I have 7 cats, and they are my absolute world! So, their health is key in allowing us to spend as long as possible in each other’s lives. Given a cat’s innate biology, I have taken heavy focus on hydration and a well balanced intake of nutrients.
Cats are desert animals, which means they are traditionally not very hydration oriented. Adding ample moisture to their food ensures we are filling any gaps they may have if left to their own devices when it comes to drinking. Kidney disease is the leading cause of death in cats from a disease standpoint, and proper hydration can help decrease strain on a cat’s kidneys throughout their life.
Paying close attention to their nutrient intake ensures that they have the best resources to build and maintain a strong body and immune system. Indoor cats are often lack many nutritional elements as dry food does not provide them, and cats are often picky eaters. Societally, there is also just a general lack of marketing and push for these options as opposed to dogs, who often see a very wide variety of nutritional options in every dog food aisle you enter.
Raw diets, while the most “natural” to a cat’s wild diet, often pose various dangers. In the wild, a cat could very much catch and eat an uncooked bird, and that would be natural. However, natural does not equal safe. That bird can carry various diseases, as we have seen with avian influenza this year, which is often fatal to cats. That does not even consider the faults of the North American production and distribution systems, which have known shortcomings when it comes to safety protections for bacteria carrying prone products. (Even before cuts to the various protection agencies under MAGA administration) All of that to say, please exercise extreme caution with what you give your cats. Aside from canned food, if you wouldn’t feel SAFE eating it, avoid it for the cats as well. All products on this list are cooked prior to being freeze dried or are otherwise not raw, so the risks are just those of a traditional large distribution chain. (The Northwest Naturals toppers are produced in a separate facility than their Raw line of products)