Let me just start this post by saying I am not a veterinarian. They would probably completely disagree with what I am about to tell you. Mine did.
Meeting with one of the young women I mentor, she told me she had to miss work because her cat had an asthma attack. What? I have heard that house pets are getting all the diseases that humans are getting because they are eating cooked, processed, dead food just like most humans are eating.
What do animals in the wild eat? Cats and dogs would eat fresh, raw meat that they had just killed. So I reason that they must be meant to eat raw meat. Whenever I get organic, whole chickens from Costco, I feed the cats the gizzards, liver and kidney from inside of the chicken. They love it! I have heard it not only keeps them healthier, but keeps their teeth clean. {Don't they look healthy; nice shiny fur!}
I also buy dry cat food that is free from having any grains in it. Animals were not meant to eat grains. They mostly eat this but have some raw meat when I have it. I don't want them to die from diabetes, asthma, heart disease, or cancer if I can help it. I know. I'm strange but it makes sense that they are healthiest if they eat the way God intended them to eat just as we are much healthier if we eat food as close to the way God intended for us to eat it.
Let me just warn you about something. If you decide to start giving them some raw meat, do it in small quantities at first. They may have diarrhea and pass gas until their digestive system gets used to it. My cats had those problems at first but now they never do. {We even called one of them "stink bug" for awhile!} Good luck! :)
Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast,
but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.
but the mercy of the wicked is cruel.
Proverbs 12:10
Logging you in...
Micha · 683 weeks ago
Danielle · 683 weeks ago
Rightthinker · 683 weeks ago
Missy · 683 weeks ago
Jamie · 683 weeks ago
Joluise · 683 weeks ago
Anna · 683 weeks ago
Lori Alexander 122p · 683 weeks ago
Cathy · 671 weeks ago
samW · 683 weeks ago
dr momi · 682 weeks ago
Maellen · 682 weeks ago
Lori Alexander 122p · 682 weeks ago
Connie · 682 weeks ago
I also have two cats who developed urinary crystals while being fed a "premium" dry food. I've come to realize that an obligate carnivore has no need of plant based ingredients and in fact lack the digestive enzymes to properly extract the "good stuff" in plant based ingredients that are put in cat foods to convince us humans they are healthy. We have been conditioned to the fact that blueberries and cranberries and spinach are healthy, but they aren't to cats.
If you are feeding ANY dry food thinking it is healthy, it is not. It is too high in plant based ingredients (even those grain free varieties) and too low in moisture to be healthy. most cats today being fed dry food are chronically dehydrated because they have a low thirst drive. Cats were designed (or evolved depending on your view of history) to be desert creatures and obtain all of their nutrients from their prey - small rodents and birds.
I've seen a proper diet cure diabetes, struvite crystals, diarrhea, and malnutrition.
Feeding your cat left overs is not a bad thing, but you do need to be careful that their diet is balanced. Too many organ meats will lead to VitA toxicity. Not enough, a deficiency. Taurine is also important as well as a number of other nutrients that are apart of the whole prey (eyes, brains, fur or feathers, etc) that aren't in bits and parts of left overs. If you aren't making sure the raw meat is part of a balanced diet, it should be no more then 10-20% of the diet.
As for cats who won't eat raw, that is also part of the cat's heritage. Cats learn what is food by eating what their mother brings home. If they didn't eat it in the first few months of life, then it is not considered food (because mom would have brought it home if it was) You can trick this survival instinct in cats by introducing new foods VERY slowly and 'trick' them by putting just a small bite in with their regular food. catinfo.org has a great section on introducing new foods.
I hope you continue in your real food for cats journey and check out catinfo.org and http://feline-nutrition.org/
and I know little about dogs, but I've read several people who use the canine's teeth as the indicator that dogs should be fed a diet that is more towards a carnivore then an omnivore. Many dog owners who feed raw meat to their dogs swear it does wonders for their dog.
