Want to feed your cat “natural”? Feed her meat!

Feeding “natural”: What does that actually mean? Aunt Jeni, one of the nation’s prime raw food manufacturers says on her website: “The word "natural" means different things to different people. It joins the list of buzz words of the 90’s, along with other favorites of the dog food world, such as "healthy" and "organic." "Natural" might mean simply that the product contains no dyes or artificial preservatives. However, the word "natural" as used by a certain group of pet nutritionists is accepted to mean a "species appropriate" diet. This means that we feel dogs are carnivores, and should be fed as carnivores, rather than as forced-omnivores. The pet food industry has managed to convince many of us, most vets included, that dogs can exist well eating as omnivores. Well yes, they can exist that way alright, but wouldn’t it be much nicer to have them do more than exist? Don’t we all strive for the healthiest, happiest pets we can possibly manage to have? Manufacturers of pet food have a job to do: Produce the cheapest possible product that will taste good enough for the Fidos and Fluffies of the world to gobble it up by the bag full. Despite their advertising claims, their main concern is not with the health of your pet, but with the sales of their product. How do they produce the cheapest possible product? By using "4D" meat (meat from diseased, down, dying, and dead animals) and then filling it up with a lot of grains, for which dogs and cats have no dietary requirement , and a limited ability to digest and utilize. Sounds unappetizing, but then why does your pet "love" his dog food so much? Easy: They add sugar, salt, cancer-causing chemicals and tasty preservatives to entice your pet to eat more. On top of all that, the whole mess is heat processed at extremely high temperatures, thereby destroying any remote nutritional goodness that may have been in there in the first place. The end result is a very artificial food that causes your dog to produce a lot of excess gas and other "output" that you must then clean up. Many dogs also suffer itchy/bumpy skin, dull hair coats, brittle nails, diarrhea, early-morning vomiting, and a host of other ailments. But there is a better way to feed your pet a truly healthy, wholesome, and "natural" diet that will bring out the true beauty and outer glow of inner good health. To feed your pet a species-appropriate, natural diet, you need two things: a desire to see improvement in general health problems, and a willingness to make a commitment to bring about the desired changes. Making your pet’s food yourself will never be as easy or convenient as opening the bag or can and filling the dish; however, you may be surprised at how easy it can be, and you certainly will be pleasantly surprised by the results it brings to the life of your pet. You are probably also thinking you can’t afford to feed your pets "real" or "people" food. Surprise again! It is no more expensive, and in many cases is actually cheaper, to make your pet’s food on your own than it is to purchase a premium brand pet food.”
I actually have nothing to add to her assessment but would like to make a change: Replace “Dog” with “Cats & Dogs”. And since I wanted to talk about cats today I decided to let a great expert on the subject write what he has to say: Steve Brown, co-author of “See Spot live longer”. Steve’s take is: “The Natural Diet of Cats Is Meat
Cats are meat eaters, designed to thrive on a wide variety of small prey animals, eaten fresh and whole. Their natural diet is high in water and protein, with a moderate amount of fat, and a very low percentage of carbohydrate.
Dry cat food is high in grain.
A diet of dry food is high in carbohydrate, between 35 and 50%. “Diet” and “Lite” foods have even more. Dry food contains almost no water. Dry cat food is convenient to feed, and it’s relatively inexpensive, but it’s the opposite of the natural diet of cats. Cats have no dietary need for any carbohydrate.
Cats need to get water from their food
Cats are descended from feline desert dwellers. These cats did not have the option to stroll over to the water hole for a drink, and cat tongues are not even very well designed for drinking water. Cats are adapted to obtain most of their water from their prey, which contain over 75% water. Cats who eat dry food consume only half the water of those who eat wet food, and live in a state of chronic dehydration.
Common health problems of cats are related to diet
There is increasing evidence, published in peer-reviewed veterinary journals, that many of the health problems seen in cats are the result of diets inappropriate for a feline. Dry, grain-based foods fed to a meat eater, over time, result in both chronic and life threatening diseases.
