Is it possible to feed a cat with raw meat and what are the limitations?

When planning a cat diet, many caring owners consider such a component as raw meat. It is believed that the cat, being an absolute predator, feels a natural need for this product. However, some owners of cats and cats are convinced that it is impossible to treat animals with raw meat.

In the wild, raw meat is a basic component of a predator's diet. By consuming it, animals provide themselves with the energy they need for full development and growth. Meat is the most valuable source of amino acids that play a decisive role in the formation of muscle tissue. One of the most important for the cat's body is the sulfur-containing amino acid: taurine.

Taurine deficiency leads to deterioration of animal health, blindness, hair loss, the development of cardiovascular and endocrine diseases. For cats, this amino acid is indispensable, so it must be included in the composition of modern feed. Products containing vegetable protein are not able to compensate for the lack of substances of animal origin. They are absorbed worse by the feline organism, therefore it is impossible to replace the sources of animal protein with them. In addition, taurine is not found in foods rich in vegetable protein.

According to veterinarians, poor-quality product can be a potential source of threat to the health of the animal. The most common negative consequences that can occur after feeding a cat with raw meat of poor quality are:

• helminths;
• infectious diseases.

Often there are also situations where caring owners feed their cats and cats with raw meat of high fat content. Fatty meats (lamb, pork, some poultry) create exorbitant pressures on the animal’s body, and are hard and poorly absorbed. In some cases, such food can cause vomiting and gastrointestinal disorders, in others - the cause of endocrine diseases and disorders.

You can use different types of meat.

• From time to time it is allowed to pamper your pet. lean beef. This product is rich in protein and taurine, but it contains a minimal amount of fat. Before you treat a pet, the meat must be subjected to heat treatment.
• Lean lamb - Another type of meat that is allowed to contribute to the cat diet. As in the case of beef, lamb should be thermally processed in advance. Both types of meat are allowed to be used in the diet of the animal every day, but in small quantities.
• Rabbit meat - dietary hypoallergenic product, which is characterized by easy digestibility, low calorie content and soft fibrous structure. Such meat is recommended to feed animals with poor health, overweight, renal failure. Before you make this product in the diet of a pet suffering from any chronic diseases, it is necessary to consult with a veterinary specialist.
• Chicken meat - dietary digestible product containing a large amount of protein.Useful properties of chicken allow you to use it in the diet of both young and elderly animals. It is important to note that the menu of a cat or cat should include only high-quality chicken, which passed all stages of sanitary and veterinary control. It is strictly not allowed to feed pets with chicken of dubious quality: for example, if there is a suspicion that the product may contain antibiotics or hormones.
• Offal (heart, lungs, liver, scar, kidney) veterinarians also recommend making in the diet of animals. However, the norm should not exceed 200 g per week. Before you treat a cat or a cat with a similar delicacy, the by-product should be cleaned of films, fat and vein residues, cut into pieces and scalded with boiling water, then cooled.
• Planning to treat a pet beef liverIt is important to take into account that, in its raw form, this product activates the activity of the intestines, and, in boiled form, on the contrary, produces a fixing effect. In case of non-compliance with the recommended standards and the lack of processing of the product, the pet may experience both diarrhea and constipation.

Other types of meat that can be given to animals after a light heat treatment:

• horsemeat;
• veal;
• goat meat;
• turkey;
• quail.

Before you give the cat meat, it should be cut into small pieces. In this form, the product is easier and more convenient to subject to heat treatment. In addition, the animal will be easier to eat chopped meat than to cope with a huge piece. To a greater extent, this concerns kittens and older animals with erased or broken teeth.

Heat treatment - the main way to make the product safe for human consumption. This treatment is heat and cold.

• Cooking - type of heat treatment of meat, which allows destroying potential sources of danger (helminth eggs, pathogens of infectious diseases). To process the product, it must be divided into small pieces and boil them in boiling water for 5 minutes.
• Scalding also reduces the probable risks of a helminth or intestinal infection of a pet. With this type of processing, the meat must be cut into small pieces and several times pour around with a copious stream of boiling water.
• Freezing - type of heat treatment of meat, which allows to reduce the likelihood of infection of a pet with intestinal parasites. For full processing, the product should be kept in the freezer for at least several hours. More reliable processing results are provided by freezing for 2–4 days.

Representatives of the cat family are allowed to feed both raw and boiled meat. Previously, the product should be divided into small pieces with dimensions of about 1.5 × 1.5 cm. It is impossible to give the animal both boiled and raw meat. For the assimilation of such products requires different types of enzymes that can create unnecessary loads on the pet. A great addition to the meat are various vegetable side dishes. According to veterinarians, the combination of meat and vegetables is optimal for the body to assimilate the animal.

Additionally, it is recommended to add a small amount of olive oil to the vegetable side dish. Kittens, elderly animals and weakened pets who have undergone surgery or any disease are advised to give fresh, high-quality minced meat. In this case, the product subjected to freezing, you can not handle steam or boiling water.

It is strictly forbidden to feed animals fatty lamb and pork. And also banned meat ducks and geese, harmful because of high fat content. It is highly undesirable to treat pets and fatty meat, cleaned of fat pieces.The product used for feeding cats should be exactly lean. To avoid serious digestive problems, cats and cats can not be fed smoked and fried meat. Such products create dangerous loads on the pancreas, and in some cases can cause gastrointestinal disorders.

Products that have obvious signs of deterioration (foul odor, changed color, the presence of mucus and dark spots on the surface) are prohibited. You can not feed pets with canned meat and sausages. Their essential ingredients are preservatives, stabilizers, color and flavor enhancers, and spices. All of these components are harmful to the body of cats. In some cases, such additives can cause allergic reactions and digestive problems.

How to feed a cat with natural products, see below.