barf diet

[kara]

has anyone got there cats on teh barf diet? i have a friend who has her dogs on it ans its great but i was thinking it might be a great way to keep my little miles healthy. he is on a vet suggested dry food with some raw offel twice a week. i dont know weather or not to convert it all to the raw or not? any suggestions.

[Traci]

I will never recommend raw diets for cats. No one, including your vet, can properly supplement a raw diet with the needed nutrients to maintain optimal health. Not to mention, you cannot garantee safety or quality of the meat you use. Dogs are not the same as cats, cats require certain minerals and nutrients that dogs can get by without. Even the most avid raw feeder cannot create a perfect raw diet and expect it to be supplemented correctly.

How old is he? Why is your kitty on a 'vet prescribed' diet? Is there a condition he is being treated for, and if so, what is that condition? Any health condition that requires a prescription diet, should not be supplemented by raw, least of all, changed to raw while treatment resumes or during recovery. Prescription diets are specially formulated to treat the condition in particular, anything fed beyond that diet can defeat the purpose.

[kara]

i have him on a dry food the vet suggested he isnt unwell at all and i have read alot about hte barf diet and it makes alot of sence. im only looking for the best for my baby (who is 8 months old) and this is jsut one of the options.

[kate & kobi]

Kara, could you please be more specific? What brand and type of food is your kitty eating now?

I feed my cat dry commercial cat food only, here's why:

- commercial cat foods have been tested over and over, to make sure that they contain all the nutrients that cats need. (look for a note on the label that says something like "feeding trials show that this food contains complete and balanced nutrition")

- they are standardized, meaning every time the company makes a batch of food, they must use the same quality ingredients (all but the generic brands).

- I decided against a raw food diet b/c there are risks involved in feeding raw food and bones that do not exist when feeding a commercial cat food. I don't have to worry about meat contamination or kitty choking on a piece of bone.

- another consideration is that dry food is easiest for me, and although that's not the most important consideration, it does make it nice!

I usually like to "think outside the box" and look for something different, but in this case, I have to side with the commercial food. All commercial foods are not made equal, but there are some that are really *good*; they're not just chicken feed. I don't buy the cheapest food for my kitty, but I don't buy the most expensive either - and I actually feel I'm doing the very best for my kitty by buying her dry food that comes in a bag. (and she likes it!)

Best of luck, I know you want to do the best for your kitty. I'm just giving you my reasons for how I decided, hope that helps!

Kate

[Traci]

i have him on a dry food the vet suggested he isnt unwell at all and i have read alot about hte barf diet

What is the 'suggested' name brand of this food? And is it properly formulated for growth?

I would ask that you consider the sources you are reading from. If it is from the internet, I warn: Beware. If you are hearing advice and praises about raw food from internet groups, and complete strangers you've never met, beware, they do not know your kitty, nor will they ever know her history, her health condition, her individual genetic makeup or susceptibility to certain diseases. Many of these people are experimenting, concocting god-knows-what because some stranger told them to, taking advice from others who think they are authority on the issues, when in fact, they are nothing of the sort. BARF advocates also often fail to report failures, health conditions that may result from feeding contaminated meat, bacterial infections, over or under supplementing, toxicities, weight loss, obstructions or internal tears from bones, the list goes on...

There are several books in print on this subject as well. However, many of the authors of those books do not have credible sources (or they repeat illogical statements) nor do many of them have a veterinary background in complete nutrition or physiology. Anyone can write a book, and many have done so and made millions on pure hype, and misconceptions. Innocent pet owners get taken in by the 'praises' and 'backed by vets' and 'natural' advertising hype when in all actuality, most of it is hogwash.

and it makes alot of sence.

I'm guessing you heard the famous lines "because cats in the wild eat raw meat, your domestic cat must too". Again, pure hype. Hundereds of generations of cats have domesticated over the years, and most quality commercial foods meet the requirements for optimal health and nutrition. The quality ones are not under or over supplemented, the meat is not laced with bacterial dangers, there are no bone shards or fragments in commercial foods, and there is virtually no risk of feeding an insufficient diet (unless you feed a generic or store brand). Cats in the wild do not survive half as long as domesticated cats. Consider disease, parasites, infected carcases, weather elements, and the natural process of natural elimination in numbers. Wild cats eat raw meat because that is all they have, they cannot depend on when their next meal will be. They also do not eat most of a kill, if possible, they will only eat organ meat, or 'blood meat'. When feeding on carcasses, if it is all that is left when they get to it, then they are faced with eating decayed meat that will cause them illness or disease, or no part of it at all. Hunting prey and the kills are not a luxury for wild cats, it is a necessity to survive. Think about that the next time someone urges you or praises the BARF diets.

There is plenty of information out there to warn about feeding a raw diet. Information that is factual, studied, referenced, peer-reviewed, and logical.

[Mona]

Kara~

I have done some research on raw diets and I am definitely against them for cats. There was an article written by a vet/scientist and he fed his cat a raw diet but had to grind the bone, add the taurine etc and really could not get it right. He suggested not trying to do this for your cat, as he as a scientist and experienced vet could not get the formula exacting enough. I read this article in Cat Fancy Magazine. I feed Royal Canin dry and Wellness canned. Why not supplement your cat with some high quality canned food for moisture. The advice Traci has given is excellent. Your kitten will thrive on a high quality dry food. My cat is 5 years old and is in excellent health, never sick and she eats a balanced meal each day of dry and canned food.

Mona

[kara]

thanks guys for the input. I jsut want whats best for my kitty and i thoughtid ask around on the bast way to feed him to keep him healthy.