Obesity
Since cats are designed for a high protein, moderate fat, low carbohydrate diet, it is not surprising that obesity is often seen in cats fed dry food. Diet cat foods have even more carbohydrate than regular ones, and less fat, so they depart even further from the natural diet of cats, making it harder for them to lose weight.
Diabetes
The high level of carbohydrate in dry cat food contributes directly to the development of diabetes in cats. Blood sugar levels rise when cats eat dry food. When this is an ongoing event, insulin producing cells down-regulate, which leads to diabetes.
Kidney Disease
Kidney disease is the most common cause of death for cats. The kidneys require an abundant supply of water to do their job. Without water to process the byproducts of the digestion process, the kidneys are overloaded, become unable to do their job, and are damaged over time.
Bladder Problems
Cystitis, bladder irritation, and Bladder/Kidney stone formation are also strongly connected to dehydration. If the body is well hydrated, these problems are minimized.
Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome and Disease
These problems are often characterized by vomiting and diarrhea and are very common in cats. Cats who eat a species- appropriate diet rarely suffer from these issues.
Dental Disease
Dry food has a high sugar (carbohydrate) content, which has been shown to cause dental decay.
In order for any supposed abrasive benefit from dry foods to be seen, cats would have to actually chew their dry food. Since dry food shatters and they then swallow the pieces, there’s no abrasive action from chewing something hard.
Cats eating dry food often have very severe dental problems. Many factors contribute to dental health, but it is clear that a high carbohydrate diet is not beneficial!
The solution: A diet appropriate for the species
It's simple: cats need to eat a diet that is high in protein and water, with a moderate amount of fat, and almost no carbohydrate.
Most of the health problems we discussed above are either radically improved or eliminated by eating a diet that meets the needs of a carnivore - one which closely resembles the nutritional balance provided by a mouse.
For example, many veterinarians now treat diabetes with a meat-based canned diet. We'd like to go a step further, and prevent these diseases.
Feed your cat a meat based diet!
We suggest that you buy canned food that is designed to be complete, or complete frozen diets that have very little vegetable content. No grain sources should be listed in the ingredient panel. There are grain free canned cat foods that have some vegetables in them, but the vegetables should not be a major component of the food. “All meat” diets are just that, all meat, and they will not meet your cat’s nutritional needs alone.
Make the switch successful!
It sounds simple to just switch your cat’s food, after all, meat tastes better than dry food! Your cat may disagree. Dry foods are designed to be tasty, and many cats are addicted to them. Often, cats are not open to the idea of variety, especially if they have only been fed one food (as we have been advised by pet food companies for decades). Creativity and patience may be needed to switch your cat.
Cats will starve themselves, and they are not good candidates for the tough love approach. Some very serious conditions can occur if cats do not eat for an extended period, especially if cats are overweight. A slow switch will prevent problems.
Here are some ideas to help you along:
Establish regular feeding times and put food away in between meals. For many reasons, it’s best for the body not to have food available all the time. If you have dogs, you know what to do with leftovers!
Feed multiple cats separately.
Consider dry food to be a snack only, not left out all the time, a few pieces as a treat. This is the equivalent of “kitty junk food”.
Offer bits of other kinds of fresh food that you are eating. They may be refused, but one day….they won’t. Your goal is to get your cat to consider things as food other than dry, crunchy items.
Cat whiskers are very sensitive. If food is served in a bowl that interferes with whiskers, it could be enough to keep the cat from considering the food. A flat dish works well.
Cats generally prefer their food between room temperature and body temperature. The dry food cats are used to eating is designed to be very smelly. Cats choose food by smell, and wet food is a lot less fragrant than a commercial food they have been eating. This is often the reason that the second half of a can of food is refused -- the first time it was room temperature! Warming the food releases the flavors and fragrances.
Trickery has been known to work with cats: put the food on YOUR plate, or hide it in a location cats know to be forbidden…creativity helps!
Additions and considerations
Add sardines for good fats, or use fish oil. A meal of sardines once a week or one small sardine a day adds omega-3 fatty acids in their best form – whole food. Cats can’t use plant sources of omega-3s at all - animal sources are necessary. If sardines don’t appeal to you, you can use a– fresh, well-preserved, omega-3 fish oil supplement with vitamin E.
