Raw food for cats and dogs is the new house-hold word. It may have been at least one positive benefit of the many pet food recalls the past few years. Suppliers making raw food have been sprouting up like mushrooms. While that is a terrific thing, you will need to conduct some research of the food, especially if your pet is a cat. Many manufacturers will make the same raw food for dogs and cats with the problem that cats have very specific requirements which are different from dogs.
When deciding on purchased raw food for your cat, (as opposed to you making the food yourself) some essential details to look out for is the:
1.The Calcium and Phosphorous Ratio. Cats need a diet that is very precise in the bone to meat ratio. Calcium is found in bone, and phosphorous is found in meats and organs.The ideal range, or balance, for felines is 1.2-1.4 parts Calcium to 1 part phosphorous. Dogs, on the other hand do not have these requirements. Most raw food is targeted to dogs. Buying a "Balanced Raw" diet appropriate for a dog could cause harm to your cat. If the Ca/Phos ratio is not available on the website of the manufacturer, nor on the package you will have to email or call them. What you want is numbers. You want the result of the analysis they did. If they did not do an analysis of their mineral balances, I would not buy their food. The Ca/Phos ratio can cause damage to your cat if it is off.
2.Veggies. Cats can take some veggies in their diet. Around 5% is ideal. More than 10% should be avoided. We would never feed our cats food with 10% or more of vegetables. Raw pet food manufacturers can add excessive amounts of veggies in order to cut their costs. Then there is the type of vegetables added...Garlic and onions can be toxic to cats and should never be in cat food. Period. Tomatoes can increase the effects of arthritis, potatoes add too much starch,,, Most vegetables cause an increase in urinary pH which can be detrimental to cats with frequent UTI's. (Which is one reason kibble is the cause of a majority of urinary tract problems in cats) Herbs are often used in raw food as well. Herbs are potent agents and should never be used long term. Many herbs which are perfectly safe for a dog could kill a cat. I'd stay away from any herbs in my cat's food!
3.Organ meats. Does the food contain organ meats and at what proportion? Feline diets should contain approximately 10% organ meats. Organs provide important vitamins and other nutrients vital for the cat.
4.Taurine. Taurine is an essential amino acid to the cat. Cats are unable to synthesize Taurine so it needs to be provided in the food. Mice are naturally very high in Taurine. A cat eating plenty of mice would be assured of their Taurine requirement. While all meats contain Taurine to some degree, handling and freezing the meat diminishes the amount. Some meats, like rabbit have a dangeroulsy low amount of Taurine while chicken hearts have a high amount. We recommend you add Taurine to ALL raw food you give your cat. A deficiency could cause blindness and fatal heart problems. Taurine is not only inexpensive, it is taste and odorless and can be added to the food at feeding without your cat noticing... 1000 mg per pound of meat is ideal.
Raw food is ideal for dogs and cats. They are carnivores after all...but buyer beware. Make sure what you feed is properly balanced. Ask until you get the answers, and move on if the answers aren't coming, or don't provide the information you seek. - 31851
When deciding on purchased raw food for your cat, (as opposed to you making the food yourself) some essential details to look out for is the:
1.The Calcium and Phosphorous Ratio. Cats need a diet that is very precise in the bone to meat ratio. Calcium is found in bone, and phosphorous is found in meats and organs.The ideal range, or balance, for felines is 1.2-1.4 parts Calcium to 1 part phosphorous. Dogs, on the other hand do not have these requirements. Most raw food is targeted to dogs. Buying a "Balanced Raw" diet appropriate for a dog could cause harm to your cat. If the Ca/Phos ratio is not available on the website of the manufacturer, nor on the package you will have to email or call them. What you want is numbers. You want the result of the analysis they did. If they did not do an analysis of their mineral balances, I would not buy their food. The Ca/Phos ratio can cause damage to your cat if it is off.
2.Veggies. Cats can take some veggies in their diet. Around 5% is ideal. More than 10% should be avoided. We would never feed our cats food with 10% or more of vegetables. Raw pet food manufacturers can add excessive amounts of veggies in order to cut their costs. Then there is the type of vegetables added...Garlic and onions can be toxic to cats and should never be in cat food. Period. Tomatoes can increase the effects of arthritis, potatoes add too much starch,,, Most vegetables cause an increase in urinary pH which can be detrimental to cats with frequent UTI's. (Which is one reason kibble is the cause of a majority of urinary tract problems in cats) Herbs are often used in raw food as well. Herbs are potent agents and should never be used long term. Many herbs which are perfectly safe for a dog could kill a cat. I'd stay away from any herbs in my cat's food!
3.Organ meats. Does the food contain organ meats and at what proportion? Feline diets should contain approximately 10% organ meats. Organs provide important vitamins and other nutrients vital for the cat.
4.Taurine. Taurine is an essential amino acid to the cat. Cats are unable to synthesize Taurine so it needs to be provided in the food. Mice are naturally very high in Taurine. A cat eating plenty of mice would be assured of their Taurine requirement. While all meats contain Taurine to some degree, handling and freezing the meat diminishes the amount. Some meats, like rabbit have a dangeroulsy low amount of Taurine while chicken hearts have a high amount. We recommend you add Taurine to ALL raw food you give your cat. A deficiency could cause blindness and fatal heart problems. Taurine is not only inexpensive, it is taste and odorless and can be added to the food at feeding without your cat noticing... 1000 mg per pound of meat is ideal.
Raw food is ideal for dogs and cats. They are carnivores after all...but buyer beware. Make sure what you feed is properly balanced. Ask until you get the answers, and move on if the answers aren't coming, or don't provide the information you seek. - 31851
About the Author:
Pet Food Coupons can help you save on your pet care bills! Dog Food Coupons and other great deals on our website. We find the deals so you don't have to.
