Does anyone NOT feed raw?

[nikialexander]

We can get heated in our discussion, but I think the only thing I’ve seen get people truly angry (including me) is someone asking about declawing and then ignoring our initially very PC advice. We assume not everyone knows how awful it is, so we start out nice, but when we get arguments it pisses us off because it is literally animal cruelty. Once you know better, you should do better.

Other than that I’m pretty sure anything Sphynx-related is fair game. Ask away


Love and Sphynx ~ It’s all you need

For sure. That’s a whole other can of worms. Working at a clinic for some time, it was not something that vets EVER recommended doing nor would they do it if asked.

 

[Condo commando]

I agree, they gotta eat. I appreciate everyone’s insight and point of view as I wasn’t necessarily looking for my choice to validated but just asking as a community what the thoughts were as I know what the veterinary fields thoughts were. At the end of the day, we are all looking to do what’s best for our nakids and that’s what matters!

I'm a little late to the discussion but anyway here goes.

First thing is a diet should be balanced. Second thing is to be aware that it is possible to balance anything ...you can start with chicken poop if you process it enough to kill the bacteria, add the right mix of vitamins and minerals and voila - balance! But ideally what you want is BOTH balance and high quality.

Vets are wary of raw foods because of the risk of pathogens in raw meat. That's a legit concern. If you are going to feed raw food, it is important that the meat be fresh. @Natalie Murphy is absolutely correct that if she doesn't trust the quality of the meat she should not feed it raw. HOWEVER, if the meat is good enough for you to cook it and eat it yourself, it is fine to cook it and feed it to your cat. Cooking human grade food is better than commercial cat food because commercial cat food is made with ingredients that are illegal in the human food chain, and on top of that it is highly processed. Of course, you need a balanced recipe; you can't just cook up anything.

If you are going to cook for your cat, you must use low heat and short cooking times. High heat and long cooking times denatures the meat and zaps it of at least some of its nutritional value. I think this is why raw advocates insist on raw, but the reality is you can retain the nutritional value as long as you use low-ish heat and cooking times.

Whether you feed raw or cooked, making food at home gives you the advantage of using human grade ingredients AND the food is not highly processed. The advantage of commercial cat foods is that you don't have to worry about balance. Of course, you CAN get balanced recipes for making food at home; the issue is really more about how much effort you are able to put into your cat's food (busy lives and all that).

If you want to obtain balanced recipes prepared by a veterinary nutritionist, go here:

Homemade Diets for Healthy Pets | PetDiets

www.petdiets.com

 

[Natalie Murphy]

I'm a little late to the discussion but anyway here goes.

First thing is a diet should be balanced. Second thing is to be aware that it is possible to balance anything ...you can start with chicken poop if you process it enough to kill the bacteria, add the right mix of vitamins and minerals and voila - balance! But ideally what you want is BOTH balance and high quality.

Vets are wary of raw foods because of the risk of pathogens in raw meat. That's a legit concern. If you are going to feed raw food, it is important that the meat be fresh. @Natalie Murphy is absolutely correct that if she doesn't trust the quality of the meat she should not feed it raw. HOWEVER, if the meat is good enough for you to cook it and eat it yourself, it is fine to cook it and feed it to your cat. Cooking human grade food is better than commercial cat food because commercial cat food is made with ingredients that are illegal in the human food chain, and on top of that it is highly processed. Of course, you need a balanced recipe; you can't just cook up anything.

If you are going to cook for your cat, you must use low heat and short cooking times. High heat and long cooking times denatures the meat and zaps it of at least some of its nutritional value. I think this is why raw advocates insist on raw, but the reality is you can retain the nutritional value as long as you use low-ish heat and cooking times.

Whether you feed raw or cooked, making food at home gives you the advantage of using human grade ingredients AND the food is not highly processed. The advantage of commercial cat foods is that you don't have to worry about balance. Of course, you CAN get balanced recipes for making food at home; the issue is really more about how much effort you are able to put into your cat's food (busy lives and all that).

If you want to obtain balanced recipes prepared by a veterinary nutritionist, go here:

Homemade Diets for Healthy Pets | PetDiets

www.petdiets.com

To the master Sphynx Guru

Thank you for this awesome insight. You have really got me more confident and much more curious in doing more research into this diet. I really believe fresh is better. As I am very anti processed foods with preservatives in for me and my cat. Even tinned food has always been a worry for me. ( I do not know why as everyone I know who has cats feeds their babies tinned food )

Thank you for this a article.

 

[Annejo12]

I feed my kitty Royal Canin Dental Dry and Royal Canin High Fibre Wet and Royal Canin High Fibre dry. My vet discourages raw because she says you can’t be certain they are getting all of the nutrients they need. My kitty is happy and healthy on Royal Canin

 

[Condo commando]

My vet discourages raw because she says you can’t be certain they are getting all of the nutrients they need.

You CAN be certain if the recipe was prepared by a veterinary nutritionist.

How do pet food companies ensure their recipes are balanced? They have a veterinary nutritionist that formulates recipes for them.

Veterinary Nutritionists | Veterinary Nutritional Consultations, Inc.