Digestive enzymes and a glandular supplement are good additions to replace the parts of prey animals we normally don’t feed: the stomach contents and smaller glands.
We think that the optimum diet for cats is a raw meat based diet.
However, if you feed a canned diet that approximates the balance of the natural diet of cats, their diet will be fully hydrated, and you will be much closer to providing your cat with optimum nutrition.
If you choose to feed meat based canned diet, find a way to simulate components lost in cooking or processing.
One way to add live food is with “Cat grass”, very popular with cats. You can grow your own from a kit. This addition often takes the burden off the house plants!

For cats, good diet can make the difference between “”Old Age” at 12, and “Old Age” at 23. Cats who eat dry food are often old and ill at 9 or 10, healthy cats can live a very long time, and that’s what we hope for your feline carnivore!”
Contributed by Steve Brown, co-author of Steve Brown and Beth Taylor “See Spot Live Longer”

Raw Feeding: The case for and against raw fish and specifically, what about sardines?

The topic of feeding our pets raw food is subject to great controversy in general. Even more so when it comes to more detailed issues and questions such as feeding raw fish. Is it safe? Not related to the question of pet food safety such as cleanliness in raw food handling, but to the issue of is it good or bad for a dog’s health in general?
There is good news and bad news. Let’s get started with the negative: Feeding certain species of raw fish can result in a thiamin deficiency in a dog, which in turn can lead to loss of appetite, reflexes and nerve control, seizures, and in severe cases, death. The problem is most common if raw fish is fed regularly. Thiamin or Vitamin B1 was one of the first water soluble vitamins to be identified. It is required for the normal function of muscles and nerves because it converts glucose to energy and should be provided to a dog at a minimum of 0.01 mg/lbs dog weight daily. Sources for this vitamin are meat, vegetable, fruits, and milk. Thiamin deficiency is often found in pets that are fed substantial amount of raw fish. Herring, smelt, and catfish contain large amounts of thiaminase. Thiaminase is an thiamin destroying enzyme. Clinical signs for thiamin deficiency are anorexia, ataxia, vomiting, short convulsions, dilation of the pupils and ventroflexion of the neck. Affected animals can die unless treatment with thiamine is administered. In most cases a complete recovery can be expected in treated cases unless severe central nervous system has occurred.
Therefore pets should not be fed raw fish exclusively. Cooking fish prior to feeding will destroy the thiaminase enzyme, i.e. feeding cooked fish poses no problem. Obviously, cooking also reduces the risk of any parasitic infections being passed onto your pet from the raw fish. Equally obvious is the fact that with cooking, i.e. heat processing, we loose the benefits we wanted to gain by feeding raw. More a safety issue requiring observation during feeding is the fact that fish bones can be an obstruction risk to your dog.
But now to the positive side of it:
Variety in the diet is essential for your animal’s health. Every pet has its preferences, and it is important to listen to those too. Whole researching this topic I visited many of the plentiful available raw feeding sites on the Internet and have not come across any that would recommend against feeding raw fish. That is of course exclusive of those species included in the aforementioned list of thiamine deficiency causing herring, smelt and cat fish.
Of course there is an entire army of, let me call them less educated, people out there making their case against feeding sardines. Like I found this real dumb comment on one of the blogs: “Why would you even consider feeding sardines to a dog? I mean, seriously. Think about it. no, do not feed your dog sardines! It is wrong on every level. A good quality dog food (I prefer Purina one) is sufficient. But no sardines! Yuck! Fish breath! If you want to give him fish oil for his coat, then go to the pet store and get dog-approved fish oil capsules. Yuck! What are you thinking???!” Such ignorance, whether it was written by a child or under the influence of something maybe not so healthy for the writer, simply doesn’t need any serious pet owner’s attention and as one blog participant commented, there is really nothing more to say but “Whoever said PurinaOne is a good quality dog food needs some help, I pity their dog.”. Let’s close this case right here, my point is, don’t listen to everything you see out there in cyber space. I have to say though, that I found way more intelligent comments on other blogs, all resulting in a throughout positive attitude and all in agreement that feeding the right raw fish is a positive thing to do.
