A raw deal: The dangers of feeding raw meat to cats
It’s barbecue season, and that means a tempting parade of delectable meats are getting prepped for the grill—all right in front of your hopeful cat’s eyes.
The urge to drop a tidbit or two can be overwhelming, especially with your cat winding around your feet and being as cute as possible, but raw meat can stir up a whole lot of trouble.
Cats need cooked food for the same reason we do: raw meat can be contaminated with disease-causing germs like Salmonella, Listeria or E. coli. Some cats can get sick from the contaminated food, and some will seem fine but shed the problematic bacteria in their stool.
This can spread infection to people and other pets in the household. Disease in people can range from mild to severe. People with the highest risk of serious disease are the very old, very young and immunocompromised (for example, people who are pregnant or fighting cancer).
But don’t some cats eat commercial raw food all the time?
Commercial raw food has the same risk of being infected with disease-causing germs as the raw meat you prepare in your own kitchen. Pet owners can become infected simply by handling commercial raw food if they are not taking proper hand washing and food prep precautions. For this reason, the FDA, CDC and American Veterinary Medical Association do not recommend feeding any raw diets to pets.
But isn’t raw food what our cats’ ancestors ate in the wild?
Yes, but our cats aren’t the same as their ancestors. They’ve changed over the many years they’ve spent with us, and aren’t meant to eat exactly what their ancestors did. Besides, wild cats live for much less time than our coddled cats do, and their diet may have something to do with that.
So resist the urge to give any raw meat treats to your cat. In fact, it’s best to avoid all table foods in general to prevent accidentally feeding your cat any toxic or problematic foods.
Instead, have regular cat treats ready to go, so if you feel the need to spoil your fluffy friend, you’ll have a safe option at hand.
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