For pet owners, feeding their fur babies an appropriate and healthy diet is not only a responsibility but also a great way to enhance the pet-owner bond. A cat’s diet plays a vital role when it comes to their general health and well-being. With the rise in fresh and raw diets, owners worldwide are curious about the safety risks associated with certain types of foods offered in such a diet, as well as the potential benefits.
Cats, being obligate carnivores, require a diet high in animal protein. This makes beef a popular choice for them. But is raw beef safe for feline consumption? When sourced properly, raw beef is safe for cats to consume in most circumstances. In this article, we’ll look at raw beef as a food source for cats in more detail.
Felines – The Ultimate Meat Processors
Cats are the epitome of a perfect predator. They have all the physical attributes and characteristics of a predator and are instinctively proficient in stalking and hunting animals. With this comes a digestive system that’s highly specialized to process animal meats. Most cat diets are very high in protein, and their status as an obligate carnivore necessitates the inclusion of animal-based meat in their diet.
Good quality adult cat foods have anywhere from 40%-50% protein, and cats have no problem handling higher amounts of protein. Cats also require good quality animal fats in their diet and other micronutrient requirements that are unique to them as a species. Not surprisingly, all their nutritional requirements are found in various animal meats.
Many regulatory bodies have emphasized the need for animal meat in a cat’s diet by setting a high protein requirement for their diets. Examples of such regulatory requirements are those set by The Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), which mandate higher protein for cats when compared to dogs 1.
With that in mind, it’s fair to say that animal meats are a safe bet for cats. Beef is no exception to this rule.
Raw Beef – The Pros
At a glance, beef has the same inherent qualities as many other animal types of meat when it comes to justifying its place in a cat’s diet: it’s animal-based meat that contains the nutrients cats need. Depending on the cut of beef, a 100-gram portion can contain anywhere from 19 to about 30 grams of protein, with the majority of the remaining contents usually being water and fats and a small portion of other micronutrients.
However, the question that often arises when discussing raw diets is the potential benefits (if any) of including raw meats in a cat’s diet. Though research on the full potential of raw diets is still inconclusive, there are some benefits that have been noted.
Raw beef may also provide the same anecdotal benefits that other raw foods offer cats. Though these anecdotal reports haven’t been definitively proven by research, they remain a popular reason for the appeal of raw food. These include:
The Beef With Raw
However, several pet owners are opposed to raw meats for cats due to various reasons as well.
Safely Offering Your Cat Beef
The decision to place your cat on a raw diet, which may incorporate raw beef, is ultimately one that each owner has to make after careful consideration and a consultation with their veterinarian. However, that’s not to say that cats can’t be fed raw beef. Even cats on a commercial non-raw diet can occasionally be offered raw beef as a treat. To minimize the risk to your cat, it’s advised to take note of the following precautions:
Other Beef Parts & Their Safety
In addition to raw beef, you might be curious about the safety of other parts of raw beef as well.
Final Thoughts
Raw foods are surging in popularity among pet cat owners, and raw beef is an interesting ingredient that is usually safe for most cats to consume when sourced and prepared properly. However, as research about the potential benefits of raw diets is still inconclusive and the research about the risks is fairly well documented, adding raw meats into a cat’s diet (either as occasional treats or as part of a transition to such a dietary style) is a decision that requires serious consideration and veterinary approval before its implementation.