I went on to other sites and it appears as if everybody is pretty much on the same page. There is nothing wrong with feeding raw fish. Except when it is fish rich in the Vitamin B destroying thiaminase, which appears to be applicable to some 50 species of fresh water and not to salt water fish. Jane Anderson, a breeder of Great Danes, boxers, Portugese Water Dogs and other breeds reports that she feeds the dogs at least one serving a week. The fish on average weigh between 1 and 2 lbs. The types of fish she says depends on whichever is most economical that week and could be blackfish, whiting, red fish, mullet, sardines, mackerel, etc.. She sometimes feeds eel if available and on occasion prawns, shark, and crab. If raw prawn shells are available, these are fed to both the cats and the dogs. She claims that her dogs love the fish heads. While for dogs that haven't experienced fish, the whole experience can be a bit overwhelming, her preference for fish is that it is fresh, whole, with scales and fins intact, and the guts still in. This then provides the dog with the ever so important "whole" food requirements. She comments with regards to canned fish that canned is only an option if whole raw fish is not available. After all, it is processed food and nothing compares with raw whole, fresh fish. And about fish bones: “some people worry about fish bones. As long as the fish is fed raw and preferably in its entire form, bones should not be an issue. I have fed fish to my dogs for over 10 plus years, and I have both top quality show dogs and companion animals. If I didn't think fish was a fabulous food source, I certainly would not feed it. I introduce fish to puppies from 4 weeks of age. I mash whole fish into their dinner and they learn from an early age to appreciate this food type. I recommend introducing fish as early as possible to dogs.” And she closes with a word of warning: “Before you go out and buy fish to feed your dog, remember it does take some dogs some time to get used to it. I'd recommend starting off with a small amount of fish at a time. Cats usually take to fish very easily.”
Some other sites are reporting of salmon poisoning, which has been recorded in cats, which contracted the disease from eating raw salmon or trout. This disease occurs within 2 weeks of the ingestion of infected food and causes the following signs: Depression, fever, lymphadenopathy or swelling of the lymph nodes, oculonasal discharge, haematemesis or vomiting blood, diarrhea, death, about 90% in untreated cases. Some fish are particularly high in oil content, and pansteatitis or yellow fat disease is caused by the intake of too much fat in the absence of adequate antioxidant. Red meat tuna has been reported to be particularly involved as a cause of this in cats. The cause of the disease is accumulation of peroxides, the end product of rancidification of fat, in the cats adipose tissue causing yellow brown discoloration.
And finally I ended up back at one of my old friend’s sites. This time it was Steve Brown, co-author of “See Spot Live Longer”, who comments under “Sardines and Eggs: Natural, Affordable Omega-3 Treats for Your Pet”. Though, surprisingly to me, he does not address the sardine as a raw feed item but in its canned form in oil, he says about the nutritional advantages: “The benefits of including long chain omega-3 fatty acids in the diets of humans, dogs and cats are well documented. Fatty acids play a major role in the functioning of the immune system and the maintenance of all hormonal systems in the body. Protection against heart disease, progressive retinal atrophy and support for brain development in the womb are just a few of the many benefits seen when these critical fats are included in our diets and those of our animals. Puppies must be supplied with sufficient DHA before birth in order for their brains and nervous systems to develop properly. If the diet of the mother is deficient in DHA, her body will supply it for the puppies as best she can, but she may never recover her optimum level, and puppies may not get enough. Puppies that do not eat enough omega-3 fatty acids will never reach their full potential. Omega-3s are critical to the functioning of the immune system and the endocrine system. Dr. John Bauer, a leading veterinary nutritionist, wrote, "Omega-3 fatty acids are critically important in pet neuromuscular development, skin health, and coat quality." (1) Dogs and cats need about 1-1.5 grams of long chain omega-3 fatty acids per 100 pounds of body weight.
