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Blog

No Wonder You're Confused!

9/21/2013

33 Comments

 
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More than a decade of running this crazy little website has brought in thousands of questions and comments from many smart, concerned, and discerning site visitors.  Since I began using social media as another way of getting the word out, however, the volume of questions has skyrocketed. I can often refer folks to an exist FAQ or page on the website. But I'm seeing that even that sometimes doesn't get at the real heart of the matter or answer the more fundamental questions that underpin the messages filling up my inbox each day. 

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As the speed of information-sharing moves into overdrive, emails and social media messages are taking on a more desperate tone.  Committed cat caregivers have a serious case of Conflicting Information Fatigue. And often I'm at a loss to give them satisfying answers - not only because of the limits of my knowledge, but because there are lots of voices out there that offer up advice that contradicts mine. 

Commiserating the other day with my dear friend Terri Grow of PetSage, she said something that put all of this into a sharper focus.  It goes like this: there are now scores of seemingly authoritative sources out there with wildly differing perspectives on the issue of feeding cats; even the most shrewd and critically-thinking of caregivers couldn't be anything but baffled. 

First there's the confusion growing out of whether it's a good idea to feed raw food at all:  

  • The American Veterinary Medical Association, the association representing more than 84,000 veterinarians, published in August 2012 an official policy discouraging raw feeding.  
  • Most vets don't want to defy the organization that represents them or risk losing the respect of their colleagues, so when a client shows up and asks about raw feeding, the likelihood seems high that they'll default to discouraging it. 
  • The new response offered by many mainstream vets about home-prepared diets, if a client is insistent on this option, is to advise that the client find a professional veterinary nutritionist to formulate a diet.  

Further complicating all this?  Another layer of confusion. Recipes for homemade food are all over the map in terms of ingredients.  I had the opportunity this past week to look over about half a dozen recipes prepared by professional veterinary nutritionists for their cat clients and found myself puzzled (understatement) to see that they almost invariably included ingredients that cannot be reconciled with the science and accumulated wisdom and knowledge on feline nutrition that's been published by leading lights in that same field.  

  • Most conspicuous were ingredients that provide virtually no biologically available nutrition to carnivores - ingredients that can aggravate or trigger gastrointestinal disorders (examples include kale, spinach, cauliflower, green beans, lentils, chard, and split peas). 
  • Head-scratching were suggestions for ingredient substitutes that made no sense; one recipe, for example, included fish oil - presumably as a source of Essential Fatty Acids - but noted that flax seed oil was an acceptable substitute.  Except it's actually not - since cats cannot derive what's needed EFA-wise from plant-based (i.e., flax seed) sources.  
  • Worse were ingredients like garlic that we know to actually have properties that are toxic to cats if dosages are too high.  
  • Troubling too were vague measurements listed for ingredients (add a dash of kelp . . . ) that supply critical nutrients which we know cats are extremely sensitive to - and for which either too much or too little can be detrimental.  

So. AVMA doesn't want you feeding raw.  Your vet may not want you to either.  But then the cooked recipe you get from a vet can't be reconciled with what you know about a cat's biology from the literature published by the veterinary scientist professionals.  Whaaa? 

Finally, none of all that even touches on the scores of recipes floating around on the Internet by lay people (and indeed, this website falls squarely into that category) that you don't know whether to trust.  It's not like there's an Arbiter of Raw Truth Committee to turn to for a verified due diligence check on which are good and which are bad. Throw in the marketing machine of the pet food industry with its dire warnings about the dangers of home-prepared, and especially raw, diets and you're awash in both conspicuous and subliminal messaging that scares the crap out of you when you consider doing it yourself.  It doesn't help that even among the raw feeding world, there's an unhealthy dose of unhelpful snarking, name-calling, and sometimes distasteful finger-pointing injected into what should be civilized debate. Who wants to join that club?  

You don't know who to believe and your head spins faster than Linda's Blair's in The Excorcist.   

Grains are healthy. Grains are deadly. Grinding is sensible. Grinders are bad. Vegetables are healthy. Vegetables kill your cat. You're gonna die of salmonella. Raw meat cures. Raw meat kills. Beware of raw. Embrace raw. Be afraid. Vets know best. Vets know nothing about nutrition. Do it my way and only my way.

