A raw diet for cats involves feeding them uncooked animal products. This includes muscle meat, organ meat, and bones. This type of food is sometimes called the BARF diet, which stands for “bones and raw food” or “biologically-appropriate raw food.”
The ideal raw diet for cats is prepared based on a carefully designed recipe. Many cat owners choose to prepare these diets themselves at home, but commercial forms are also available. If you choose to feed your cat a raw diet, it should be one that has been determined complete and balanced by a veterinary nutritionist. Cats that eat an imbalanced diet are at risk for a variety of health issues.
Why Consider It?
Felines are obligate carnivores.2 In short, this means they must eat animal products to survive. Cats don’t actually need vegetables and carbohydrates in their diets. In fact, they can only tolerate carbohydrates in small amounts. Instead, cats thrive on high-protein, high-moisture diets that are rich in substances only found in meat. This includes amino acids such as taurine, fatty acids, and other essential vitamins and minerals.
Supporters of raw food diets believe that cooking meat can alter or decrease these vital substances. They advocate for a biologically-appropriate diet that closely mimics what a cat would eat in the wild. In general, small wild cats hunt and eat rodents and other small mammals, birds, fish, insects, and even reptiles. When it comes to feeding your own cat raw food, the idea is to create a diet that is similar.
There is much controversy revolving around raw food diets for pets. Those who support raw food diets have much to say about the health benefits: coats are shinier, teeth stay cleaner, obesity is prevented, and overall health is better. While these claims tend to ring true, the opposition has valid concerns about the safety of raw food diets.
Are Raw Food Diets Safe?
It is important to know that feeding raw food to your cat does come with some risks. Raw food may contain pathogens like Salmonella and E. coli that can lead to serious life-threatening infections. Cooking food removes most of these pathogens, which is why we humans tend to cook our food.
Cats often digest raw foods better than humans because they have shorter, more acidic digestive tracts. Many pathogens will pass through a cat without causing any issues. Most cats will tolerate raw food, but those with health concerns (such as immune-mediated disease) may need cooked food.
Perhaps the greatest risk of feeding and handling raw meat comes down to cross-contamination. Feeding your cat a raw food diet can expose you and other people in your home to dangerous pathogens. Pathogens may remain on preparation surfaces, food dishes, in cat fecal matter and even on your cat (especially around the face).
Raw diets should not be fed to cats living in homes with immune-compromised individuals. They should also be avoided in households with young children and/or elderly people.
While it’s impossible to eliminate all risk, there are some ways to try to be safer when feeding a raw food diet to your cat:
Prepare the food in a contained area of the home; clean and sanitize thoroughly when don. (use a 1:32 bleach to water solution if possible)
Wear gloves when handling raw meat
Handle food frozen when possible
Use meat ingredients from a reliable source
Feed your cat in an area that is easy to clean (no carpeting or upholstery nearby)
Sanitize food bowls immediately after feeding (scrub clean, then use a 1:32 bleach to water solution, then rinse and dry bowls)
Bones are another safety concern when it comes to raw food diets. Some small whole bones or pieces of bones can cause complications such as gastrointestinal obstructions, oral injuries, and airway obstructions. If animal bones are included in your cat’s raw food diet, they should be ground up well.
One of the biggest mistakes owners make with raw food diets is not making sure the diet is complete and balanced. Some people just feed “all meat and bones” or a wide variety of meats without actually paying attention to the calorie, fat, protein, and nutrient content. Do not assume your cat is getting everything needed for good health by simply feeding “as much meat as desired.” Over time, an incomplete diet can lead to serious health problems for your cat.
You may think that random raw meat is healthy because feral cats and strays can subsist on this, but it’s important to remember that wild animals have shorter life expectancies than domesticated pets. Part of this is due to diet. That’s why it’s important to follow a vet-approved recipe that is complete and balanced.
When developing your cat’s raw diet, consult with your veterinarian about recipes that offer complete and balanced nutrition for your cat. Know that many vets will not recommend raw diets due to the risks involved. If you feel strongly about trying a raw diet and your vet is not flexible at all about raw diets, seek out a veterinarian who is experienced with raw diets. Better yet, find a veterinary nutritionist with raw diet experience.