Take advantage of the expertise of our veterinary nutritionists. We provide an independent consulting service to professionals and pet owners.

www.vetnutrition.com

 

[nikialexander]

I'm a little late to the discussion but anyway here goes.

First thing is a diet should be balanced. Second thing is to be aware that it is possible to balance anything ...you can start with chicken poop if you process it enough to kill the bacteria, add the right mix of vitamins and minerals and voila - balance! But ideally what you want is BOTH balance and high quality.

Vets are wary of raw foods because of the risk of pathogens in raw meat. That's a legit concern. If you are going to feed raw food, it is important that the meat be fresh. @Natalie Murphy is absolutely correct that if she doesn't trust the quality of the meat she should not feed it raw. HOWEVER, if the meat is good enough for you to cook it and eat it yourself, it is fine to cook it and feed it to your cat. Cooking human grade food is better than commercial cat food because commercial cat food is made with ingredients that are illegal in the human food chain, and on top of that it is highly processed. Of course, you need a balanced recipe; you can't just cook up anything.

If you are going to cook for your cat, you must use low heat and short cooking times. High heat and long cooking times denatures the meat and zaps it of at least some of its nutritional value. I think this is why raw advocates insist on raw, but the reality is you can retain the nutritional value as long as you use low-ish heat and cooking times.

Whether you feed raw or cooked, making food at home gives you the advantage of using human grade ingredients AND the food is not highly processed. The advantage of commercial cat foods is that you don't have to worry about balance. Of course, you CAN get balanced recipes for making food at home; the issue is really more about how much effort you are able to put into your cat's food (busy lives and all that).

If you want to obtain balanced recipes prepared by a veterinary nutritionist, go here:

Homemade Diets for Healthy Pets | PetDiets

www.petdiets.com

Wow, thank you so much for your reply. I found it extremely informative and the information that I needed to hear. Much appreciated!

 

[willowp]

Personally I don't feed my Sphynx kitty raw food at all (my lil Vinnie is 9mo old now) It's a very particular thing that you really need to know your stuff so that it doesn't to wrong and stuff and make them sick!! And while a lot of people advocate for it, I feel like a lot of people are also very much pro non raw food because it's really about just making sure your cat has all the nutrients and so on that he or she needs (especially while they are still kittens and growing and need all that good stuff to start off their immune systems, energy levels, skin and heart support, etc, right!)

What I can say though, raw food or not, Sphynx kittens/cats burn a lot of energy. So they absolutely need a protein rich diet, as well as making sure they have plenty of moisture in their diet as well so of course besides water they also benefit highly from a combination of both dry and WET food. I go with Royal Canin Kitten formula as well as Wellness Core or Nutro. (all kitten formula, Grain-Free, free of fillers and so on) as they have both dry and wet food options that are optimal for giving my Vinnie all the great nutrients and vitamins to support his health and everything as a growing boy

Hope that helps

Hi there- we are looking to get a new baby and I’ve found some breeders that I am happy with but a stipulation of the adoption is that they are fed raw food. Our 2.5 yo male we have now was on it before we got him and he does well on kibble and canned food now. I worked as a vet tech for 6 years and it does go against a lot that I have learned in the field as well as articles I’ve read on VIN over the years and presently. I mean no disrespect to anyone that feed their babies raw nor am I implying that they aren’t healthy. I feel like anyone I have seen on Instagram or anything all so pro raw diet and any vet I have spoken with about it is dead set against it. My head says to follow what my vet is saying and they have plead with me not to feed raw. My head says how do you know they are getting all the nutrients a cat requires by just feeding raw and think of all research that goes into veterinary diets and how balanced they are. I would love some feedback or insights from people on here.

 

[Condo commando]

Personally I don't feed my Sphynx kitty raw food at all (my lil Vinnie is 9mo old now) It's a very particular thing that you really need to know your stuff so that it doesn't to wrong and stuff and make them sick!!

Raw food doesn't mean you have to know your stuff. Creating a recipe means you have to know your stuff.

In my long post it was probably lost in the verbiage but I tried to refer anyone interested in making food at home to get their recipes from petdiets.com. This is a service run by veterinary nutritionists (the same kind folks that formulate recipes for pet food companies). If you get a recipe from them it WILL be balanced but you will also have the added benefit of knowing exactly what goes into your cat's food. You can use the same recipe for raw or cooked food.

Pet food companies HAVE to cook their food because they don't use fresh meat. They don't have an option. And yes their recipes are balanced....but the ingredients are questionable and the food is ultra processed.

So again ....petdiets.com is a service run by veterinary nutritionists who formulate recipes for pet parents who want to make food at home. Veterinary nutritionists have the letters DACVN after their name...it stands for Diplomate American College of Veterinary Nutritionists. They are the same specialist vets that formulate recipes for pet food companies. For a normal healthy cat that just needs a normal maintenance diet, the first recipe is $25 and then it's $12 for additional ones. This is a great way option for someone who is starting out with making food at home and wants to ensure that their recipe is balanced.

