BARFing Cats - How It’s Done!
BARF for Cats – The Natural Way of Feeding
Raw feeding for cats – also known as BARFing – has become widely recognized in recent years as the healthiest and most species-appropriate feeding method among cat owners. Since cats, as carnivores, have a digestive system designed for high protein intake and the rapid processing of animal proteins, it only makes sense that meat should form the main component of every cat’s meal.
Why Should I BARF My Cat?
To answer this question, it makes sense to take a closer look at the physiology and origin of cats. Cats are carnivores, and their entire digestive system is designed for catching, killing, tearing apart, and digesting prey, as well as utilizing animal proteins.
This alone should be reason enough to understand that common commercial food with a high content of grains and other unnecessary fillers is not suitable for the long-term nutrition of a cat. Nonetheless, BARFing offers many additional advantages that are evident.
BARFING - Benefits at a Glance
- Good health condition
- Enjoyment of eating
- Stronger immune system
- Lower fluid intake, strong muscles, bones, tendons, and ligaments
- Feeding natural ingredients
- Longer life expectancy
- No unclear declarations
- Smaller stool quantities
- No additives
- More activity and balance
- Species-appropriate and balanced feeding
Excursus: The Cat – A Carnivore!?
The word carnivore originates from the Latin term carnis, meaning meat. Carnivores are animals, plants, and fungi that feed primarily or exclusively on animal tissue.
Cats and dogs are often categorized similarly in terms of their diet. However, dogs are not strict carnivores but omnivores (like humans) with a particularly high need for animal components. Cats, on the other hand, are strict carnivores, feeding exclusively on prey animals. These are mostly mice but can also include insects, birds, fish, and other small animals, up to rats or young rabbits.
How Do I Compose a BARF Meal for My Cat?
For balanced and species-appropriate BARFing of your cat, meals should be varied and include different animal components. In addition to muscle meat, raw meaty bones (RMB) and organs should also be fed regularly.
A balanced diet plan includes marbled meat with a fat content of 15 - 20%, organs like stomach, heart, lung, and spleen, and – if your cat tolerates it well – a proportion of raw meaty bones of 10 - 15%. Supplements and additional organs like liver can be fed as needed, depending on acceptance.
If desired, you can add a maximum of 5% raw, grated vegetables such as zucchini, pumpkin, carrots, or cucumber to the diet. Grains and other carbohydrate sources like rice and potatoes, as well as fruits, do not belong in a cat’s BARF plan. Herbs can be included as a temporary addition to support the diet during illnesses.
An adult cat should receive approximately 3 - 5% of its body weight in food daily, depending on activity level, hormonal status, and age. For kittens, this percentage should be over 8% of body weight and can gradually decrease as they reach adulthood. Pregnant or lactating cats should receive 5 - 15% of their body weight in food. These are general guidelines; for precise calculations, you should seek help from a nutrition expert.
BARFing with High-Quality Frozen Food from eBarf
Feeding raw meat closely resembles a cat’s natural diet, which in the wild consists of whole prey like mice and other small animals. Since feeding our house cats whole prey is usually not possible, a healthy cat meal should ideally be composed of various animal components such as muscle meat, organs, bones, and cartilage to mimic prey animals.
In our online shop, you’ll find premium single-ingredient BARF products from beef, horse, chicken, turkey, and fish for mixing yourself. If you prefer to save time and effort, you can also opt for our mixed menus consisting of different types of meat, which can be individually tailored to your cat’s needs.
The simplest and quickest way to provide healthy nutrition for your cat is with our ready-to-serve complete menus. These include everything needed for species-appropriate and healthy BARFing: fresh muscle meat, organs, vegetables, and all necessary supplements such as vitamins, minerals, and trace elements that are insufficient or absent in the meat.
Tips from Cat Expert Petra von Quillfeldt
Especially during the transition or in the first weeks of BARFing, many questions may arise that cannot always be answered with the help of the internet. Our expert Petra von Quillfeldt is happy to assist you with any questions about healthy cat nutrition. Take a look at her book Katzen BARFen or schedule a nutrition consultation with her – you’ll see that with a little routine, it’s much easier than you initially thought.
Do you have more questions about BARFing cats? Simply contact us. We look forward to your inquiry, and your cat will look forward to its next portion of raw meat.
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