Do cats eat pork? Is it possible to give a cat raw meat? Foods that should not be given to a cat

The question of whether it is possible to feed a cat raw meat seems strange to many owners, because everyone knows that these pets are predators by nature, and no one cooks for animals in their natural habitat. In fact, a cat's intestines are perfectly adapted to process raw meat, however, it can be dangerous for the pet. Especially often, when feeding raw meat, health problems arise in show purebred cats, in which, for the sake of external appearance, little attention is paid to health, and kittens already have certain disorders at birth.

Meat is necessary for cats, as it is their main natural food. Raw meat is the best food for cats. To ensure that this product does not harm the animal, every owner must know exactly how to prepare it for giving to the pet. If everything is done correctly, then the meat will only benefit the cat and will not cause any problems to its health. Don’t forget to give your kitten raw meat, thanks to which it will develop fully.

What kind of raw meat is suitable for a cat?

Not all meat can be used to feed cats. Some of its types will cause one harm to the animal, causing digestive disorders. Useful for cats:

beef,
goat meat,
horsemeat,
lean lamb,
rabbit meat,
chicken,
turkey meat.

In addition, offal products, which cats eat especially readily, will also benefit the animal if fed in moderation. However, the owner must remember that their animal can be given no more than 200 g per week (the same applies to fish). You can feed your animal raw foods only if they are well tolerated. Not every cat easily digests offal.

The freshness of the meat is of great importance for the animal. The statement that cats like meat that is not quite fresh and has a smell is nothing more than a misconception. It arose because some owners simply seek to save money on animal nutrition. In fact, bad meat is just as harmful to cats as it is to humans. You should also remember that you only need to purchase proven meat for feeding your pets, which has all veterinary certificates. You can only give your cat raw meat that is fresh and without adding salt.

What kind of meat should you not give?

Not all meat can be included in a cat’s diet, even if it is of very high quality. In nature, animals can eat all types of meat and therefore hunt a wide variety of game. Domestic cats living in comfort already have a different metabolism, and therefore a number of foods can cause them harm and should not be given. A cat can get sick if its diet includes such meat.:

pork;
any fatty meat;
duck;
goose.

Minced meat, especially ready-made, deserves special attention. It usually contains too much fat. In addition, such a product negatively affects the cat’s intestines and stomach, as it is not digested correctly due to its consistency.

Feeding the animal bones is also unacceptable. They are not digested in the intestines and only clog it, which can cause obstruction. They can also injure the walls of the gastrointestinal tract and lead to the death of the animal within 2-3 hours from internal bleeding.

What are the dangers of raw meat for cats?

Feeding cats raw meat should be done wisely. The product must first be prepared.

If meat is bought at the market from an open counter, where flies that carry many diseases could land on it, it must also be processed before giving it to the cat so as not to bring infectious diseases to the pet with it. To do this, you need to pour boiling water over the product, but do not keep it in it, so that the beneficial substances in the meat are not destroyed.

Having bought meat, even in the most reliable place, it must be frozen before giving it to the cat. Due to the fact that people do not consume raw meat, the product, even if it contains eggs of a number of worms, is considered safe and goes on sale.

What meat is healthier to give to a cat?

Raw meat is good for your cat's health. It contains all the amino acids and proteins necessary for the animal and ensures the proper functioning of internal organs and systems. Also, in its raw form, the product is much easier to digest by the pet’s stomach, and therefore the cat does not risk getting diseases of the digestive system.

It is strictly forbidden to give your cat fried and smoked meat. Such products will only harm the health of the animal. There is nothing useful in them for the cat, but they cause irritation of the stomach and liver. Also, if the pancreas is weak, it may also suffer.

Is it possible to combine raw and cooked meat?

It’s not uncommon for owners to give their cats not only raw, but also boiled food, since many pets eat cooked meat more readily. Boiled meat contains enough nutrients for a cat, and if desired, you can feed it such a product in combination with raw meat, but only without combining them in one feeding.

The fact is that if a cat eats raw and cooked meat at the same time, then in order to digest two dishes at once, the production of different enzymes will be required. This can overload the cat's digestive system, causing diarrhea or vomiting. The interval between giving food should be at least 3 hours.

