw bone (and only raw as LTS3 suggested above) is one of the prime reasons I feed PMR raw. Eating soft edible bone and connective tissues helps keep the entire dental structure strong and healthy.

I also err on the side of caution with regard to raw egg "whites," as albumin does bind up biotin. The counter-argument that egg yolk is so biotin-rich that is cancels it all out is a premise whose validity I can't judge based on my current knowledge. So I either set the egg whites, or seperate raw yokes myself. This may be overly cautious, but...

I do supplement with seafood in small amounts, but don't risk raw fish. Between the risk of parasites/flukes and the potential for promoting a thiamin deficiency (due to the thiamin-destroying antinutrient "thiaminase" in many fish species (and antinutrient that is neutralized by cooking) I don't risk it.

I am also very risk averse.

Best wishes with your Bengal.

My Desmond has been with us a little over one year and is positively thriving on a balanced raw diet.

Bill