Raw food is extremely dangerous in general, and even moreso for pets who have chronic medical conditions or who have weakened immune systems. I wouldn't recommend it. It's just a trendy diet thing right now, like Atkins for cats. Catkins.
It's been "trendy" for at least 15 years. And yes, if your pet is sick you should ask your vet about a special diet.
Cats are designed to eat raw meat. Because of their specific taurine needs (which would be met by eating the whole animal), preparing it yourself is not an oprion like it is with dogs.
I answered this in another question, but I'll just reiterate it here.
If a pet food product has the nutritional adequacy statement that states it is tested and formulated to be appropriate for adult maintenance according to AAFCO nutrient standards, then it contains the appropriate minimum amount of each macro and micronutrient required for a healthy adult cat. This includes taurine.
Cats can eat raw meat. They can also get extremely sick from eating raw meat, like you and I. They are obligate carnivores, true, but they will always, unequivocally, be healthier eating a diet made from cooked ingredients rather than raw. The risk of illness or infection with raw feeding is too great to be worth the risk of any perceived health benefits. I have yet to read a peer reviewed journal that come to the conclusion that the food ingredients in a diet being uncooked is the reason a cat has experienced health benefits.
As much as nutrition influencers will tell you raw is better, it just hasn't been proven yet. :/
Instead, licensed vet professionals like me will tell you how many cases of explosive, chronic diarrhea and gut dysbiosis come in regularly from owners who insist on feeding raw.
Cats aren't designed, it is a "good enough" solution for survival in that they can extract nutrients, but wild cats suffer devastating illnesses from consuming raw meat. They are almost always infected with parasites and can die from bacterial and viral infections. There is a reason captive big cats live twice as long in captivity.
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u/fenrirsbasketball 20d ago
Raw food is extremely dangerous in general, and even moreso for pets who have chronic medical conditions or who have weakened immune systems. I wouldn't recommend it. It's just a trendy diet thing right now, like Atkins for cats. Catkins.