Should I feed my cat a raw food diet? How to introduce it safely?

Hi Jamie, There are a lot of people who advocate for a raw food diet, but you are right that there are a lot of risk factors. There is not a medical benefit to feeding raw food over cooked food. I think a balanced homemade (cooked) or canned food diet are the safest for cats. Making a homemade diet and keeping it balanced can be quite a bit of work, so I currently feed my cats canned. I have attached a link below that may be useful for you. It has a lot of great information about cat food. http://catinfo.org I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lily. Raw diets are very trendy and unfortunately, there is a lot of inaccurate information available on them. First of all, there is no scientific research proving any health benefits to them. The reports you will read are anecdotal evidence. There is substantial research though showing the risks. The diets are frequently improperly balanced leading to nutritional deficiencies over time. As you mentioned, the risk of Salmonella poisoning and other pathogens is very real for both you and Lily. If you are interested in preparing her food at home though, this can be done. I use www.balanceit.com as the website is staffed by veterinary nutritionists. They will formulate a specific diet for and her individual nutritional needs. Then you can use the recipe to prepare the (cooked) food at home. I hope this information helps! Here is the AVMA (the governing body for veterinarians) position statement on raw foods: https://www.avma.org/KB/Policies/Pages/Raw-or-Undercooked-Animal-Source-Protein-in-Cat-and-Dog-Diets.aspx

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If you still have any of the previous cat's food, you can try gradually introducing the new food. For example, start by feeding 25% new food and 75% old food for a few days. Then 50%/50% for a few days. Then feed 75% new food and 25% old food for a few days. Then feed just 100% of the new food. This will help to reduce the risk of gastrointestinal upset as a result of a diet change. If you do not have any more of the previous diet, that is OK. Just be aware that your cat may have some soft stools for several days during the initial diet change. I hope this is helpful!

Hello, Veterinarians generally do not recommend feeding raw diets. Raw diets are associated with serious food borne illness (food poisoning) and the nutritional imbalances are associated with heart and bone disease. I would not recommend feeding any raw meat or bones to any pet, at any time, due to risk of illness. If you would like to feed a home cooked diet, I would recommend using the website balance.it which is formulated by veterinary nutritionists at the University of California-Davis. This website can direct you on making a homemade diet that is safe and nutritionally complete for Molly. If you're looking to purchase any complete diet, I recommend feeding one that is formulated to AAFCO requirements for canine nutrition. These requirements are based off of evidence based canine nutritional studies and the diets are regularly tested to ensure they are meeting every essential dietary need. Most popular brands are formulated like this- Purina, Iams, Royal Canin, Hill's, for example. I hope this is helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Kaira isn't eating like you believe she should. Home-made diets are typically NOT recommended by veterinarians, as it is very difficult to ensure cats are getting the proper amounts and percentages of nutrients. Cats have very particular needs when it comes to food, and they can become sick if they are either missing certain nutrients or if they get too much of others. Unless you consult a board certified Veterinary Nutritionist who can come up with an appropriate homemade diet for Kaira, I recommend feeding her a commercial cat food formulated for adult cats. There is nothing wrong with feeding normal cat food, in fact, they are much safer and preferred over homemade diets. A significant amount of research goes into formulating cat foods and making sure they are complete and balanced. I hope this is helpful!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is not uncommon for cats to not defecate as readily after starting a raw diet which is low in fiber. You can add 1 teaspoon of canned pumpkin to her meals which may help with constipation. Best of luck!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is to some extent a matter of opinion. However, it is well known the possible risks of eating raw meat just like it is possible health risk to a human for the same exact reasons like the development of an infection from ingesting raw protein. Also, it does not offer any benefit over cooked food. I personally do not recommend raw diets. Good luck!