Bones and Raw Food Diet 

Those of you who already have Amber Snow kitties know that I feed and believe in the Bones and Raw food diet.  Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they have evolved for thousands of years to eat meat and meat only.  Cats (like humans actually) do not digest corn or grains and this leads only to more litter box products, if you know what I mean.  In addition, feeding raw food leads to better overall health, better breeding potential and certainly strong musculature.  Please allow me to try to convince you!

The vital importance of whole raw food for animal health was first demonstrated by a ten-year experiment (1932-42) run by Francis Pottenger, MD.  The experiment involved 900 cats.  Dr. Pottenger had noticed that cats fed on raw food enjoyed good health, as did their offspring. When the cats were fed cooked or processed food, their health deteriorated. These cats developed behavior problems, allergies, skin problems, parasites, nervous system inflammation, organ malfunction, and skeletal deformities. The third generation of cats fed only cooked food could no longer reproduce. It took four generations of cats eating raw food for those lines to regain health.

Lisa A. Pierson, DVM  "It would be as illogical to feed a carnivore a steady diet of meat-flavored cereals as it would be to feed meat to a vegetarian like a horse or a cow, right?  So why are we continuing to feed our carnivores like herbivores? The answers are simple.  Grains are cheap.  Dry food is convenient.  Affordability and convenience sells."

T.J. Dunn D.V.M."There is ample proof that today's pet dogs and cats do not thrive on cheap, packaged, corn-based pet foods.  Dogs and cats are primarily meat eaters; to fill them up with grain-based processed dry foods that barely meet minimum daily nutrient requirements has proven to be a mistake."

William Pollak D.V.M. "Severe nutritional deficiencies and toxic states have been known to mimic almost every known disease in veterinary medicine. In chronic conditions, some developing over several generations, improvement in health can take months or years.  Before World War II, most North Americans fed their pets raw bones and table scraps. Today, everyone uses convenience foods, and pet food companies are industry giants. Diet isn't the only thing that has changed. So has life expectancy, with the life span of many breeds now less than half what it was two or three decades ago. Skin and coat problems are so common that we accept them as unavoidable, and today's vets routinely treat conditions that used to be unusual or even rare."

Alfred Plechner, D.V.M "The most common and most visible symptoms of nutritionally caused deficiencies are allergies of one kind or another. Because many commercial foods are woefully deficient in key nutrients, the long-term effect of these foods makes the cat hypersensitive to its environment. . . . It's a dinosaur effect. Animals are being programmed for disaster, for extinction. Many of them are biochemical cripples with defective adrenal glands unable to manufacture adequate Cortisol, a hormone vital for health and resistance to disease. Allergies can be, and often are, unrecognized deficiency diseases."

Elizabeth Hodgkins DVM-  "My own cats eat ONLY raw meat. It is a very good way to provide some of the natural, unprocessed nutrition the cat evolved to utilize best."

Dr. Alicia McWatters, Ph.D. - "Fresh, raw foods contain the highest level of enzymes, and these enzymes assist in digestion. Cooked foods and dry convenient diets have been denatured and are devoid of enzymes: life-promoting elements. While they may maintain life, they do not promote optimum health or longevity!"

Dr. Pitcairn D.V.M.- "When I began to suggest the feeding of raw meat, I found animals becoming more healthy even without other treatment. Indeed, I have frequently had the report that people find their animals become healthy when they make this change and diseases for which they were hoping to have treatment (on a waiting list) have disappeared. Since that time, other veterinarians have told me similar things about the use of raw meat.  I have not seen significant parasite problems. Dogs and cats, being carnivores by nature, are meant to eat raw meat and do not have a problem doing so."

Orijen cat food believes the concept is simple: include the fresh, whole foods that nature evolved cats to eat (in correct ratio and quantity), and exclude ingredients like cereal grains that are not part of the natural diet.  I have to say the cats think this food tastes great!  Their website has a store locator.  It is 45% protein, 20% fat and 15% carbohydrates.  It gives your cat 4700 kilocalories per kg, which means they will need to eat less of it.

Innova Evo:  This premium cat food utilizes the biologically appropriate diet and therefore contains no grains.  Their website link has an option to search for suppliers in your area.  It is 50% protein, 22% fat and 7% carbohydrates (the lowest in the industry).  It gives your cat 4500 kilocalories per kg.

Royal Canin: This quality cat food tempts even the most picky of cats.  It does contain some grains.  You can find it easily at Petsmart.  The kitten formula is 34% protein and 20% fat.  I do not consider this food a low-carbohydrate product.  It gives your cat 4150 kilocalories per kg.