Jumpin' Jehosophat - no wonder so many astute people are stumped. I thought it was a pain in the gluteus a dozen years ago when I first began the dizzying work sorting out fact from fiction and deciding  whether and how to feed a raw diet to my critters. The information explosion - heightened by intra-raw-feeding-world sniping - since then made it worse.

If your head is spinning?  Congratulations - you're human.  

With all the usual caveats about how I know that there are many successful ways to feed raw food to cats and that I'm not a veterinarian, here are the five principles that this lay person uses to guide herself through this confounding thicket.  
  • Assemble as many original-source facts as you can. Get your hands on the best original and unbiased sources of information on cat nutrition.  Use that as your center of decision-making gravity.  When you're looking at a recipe or a food ingredient label, reference that unbiased information as a sanity check on whether a particular formulation makes sense.
  • Think critically.  Critically evaluate any emphatic, sweeping - and often emotionally manipulative - assertion about cat diets that leaves no apparent room for examination or questions.  Examples include:  "Homemade diets are unbalanced"; "All commercial cat food is junk," "Every cat does best on a raw diet," "Vets always know best."  It's not that there aren't some emphatic statements that are untrue - but be a little suspicious at first and investigate for yourself. 
  • Make decisions based on information, not on fear.  Take a few breaths, get yourself quiet and smooth inside, and select a diet for your cat that rests on a solid foundation of reliable information. Be wary of anyone who pushes you to make a decision that rests solely on fear.  
  • Follow the money.  Pulling the money thread to discover who benefits financially from giving out advice helps put some of the confusing information into clear perspective.  
  • Trust time.  I feel better using a recipe that's stood the test of time. One of the tipping points for me in favor of the diet recipe developed by Natascha Wille was that she and others I knew had used it for years with great success. I liked that I could trace the rationale for every ingredient to a source about cat biology that I trusted. 

Wait.  There's a sixth principle too.  Keep your good humor. When you're elbow deep in mind-numbing nutrient tables and just spent the last six hours hunting down that one solitary reference to how much taurine is supposedly in a mouse but you can't find it and your life is passing you by and you're ready to abandon all hope and fill the stupid gravity feeder with neon-colored kibble because what the hell at least it's pretty?  Go watch a Simon's Cat video or listen to a Mel Brooks and Carl Reiner audio about the 2000-year old man. Take a few breaths. 

Then hug your cat.  

33 Comments
Terri link
9/21/2013 07:04:32 am

Thank you, Anne, for sharing and for hopefully opening more discussions and putting to rest many apprehensions of feeding raw diets to our pets. Done knowledgeably and wisely, our animals thrive!

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Anne
9/21/2013 05:25:16 pm

The thanks should go to YOU, Terri, for being such an effective voice for sanity in the world of feeding and caring for animals.

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Connie link
9/21/2013 10:09:33 am

Great post. reminds me a lot of what I would tell owners of newly diagnosed diabetic cats.

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Anne
9/21/2013 05:24:01 pm

Thank you, Connie!

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Constance
9/21/2013 12:16:56 pm

Anne, just a bit of levity, but it reminds me of that saying "opinions are like assholes, everybody has one." All I can say is that my holistic vet confirmed that the diet you recommended to me is quite well rounded. His is much less so, truth be told, however it is with great relief that I have found a vet that is 100% behind raw or cooked homemade diets as both a preventitive and a curative for many illnesses that plague our pets today.

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Anne
9/21/2013 05:26:28 pm

You've hit pay dirt finding a vet that supports your decision to feed the way you feel best about, Constance!

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Melike Uzun
9/21/2013 10:40:42 pm

Thank you Anne,

You really changed my world view, really. I started to think "what if the majority was wrong". I was a person who thought "vets always know best". After I discovered your website, I started to do my own search after I get "any" advice/comment/information from "anyone".
Occupation doesn't always grant the best or the most honest information. History teachers are good examples.