The evolutionary diet of dogs and cats contained a much higher percentage of omega-3 fatty acids and fewer saturated fats than today's domesticated plants and animals normally provide, just as the diet of humans is radically different in this respect than that of early man. It's our opinion that long-chain omega-3s are essential, just as they are for humans. Pet food regulators are in the process of establishing minimum requirements for omega-3 fatty acids, but most dry and wet foods to don't contain these nutrients. Fish oil is an excellent source of both DHA and EPA Fish oils can be excellent, but they spoil easily, and quality varies considerably. Distilled oils have no contaminants, but they are highly processed foods. We use whole foods whenever we can to obtain nutrients in as close to their natural state and form as possible. In this case, it's easy! Sardines: Omega-3s in Their Natural State: Sardines are an efficient and economical way to eat omega-3s (EPA, DHA) for all of us. They may be far more popular with cats and dogs than with humans, for whom sardines are often an acquired taste! Sardines are the best choice because of the omega-3s they supply, and they don't have the heavy load of contaminants carried by larger fish either. They are small fish or immature members of a larger species, thus sardines have not had time to pick up heavy metals in their short lives.
You can add a few sardines to provide the fatty acids needed, or you can make a once a week complete meal of them. Bones are included, and the mineral ratios are perfect: Sardines are real food in its whole form. However, this isn't a meal you would want to feed your pet every day! Sardines are one of the most popular treats at our houses. They often don't make it to the bowl. They're shared among the humans and animals as a snack, a perfect high fat, high protein boost to the day. Real food is always better than any biscuit in our dogs' view!
Feeding Considerations: Be aware how much food you are adding to your dog or cat's dish when adding sardines. Reduce your animal's meals accordingly. For small animals, food adds up quickly.”
For those readers interested in the nutrient data for sardines I visited the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference to find out that there only Atlantic sardines in canned in oil form, drained solids with bone or Pacific sardines in canned in tomato sauce form are available for nutrient data review. Sardines contain the following nutrients: Protein ((amino acids: Tryptophan, threonine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, cystine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, valine, arginine, histidine, alanine, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glycine, proline, serine), water, lipid fatty acids, ash, minerals (calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, zinc, copper, manganese, selenium), vitamins (Vitamin C, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pantothenic acid, Vitamin B6, folate, choline, Vitamin B12, Vitamins A,E,D,K.

You of course have to draw your own conclusion. But I figure that with what I have learned here, sardines, because of their calcium, Omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin A and D content are a great way to provide yet another type of raw food to my pets therefore helping me in my quest for variety and for some reason I have the feeling the experience of eating a real whole sardine will be a fun food for them as well. That is for feeding whole sardine. One other option available is feeding one of the readily prepared ground raw sardine formulas. For example, Primal makes 2 varieties: One is called the Sardine Grind and contains 100% sardine meat, finely ground bones as calcium source and organs, containing 10% organ meat featuring a 1.4 to 1 calcium to phosphorus ratio consisting of wholesome hormone, antibiotic and steroid free ground meats, meaty bones and organ meats for those pet owners who prefer to add their pets’ favorite fruits, vegetables and necessary supplements. The second one, a Sardine Mix, is made of 80% sardine and 20% produce, calcium source is finely ground sardine bone, the calcium to phosphorus ratio is 1.37 to 1 and has a 10% organ meat content. This mix consists of wholesome ground hormone, antibiotic and steroid free meats, meaty bones, organ meats and finely ground certified organic fruits and vegetables for those pet owners who prefer to tailor their pets’ individual supplemental needs. Main ingredient for both products are whole sardines including bones and innards and the manufacturer says about sardines that they provide superior levels of Amino and Essential Fatty Acids. In addition, finely ground fresh sardine bones allow for optimum levels of calcium. As I pointed out earlier, Primal too does not consider sardines to be a stand alone diet and recommends these products for supplemental feeding only.
References/sources:
(1) Bauer, John. “Fatty acid metabolism in pets.” Feed Management, March 2000.
Steve Brown and Beth Taylor “See Spot Live Longer”
Feeding fish to your cats & dogs by Jane Anderson
Foods to Avoid Feeding Your Dog Veterinary & Aquatic Services Department, Drs. Foster & Smith
NJ Boxers.com Unofficial Boxer Site for All Official Boxer Lovers dedicated to BARF