The way you feed your cats is such an individual choice — both when it comes to what the humans are able and willing to provide, and what works best for your cat. Some cats are on specialized diets for their health, and others are perfectly happy to chow down on kibble (my own cats have never been ones to turn their nose up at any food, as long as it's edible). Many cats regularly enjoy wet food, while some cats even eat food that their humans created for them right in their own kitchens. There are so many different options!
But there's one option that doesn't tend to get a lot of attention, and that's the raw food diet. Yes, there are people out there who feed their cats raw meat, and one of them is sharing her routine with us in a video on TikTok.
On Monday, June 10, Maine Coon breeder @wildmane_mainecoons shared a peek at what meal time looks like for her cats, and it's very simple. Basically, she grabs a plate, dishes out their raw, ground beef, pouring a little bit of water on top to keep it moist and easy to eat.
Clearly, her kitties are loving it — they all went to town eating their food as soon as it hit the counter.
In a comment, she explained why she feeds her cats raw food: "Dry food is lower in protein than wet/ raw food and cats are obligate carnivores so they can’t digest carbs as easily as humans or dogs. I try to limit my cats dry food and try to feed wet/raw as much as possible but they still have dry food out to nibble on!"
It's important to distinguish that this isn't just ground beef she picked up at the grocery store; she's actually feeding her cats food from a company that specializes in raw meats for cats called Viva Raw.
Can Cats Safely Eat Raw Meat?
The answer to this question is yes and no.
The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) actually recommends against feeding your cats raw food because it may be contaminated with stuff that could make your cats really sick, like salmonella, E. Coli, or listeria, to name a few. And it's not just your cats who could become ill from eating the food; the humans in their lives could get sick from handling it, too.
If you do want to try out a raw meat diet, it may help to go with one of the companies that processes it specifically for cat consumption, like Viva Raw or We Feed Raw, which reduces the risk of those contaminants in the food. For example, Viva Raw says they test for those contaminants listed above, along with carefully monitoring ingredients as well as the temperatures the meat is kept at.
It's always a good idea to consult your vet before starting your cat on a new diet , whatever you choose. They can help you decide what the best path to take might be.
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