And I love Simon's Cat videos. Thank you for making me watch it for the eightieth time:)

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Anne link
9/21/2013 10:51:06 pm

You're more than welcome, Melike! Thanks for taking the time to read the blog. And you're welcome on the Simon's Cat video :)

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Carina
9/28/2013 03:43:58 am

Hi there, I want to start making homemade food for my cats but my baby Princess was diagnosed with a Mast Cell Tumor and shes on prednisone now, and so they said a raw diet while on prednisone or chemo isn't good because of the increased risk of getting salmonella or e coli. etc, if I make the food as you say but instead of feeding it thawed, bake it and then serve it? Does this work as well? I see no where on either your site or catinfo.org on whether I can fully cook this food. Thanks!!

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Anne link
9/28/2013 08:35:20 am

I'm sorry about Princess' diagnosis, Carina. Not being a vet, I can't confirm whether the immunosupressive action of the steroid dose your cat is on is sufficient to make raw feeding unsafe. I wouldn't advise baking the recipe on the site since it contains bones, and cooked bones can be very unsafe for cats. The other unknown is how much nutrient value is lost from cooking - I'm afraid I just don't know the answer to that.

Not sure what you're feeding now, but perhaps you could look into a high-quality canned food that is grain- and vegetable-free? You might look into Wysong for that - their au jus line perhaps.

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Constance Stamaas
9/28/2013 12:01:53 pm

Anne, the only problem with the Wysong Au jus is that it does not contain anything but the meat and guar gum. It is designed for both cats and dogs and is meant only as a treat food. It does not have any additional supplementation. No taurine especially. I am looking at a can right now and it said it is only intended for intermittent or supplemental feeding. It is a great bribe food for the raw tho. Calypso loves it... A little too much!

Anne link
9/28/2013 09:25:13 pm

Good point - Constance. By adding Wysong's "Call of the Wild" top-dressing - a product they sell to make au jus a complete diet - one can feed that diet more than intermittently. That powder contains the calcium and other ingredients to round out the phosphorus in the meat with needed nutrients.

leticia
10/14/2013 01:55:10 pm

I'm one with the head spinning. Thanks for the message and all the good information. So, we should keep away from pre-mix including kelp, right? A friend of mine gave me a bag of Feline Instance and it's one of its ingredients. I wasn't sure about if give it to my kitty or not.
She's getting raw since August and I still have a lot of questions and some doubts. We should avoid B complex that include synthetic form of Folato and B 12? And then her poop has got rather darker than before, is this normal? whatever it is, I'm determinate to continuing giving to her raw:)

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Valerie
12/3/2013 01:13:10 am

Thank you so much for this website and the immense amount of work it must have taken. Soon as I pay off the credit card bill for the humungous Vet bill, I promise to donate, really. Can you tell me HOW to "follow the money thread"? My new vet's office has tons of commercial/Rx dry food out front. This tells me something, something probably not good, but at the least it tells me to think for myself regarding my cat's newly diagnosed IBD and his diet. Due to the rural area I live in my choices are limited in choosing a vet. To make it short, I want to research the relationship between my vet and the food companies in order to plan my strategy for discussion with her. Googling the subject is not getting me anywhere. Do you have advice on what/where to further my understanding of this proprietary relationship? Do they get funds for prescribing, free food or supplies. How deep is this issue, and should I just look for a vet further away who does not sell food? Tomorrow my cat will have dental work at this vet, and already I must insist they not use certain drugs-from my research--thanks again. Heaven forbid they ask my what he has been eating which is NOT the "hypoallergenic" food they sold me. EEGADS, my cat needs help and they are going to think I am NUTS. Plan to ask this equine vet--if I have to--if her horse was sick, would she force him to eat steak and fish?

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Anne link
12/3/2013 02:09:51 am

Hi Valerie - it's rare to find a vet that ISN'T hawking dry "prescription" food. For many vet clinics, selling it is a moneymaker - it augments the income they get from their other services. You will be very hard pressed to find a vet that isn't selling those inferior foods, sadly - often the best you can hope for is a vet who doesn't argue with you when you won't feed them.