Raw Diet Alternatives
If you would like to eliminate the risks associated with raw food, but still feed your cat an optimum diet, consider home-cooked cat food. You will still need to find a recipe that is complete and balanced.
Or, choose a high-protein wet cat food made with high-quality ingredients. Most vets and experts now agree that dry kibble has too many carbohydrates to be considered optimum for cats. Fortunately, many wet foods are prepared with few carbohydrates or even none at all. Reducing or eliminating carbohydrates in your cat’s diet may increase longevity. A low-carb diet can also prevent health issues like obesity and diabetes mellitus in cats.
Are you a cat owner wondering why your cat is vomiting? It’s a common question among cat owners. It’s a major reason for veterinary visits.
Many people having felines as housemates can say they have seen them vomit. Some of them say their cats vomit regularly. Some end up asking questions like “is it normal for my cat to vomit? What does it mean for my cat to vomit?”
In this article, we’ll discuss:
Some of the most common causes of vomiting
The main diseases that can cause this vomiting in cats.
Some of the primary reasons for vomiting in cats:
Some of the primary reasons for vomiting in cats are the following:
Hairballs
Felines swallow some amount of hair by grooming. Long-haired cats are especially susceptible to hairballs. A vomited hairball usually appears as a thick, wet clump of hair. This problem is often remedied by giving the cat Laxatone or a bit of vegetable oil in the food. Consult your vet about this.
However, you should take the kitty to the vet if there is evidence of compulsive grooming and/or hair loss.
Another cause of vomiting is infection or parasites. Giardiasis is caused by one-celled organisms which live in a cat’s small intestine. Severity varies; when serious it can lead to weight loss, chronic intermittent diarrhea (often soft & watery and greenish tinged), fatty stool, and vomiting.
Food Toxicity
Foods toxic to cats include onions, garlic, raw eggs, raw meat and bones, chocolate, alcohol & raw dough, dairy products including milk, grapes and raisins, and dog food.
Pancreatitis – Inflammation of the pancreas requiring immediate treatment.
IBD or inflammatory bowel disease and cancer that is most often due to lymphoma.
Hyperthyroidism, a senior cat disease, can cause chronic vomiting. A tumor on the thyroid gland causes the thyroid to produce too much thyroid hormone. Fortunately, this is usually easily remedied. Treatments may include oral medication or radiation done in a facility specifically for cats.
Chronic Kidney Disease – (CKD) in stages 3 and 4 can also cause vomiting.
In summation, if your cat is vomiting as described, with the exception of the occasional hairball, take your cat to your vet promptly. It is an inflammation of the stomach and intestine that makes them sensitive and can cause vomiting and diarrhea. This disease mainly affects middle-aged and geriatric cats.
Chronic kidney disease Like IBD, chronic kidney disease is quite common in middle-aged cats and especially in geriatrics. It is a kidney failure that makes urine cannot be properly purified and, therefore, ends up producing gastric damage that causes vomiting.
What to do if you find your cat vomiting
The bottom line of this article is, whatever may be the cause of the vomiting, ensure you don’t ignore it.
Cats are very resistant animals and they know how to perfectly hide the signs of sickness. That is why when faced with any behavior other than normal, you must observe the pet and not normalize the situation Of course and, as I have indicated previously, in the face of signs such as vomiting, the indicated thing is ALWAYS to go to a consultation with your trusted veterinarian.
kidney failure in cats is a disease more common than I would like to recognize, especially in older cats, but can also affect cats of any age.
You already know that I like to keep you informed of the most common cat health problems and I have dedicated efforts to let you know why your cat does not urinate or why it does not use the litter box correctly.
If a while ago I told you about cystitis, kidney stones, and urine infections, today is the time to find out what kidney failure in cats consists of .
I want you to know the symptoms to put you on alert and also, how to prevent and control the progression of this ailment that can be fatal for your dear life partner.
What causes kidney failure in cats
Renal failure in cats occurs when one or both kidneys fail. It is not really a disease as such, but rather it is a syndrome that reduces their functionality.
