Raw Feeding in Cats - Special requirements

Cats: Special Requirements for Feeding Cats a Raw diet

'Cats are not small dogs' we were told in vet school on Brownlow Hill this article explains how they differ

Cats are obligate carnivores were as dogs can survive on some plant based materials in their diet. Read More
Cats need Taurine in their diet whereas dogs can produce their own and can manage on lower levels in the diet. (As so many things life is not that simple and there have been studies showing some grain free diets have resulted in heart problems in dogs)
Cats eat smaller meals more frequently than dogs in the wild.
Cats tend to be more fussy than dogs about their food and can be harder to swap over to raw.
We believe however it is even more important than with dogs to feed no carbohydrate (starch, grains or pulses) they just are not evolved to cope with it. The result you see below:

Obesity in the Cat:

Feed your cat a carbohydrate free diet please

Cats become over weight if fed carbs in their diet very easily. This leads to inactivity and so more weight gain.
Overweight animals (including humans0 as more prone to joint disease, heart disease and diabetes.
I have changed diabetic cat on to a raw food diet, they lose weight, they lose the need for insulin in so many cases. For this reason always check glucose levels and adjust insulin to suit in a diabetic patient.

How to feed your cat raw
You will find that cats will do well on a raw diet and most of the advice for dogs applies just as much but because of the differences outlined above:

Feed at least twice preferably three times a day with equal amounts
Ensure you are feeding enough Taurine: Processed foods add it after cooking as cooking denatures this vitamin. Consider using Pet Plus for Cats as a supplement. (More below)
Be patient: if a kitten is brought up on dried cat food it can take a long time to wean her off this. Start with minces but also offer small bones chicken wings or similar.
A teaspoon of juiced vegetables and fruit perhaps a day is recommended but not always accepted but try, particularly indoor cats who cannot chew grasses etc.

Raw Cats: the differences