And yes, my vet wasn't thrilled with the idea of raw food - even my holistic vet thought it should be cooked. But if you read pottenger's cats studies, you'll see that cooked isn't ideal.
and as to parasites, again, cats are designed to eat small animals in the wild. their digestive tract is designed for. And if you are eating meat that has parasites in it, then you are eating dead parasites when you cook it - gross. you should source your meat from reputable butcheries that are healthy and well fed (sound familiar??) not all meat is contaminated with ecoli and parasites and the such... we are just taught to think that way because it is safer (and easier and cheaper then actually buying clean meat)
Lori Alexander 122p · 682 weeks ago
dogsordollars 6p · 682 weeks ago
Scraps of raw are fine, as long as they are being supplemented with a kibble diet to provide adequate amounts of calcium. The reason bone is present in many raw diets, is due to the high phosphorous levels in raw meat. Calcium (bone or egg shells) balance that out and prevent the phosphorus from robbing calcium from the dog itself. Think of a 'whole prey' model. The complete animal is a perfect meal. Bits and pieces arent as balanced.
I give my dogs raw meaty buffalo or venison bones once a week in place of their dinner. Havent paid for a dental cleaning yet, and my oldest are 12.
Also on the kibble front, read the bag on that Trader Joes. Its not as good as you think it is. I have been unimpressed with the quality of kibble produced by TJs. They label it 'natural', but its full of fillers and allergens. Check out Orijen or Acana brands. Whole ingredients, sourced local to the factory, cooked at a lower temp to preserve additional nutrients. A lot more meat content and just better all around.
Lastly, cats need taurine. This is added to all commercial pet foods. If a cat is deprived of taurine, they go blind. Something to keep in mind. Taurine is found in heart muscle, but getting the right amounts can be tricky and is not something to be taken lightly.
Kudos to you for getting your pets some fresh food. I certainly don't mean to scare anyone off. There is just a wealth of information out there, and want to make sure you get the most bang for your extra effort (and your bucks!).
Lori Alexander 122p · 682 weeks ago
Cathy · 671 weeks ago
My point was that you wouldn't feed a horse bacon and eggs. You wouldn't feed a rabbit steak and fish. Why would you feed your carnivores cereal?! Not only is it not what their bodies are designed to take in, but that baked wheat/corn is loaded with rancid cooking oils from all the little fast food chains! Yes--that's where that sludge goes! They have to add in nutrients because there are none there to begin with. Seriously? God made dogs and cats to eat meat (including organs) and bones to survive. There are no bakeries in the wild. Just because your pet has been domesticated, it doesn't mean their digestive system has been re-wired. I've been rawfeeding dogs for about 15 years now. We've never had a dog with allergies or asthma or cancer or diabetes or any of those 'human' diseases. Let me also say that if you are mixing kibble and raw food, you are doing something very dangerous for your pet. Those two foods are digested completely differently. Firstly, your dog/cat doesn't even produce the enzymes needed to process grains and fruit/veggies. Those enzymes are non-existent in their guts. Have you ever noticed kibble comes out looking the same, just swollen? If you feed a completely raw diet, the waste is minimal because their guts break down and assimilate everything, leaving a small package that turns to powder in a couple of days and may eventually totally disintegrate. Raw food breaks down and goes through their system quickly, whereas kibble takes days of gut churning processing which could lead to bacteria and other nasties sitting in the guts longer and making your pet sick. I would encourage you to go to the rawfeeding yahoo group to learn more. They have a page on facebook as well to get started. We must remember that prey model is how they're designed to eat by the Divine Creator.
Also speaking to another commenter who gives her dogs large bones in place of dinner, those bones are meant to be for recreation only, as they are too hard. They are also responsible for many broken teeth and filed down teeth as well. The best bones for eating--and yes, they must eat bones to balance out their diet--are softer more pliable bones like that of a chicken, turkey and pork neck and rib bones. The bigger the animal, the heavier and harder the bones must be to hold that animal up, which makes them less ideal for dogs/cats to eat.
I hope you understand that I say this will love and respect for your readers. I do not want to step on any toes or offend anyone with this message, I just want to share what God has shown me in regards to pet stewardship / husbandry.
FYI - This is an excellent link to FAQs about rawfeeding cats and dogs: http://www.rawlearning.com/rawfaq.html It is not my site, I have no ownership of it or the content, I get no money for endorsing it. It is just a really good place to start and to answer any questions you may have.
Have just found your blog today, I have commented on another entry you had, I am totally enjoying going through your archives. We bake the same bread using the same equipment! I have been doing it just like you for about 21 years now. Love my Bosch! God bless you.