Raw cat food is the latest pet food fad, but is this something you should consider for your cat? Board-certified veterinary nutritionists do not recommend this type of feeding for your cat. Let’s break down the reasons why.
Raw Cat Food Has No Proven Benefits
The primary reason why nutritionists do not recommend feeding a raw diet for cats is that there is no scientifically proven benefit to feeding raw. While there are anecdotal reports from pet owners of improvements such as a shinier coat and reduced fecal output, these benefits can also be achieved by feeding cooked diets that are higher in fat and lower in fiber, respectively.
One benefit that proponents of raw diets for cats have touted is the improved digestibility of raw diets compared to commercial dry kibble. While some studies have supported this claim, the studies did not account for variability in ingredients. To date, there has been little to no research examining the digestibility of a raw diet compared to an identical diet that was cooked. In one study, there was no significant difference in digestibility of a raw meat-based diet when it was heated in a microwave to ≥71 degrees Celsius (≥160 degrees Fahrenheit) (Kerr et al., 2012). These results suggest that cooking may not have a significant effect on the digestibility of the diet.
Raw Cat Food Has Many Risks
In addition to having no proven benefits, feeding raw cat food comes with many risks. Raw cat food poses risks not only to the pet, but also to the owner and others in the pet’s household. Raw cat food is often not complete and balanced, which means it does not provide all the nutrients the cat needs and those nutrients are not present in the correct ratios for optimal health. Raw cat food is also at high risk of contamination, posing a health risk to both pet and human health.
Raw Cat Food is Often Not Complete and Balanced
Raw diets for cats are often not complete and balanced, which means they do not contain all the nutrients your cat needs and those nutrients are not present in the correct ratios for optimal health. Homemade raw diets are often deficient in essential nutrients. Deficiencies in homemade diets have been documented in several studies (Freeman and Michel 2001, Roudebush and Cowell, 2002, Streiff et al. 2002, Lauten et al. 2005). Even commercially prepared raw diets have been documented to have nutritional deficiencies in one study (Freeman and Michel, 2001). Feeding a diet that is not complete and balanced can result in severe health problems over the long term, especially in young growing animals that need a proper balance of nutrients for healthy growth and development. For this reason, raw diets – and especially homemade raw diets – are not recommended, especially for growing animals.
Raw Cat Food Has a High Risk of Contamination
In addition to nutritional concerns, there are major safety concerns associated with the use of raw meat diets for pets. Whether it is purchased at the grocery store or as a commercial raw pet food, raw meat has the potential to be contaminated with a number of pathogens. Contamination with Salmonella spp has garnered the most attention and research, but contamination with Camplyobacter spp, Listeria spp, Clostridium spp, Toxoplasma gondii, and E. coli O157:H7 have also been documented. It is important to note that freezing and freeze-drying do not destroy all of these pathogens.
Many pet owners mistakenly believe that their pets will not get sick from eating raw meat the way that humans do. However, there have been several cases of documented illness in pets linked to the consumption of contaminated raw diets. In cats, raw cat food has been linked to cases of salmonellosis (Stiver et al., 2003) and an outbreak of tuberculosis (O’Halloran et al., 2019). Although many healthy cats will tolerate a raw meat diet, cats with health issues or immunosuppression may be at higher risk of illness due to contamination in raw meat diets.
Contamination of raw diets not only poses a risk to pet health, but also to human health. One study found that cats fed a raw meat-based diet shed Camplyobacter, Salmonella, and Yersina enterocolitica in their feces, posing a risk for infection to their human family members (Fredricksson-Ahomaa et al., 2017). Consumption of raw meat also significantly increases the seroprevalence of Toxoplasma gondii in cats, putting immunocompromised and pregnant pet owners at particular risk (Freeman et at., 2013). Although all humans are at risk for illness from contaminated raw meat, those at particularly high risk include those who are ill, immunocompromised, young, elderly, pregnant, or lactating. Raw meat diets should not be fed in households with these individuals.
Raw Cat Food is Not Recommended for Your Cat
Raw cat food has no proven benefits and many risks. Because of this, board certified veterinary nutritionists do not recommend raw meat diets for cats. There are many commercially available diets for cats that are complete and balanced and cooked to eliminate pathogens. For pet owners that prefer to avoid kibble, commercially available fresh cooked pet foods are suitable option that are becoming increasingly popular. To find a diet that is best suited for your cat, talk to your veterinarian or consult a board certified veterinary nutritionist.
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