make cats "to get mad" to eat raw meat?
Some myths about cats seem to never 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 lists, in forums, on Q&A sites, chat rooms, and yes, even in line at the grocery store when someone buys a large package of chicken and mentions it’s for cats.
“Aren’t you afraid your cats will go crazy?”
“You shouldn’t feed that to your cats. They’ll go crazy, you know?”
Well, no. Not really. What they do, however, is that they sometimes growl. This is a natural response and has even been observed 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 nearby cats to wait their turn. It can also be a sign of pure enjoyment. After all, meat is their natural diet, the craving they were born with.
At our shelter, when unhealthy or stray cats arrive who are clearly underweight, they are fed raw meat, if they will accept it. In all cases, without exception so far, they have all improved fairly quickly. Some of them growl, some don’t. So what?
Those who were conditioned to eat only dry food took much longer to recover and seemed to need more help, such as medication and visits to the vet. The raw-fed individuals flourished into friendly, adoptable cats in no time.
The biggest opposition expressed by traditional clothing is usually the fear of salmonella. Well, it’s not like we feed the cats some rotten old chicken that has been thrown away or was for sale because it was out of date. We use fresh human grade chicken. And while salmonella remains a concern for humans, as it requires thorough cooking of meat, cats have a different physiology than we do.
In the wild, predatory animals are especially adept at eating meat that might 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 is a different topic.
In any case, be careful when preparing raw meats for your pets. Wear rubber gloves and keep all surfaces and utensils, such as cutting boards and knives, clean, sanitizing them when you’re done. This is more for your safety than the cat’s.
As for the growls? Don’t worry about that. 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 becomes protective of his food, he may scratch you, but we haven’t seen that behavior very often.