Is your cat eating a species appropriate diet?

You know about the benefits of unrefined, whole or minimally processed foods free of preservatives, additives, artificial colorings, flavorings, and excitotoxins. You know how important it is to get enough protein from high quality animal products meat and omega 3-fattty acids from wild fish. If you follow a low-carb paleo or primal diet, you read about the importance of eating a species appropriate diet. You know about the benefits of limiting your carbohydrate intake and avoiding or minimizing grains and added sugars. But what are you feeding the rest of your family members?

Cat w/dry food picture courtesy Wikipedia>>>>

Feeding your feline friends
What are you feeding your feline friends? Are they eating a species appropriate diet or a highly processed, unnatural carbohydrate-rich diet? If you’re giving your cats (or dogs) cereal-based dry food and pet snacks I urge you to reconsider. 

Cats are obligatory carnivores (ditto for dogs). They require meat to survive. A cat’s digestive tract is even shorter than that of a dog or human. 

“Finding the best food for your kitten [or cat] means finding the food with the most meat,” says Elizabeth Hodgkins, veterinarian and author of Your Cat: Simple New Secrets to a Longer, Stronger Life. This rules out dry food automatically.

Is your cat eating a junk food diet?
Dr. Hodgkins explains that “Dry cat foods, even the high-priced premium brands with their high starch and over-processed nutrients, are the equivalent of junk food for pets,” adding that “kittens may have a certain tolerance for junk food, as human youngsters do. However, we want to prevent our pets from becoming addicted to unhealthy foods, just as we want that for our children. Feeding carbohydrate-loaded junk food to cats leads to several devastating diseases later in life.”

The unnaturalness of grains
Tracie Hotchner, author of The Cat Bible: Everything Your Cat Expects You to Know, seconds the motion. She explains that pet foods made primarily of cereal grains pose problem for cats and kittens.

“A cat needs a diet of protein and no more than 20% carbohydrates. A carb-heavy diet is ill-advised for a cat because it can lead to serious health issues: obesity, diabetes, digestive problems including constipation and urinary tract problems (to which cats are prone to in the first place).” It can also lead to allergies, IBS, chronic ear infection, and even cancer or heart disease.

Hotchner emphasizes that “Grains are not natural to the cat’s digestive system in anything but the smallest amounts¬¬––for example, the undigested grain and plant matter that would be in the stomachs of rodents or birds they would feed on if they were feeding for themselves in nature.” Sounds a lot like paleo diet advice for humans, eh?

Fat cats
Approximately 40% of modern cats (and dogs) are overweight or obese, like their human caretakers. They develop some of the same health problems as modern human children and adults because they are frequently fed foods that were not part of their evolutionary or historical diets until the advent of processed, packaged, and artificial foodstuff.

Grain heavy diets paired with constant access to highly stimulating food leads children, kittens, and cats to overeat. For cats, the problems can be more serious because they don’t have the option of changing their diets when they get older; they rarely leave home, unless they escape, and even then they are likely to end up in another human household where grain-based meals are the only option, particularly if they are indoor only cats.

Cultivate good habbits in kittens (and cats)
Dr. Hodgkins has observed that “kittens that become accustomed to nutritious foods during their youth will prefer and seek that same level of nutrition throughout life, leading to better health and a longer life,” explaining that feeding dry foods, which have a low moisture content, to cats and kittens, causes them to become dehydrated and to struggle to maintain normal water balance, despite drinking more water. She discusses the consequences of this in later chapters when she covers kidney disease and bladder problems.

Baby Sophie wants to look in the bag>>>

Don’t shoot the dog!
I saw an example of the adverse consequences of natural carnivores eating a starch-based diet a couple of years ago. I was visiting the home of one of my clients for kitchen coaching. I was there to go through the contents of her family’s fridge, freezer, and pantry and to make recommendations for what to keep, what to toss, and what to stock up on. Part way through the visit I heard the mother yell from the kitchen two of her kids “shoot the dog, someone shoot the dog!” 

My baffled expression was met by the explanation that their dog was diabetic and needed insulin shots. Their obese dog was suffering from the ill effects of a species inappropriate diet. The dog’s diabetes was one of many signs that the family needed a dietary overhaul. (They were all eating a starch-based diet, even the dog.) I have heard similarly sad stories about domesticated cats contracting diseases previously unheard of in their wild and captivated cousins. At the time I didn't think to recommend a BARF (bones and raw food) diet for their dog. Trust me it's better than the acronym sounds!

