Organic Raw Cat Food Recipe

Most commercial foods lack the variety of taste, texture and nutrition necessary for fulfilling the needs of a housecat. You may choose to supplement your cat's diet using organic, homemade meals, which can fill nutritional gaps and provide animals with a flavorful, earth-friendly treat. Some veterinarians like Dr. Ian Billinghurst (inventor of the Bones and Raw Food [BARF] diet) advocate the use of raw meats and bones in homemade cat foods. Raw foods must be selected, blended and prepared carefully to ensure proper nutrition.

Selecting Ingredients

Cats derive very little, if any, nutrition from fruits and vegetables. However, some cats enjoy the flavor and texture of plant-based foods, and there is no risk in adding them to homemade preparations in small amounts. Ideally, a high-protein, lean meat--such as rabbit, chicken or tuna-- should be the main ingredient in a cat food. Select lean, boneless cuts with the longest possible shelf-life. Kelp, nutritional yeast, raw egg, powdered probiotics and yogurt can add flavor and nutrition to raw cat food. Under all circumstances, the homemade food should contain a liquid multivitamin made for cats and an Omega-3 supplement made from fish oil.

Blending

Some cats prefer raw foods that have been very thoroughly blended, but others like to eat larger chunks of meat. A blender is usually sufficient to blend cat food, but tough meat may require a more durable food processor. Some cat owners like to dip meat in condiments like nutritional yeast and egg before adding the strips of meat to the blender; this can prevent extra ingredients from clumping together. Always wash the blender and serving dishes within minutes of preparing the meal-- traces of raw meat can become rancid very quickly.

Considerations

Cats benefit from eating homemade, organic foods. However, a raw-food diet can be risky if it is not approached responsibly. Cats should be given human-grade meats only--not a butcher's leftovers or a chicken breast that was left in the car overnight. If you feed seafood, use only products labeled "sushi-grade" as this assures the safety of the raw product. Long-term feeding of an unsupplemented raw food will often cause nutritional deficiencies; multivitamins are essential to a raw-fed cat's vitality. Use caution when feeding a raw diet to an old or FIV-positive cat, since they are most prone to developing foodborne illness.