The relationship with vets is cultivated by the pet food industry early on in their veterinary studies, with the larger pet food companies "teaching" many of the nutrition segments of their training and often offering freebies and other incentives to stay friendly with the company. There's nothing "illegal" about it - but to my mind, it does raise questions about the objectivity and science that underpins a vet's decision to push a given food.

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Missy
2/7/2014 04:07:02 am

Dear Anne, do I add the lite salt when using quail? With rabbit, I read that I omit the lite salt due to the high bone to meat ratio. It seems like it would be the same when using the quail from Hare Today.

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Anne link
2/7/2014 04:09:53 am

The lite salt is there in the recipe not because of issues related to ratios of meat to bone, but because we are feeding relatively "blood-less" meats that lack the iodine and potassium in a cat's natural prey. I personally always add the lite salt to meat, regardless of the source. I used to use kelp and dulse for this purpose in the recipe, but stopped doing that because the amount of iodine in various brands of kelp and dulse varied so very widely and the inconsistency worried me.

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BookwormDragon
2/7/2014 05:56:22 am

Ah, the perfect post for posting questions, right? :)
First, I can't afford a large outlay on supplies right now, but I do have a food processor. I know the organic, free-range, antibiotic-free chicken is the best, but I can't afford that. Is a mix of boneless, skinless chicken thighs & breasts (the cheap non-organic ones), duck heart & liver okay? Boneless because I don't have a grinder and there's no point buying something I'll just have to throw away. And skinless because you can't get boneless with the skin still on. No chicken hearts here, but duck hearts, liver, and turkey gizzards can be found. I have a limit of $50 out of pocket for a month's worth of food. Currently, I feed several varieties of Best Feline Friends (the low carb ones) canned, but there's so much tuna (which she LOVES), I'm worried it might be bad for her (she's doing great so far, compared to when she was on dry food) in the long run.
My second worry is sanitation. I feed her on the same dishes the family eats off of, and the plates are then washed with ours. But we don't have a dishwasher - everything is washed by hand. We also don't use bleach in the house, because we don't want her or us exposed to it. Soap and vinegar only. Given that we can't sterilize the dishes in a dishwasher, do you think feeding her raw would be safe at this time?

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Anne link
2/7/2014 11:05:23 am

Boneless/skinless breast is not the greatest choice - but mostly my worry is feeding what you describe because I don't see any calcium mentioned in the mix. If you're not adding bone, then you'll need a calcium source - have a look at the recipe on the website for an amount to use.

I don't think a dishwasher is required to really get dishes clean. Clean up the way you would handling any raw meat in your kitchen with hot soapy water and drying with a clean towel.

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Missy
2/7/2014 06:40:45 am

I'm sorry, I was confused. The bone/meat ratio is why I add more muscle meat. I meant to ask because the ground rabbit had its internal organs, including the thyroid and we don't add the lite salt when using the whole rabbit, if the quail included a thyroid and if so, if it was enough. Thank you so much for your prompt answers to my questions.

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joan
2/17/2014 04:46:09 am

Thank you for all your info. I want to start feeding raw and i ordered a meat grinder. I have been searching for recipes and everything i have read said a cat needs taurine. How come it isnt in the supplements in the recipe on this site?? This leaves me so confused.

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Anne link
2/17/2014 05:03:00 am

Hi Joan,

A cat indeed needs taurine - which is in plentiful supply in meat and especially in heart - which is in the recipe on my site (along with a suggestion to add supplemental Taurine).

Best,

Anne

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Amanda Coffin
3/31/2014 10:34:50 pm

Bless you for this post! I have come to trust your recipes, and I'm fortunate enough to have vets that endorse them, as well. Getting the cats on board, however, is another story, and I have more than once sat back and told myself that wringing their furry little necks is kind of missing the point. I'll keep breathing, keep grinding up meat, and keep reading your posts. :-)

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Anne link
4/1/2014 12:20:14 am

Hi Amanda - sorry you're dealing with stubborn felines! Have you tried the "sprinkle a teensy bit of Fortiflora" trick?