 

[nikialexander]

Personally I don't feed my Sphynx kitty raw food at all (my lil Vinnie is 9mo old now) It's a very particular thing that you really need to know your stuff so that it doesn't to wrong and stuff and make them sick!! And while a lot of people advocate for it, I feel like a lot of people are also very much pro non raw food because it's really about just making sure your cat has all the nutrients and so on that he or she needs (especially while they are still kittens and growing and need all that good stuff to start off their immune systems, energy levels, skin and heart support, etc, right!)

What I can say though, raw food or not, Sphynx kittens/cats burn a lot of energy. So they absolutely need a protein rich diet, as well as making sure they have plenty of moisture in their diet as well so of course besides water they also benefit highly from a combination of both dry and WET food. I go with Royal Canin Kitten formula as well as Wellness Core or Nutro. (all kitten formula, Grain-Free, free of fillers and so on) as they have both dry and wet food options that are optimal for giving my Vinnie all the great nutrients and vitamins to support his health and everything as a growing boy

Hope that helps

Thank you for your reply! It’s much appreciated and helpful

 

[nikialexander]

Raw food doesn't mean you have to know your stuff. Creating a recipe means you have to know your stuff.

In my long post it was probably lost in the verbiage but I tried to refer anyone interested in making food at home to get their recipes from petdiets.com. This is a service run by veterinary nutritionists (the same kind folks that formulate recipes for pet food companies). If you get a recipe from them it WILL be balanced but you will also have the added benefit of knowing exactly what goes into your cat's food. You can use the same recipe for raw or cooked food.

Pet food companies HAVE to cook their food because they don't use fresh meat. They don't have an option. And yes their recipes are balanced....but the ingredients are questionable and the food is ultra processed.

So again ....petdiets.com is a service run by veterinary nutritionists who formulate recipes for pet parents who want to make food at home. Veterinary nutritionists have the letters DACVN after their name...it stands for Diplomate American College of Veterinary Nutritionists. They are the same specialist vets that formulate recipes for pet food companies. For a normal healthy cat that just needs a normal maintenance diet, the first recipe is $25 and then it's $12 for additional ones. This is a great way option for someone who is starting out with making food at home and wants to ensure that their recipe is balanced.

The website you recommended is super helpful; thank you for that! If I’m going to go about homemade meals for my babies, I will definitely go there!

 

[guinnesspop]

We don't feed raw and currently have no plans to do so. Em's done well on Royal Canin, though we are transferring her over to Wellness Core kitten due to a local shortage of Royal Canin kitten. She gets Origin kibble as the occasional treat. Once she hits twelve months, we'll either transfer her over to the origin kibble or the sphynx breed Royal Canin. Not sure what we'll do for wet yet.

We don't do raw because of the gross factor. You see, Em's a trash cat who buries her face in her food, then leaves little dribbles of it all over the house. I can deal with stepping on a little bit of loaf or whatever....but stepping on raw? No thank you! Her breeder didn't use raw either, and honestly switching Em over from the boutique brand her breeder was using to basic Royal Canin cleared up her skin and made her poops about a billion times less stinky. For better or worse, though, Em'll eat just about anything given enough time to transfer over. So who knows what the future holds! All that matters to me is that she's eating happily & healthily.....with minimal poop stinkiness!

 

[nikialexander]

We don't feed raw and currently have no plans to do so. Em's done well on Royal Canin, though we are transferring her over to Wellness Core kitten due to a local shortage of Royal Canin kitten. She gets Origin kibble as the occasional treat. Once she hits twelve months, we'll either transfer her over to the origin kibble or the sphynx breed Royal Canin. Not sure what we'll do for wet yet.

We don't do raw because of the gross factor. You see, Em's a trash cat who buries her face in her food, then leaves little dribbles of it all over the house. I can deal with stepping on a little bit of loaf or whatever....but stepping on raw? No thank you! Her breeder didn't use raw either, and honestly switching Em over from the boutique brand her breeder was using to basic Royal Canin cleared up her skin and made her poops about a billion times less stinky. For better or worse, though, Em'll eat just about anything given enough time to transfer over. So who knows what the future holds! All that matters to me is that she's eating happily & healthily.....with minimal poop stinkiness!

Thank you for your reply! I appreciate it!

 

[gentlewinds]

Great info from everyone here! Im a newbie and still learning. Glad you are all so generous in sharing your thoughts and information.

 

[leannem]

I don’t feed mine a raw diet either. It’s personal preference.

 

[Yoda mom]

@gentlewinds , so glad you are jumping in and posting with this fun friendly bunch. a wonderful down to earth family.

sharing, I do not feed raw. personal choice. I have a crew 8 and 10's year old on Nutrisource cat and kitten food (no recalls) and give some wet too. my batman is 11 dry food addict eats nutrisource cat and kitten food and he likes to free feed hills urinary hairball dry. . feed n go, no skin or poo issues .

here is a great link, so glad you are researching, learning. I lear something new here every day.

Sphynx Cat Help Center

Check in here for useful articles about the sphynx cat.

sphynxlair.com

 

[Leilalover]

Whatever you do I recommend staying away from Hills. If you're going that route do royal canin instead. Hills is not a trustworthy brand and they have no quality control, the last recall was devastating and I lost my beloved childhood dog because of it. I absolutely loathe that brand.