Photo of dog w/pig foot on right courtesy of Wikipedia

If not dry food, then what?
Dr. Hodgkins has found several brands of commercial cat food she considers nutritious alternatives to grain-based dry chow. She recommends plenty of meat in a kitten’s (or cat’s) diet, and very little or no cereal grains, fruits, or vegetables––foods she sees as inexpensive fillers that appeal to humans (the pet food purchasers who’ve been sold on the benefits of plant foods).

So what does a typical label on a reasonably healthful canned cat food container look like? “It will contain meat, meat broth, meat by-products, and a vitamin/mineral supplement for balance,” says Dr. Hodgkins who considers wheat gluten, corn gluten, and soy flour (used to increase protein content) less desirable (read: to be avoided!). I agree with her and other authors on the subject, which is why I sought out canned food free of those adulterants. I won’t get into the technicalities of what constitutes good or bad animal by-products, for that you can read her book and others like it.

The low down on label reading
Ingredients to avoid include wheat, corn gluten, soy, include corn syrup, honey and other sweeteners, BHA and BHT, ethoxyquin, propyl gallate, sodium benzoate, flavoring agents, artificial colorings, especially those with numbers following the color, such as yellow dye number whatever. Also avoid "chicken flavoring, beef flavoring, or fish flavoring." Your cat needs the real thing not faux flavorings.

Should you make your own cat food?
If you have the time and inclination, yes. It can be as simple as combining ground meat and bone mixtures with a vitamin/mineral supplement and essential fatty acids, although you’ll want to consult a book on the subject so you know exactly what to add and how much. You can also consult web sites that offer instructions for making raw cat food.

If you’re not going to make your own cat food, Hotcher recommends several brands in her book, The Cat Bible, qualifying that “it is super important to buy ONLY the flavors that are recommended of any brand (in her book). I’ve listed my (and my cats’) favorites below.

Which canned foods are best?
I buy my cats’ food in natural foods stores (Whole Foods & Trader Joe’s). I took the advice of several holistic pet care experts to be wary of and avoid the more expensive brands that contain added fruits, vegetables, and grains (other than rice) because they do not contribute essential nutrients for cats. These foods are extenders, like hamburger helper, lowering the manufacturer’s costs and at the expense of your cat’s nutritional needs. The two best brands I found contain some rice, but far less of it than dry cat food. One of these brands makes one completely grain-free flavor.

I settled on Trader Joe’s Chicken, Turkey & Rice; Turkey & Giblet; Oeanfish, Salmon & Rice. I also buy Whole Foods 365 Everyday Value canned Beef & Liver Formula (the only completely grain-free flavor!); Chicken & Rice Formula; and Ocean White Fish & Tuna. Both brands sell for 69 cents a can, which I consider reasonable; they’re the most economical canned food brands I found that fit feline needs. Note: Whole Foods Markets give a 10% discount if you buy a case (24 cans).

Helping your cat make the transition
I transitioned my first cat (then a 3 month old kitten, now a 13 month old adolescent) from heavily processed and artificial Friskies Buffet dry food, which she was accustomed to, to quality meat-based canned foods (Trader Joe’s & Whole Foods brands) in about 10 days. The appearance of her coat and bowel movements improved immediately. Recently I adopted a second kitten (about 8 weeks old); I fed her the same quality canned food from meal number one and she had no complaints and required no transition. I rotate the flavors to keep things interesting. Cats like familiarity along with a little variation.

The books lited below offer suggestions for helping your cat make the transition to low carb canned food or an all-raw meat diet. Cats, like people, get addicted to processed food and all of the appetite stimulating preservatives and additives contained in them. The longer they've been eating dry food the more challenges you may face when introducting unfamiliar food. 

For more info about care and feeding of your feline friend(s) I recommend the following books. They provide sound advice about biologically appropriate nutrition, holistic cat care, and much more.

 1) Whole Health for Happy Cats: A Guide to Keeping Your Cat Naturally Healthy, Happy, and Well-Fed by Sandy Arora
This book includes recipes for making raw pet food from ground meat and bones with added nutritional supplements. It includes info on natural pet care, how to keep your cat healthy, tips for using essential oils and other natural remedies for health problems, vaccination issues, how to know when to consult a veterinarian, and more.

2) Your Cat: Simple New Secrets to a Longer, Stronger Life by Elizabeth M. Hodgkins, D.V.M, Esq.
This book contains has a lot of information about feline nutrition and health care, about how to read a pet food label, why cats need a low carb diet, and a small amount of information about feeding your cat a raw meat diet. The author dispels many myths promoted by the processed pet food industry.

