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 Posted: Sun Nov 23, 2008 12:47 am Post subject: Raw Food For Your Feline Friend |
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NaturalNews.com
http://www.naturalnews.com/024834.html
November 17 2008
Raw Food for Your Feline Friend
by Phoebe Kerr
(NaturalNews) If you are a cat owner, more than likely you understand
the importance of providing your feline friend with optimal nutrition.
Your cat’s nutrition can be a very confusing topic if you are like a
lot of pet owners out there. Nutrition is not a simple topic to cover;
the amount of contradictory information available is enough to make a
professional animal caregiver cringe. When you take your cat to the
vet for a routine checkup you are told she’s overweight and given a
wet food to try. The wet food is important because cats don’t drink
enough water to stay fully hydrated on a dry commercial food diet. The
first three ingredients on the can read: water, liver and beef. Those
ingredients don’t look so bad. Since canned food is predominantly
water, why wouldn’t the first ingredient be water? Notice how general
the ingredients are though. Liver, well there aren’t many mammals that
don’t have one of those. Beef is a little more specific but then you
are left wondering about the quality; Was it a downer cow? The list of
ingredients on this particular food is well over 20, many just as
vague as the first few. As you move through the ingredients list you
come across quite a few ingredients that you can’t pronounce and don’t
know what are. Would you eat something with an ingredients list like
this? Would you eat it every day of your life? Do you feel like this
would promote a happy and healthy life? If these questions resonate
with you, raw food may be a good option.
Feline Physiology
Cats are obligate carnivores. Their teeth are designed to rip flesh
and crack bone. In the wild they feed on small mammals, birds,
reptiles and amphibians. Cats may eat grass but their teeth do not
allow them to masticate it so it travels through their system in its
whole form. If you open your cat’s mouth you will see 30 sharp teeth,
all with specific purposes. The feline digestive track is designed to
digest meat. A cat eating a diet high in carbohydrates could cause a
multitude of problems, most of which don’t show up until much later in
life. Diseases including dental disease, diabetes, thyroid disease,
obesity and kidney failure are becoming more common and even
acceptable. One nutrient that cats must get from their diet is
taurine. They are unable to produce this particular amino acid on
their own so they must consume meat or get it through supplementation
(in commercial foods). Cats that consume a high carbohydrate diet are
consuming a lot of filler material that their body doesn’t know what
to do with. The consumption of food that their bodies can’t process
results in larger, more odoriferous bowel movements. Left to their own
devices, cats would hunt and “consume prey high in protein with
moderate amounts of fat and minimal amounts of
carbohydrates.” (Cornell) Their entire body is designed to hunt; from
their needle like claws and sharp teeth to their long legs and slender
body.
Benefits of Raw Food
Feeding your feline companion a raw food diet isn’t a mainstream
practice yet but neither is being vegan. The choice to feed your cat a
raw food diet is just as important as choosing to feed yourself a
vegetarian or vegan diet. The benefits are substantial. Since cats are
obligate carnivores they are able to meet their nutrition requirements
by consuming fresh raw meat. It is advised to feed a species specific
diet; providing your cat with meats that they could catch in the wild.
Poultry is a great option. These meats are high in protein and not as
fatty as beef or pork. To provide your feline friend with a diverse
diet, you could rotate in rabbit and small amounts of larger mammals
or wild game. It is important that the cat is allowed to consume the
intestines (including the heart, lungs, liver & kidney) as well as
muscle meat and bone so they are getting a well balance diet.
If you were to ask your vet about making your own cat food you may
find that it is frowned upon. Cats require a balance of multiple
different nutrients including fatty acids, amino acids, vitamins and
minerals. Cats are very susceptible to deficiencies. If you ask about
feeding your cat raw food, unless your vet is very well versed in
nutrition and the benefits of raw food, they may try to talk you out
of it. Make sure you are prepared to have this conversation with your
vet by educating yourself and having documentation with you during
your cat’s routine visit.
Cat’s mouths benefit greatly from the chewing action required for them
to consume whole pieces of raw meat and bone. This chewing action
breaks tartar and gingivitis off the teeth and stimulates the gums,
acting like a natural tooth brush. Cats that eat dry or wet food do
not get this benefit, the only way to remove the tartar and gingivitis
is to put your cat under anesthesia and scale and polish their teeth.
In most cases, if the cat has to be put under anesthesia it is because
they are already exhibiting signs of dental disease like bad breath or
pain when eating. Depending on the severity of the dental disease it
may take a couple procedures to finish cleaning your cat’s teeth.
Another thing to consider is the number of times during your pet’s
life that she will have to undergo this procedure. The exploitation of
dental disease through exams and minimal education is one way
veterinarians make money. Since a majority of pet owners feed their
cats dry or wet food there is a prevalence of dental disease in the
companion animal community and a consistent revenue stream for animal
dental hygienists.