At this point I want you to understand the vital importance of the renal system for the proper functioning of the body , since it is responsible for filtering the blood and eliminating waste through the urine.The usual thing is that when the kidneys begin to fail, they compensate until the damage is so advanced that symptoms derived from the accumulation of toxic substances begin to appear. At this point, if you go to the vet your cat will already be very sick.
This implies that the disease has been developing for a long time, hence it is advisable to perform blood and urine tests once a year in felines from 7 years old.
There are certain factors inherent to the cat and the environment that predispose to chronic kidney disease. For example, aging has been related to difficulties in the kidney’s protective systems, but initial causes such as:
Polycystic kidney disease, the most common congenital pathology that affects Persian cats and their crosses.
Stones in the upper urinary tract.
Chronic viral infections such as leukemia or immunodeficiency.
Bacterial pyelonephritis.
Renal lymphoma.
Unbalanced diets
Poisonings
Ischemia is a result of reduced blood flow.
Apart from the chronic version of kidney failure in cats, there is also an acute variant that can appear suddenly and is usually due to poisoning or infections. What’s more, an untreated urine infection can progress and damage the kidneys. This type of failure is more likely in young felines.
The veterinarian through a blood and urine test will be able to know the state of the cat’s kidneys. The professional will assess the density of urine and blood, values such as urea, creatinine, and the biomarker SDMA. As an adjunct, ultrasound scans can also be done to determine kidney function and the extent of the damage.
Unbelievable Things You Should Know About Kidney Failure in Cats 2
Stages of kidney failure in cats
This disease can be of greater or lesser severity, and depending on it, an agreement has been reached to classify it into different stages.
According to the IRIS (International Renal Interest Society) classification, there are four stages, each with its own characteristics and specific treatment recommendations.
Stage 1: it assumes a creatinine value lower than 1.6, with the SDMA not higher than 18. It implies that there is no azotemia, that is, an increase in certain substances in the urine.
Stage 2: creatinine is between 1.6 and 2.8. SDMA is between 18 and 25. There are substances in the urine in a mild form, but without clinical signs. Apparently, the feline is healthy. At this point, it is advisable to start with a specific diet.
Stage 3: defined by a creatinine value between 2.9 and 5 and an SDMA between 26 and 38. Azotemia is moderate and at this time some symptoms begin to appear.
Stage 4: creatinine reaches a value greater than 5 and SDMA exceeds 38. Azotemia or the presence of substances in the urine is serious.
Symptoms of kidney failure in cats
It is vital to know the symptoms derived from kidney failure. They may go unnoticed at first because they are mild or nonspecific , but I advise you to pay close attention.
To make it easier for you to identify them, I am going to differentiate them according to whether the insufficiency is acute or chronic.
Signs that help detect acute kidney failure :
Dehydration You can check this very easily, just take a fold of skin in the area of the withers between your fingers, lift it up and observe how long it takes for the skin to return to its starting position.
Depression.
Anorexia.
Vomiting
Diarrhea.
Increase in the amount of urine eliminated or stop urinating, and I can tell you that they have a worse prognosis.
Drop-in body temperature.
Neurological signs.
If you detect any of these symptoms, I ask you to go immediately to the vet because your cat’s life could be in serious danger.
Clinical signs that may indicate chronic kidney failure and that get worse over time:
Increased urine output.
Increase in water consumption.
Dehydration
Vomiting
Depression.
Anorexia.
The bad appearance of the coat.
Hypertension
Anemia.
Weightloss.
Weakness.
Bad breath.
Wounds in the mouth.
How is Kidney Failure Treated in Cats
Treatment is based on medication aimed at controlling symptoms and following specific dietary guidelines.
To treat kidney failure in cats the role of food is FUNDAMENTAL. You must consider it as one more medicine, that is why you have to resort to diets expressly formulated for this pathology.
Another crucial aspect is keeping your furry companion well hydrated, which is why it is recommended to offer wet food. Just so you understand: a dehydrated cat does not eat. If, for example, your feline-only likes feed, you can moisten it or supplement it with a wet diet.
I advise you to follow the guidelines and advice of your veterinarian to the letter since both an excess and a lack of proteins could be harmful, as well as the phosphorus intake that must be controlled.