3) The Cat Bible: Everything Your Cat Expects You to Know by Tracie Hotchner
This book contains a list of brands (and flavors within in brand) of suitable cat foods and snacks that the author recommends. You’ll find info about choosing a cat, make your home cat-friendly, understanding your cat’s behavior and needs, grooming, nutrition, medical basics, and more.

Bone appetite!

Comments

[Marc Feel Good Eating]

This is great info!
Thank you!

Marc

[Chef Rachel]

Hi Marc,

Glad you found it helpful. I'm amazed at how much the info in my holistic pet care books dovetails with what I've read and learned about paleolithic nutrition. Makes sense given that all animals are designed for a particular diet and that when we deviate from it, problems ensue! I wonder how man of the authors have considered a low-carb, high protein and fat-rich diet for themselves.

I'll post about healthy cat treats next week.

Thanks for reading my blog and commenting,

Rachel

[Tommy Williams]

We have been feeding our German Shepherd food from Darwin's Natural Pet Food (http://darwinspet.com/) for several years and she has done wonderfully on it (she's 11 now). We live in the Seattle area so they deliver to our house but I think they also ship--and they now offer cat food as well.

[Chef Rachel]

I just checked out their web site and it looks great. They do cat food too. Prices look good although shipping would be pricey to where I live. I'll bet there's a company w/similar products in the Phoenix metro area.

Thank you for sharing this info. I'll post about raw, freeze dried cat/dog treats next week. I hope you'll subscribe to my blog to receive notification of new posts.

Sincerely,

Rachel

[Vin - NaturalBias]

With all the people who are overweight and sick, it's amazing that they feed their pets the same food that they eat and wonder why their cat or dog is also overweight and sick. Animals need REAL food just like we do!

Our cat absolutely loves scraps of raw meat, but interestingly, won't go near salmon. I've tried to convince my wife to feed him real food, but she feeds him prescription food that the vet recommended instead. Ground beef is a great idea that I didn't think of (probably because I don't eat it). It's cheap and easy to prepare!

Another great book worth checking out is Pottenger's Cats.

[Stone]

How can I get my dog to eat carrots... I hear they are very healthy for him, yet he is not interested in them... any tips?
thanks
Stone
Stone@itspawsablenyc.com

Check out my blog... www.itspawsablenyc.com/blog

[Chef Rachel]

Hi Stone,

Dogs can benefit from eating some raw vegetable matter mixed into their food (raw meat is best). I have friends who feed their dogs this diet and they are healthy, happy, and many have prevented and/or recovered from degenerative diseases.I suggest you check out a book on the bones and raw food diet (BARF for short). http://www.barfworld.com/

It will explain how much to mix into your dog's food, what other veggies are best for them, and provide other tips.

Best of success,
Rachel

[Chef Rachel]

Hi Vin,

Unfortunately most vets are like most doctors, trained to recommend conventional, processed foods and grain-based nutrition.

I am familiar with the Pottenger's Cats book and the video. Very interesting. Perhaps your wife will be more open to feeding your cat a raw food diet if you send her links to some of the web sites on it or bring home one or two books on the subject. Cats do need a mix of certain specific ingredients; giving them only raw meat can create some deficiencies. Cats need some organ meats, some bones or bone meal, and some supplements if you make your own pet food.

Some specialty pet stores and companies sell the ready mixed raw meat mixture for cats, frozen. You can simply thaw, then serve. Others, such as Whole Foods Market sell the ground meat for cats and dogs, to which you'd need to add certain supps (as outlined in some of the books I mentioned above) and on some web sites.

Wishing you the best,
Rachel

[Joanne of Open Mind Required]

I've been feeding my cats raw prey since 1992. I have four cats who are 16 years old in very good health.

I also have some cats who are 3 years old and a couple who are 1 year old, all of which ate raw meat since weaning.

I fed them high quality, grain-free canned food last year for about a month and a half during a move across country. I hope to never have to do that again. Most got eye infections (from the food coupled with the stress of the move), the older cats got colds, and their feces were offensive. (One of the many benefits of raw meat is relatively odorless feces.) My cats are seldom sick, and when they are I let them fast and rest until they recover.

I suppose I could be supplementing their diet with various nutrients recommended by many, but I only give them some fish oil, and eggs yolks or sardines on occasion. They eat rabbit, chicken, turkey and rarely duck Feeding My Cats Whole Raw Rabbit, Chicken, Duck and Turkey, both ground and chunked, including organs and bones plus extra chicken giblets, hearts and liver.

Once you go raw, you may never go back.

