Raw feeding cats – this is how it’s done!
The natural way of feeding.
BARF for cats – the natural way of feeding
The raw feeding of cats – also called BARF – has in recent years become known among cat owners as the healthiest and most species-appropriate feeding method. Since cats, as carnivores, have their entire digestive system adapted to a high protein intake and the rapid processing of animal proteins, it only makes sense that meat should make up the main part of every cat's meal.
Why should I feed my cat BARF?
To answer this question, it makes sense to take a closer look at the cat's physiology and origin. The cat is a carnivore, and its entire digestive system is designed for holding, killing, tearing, and shredding prey, as well as for processing animal proteins.
This alone should be reason enough to understand that conventional ready-made food with a high proportion of grains and other unnecessary fillers is not suitable for the long-term feeding of a cat. Nevertheless, BARF offers many other obvious advantages.
BARF
Advantages at a glance
good health condition
joy in eating
stronger immune system
lower fluid intake, strong muscles, bones, tendons & ligaments
feeding natural ingredients
longer life expectancy
no opaque declarations
smaller stool volumes
no additives
more activity and balance
species-appropriate & needs-based feeding
Excursus: The cat – a carnivore!?
The word carnivore comes from the Latin carnis, meaning meat. Carnivores are animals, plants, and fungi that feed mainly or exclusively on animal tissue.
Cats and dogs are often classified the same in terms of diet. However, the dog is not a pure carnivore but an omnivore (like humans) with a particularly high requirement for animal components. The cat, on the other hand – as a pure carnivore – feeds exclusively on prey animals. These are mainly mice, but can also include insects, birds, fish, and other small animals up to rats or young rabbits.
How can you recognize a carnivore?
In cats, the entire digestive system and metabolism – starting in the mouth – are geared towards animal food. All of the cat's organs are designed for a high protein intake and rapid utilization of animal proteins and fats.
The teeth of a cat are those of a predator (although not every predator is a carnivore and not every carnivore is a predator). In addition to front and back teeth, it has four canines (canini – also called fangs) and also has four carnassial teeth, with which the cat can catch, kill, and tear prey into edible pieces.
In contrast to omnivores, the mouth of the cat does not secrete the digestive enzyme amylase, which is responsible for breaking down carbohydrates and thus for their pre-digestion. Since cats naturally consume only about 1% carbohydrates from their prey – which has already been pre-fermented in its stomach – this enzyme is not needed. A special feature of the cat is its tongue: it is both a tool and a carrier of taste buds. Rough like sandpaper, covered with horny spines, the cat's tongue can scrape bones as well as absorb liquids.
Unlike humans, cats can only moderately detect flavors. Humans have about 9,000 taste buds, cats only about 500. They cannot perceive sweet, but can distinguish sour, salty, and bitter well. However, cats have the fifth taste sense, which allows them to taste umami – which is Japanese for “meaty and savory.” One could also say that cats taste and smell protein-rich food.
In the cat's stomach, an acidic environment prevails. The natural pH value of gastric acid is regularly between 1 and 2. This low value is important because the enzymes for protein utilization work particularly well in this climate and the acid in the stomach kills germs and bacteria. Eating raw meat helps maintain this pH value.
The cat's intestine is, in relation to its body size, only about half as long as that of an omnivore and is designed exclusively for the utilization of animal protein. This is easy to digest, so no long intestinal passage (24–36 hours) as with plant-based food is necessary.
The main tasks are reserved for the small intestine, while the large intestine primarily serves water recovery, which is an important function considering the animal's origin in the drylands and savannas of Africa.
How do I put together a BARF meal
for my cat?
For a balanced and species-appropriate BARF diet for your cat, meals should be varied and contain different animal components. In addition to muscle meat, raw meaty bones (RMB) and offal should also be fed regularly.
A balanced feeding plan consists of well-marbled meat with a fat content of 15–20%, offal such as stomach, heart, lungs, and spleen, and – if the cat tolerates it well – a share of raw meaty bones of 10–15%. Supplements and additional organs such as liver can be fed as needed and according to acceptance. If desired, you can also feed up to 5% raw, grated vegetables such as zucchini, pumpkin, carrot, or cucumber. Grains and other carbohydrate sources such as rice and potatoes, as well as fruit, do not belong in a cat’s BARF plan. Herbs can be added as a course for a certain period to support the diet in case of illness.
An adult cat should receive about 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 then be gradually reduced as they reach adulthood. Pregnant or nursing cats should receive 5–15% of their body weight in food. These are rough guidelines; for exact determination of the food amount, you should ideally seek the help of a nutrition expert.
BARFing with high-quality frozen food from eBarf
Feeding raw meat comes very close to the natural diet of a cat, which in the wild eats mice and other small animals whole. Since feeding our indoor cats whole prey animals is usually not possible, a healthy cat meal should ideally be composed of different animal components such as muscle meat, offal, bones, and cartilage to imitate a prey animal.
In our online shop, you will find high-quality single-protein BARF products from beef, horse, chicken, turkey, and fish for you to mix yourself. If you want to save some time and effort, you can also use our mixed menus consisting of different types of meat and adapt them individually to your cat’s needs.
The easiest and quickest way to feed your cat healthily is with our ready-to-serve complete menus. These contain everything necessary for species-appropriate and healthy BARFing for your cat: fresh muscle meat, offal, vegetables, and all necessary supplements such as vitamins, minerals, and trace elements that are not, or not sufficiently, present in meat.
Tips from cat expert Petra von Quillfeldt
Especially during the transition or in the first weeks of BARFing, many questions can arise that cannot always be answered solely with the help of the Internet.
Our expert, Petra von Quillfeldt, is happy to help you with any questions regarding healthy cat nutrition. Have a look at her book “Katzen BARFen” or arrange a nutritional consultation with her – you will see that with a little routine, everything is much easier than you initially thought.
Do you have further questions about BARFing for cats? Simply contact us. We look forward to your inquiry, and your cat will look forward to the next raw meat portion.
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