Do or Don't: Raw Food Diet for Cats

Fellow cat owners: what do you feed your cat? Have you ever considered a raw food diet for your furry feline? Below, we’ve outlined the pros and cons. We’d love for you to chime in, too!Cats, like dogs, can benefit from a raw food based diet. After all, their carnivorous diet in the wild is as “raw” as it gets, and if you have a cat that hunts, you may already know this! If you’re considering switching up your furry pal’s diet, here’s the 411:A good raw diet consists of mostly dark muscle meat, and can include whole eggs and some fish for omega-3 fatty content. Why do it? For one, some veterinarians believe the elimination of starch is good for their health and energy (after all, they wouldn’t eat starch in the wild). While veggies aren’t necessary, you can try including carrots, kale, zucchini, or a small amount of pureed plain pumpkin.Where cats will reap the most benefits is from consuming organs like kidneys, gizzards, brains, hearts, bone, and livers. This might seem odd but remember, cats are carnivores, and can digest these parts much faster than kibble (bonus: the bones are good for their oral health, too).The flip side? Of course, it’s not as convenient as scooping out a cup of kibble or popping open a can of wet food. It’s an exacting process and much more time consuming, especially since it’s so important the diet is nutritionally complete and includes all the vitamins and supplements needed to keep your furry friend healthy. Also, if you are handling raw meat in your kitchen you want to make sure you buy only high quality ingredients and sanitize your counters after every feeding.Every cat is different, and the switch to raw food should be under the CLOSE supervision of your veterinarian or cat nutritionist.What do you think? Do you feed your cat a raw food diet? Any tips? Feel free to share in the comments below!Read more about the topic here.