When a cat suffers from kidney failure, it is normal for him to have a lack of appetite. Here I already advance you that it is much more important that you eat whatever it is (although it is not the most appropriate) before you do not eat anything.
Apart from food, try to always have several points of clean and fresh water throughout the house. If you can, get an automatic fountain, since moving water is very attractive to cats. You can also offer broths and distribute the food in different daily intakes, it is proven that with this routine cats drink more.
If your cat suffers from acute kidney failure, as it is an emergency, the most important thing is to achieve stabilization. In this case, it is usually necessary to admit the feline to a veterinary clinic to be administered fluids and drugs intravenously.
At this point and if you wonder if there are natural treatments for kidney failure in cats, I anticipate that there is no scientific evidence to corroborate it. What professionals recommend in the first place is to follow a diet formulated specifically for this pathology.
Although you can opt for a homemade diet for your cat (which in certain cases may be better tolerated), it is essential that an expert in feline nutrition be the one who designs the right menu for your life partner.
With regard to the treatment of symptoms, there are medications to combat each one. There are also homeopathic solutions, herbs or Bach flowers, but there are no studies to prove their effectiveness. In any case, you can always talk to your trusted veterinarian who will assess the different options.
Does kidney failure in cats have a cure?
It is a treatable disease, but this does not mean that it has a cure. When there has been a loss of functional kidney tissue, the reality is that the damage is irreversible.
When it is diagnosed, it must be clear that the cat will need lifelong treatment and, even if it is under veterinary control, with the passage of time the ailment will continue to evolve.
The life expectancy since renal failure has been diagnosed is around about 2-3 years, but it is very variable depending on the situation of each cat. The important thing at this point is to focus on offering you the best quality of life. Your well-being should come first.
On the other hand, if your cat suffers from acute kidney failure, it could cause immediate death. In these cases, even if the appropriate veterinary treatment is started, felines that do not respond well in 24-48 hours, unfortunately, usually die. However, those who recover after this serious crisis may go on to suffer from chronic kidney failure.
My goal with this post is to inform you, this in NO CASE is a substitute for MEDICAL care, which is VITAL. I advise you that before any symptoms, discomfort, or change of condition, you go to a veterinary professional immediately.
And if you have come this far, I leave you several articles that will surely interest you:
Have you ever looked at your peacefully sleeping cat and wished you could sleep as they do?. Today you are going to discover the truth about how much a cat sleeps.
Tamale, a fun-loving cat, spends around 12-15 hours a day sleeping, preferably in my office when I am working.
You may have wondered why your cat sleeps so much. I’m here to tell you all about a cat’s sleeping habits. There are factors that influence a cat’s sleeping habits such as the environment or time of year and age. And don’t forget that cats are nocturnal animals with an intense nightlife and are most active when it’s your turn to sleep.
Read on and find out how much a cat sleeps.
Why does a cat sleep so much?
There are a number of reasons why cats spend most of the day sleeping. The most widespread motive is feline instinct. It’s considered that cats need to sleep many hours to be efficient hunters.
They are predators and hunting prey requires considerable energy expenditure, produced by the high levels of adrenaline that are produced and caloric waste. With all this work, it’s natural that cats need a lot of rest to recharge.
This is one of the most common answers about how much a cat sleeps, and although it’s clear that domestic indoor cats have no need to hunt (in most cases), they don’t lose that instinct. Cat owners who allow their cat to roam outdoors will often be “gifted” with a dead mouse or bird; a cat’s hunting instinct is part of his nature, and that nature will make him carry a sleep cycle similar to what he would have if he lived in the wild.
Apart from the feline nature, read on and I will tell you the reasons that explain how much a cat sleeps.
6 reasons that determine the dream of a feline
It is a key aspect that explains why your feline spends so many hours sleeping. In colder times of the year, they sleep more to keep warm and save energy. In addition, going to sleep under sunlight helps them regulate their body temperature.
Physical activity. Boredom also influences the number of hours a cat sleeps. A cat who gets bored because has no toys, or anyone to play with will surely sleep much more. A cat needs stimulation and fun toys or another cat to play with will provide that. Playing with your cat will help provide that needed stimulation and also build a stronger bond with him.