What is the best way to feed meat?

Feed your cat raw meat every day, best in the morning, when her body is most active and absorption will proceed fairly quickly. The product should not be given in large pieces, because if the pet does not chew it and swallows it almost entirely, the cat will vomit. Cut the meat into cubes 15 by 15 mm. The juice that appears after defrosting the meat can be given to the cat, since many animals love to lap it up.

In order for the feeding to be complete, you should not give only meat. For one serving you need to take:

75 g of meat (optimally feed raw beef),
1 tablespoon olive oil;
25 g of vegetable puree made from steamed carrots, zucchini or cabbage.

By mixing all the ingredients, the owner receives the ideal balanced, healthy food for the pet. Every type of cat should receive the right raw meat diet all year round.

Don't listen to the myth that raw meat and cats are incompatible. In fact, meat nutrition for an animal is the most natural and correct

Meat is included in a cat's diet every day. It is important for owners to know healthy and harmful meat varieties, be able to cook properly and protect their pet from bacteria and helminths.

What kind of meat can you give to a cat?

Cats get proteins and amino acids from meat. They need proteins more than other domestic animals: if they are deficient, liver enzymes break down their own proteins. Meat becomes the main source of taurine. It is not synthesized in the body of cats; if there is a deficiency, vision decreases and the functioning of internal organs is disrupted.

The benefits of the product increase if it is properly processed:

Cats are fed with fresh meat fillets. Skin, bones, fat layers are removed. The exception is chicken necks and cartilage; they are ground in a meat grinder and periodically given to the pet.
The pieces are cut into slices 1 cm in size: they give the necessary load to the teeth, gums and are absorbed normally.
Minced meat is prepared from lean varieties, but is not given regularly.
Before serving, bring to room temperature or 2 degrees higher: hot burns the mucous membranes, frozen is harmful to the stomach.
During heat treatment, no fat, salt, or spices are added. It is useful to season with vegetable oil.
Offal is included as an additional source of vitamins and minerals and is fed twice a week. The liver and heart are more useful, the lungs, kidneys, and stomachs are allowed if the animal loves them.

The types of meat alternate, they differ in the composition of useful components.

The table indicates the varieties that can be given to your pet:

View	Benefits for the cat
Chicken breast	Includes unsaturated fatty acids and exceeds other varieties in terms of calcium volume.
Dark chicken meat	100 g contains 1700 mcg of taurine, which is 3 times more than beef.
Turkey breast	Does not cause allergies, contains only 104 kcal and 1.6 g of fat per 100 g.
Dark turkey	The share of taurine in 100 g is 3000 mcg.
Rabbit meat	Contains 21.7% easy-to-digest proteins.
horsemeat	It consists of 21% protein and 4.1% fat. It is distinguished by an increased amount of iron, potassium, copper, manganese.
Beef and chicken liver	The proportion of iron, vitamin A, E, group B is higher than in muscle fibers.
Chicken and beef heart	The chemical composition is not inferior to meat, but it is superior in the content of vitamins A, PP, B1.
Chicken necks	Prevents the formation of tartar and becomes a source of calcium.
Soft cartilage	Contain collagen, necessary for the renewal of connective tissues of joints.
Beef tenderloin	Normal ratio of proteins and fats: 18.6/16%, rich in minerals, superior to other varieties in the amount of zinc. Vitamins B6, B12 and iron support hemoglobin levels.
Veal	Contains 1.2% fat, its mineral composition and amount of proteins is not inferior to beef.

The diet cannot be composed of only meat “dishes”. They don’t have fiber, they don’t have enough vitamins and calcium to meet the daily requirement. The deficiency is compensated by fermented milk products and vegetables.

What meat should you not feed your cat?

