by adm
BARF diet for Cats…anyone?
March 27, 2010 in Uncategorized by adm
I have a male adult cat who has been troubled by a horrible illness called Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) I was told by the vet he’d end up with cancer in the colon. Yes, he had chronic colitis, a problem in the large intestine which was causing my pet bleed through the rectum and horrible, nonstop diarrhea. My kitty was getting weary of his suffering and I was getting so, so tired of throwing away bed sheets, cleaning after him every day sometimes 2 times a day. I could not sleep well just thinking of what else I could have possibly found dirty in the house. He never went outside the box, but all that blood, with colon mucose coming out he could not control. My cat got to a point where he could not sit down comfortably, and there was bloody diarrhea in his tail, kitchen counter, tables, furniture etc ALL THE TIME.
I did not want to watch my cat give up and not do anything, so I did some research and finally switched him to a species appropriate diet: cooked or raw meat with bones, organs and probiotics and digestive enzymes. I now am keeping all my cats on the BARF diet, always making sure I get fresh food from animals which were not cured or injected with substances to keep the meat fresh. I also make sure to keep the phosphorus-calcium ratio right, and it’s been a year now since I have not seen signs of IBD. My cat’s stools are formed and healthy. My vet says my cat looks incredibly fine.
So, I just wanted to see how many follow this diet and what you think of it. I am aware of the risks, like toxoplasmosis, but my cat was dying in front of my eyes on Science Diet, Purina, Iams, Prescription foods like Hill’s z/d etc, and many, many more expensive commercial foods and not one helped my poor feline. He was on antibiotics and prednisone all the time and nothing ever worked! So, I learned that cats are obligate carnivores and need to eat other animals to live a better life. I have noticed too many cases of IBD, Diabetes, Obesity, UTI, Kidney Disease, and cancer, all because we’re feeding species inappropriate foods to our precious pets. The number of sick ones keeps increasing, and we are responsible.
Anyone trying out this diet? I’d love to hear some of your experiences.
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I could wax on for pages, but I will keep it simple: Life Saver.
I admit I do not do a 100% raw/BARF/Prey diet, about 50%. The improvement in health and vitality has been remarkable (not to mention it actually costs me less).
As for toxoplasmosis, that is an issue more for humans than animals, as their digestive systems can handle a lot more than humans can. Actually, the only reason cats are considered obligate carnivores is their need for taurine, an essential nutrient. Taurine cannot be synthesized and is only obtainable through animal flesh.
Keep up the good work in getting the word out there. I see so many sheeple poo-poo homemade diets (cooked, raw, or otherwise) stating the best thing to feed them is Hills or claiming dry food is best.
When I first was investigating the raw diets I was on groups where people reported that many cats would be “cured” of IBD within 48 hours. I have had no experience of that with my cats so I’m happy to hear another testimonial to the efficacy of a raw meat diet for cat health.
I too only do a 50% raw diet. Right now I am down to my last frozen “muffin” of raw chicken. No hearts at the store today. When I called the market where I get my turkey parts last week they had just cleaned out the turkeys and thrown away the hearts and livers to use with the turkey.
Also, having acquired two kittens this summer I am going through the raw meat mixture at double the speed I am used to.
I do think the diet has extraordinary benefits for cat health.
Yes, our three cats are on a BARF diet called Rad Cat which we buy frozen from places like Whole Foods Market and natural pet product stores. We also live close to the place where it is produced, so we sometimes drive down to the warehouse and buy it in bulk, wholesale.
I can not tell you what an amazing difference it has made in the lives of our cats. Our old torby girl had a horrible case of IBS that she had been living with for years and she had become quite thin and skittish, especially at meal times (the IBS caused her pain when she ate). She had the same bloody diarrhea problem as your cat and the smell was the most vile thing imaginable! However, after about a month and a half on Rad Cat, the IBS was completely gone and now that she has been on it for a couple of years, she is an extremely healthy, spry and confident senior lady, who LOVES meal times and has odorless, well formed bowel movements.
One of our other cats was EXTREMELY ill with the Calicivirus when we adopted him as an older kitten, and he was so starved that we could see and feel his bones very distinctly through his course and dull fur. He was also unable to keep much food down (from long term starvation and mouth sores), and it took several weeks before he was able to keep much of the Rad Cat down. However, the changes in him that occurred when he started to keep the raw diet down were easy to see even within a few days. He started sleeping and grooming himself and having bowel movements that didn’t stink like a sewer any more. After nine months of eating the raw diet, you would never know he had ever been ill or starving and he is now a very strong and healthy adult male with a hearty appetite. His fur is so soft and shiny, and he is extremely happy and healthy. The only thing he is still dealing with is a bad case of gingivitis, but many of the people in the cat section think that it is the residual effects of having the Calicivirus, that will never completely go away. We’re taking him in this week to have it rechecked by the vet.
Our other cat, a black Bombay female, was over weight and had spraying issues before starting the diet, but both problems went away within a month or so after starting the BARF diet.
Rad Cat is a bit pricey, but it costs a whole lot less than it cost us when we were trying to make raw diets on our own! It is also made with high quality human grade meats and comes in chicken, turkey and lamb with no mixing of species in the meals. We absolutely love the stuff and even in this economic crisis, we are dedicated to keeping our freezer stocked with it. The money it has saved us in vet bills far out ways its cost!
Here is their website if anyone wants to check it out.
http://www.radfood.com/
I think a lot of people avoid the BARF diet because they dread having to make it. It’s good to know that there are companies making healthy raw meals for pets now, so that we busy or squeamish pet owners have a viable option for giving our pets the healthiest food possible.
i use the barf with my cats, i have 4 now, and ive never looked back. the book was written by a vet in bathurst, western n.s.w., and i worked for the place where it was printed. i tell everyone about this diet, as a whole lot of money is spent on useless canned and dried food. its much cheaper to feed them bones and raw food, believe me. i swear by this diet, i just hope this thread gives a little more publicity to it, go to your local book store, or your library, read the book, and i guarantee you will change your pets diet, it was originally written for dogs, but cats can and do use it with the same amount of success. thank you oh and also go to the barf diet website
“Science Diet, Purina, Iams, Prescription foods like Hill’s z/d etc”
Not surprising since these are all low quality cat foods anyway!
I’m actually not a huge fan of the BARF style of raw feeding. I don’t feel it’s species appropriate for either dogs or cats since it includes grains and vegetables (neither of which are a required part of a carnivore like a dog, or especially an obligate carnivore like a cat, ‘s diet). It also requires supplements and involves grinding the raw meat (which does nothing to help clean teeth).
I am, however, a huge fan of the Raw Prey Model style of raw feeding. It doesn’t include unnecessary things like grains and vegetables, it’s complete and doesn’t require supplements, and the act of chewing the meat from the bones (as well as the bones themselves) works wonders on keeping teeth clean:
http://www.rawfedcats.org/ (Excellent raw feeding information for cats)
http://www.rawfed.com/ (More excellent raw feeding information)
http://rawfed.com/myths/preymodel.html (Raw Prey Model Diet Vs. BARF Diet)
Darksong~