Anne

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Heather Moon link
1/3/2020 03:58:01 am

hello Amanda Coffin,
From my research ( very much still in progress), Anne's recipe looks wonderful, but I really want a vet I can work with who endorses the recipe!!! Do you think you could please let me know vets who do!! Thank you!
Heather

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Teresa
6/14/2014 12:19:39 am

Hi, my vet says Misty has Idiopathic Cystitis which is a disease and nothing we can do.. $350 later went to get a second opinion. Test results show stones and crystals. Urine analysis shows crystals are caused by the Liver, and has no urinary infection. New vet put her on Royal Canin, Urinary S/O Wet for the next 2-3 weeks, he has had great results. If this doesn't work more test on the liver needs to be done. No dry at all. Trying to understand the ingredients, goggled but no direct answer. Has Crude Protein (g1000kcal) 82.1. Crude Fat same cal @59.1. What does it mean when they say "crude"? Magnesium is .02, he wanted her on a low dose, initially thinking the mag causing the cyrstals. I'm concerned about the Pork and Chicken bi-product is this a filler? Before the 2nd opinion we started Taz & Misty both on naturally wet food, he says there is too much meat, but is open to this idea of natural once she gets better. I know you can't diagnose, just want to know your thoughts and suggestion. We are so confused on the different information on the net.
Thanking you in advance.
Teresa

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Teresa
1/26/2015 02:03:37 am

Thank you Anne! I will look at the link you sent me for Dr Lisa.

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Anne link
6/14/2014 12:22:40 am

Hi Teresa - I'm so sorry for what you're going through with your cat. You're right, though - I can't really diagnose or recommend. What I can do, however, is point you to Dr. Lisa Pierson's wonderful and informative page on feline urinary tract issues - http://www.catinfo.org/?link=urinarytracthealth

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Sally
8/18/2014 07:16:23 pm

One of my cats had several bouts of pancreatitis and was a skinny little thing. He was put on Royal Canin GI but didn't thrive and didn't like it. In the meantime I did my own investigations on the condition and eventually tracked you down, Now all my cats eat raw and my pancreatic boy has never looked better or had more energy. I also looked round the supermarket shelves and was horrified that 99% or more contain carbohydrate and sugar. No wonder there is an epidemic of feline diabetes and dental problems (which the cat food manufacturers kindly solve by creating more specialised diets). So thank you. your work is appreciated

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Anne link
8/18/2014 09:19:40 pm

Sally - thanks so much for the generous comments. I am so glad you found a solution for your wonderful fellow! It is staggering to see the junk that's on the shelves, isn't it?

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Missy
9/4/2014 11:30:34 pm

Hello Anne,
I want to thank you for this website and all the information you provide to take care of our special friends.

I was wondering, when you use the 5 pound package of ground rabbit from Hare Today, you stated that you use 2 pounds of chicken hearts. Do I adjust the recipe for the supplements or do I add them as I would for the regular recipe for 4.5 pounds of muscle meat( chicken or turkey)? If so, please instruct me as to how much. Thank you in advance for your help.

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Heidi
1/11/2015 02:36:04 am

Hi Anne,
I've been reading a great deal about raw feeding, I'm currently feeding RadCat to my 3 cats, but the cost is too much - so I will be making my own food. My only question at this point is the differing amounts of supplements between your recipe and Dr. Pierson's recipe for "boneless" (going to start with that before I invest in a grinder to make sure the cats eat it!). For instance, per 3 pounds of meat: catnutrition.org says 4 tbsp of bone meal, while catinfo.org says 2 tbsp + 1 tsp. Or, catnutrition: 4 egg yolks - catinfo: 2 egg yolks. Or, catnutrition: 800 IU vitamin E - catinfo: 400 IU.
I'm confused! Each states per 3 pounds of meat - but supplements are very different.

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Anne link
1/11/2015 02:47:17 am

Hi Heidi - Dr. Pierson's basic recipe (the one with bones) works with half the amount of meat as the one on my site - note that my recipe includes chicken hearts to up the amount of taurine-rich muscle meat in the recipe. Also note that in the 'boneless recipe' on my site, there's nearly another pound of heart plus 14 oz of liver.

On her 'with bone' recipe, she starts with three pounds of meat bone, but mine starts with 4.4 pounds (plus then the ~1lb of heart plus .5 pounds of liver)

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