Even if a commercial pet food claims it "meets nutritional requirements", it is designed to be a convenience food that lasts longer than fresh food.
Think about processed food for humans: we know they are not the healthiest choice for us, yet we tend to buy it because it's quick, easy and lasts longer on our pantry shelves.
Same goes for processed pet foods. They are unnatural and not what dogs or cats would eat in the wild.
Kibble tends to be full of preservatives and grain additives such as rice, wheat and corn which compromise about 50% of processed cat foods and are used simply to hold the food together.
Cats are obligate carnivores and although carbohydrates can be used as a source of metabolic energy, they have a limited capacity for carbohydrate digestion.
Cats have mouths and teeth meant for ripping and tearing meat, they lack the salivary amylase to digest carbohydrates which leads it to the stomach and changes the pH. A kibble fed cats pH becomes more alkaline at a 4-5. A raw fed cats pH is more acidic at 1-2 allowing them to properly digest their food.
Kibble provides your cat with little to no hydration. Cats are very prone to UTI’s and bladder stones. Raw food can contain up to 70% moisture which ensures your cat is staying hydrated and in turn helps the kidneys function properly.
Cats get attached to food and are notoriously picky so it is more difficult to transition them in comparison to a dog. The earlier you start your kitten on raw the easier it will be!
Our number one recommendation for raw cat food is Fare Game by Big Country Raw. It meets the NRC (National Research Council) requirements and comes in the convenience of 2-3 proteins per box. Each box is 2 lbs and each patty is 1/2 lbs
For switching a picky cat we would recommend starting off with gradually mixing canned food with the raw overtime doing less of the canned food and more raw!
Some cats may only eat freeze dried raw for some time and the best recommendation would be Feline naturals, it is a favourite among all my cats and has incredible ingredients and sourcing! If they take to the freeze dried, then try mixing in some Fare Game!
It can be as easy as 1 day or it could take up to 4 weeks! The key is to be patient and find out what your cat likes best, some cats will prefer a certain protein with a certain texture at a certain temperature. Remember that you are doing the best thing for their health!
At Poochie Moochie Edmonton we believe that a species appropriate diet can prevent and manage many health ailments, check out our other blogs to learn more!