Cats are able to digest meat and bones. Their systems were built to do
it. People have only been feeding their pets processed foods for about
100 years. Commercial pet foods became popular in the 1930’s during
the Great Depression. Commercial food wasn’t developed to promote
health and well being; it was made of cheap ingredients and designed
to sustain life not nourish it. When given the opportunity cats still
hunt and consume their kill. Due to cats short intestinal tract and a
reduced time required for digestion there is little concern for
bacterial proliferation. The highly acidic environment that their
bodies create when a meal has been consumed quickly breaks down meat
and bones to extract its nutrients. Some feel it is important to
supplement their pet’s diet with a cat specific multi-vitamin or
supplement powder so they get a full spectrum of nutrients as well as
greens. Depending on personal knowledge and research this is an area
where people who feed raw differ greatly.
A cat’s outward appearance benefits greatly from a high protein
natural diet. You will see a healthier fur coat, brighter eyes and
healthier skin just to name a few. By supporting your cat’s heath with
raw food you create a happy healthy cat that will not need to go to
the vet as often. Their immune system will be stronger and they will
be less susceptible to parasites. You may find that you no longer need
to use chemicals to prevent fleas. With a decrease in vet visits it is
possible to put more money towards promoting the health of your feline
friend. When you take your cat to the vet don’t be surprised if your
vet or the technicians make comments on how healthy your cat looks.
This may also provide you the opportunity to educate your vet on the
benefits of a raw food diet.
How to make the Switch
These lanky little carnivores will thank you with many years of health
if you decide to support their systems by providing them with natural
fresh meats. The cost of feeding a raw food diet to your cat may prove
to be less expensive than the super premium foods you currently feed.
There are multiple options for feeding your cat raw food. You can
order your food online through a company like Primal Pet Foods, Inc.
or Hare-Today, buy it at a local natural pet food store, join a local
raw pet food co-op, visit a local farmer or butcher shop, or pick it
up at the grocery store. Purchasing pre-packaged foods has the
advantage of simplicity, but you don’t know exactly what went into
your pet’s food. Buying whole meat and cutting it up is less convent
but you do know exactly what your cat is consuming. It is advised to
feed 4% of your cat’s body weight (a little less if you are looking to
get them to lose weight, a little more if you are looking to get them
to gain weight) or 4% of their ideal weight.
Once you have a preferred source of meat (whole or pre-packaged and
preferably organic) you have to get your cat to convert over to raw
from kibble or wet food. This can be a long, drawn out task. Cats like
their commercial food; getting them to switch over to raw is similar
to getting a kid raised on fast food to switch over to a vegetarian
diet. If your cat is young it may be easier than if your cat is older.
Cats become addicted to the flavoring and sugars in the commercial
foods. Raw meat does not have the odor that commercial foods do. It is
designed as nature made it, not in a lab. A little coaxing may be
necessary. Make sure your serve the raw food at room temperature, cats
are more inclined to eat food that is near body temperature. Starting
by getting your cat on a 100% wet food diet is advised. Ground up
pieces of raw food can then be mixed into the canned food, slowly
replacing the wet food. Once your cat is on 100% raw food you can
start making the pieces larger and giving them small bones to consume.
They will catch on quickly once they are on a 100% raw diet. This
whole process can take anywhere from a couple weeks to months. Don’t
get discouraged, it is worth the time and energy.
In Conclusion
Remember that you aren’t alone when you decide to make this switch.
There are enlightened veterinarians out there who are very helpful;
there are also many different internet communities whose main focus is
pet health and nutrition. The opportunity for you to learn and grow
your pet nutrition knowledge is limitless and you may be surprised to
see how the knowledge gained from feeding your pet well affects other
aspects of your life. The greatest reward is having your happy health
cat that is 10, 15 even 20 years old not be plagued with the health
issues that most are. This is not to say that a raw food diet will
prevent them from ever getting sick, but it will support their body
and immune system making it less likely.
Feeding your cat a natural diet is not intended to substitute for
veterinary care. If your cat already has a compromised immune system
you should work with a veterinarian, animal nutritionist and/or
nutrition consultant to make sure you do not tax your cat’s already
overworked system. To best serve your cat it may be advisable to use
nutrition as a complimentary therapy to Western practices. Once you
have made the switch to raw it will take a little time to see the full
benefits. Fur coat, skin and eyes may take a little while whereas you
may notice the litter box and energy level (depending on age) right
away.
Reference
http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/brochure...
About the author
Phoebe Kerr is a self proclaimed "student of life." She is constantly
searching for more knowledge of any kind. Her main interests are
living (raw) foods and a healthy sustainable lifestyle. She loves all
things with four legs, fins or roots and has the utmost compassion for
people. |
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