Do cats go ‘wild’ from eating raw meat?
Some myths about cats never seem to die and are quite difficult to correct. One such myth is the belief that cats become feral, even feral, if they are fed raw meat.
This idea keeps popping up on listservs, forums, Q&A sites, chat rooms, and yes, even in the supermarket line when someone buys a large package of chicken and mentions it’s for the cats.
“Aren’t you afraid your cats will go wild?”
“You shouldn’t feed this to your cats. They’re going to go crazy, you know.’
Well, no. Not exactly. What they do do, however, is sometimes growl. This is a natural reaction and is even seen in some cats when they eat a bowl of dry kibble. Perhaps it has more to do with “ownership” and serves as a warning to other cats nearby to wait their turn. This can also be a sign of pure pleasure. After all, meat is their natural diet, the desire they were born with.
At our shelter, when cats arrive in poor health or stray cats that are obviously underweight, they are fed raw meat if they accept it. In any case, without exception so far, they have all improved quite quickly. Some of them growl, some don’t. So what?
Those who were trained to eat only dry food took much longer to recover and seemed to need more help, such as medication and vet visits. The raw-fed individuals blossomed into friendly, adoptable cats in no time.
The biggest objection expressed by traditional vets is usually the fear of salmonella. Well, it’s not like we feed the cats crappy old chicken that was thrown away or was on sale because it expired. We use human grade fresh chicken. And while salmonella is still a problem for humans, necessitating meticulous heat treatment of meat, cats have a different physiology than ours.
In nature, carnivores are uniquely adapted to eat meat that may not be safe for us. Their digestive tracts are shorter and their digestive juices are much more acidic, allowing the meat to be digested quickly and safely unless someone has interfered and poisoned it. But that’s another matter.
In any case, take precautions when preparing raw meat for your pets. Wear rubber gloves and keep all surfaces and utensils clean, such as cutting boards and knives, by sanitizing them when you’re done. This is more for your safety than the cat’s.
As for growling? Don’t worry about it. Remember, the problem is the owner, not the cat. However, it would be wise not to put your hands in the area. If a very hungry cat feels protective of its food, you may be scratched, but we haven’t seen this behavior very often.
#cats #wild #eating #raw #meat