[Stone]

Thanks Rachel... I will check it out.
-Stone
www.itspawsablenyc.com/blog

[Chef Rachel]

Hi Joanne,

Do you follow a particular protocol (a book or web site) for feeding your cats an all raw diet? A good friend of mine fed his cat the Meaty Bones Diet for a while and she ate the ends of the chicken bones then sucked out the marrow. He started her on that diet really early on.

When I tried feeding my first cat raw chicken thighs and drums (boneless and bone in), she wined and looked confused and disappointed. She wasn't used to having to bite and tear into it. It was so unfamiliar to her. She was already eating canned food at that point. She's definitely healthier on that than she was on dry food.

I also tried giving her the ground raw chicken (for pets) sold at Whole Foods Market and she didn't care for it. I've heard the raw meat doesn't have as strong a smell and than canned food. I welcome any tips you have for transitioning a cat to an all raw diet.

Thanks for reading my blog!
Rachel

[Joanne of Open Mind Required]

Hi, Rachel:

I originally based the diet on the book Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats by Kymythy Schultze, which suggests mimicking live prey by providing meat, bones, organs and vegetation found in the prey's stomach. A vet in Oregon also recommended 30 percent plant matter. My cats have lived off that diet up to about 3 months ago when I removed vegetation.

Now they do not get any plant matter other than occasional small treats (rib of romaine, cucumber, avocado, fruit).

Transitioning a processed food cat to raw takes time. You have to introduce a little bit of raw at a time, preferably ground up. Just mix a teaspoon in with the food and then increase the raw portion every few days until it's all raw. Moving to whole prey will then be easier as the animal is accustomed to the smell (or perhaps lack of).

When I started feeding my cats whole chunks this year the older cats were mystified but the young ones took to it. (They had had the opportunity to hunt on my property in Oregon last year; the old ones lived indoors their whole life.)

Cats, like humans, have preferences. Everybody loves chunks of rabbit but Puddy won't touch it and Tip-Toe promptly throws it up. Everybody but Agnes eats chicken chunks. Everybody loves ground turkey and they tolerate ground chicken. Arthur has been known to steal steak off my plate. Sardines are also a hit, but only in small amounts mixed with their food. (Vomited sardine looks like melted duct tape!)

The whole chunks have really helped with their dental hygiene, so I now rotate a diet of ground turkey with whole rabbit and whole chicken (chunked, of course), an egg a week, some fish oil, and sardines.

Let me know if you need any other information. I'm happy to help kitties everywhere.

[Chef Rachel]

Thanks for your tips, Joanne! I think I tried to transition Sophie too quickly from canned to raw meat.

A good friend of mine gives his cats chicken legs and they clean the bones, eat the ends, suck out he marrow, and love it. He started them as kittens. I'll have to experiment with mine. I'm happy w/the results of canned over dry and am curious to see how much healthier they'd be on all raw.

[Joanne of Open Mind Required]

I think the bones help keep their teeth clean and their jaws and teeth strong. Good luck.

[Julie]

(Sorry, I forgot to spell check my last post!)

I'm also aware of the Pottenger's cat studies. When I visited Thailand last year I was able to go into some very rural areas thanks to my friend who was working in the Peace Corps.

I've grown up with cats and am very aware of their range of temperaments. When I was in that region of Thailand, every cat I met was extremely docile and friendly, almost a complete 180 from most cats you see in the Western world. They weren't scared, shy, hesitant, or combative even to complete strangers. I commented about how chill these cats were numerous times to my husband and he agreed. I couldn't help but remember the Pottenger cats.

The cats in this specific village in Thailand weren't fed a cereal based diet. They lived off the land and ate only what they caught themselves, yet were domesticated and extremely friendly!

I also had a question about species appropriate dog food. You mainly talk about cat food in your blog, but I was wondering if you knew more about dog food. We've been feeding our dog Innova's EVO brand dog food for awhile now to great success. It's one of the highest protein dog foods on the market. It contains no fillers, no by-products, no corn, soy, wheat, etc. It's only natural and also has vegetables and fruits in it.

I noticed you stated that cats don't need a full range of fruits and vegetables in their diet...but do dogs? Most of the higher end (highly nutritious) dog foods I see DO have fruits and vegetables. Thanks Rachel!

[Chef Rachel]

Hi Julie,

Thanks for your post and questions. I mainly focus on cats since I own two and don't have any dogs. From the research I've done on natural diets for dogs (Bones & Raw Food Diet and others like it), it appears that dogs do well with some raw or freeze dried vegetable and possibly fruit matter in their diets. I'm not familiar with EVO dog food but it sounds great from what I read on their web site. I'll see about getting samples to try on my kitties!

Thanks!
Rachel