Age. Newborn cats sleep more, adults sleep a lot but they combine it with some activity and as they get older, they begin to sleep even more. Age is a determining factor and sleeping habits vary greatly depending on the life stage of your furry friend.
Hunger. It is an important reason that determines how much a cat sleeps. Don’t forget that cats are by nature hunters and this fact will inevitably affect sleep hours. Felines who are not domestic and must hunt for food sleep fewer hours to spend time searching for prey.
Survival. Newborn kittens sleep many hours, as they need to stay safe in spaces hidden from predators while the mother goes hunting. Also, growth hormone is released while they sleep. I advise you to read this post about weaning cats, a crucial life stage in the life of kittens. And this one about when to separate kittens from their mother to do it correctly.
Cats in heat. When cats are in heat, they sleep less. At this time, they spend part of the day marking their territory and looking to mate. This is why it is so important to have your cat fixed; they will no longer go into heat and will be much healthier as well.
range of sleep hours, since it is a very active cat, always looking for company and hallucinating spending time on the balcony since we install protection net.
Newborn cats and the elderly can sleep up to 20 hours. The hours of sleep can be altered with the level of activity and stimulation, that is, the more bored you are and the fewer distractions you have, and the longer you will sleep.
The space within a flat is limited and for many cats, it may be insufficient. Remember that those who go out can explore new places on a daily basis, hunt prey, and remain more alert for dangers. This makes cats more active and sleeps less.
How much does a newborn kitten sleep?
Wondering why a baby kitten sleeps so much more than an adult? As mentioned in the section on the reasons that determine a cat’s sleep habits, newborns can sleep up to 20 hours a day, so it should not surprise you that 90% of the time they spend at rest.
Kittens sleep most of the day because their neural connections are not developed during the first days of life. By not being able to interact, it is normal that they spend so many hours sleeping. When they reach a month or a month and a half, they begin to sleep less and interact more with all the stimuli in the environment, until they match their sleep habits to those of an adult cat.
Kittens grow and develop while they sleep. Growth hormone reaches its highest segregation peak during deep sleep. Hence, those 20 hours of sleep are essential.
How much does an elderly cat sleep?
Cats in this phase of their life sleep more or less the same as newborns, more hours than adults. This is because as a feline age, it becomes more sedentary and this causes a loss of muscle mass, which will limit its ability to run or jump as it did when young.
In addition, elderly cats can suffer from wear and tear on the joints and loss of mobility. This, together with the reduction in the level of interaction and games, leads to more hours of sleep.
That said, I want you to keep in mind that even if your cat gets older, you can still continue playing with him, adapt the routines to his needs, find a way to stimulate him, create attractive challenges to encourage physical activity, and continue working on your bond with your cat.
Is it negative that a cat sleeps so much?
It doesn’t have to be bad for a feline to sleep many hours, as long as it needs them. The worrying thing can be when they sleep a lot and have little physical activity, which can lead to being overweight.
An overweight cat loses agility, has less desire to move, and, in general, generates a certain predisposition to suffer certain diseases. Older cats especially may suffer from cystitis, urinary infections, diabetes, kidney failure, etc. There are a wide variety of interactive toys to test your cat’s physical and mental abilities. Games to awaken their nature as hunters, hiding prizes, or simulating prey. There are also feeders that turn food into a stimulating exercise for cats.
It is essential that your cat get the sleep necessary for it to replenish energy, stay healthy, have a good mood, and for the proper functioning of its body.
How and where does a feline sleep?
Cats often find one particular place to sleep that they prefer. For example, one of m;y cats sleeps in a little house we built for him and keep outside our room, another sleeps at my head, and yet another always sleeps on top of my legs. There are ways of sleeping that are pure contortionism. Sometimes they sleep sitting up, belly up, bent over like a donut, stretched out, etc. Even if your cat spends many hours a day sleeping, they don’t do it all the time. They are always in vigilant mode, I do not know if you have noticed. The cat’s sleep is usually made up of short naps of a few minutes.
Felines most of the time maintain a light sleep and alternate it with deep dreams in which they can even move their whiskers, their paws, etc. They are said to maintain some brain activity while they sleep, similar to the way people sleep.