The following products are prohibited:

fresh steam . Unprocessed meat is a potential source of harmful bacteria, helminth larvae and eggs.
Salty . Salt disrupts the balance of minerals and retains fluid.
Roast . Excess oil upsets metabolism.
Canned . To increase shelf life, components harmful to cats are included: salt, seasonings, spices.
Smoked . Wood smoke contains volatile carcinogens. When smoking for industrial purposes, meat is doused with an artificial liquid, which corrodes the gastric mucosa and causes an allergic reaction.
Dried . The product is kept in a marinade with additives harmful to animals: salt, vinegar, spices, garlic.
Meat waste . Bones, paws, and heads injure the digestive organs; cats do not digest chicken and turkey skin. The trimmings are taken from the surface of the piece, and therefore contain pathogenic microbes.
Pieces larger than 2 cm . Large chunks are difficult to chew, making nutrients less absorbable.
Meat puree . A cat's teeth need stress; if you constantly feed them soft food, they are destroyed. The puree is suitable for kittens or adult animals with digestive tract problems.

The table lists the varieties that should not be given to your pet:

A one-time inclusion of fatty meat in your diet will not harm. With constant feeding, the animal develops problems. First, weight increases, and against the background of obesity, cardiovascular diseases and diabetes develop.

Why raw meat can be dangerous

The harm of the fresh product is associated with possible infection with helminths, harmful microbes.

These include:

Campylobacter lives in the intestines of animals and birds, causing the acute intestinal disorder campylobacteriosis.
False rabies virus Contained in pork, when infected, convulsions, paralysis, and itching begin.
Escherichia coli , pathogenic strains provoke acute poisoning.
Salmonella most often found in chicken. Bacterial toxins cause vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration.
Brucella enters the body with the milk and meat of sick animals. The bacterium affects nerve cells, blood vessels, and genitourinary organs. Brucellosis is not completely cured.
Trichinella found in pork. After entering the intestines, they penetrate the walls, spread through the bloodstream, and settle in the muscles. Trichinosis is fatal if there are more than 5 larvae per 1 kg of weight in the body.

It is better not to buy products in dubious places where the quality of the goods is not controlled.

How to keep meat safe

When scalded with boiling water, bacteria are destroyed from the surface; this method will not protect against helminthiasis. Meat is not kept next to other food; a separate knife and cutting board are allocated for it.

Raw or cooked

Fresh meat is better digestible and retains nutritional components. Boiled is safer, cats often eat it more willingly, but the taurine and vitamins are partially washed out.

Both types are allowed if prepared correctly:

Do not serve raw without first freezing.
When cooking, add a minimum of water or simmer in its own juice.
Freeze the liver, chop it and scald it with boiling water.
Do not combine fresh and cooked food in one feeding; different enzymes are required for absorption.

Meat is the main food of a cat's diet, but not all types are suitable for feeding a cat; it becomes useful only after processing.

Every caring cat owner tries to carefully choose the right diet for his pet. Many believe that furry predators need to eat raw meat, and give cats pork. However, this should not be done. The cat’s body certainly won’t thank you for a tasty piece of pork placed in a bowl.

Reasons why cats shouldn't eat pork

Their body is unable to convert fat-containing foods into energy in such a way that the cat does not gain excess weight. And obesity, in turn, worsens the quality of life and its duration, leading to serious diseases.

And boiled pork is not a cat’s friend

Even if you cook pork for a cat, the danger will not disappear. By eating cooked pork meat, your pet puts itself at risk of diseases such as:

Pancreatitis;
Cirrhosis of the liver;
Chronic renal failure;
Stomach upset.

After eating a piece of pork, a cat can develop an allergy. Therefore, it is better not to take risks and exclude this type of meat from the cat’s diet.

Is there an alternative?

Meat is a natural food for a predator, so it cannot be removed from the diet at all. But if you give your cat rabbit, chicken or fish instead of pork, you can avoid unpleasant consequences without depriving your pet of his favorite and much-needed treat.

Pork and its by-products are not the best type of meat to feed cats. What do you think? In Europe and the USA, in most cases, it is not considered at all as a product suitable for feeding cats and kittens. But maybe we can try to find out what pork actually is, and should it be given to cats?

Myth 1. Pork is difficult to digest.

Pork is considered a heavy, poorly digestible food, but this is a deep misconception. Research has proven that in terms of digestibility it ranks second after lamb - the record holder for this indicator, ahead of beef, duck and chicken.

