Cats are predators. They evolved eating a prey based diet, and more importantly, eating that diet raw. Cooking degrades nutrients in meat, causing losses of vitamins, minerals and amino acids.¹ Meat used in highly processed pet food is cooked at high temperatures and the nutrients lost must then be added back in. This supplementation is not exact, and there are nutrient losses which aren't always replaced.

 

Cats in the wild eat the bones of their prey, as raw bone

There are now many easy raw-feeding choices for the person on-the-go. In stores and on the internet, you can purchase frozen complete diets, frozen ground meat/bone/organ mixes and pre-mixed supplements that you just add to raw meat. There are a few national brands, and many smaller, regionally available products that make it easy to feed raw. It's as simple as thawing and serving.

 

We discuss some specific products here, but there are many others, with more being added all the time as

Making your own ground raw cat food at home gives you the most control over what goes into your cat's food, and is also the most economical method. It takes a little time and some equipment, but it's worth it. Depending on your available freezer space and the number of cats you are preparing food for, you should only have to make food every two to four weeks. Once you do it a few times, you'll realize how easy it is. If you're organized, you can easily make 15 pounds of food in about an hour and a half, including clean-up. Following is an overview of what you'll need