Unless absolutely necessary, it’s best not to bother your cat when he is sleeping, because his instinctive reaction is immediate and can be very annoying.
The place chosen for your feline to sleep is very important. Quiet, comfortable, cool in summer, and warm in winter.
If you have come this far, I leave you with several articles that will surely interest you:
Do you have a feline pet? Has your cat suffered any infectious disease so serious that you thought you were going to lose your four-legged friend? Well, I have and it was definitely an experience to remember. Thanks to an amazing “magical product” from Chewy, my sweet little kitten – Lucy, is still playing around the house and even eating more than ever.
It was on one sunny afternoon in January that I first noticed the presence of a black ‘tarry’ appearance in Lucy’s stool – little did I know it was digested blood then. At first, I ignored that but then I started to notice other unusual symptoms like weight loss and poor hair coat. Then the next symptom – anemia – proved it right that something was definitely wrong with my cat. My cat was also starting to experience itching, especially in her paws, and skin irritation.
I began to panic and quickly placed a call through to my veterinarian and booked an appointment for my kitten.
Does my pet have a feline hookworm infection?
The next morning, I was at the vet clinic with my cat. The vet diagnosed her with hookworm infection through a technique called fecal flotation. He mixed a little amount of my cat’s stool in a special solution, which made the hookworm eggs float atop the solution and stick to a glass slide that had been placed over the top of the solution. Due to the unique appearance of the eggs, the vet could easily identify them under a microscope. “So what’s the way out?” I asked the vet. And he prescribed a simple, safe, and quite inexpensive medication for her treatment: Revolution Topical Solution! I was skeptical at first, especially because I had not purchased a product from Chewy prior to then. I decided to give the anthemic drug a try and after using this deworming medication, all adult hookworms in my cat were killed.
The vet administered a minimum of two treatments, given at 2-3 week intervals, for effective treatment. This helped to kill adults that matured after the first treatment.
With good diagnosis and treatment using Revolution, the prognosis was incredible for a complete recovery from hookworm infection.
How did I treat her?
Revolution Topical Solution for Cats (5.1-15 lbs, (Blue Box), 6 Doses (6-mos. supply) is a medication that is applied directly to the skin of your furry friend in order to protect your precious pets from biting critters. When applied once every month, Revolution may be effective in the prevention and treatment of hookworms, roundworms, and ear mites. It is equally an excellent solution for protection against fleas and heartworms.
Before commencing this medication, discuss with your veterinarian any other medications your cat is using. It is noteworthy to state that Revolution is not effective against adult D. immitis. This drug should be kept out of reach of children and should be used in animals only!
Pros Of Revolution Topical Solution for Cats
Revolution terminates adult fleas and prevents the hatching of flea eggs for one month.
It has also been indicated to help prevent and control flea infestations.
It is effective in the prevention of heartworm disease caused by Dirofilaria immitis
It can be used to treat and control ear mite infestations
Last but not least, it is an excellent medication for the treatment and control of intestinal hookworm and roundworm infections in cats.
Cons Of Revolution Topical Solution for Cats
There are only two indicated possible side effects of Revolution:
Salivation and;
Intermittent vomiting
Comparisons between Revolution Topical Solution and other related products
Unlike most other anthelmintics, Revolution Topical Solution kills the larval stages. Most other drugs are ineffective in terminating the larval stage and this could result in poorer prognosis and extensive treatments for the kittens or cats.
Additional to that, Revolution works as a heartworm preventive drug while also preventing hookworm infection and several other diseases. Other similar medications do not have this multiple treatment functionality.
Also, Revolution is relatively more affordable than other related products. It costs only $130.05 for a box of 6 doses. It is pretty inexpensive for a quality medication that offers a lot for your cat.
Revolution Topical Solution is a veterinarian-approved parasite prevention product. It is a trusted medication for any of the cat issues mentioned above. I’ve recommended this medication to family and friends who experienced the same or similar conditions with their pets, and they always return with positive remarks and words of appreciation. You can get this product on Chewy and watch your furry friend bounce back with vitality and energy.
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