Myth 2. Pork is too fatty

Indeed, anyone who has seen a fattened pig at least once in their life does not need much time to come to such a conclusion. Indeed, there is a lot of fat in it, but it is concentrated in very specific parts of the animal’s body. If you take a quick look at the butcher shop counter, you will also find completely lean cuts called tenderloin, shoulder, carb, etc. So, these parts contain less fat than beef, young lamb and even chicken. Don't believe me? Here's the data: 100 g of lean pork contains 2.98 g of fat, 100 g of chicken contains 3.03 g. In fact, by purchasing such a piece, you get a dietary product!

Myth 3. Pork is poor meat

And this is also not true. Pork holds the record for the content of B vitamins among all other types of meat. It is also an excellent source of zinc and magnesium, which improve the functioning of the cardiovascular system, and a whole set of valuable minerals - iron, selenium, potassium, manganese, sodium, phosphorus, cobalt and copper. For cats and dogs, it is especially important to have a sufficient amount of amino acids in the diet, and pork is full of them, especially lysine, which is necessary for bone health, and arachidonic acid, without which no carnivorous predator can boast of excellent health.

Many owners keep their animals on natural food, that is, they prepare food from products. Such people are interested in the question "Why can't cats have pork?". No meat product causes so many controversial opinions. Some believe that pork is harmless, while others believe that it should absolutely not be given to animals. Experts and breeders explain in detail why this meat is contraindicated.

Arguments against pork

Whether cats can eat pork has long been the subject of fierce debate. At first, nutritionists opposed this meat, then veterinarians supported them. Arguments against pork:

This type of meat often causes indigestion. Pork is difficult to digest and takes a very long time even when fried. This type of meat is considered “heavier” than beef, turkey and poultry.
The second argument against pork is its fat content, and cats should absolutely not eat such food. Lean meat contains up to 2.8 g of fat per 100 grams, pieces with lard - up to 27 g.
The composition of pork is quite poor. This meat does not have many amino acids and protein. However, it is the leader in vitamin B content.

Pork cannot be purchased at markets or from private traders. Such sellers often neglect sanitary standards when raising animals. They are not vaccinated, they do not have conditions for storing meat.

Pigs get sick often. It is these animals that are considered the most “unclean”. Often due to improper care or insufficient control by the veterinarian, when necessary vaccinations are missed. Sometimes sellers find ways to bypass checks.

Sick animals are sent for slaughter; such meat is then rarely disposed of, but is sent for sale. It should be borne in mind that not all meat is tested for infections and viruses in the veterinary laboratory. Some diseases are deadly for cats and dogs:

It is worth considering that pets are domesticated and raw meat can cause diarrhea. This is facilitated by fatty foods, in particular pork. After it, the cat may have a stomach ache for a long time. Therefore, feeding your cat raw meat is strictly prohibited. Animals can only be given foods that contain no more than 4 percent fat.

Good freezing can rid pork of worms. The meat should be in the freezer for at least three days. And even after this, it is best to boil the pork to protect it from the other dangers listed above.

Trichinosis

Separately, it is worth mentioning trichinosis. This disease is considered one of the most dangerous. However, everything is complicated by the fact that the pathology is difficult to recognize. Often the diagnosis is made at a late stage, when the cat can no longer be helped or after its death.

The survivability of the larvae directly depends on the duration of infection. If they were encapsulated in meat or muscles, then they are not afraid of either boiling water or cold. As soon as the larvae enter the cat’s body, they will immediately burst and infection will begin. Trichylella live in the intestines for 45-60 days.

Then they move into the muscles, where they exist for years. This foreign invasion can cause cats:

swelling;
muscle pain;
skin rashes;
diarrhea;
a sharp increase in temperature;
changes and blood diseases.

Pork can be completely excluded from your cat’s diet. Otherwise, eating this type of meat can lead to kidney failure, liver cirrhosis, and pancreatitis. Pork can cause allergies and cardiovascular diseases. When purchasing offal, you need to look at the composition. Sometimes, in order not to indicate that the composition contains pork, manufacturers write about “meat origin”.

Giving pork to cats, even boiled pork and even in small quantities, is also not recommended. Despite the fact that food in this form is well absorbed, there is still a risk of liver cirrhosis, pancreatitis, and chronic indigestion.

However, if the owners still decide to add pork to the cat’s food, then veterinarians advise buying only shoulder, heart or tenderloin, and completely free of fat.