Renal insufficiency, diabetes, allergies and gastrointestinal diseases are widespread everyday illnesses in cats and have even increased in recent years.
To prevent this, cat owners are switching to barfing. After all, natural and species-appropriate feeding is the best way to ensure healthy animals. In this article, I'll tell you more about barfing for cats and tell you how to put together BARF rations for your cat and which BARF food supplements such as BARF-Complete are important.
How healthy is BARF for cats?
While BARF for dogs has been discussed since the 1990s, raw feeding for cats has only been a growing topic in the care of velvet paws since the early/mid-2000s. It imitates the "wild" diet of cats. Raw fresh meat is supplemented with bones, offal, high-quality fat or salmon oil, vegetables and fruit. This comes very close to the animals' natural diet.
However, before you decide on barfing, I recommend that you consult a vet or veterinary practitioner. Possible underlying illnesses and allergies can then be taken into account from the outset.
Feeding cats on a kibble has many advantages, both for the animal and for the owner. On the one hand, you can decide for yourself what your cat is fed and adapt the individual ingredients to its needs. You can react individually to the particularities of the metabolism and also keep an eye on the vitamin intake and utilization of your four-legged friend. An active outdoor cat, for example, needs more food than a cat that is kept exclusively at home.
On the other hand, the four-legged friend receives the food in an unprocessed state and therefore only consumes natural vitamins and minerals. Industrial cat food, on the other hand, loses many important nutrients during the manufacturing process.
In addition to the individual composition of the food, more flexibility and variety in feeding and a natural nutrient intake, BARF also has health benefits for your cat: the intensive chewing of the raw meat supports dental care and reduces plaque and tartar.
Your pet also has a significantly improved nutrient utilization. This leads to fewer stools and a firmer stool consistency. Muscles, the immune system and the condition of the skin and coat also benefit from barfing.
Advantages of barfing cats at a glance
- Less plaque and tartar
- Strengthening of the immune system
- improved musculature
- improved digestion and tolerance of food
- Shinier coat
- less parasite infestation
- improved nutrient utilization
- fewer droppings
- fewer intolerances and allergies
Barfing cats for beginners - how to make the switch
Your cat's barf menu should make up approx. 2-3% of its body weight per day. Domestic cats are carnivores, so meat naturally makes up the majority of the barf diet. Offal, bones, fat and vegetable ingredients or BARF additives are added to the muscle meat.
Lungs, udders and rumen are less suitable for cats. They have a high proportion of connective tissue and are not processed well by cats.
Composition of the feed:
- 95 % meat (incl. offal, bones and fat)
- 5 % vegetables + oils and BARF supplements for cats as required
Cats are very sensitive when it comes to their daily habits. They are not fond of experiments and often tend to refuse food that is unfamiliar and unfamiliar to them. To make the changeover to BARF a success, you should proceed as follows:
To begin with, you can start with 80% of the old food and 20% of the new BARF meat. You can simply mix this directly into the old food. This will allow your cat to slowly get used to the new taste. Instead of whole chunks of meat, you can also use raw minced beef, which you mix into your pet's food. Gradually increase the amount of raw meat and add some fresh vegetables and fruit. It is best to feed the vegetable ingredients in pureed form so that your cat's body can process them better. Within 2-3 weeks, the BARF changeover should be complete and the body should have adapted to barfing.
However, you must bear in mind that not every cat prefers BARF to the usual food, so you may have to stick to the conventional diet. You know your furry friend best and know how sensitive they are. But it's definitely worth trying to switch to BARF.
Which raw meat can cats eat?
There are almost no limits when it comes to raw meat for cats. You can use almost all common types of meat. In addition to fresh raw meat, frozen meat can also be fed. This is also easier to store for a longer period of time.
Suitable BARF meats:
- Beef
- veal
- lamb
- horse
- Chicken
- Goose
- turkey
- turkey
- Rabbit
- Game
Integrate fish regularly into the diet
You can also vary the BARF meal and feed fish 1-2 times a week. Individual prey, such as mice and chicks, can also be fed whole. This comes closest to the cat's natural prey.
Bones are also part of the diet for cats
Many owners refrain from feeding their pets bones. However, bones also belong on the menu 1-2 times a week. They provide important calcium and stimulate intestinal function due to their dense mass. Soft bones are best for cats: Chicken and turkey necks, carcasses, wings and thighs. Bones containing cartilage, such as breastbone tips, have a very low calcium content and are not recommended for exclusive bone feeding.
Cats must not eat this
Cooked bones are dangerous
Cooked bones should generally not be fed. Heating them makes the bone structure porous and they splinter more easily. This can cause internal damage to your cat.
Raw pork is a taboo
Under no circumstances should you feed your cat raw pork - neither wild boar nor domestic pigs. Pigs transmit the Aujeszky's virus, which can be fatal for your cat. Although German domestic pigs no longer contain the virus, you should avoid feeding raw pork at all times to prevent infection.
Fat is important but don't overdo it
Excessive feeding of fat can also harm your pet tiger. Too much fat can put a strain on your cat's sensitive liver. Around 8-10% fat per meal is perfectly adequate and can alternatively be replaced with high-quality salmon oil, which is highly recommended.
No carbohydrates for cats
✘ Cats are carnivores. Vegetables, oils etc. only make up a small part of their daily diet. Carbohydrate-containing foods such as potatoes, rice and pasta are not suitable for feeding cats. They cannot break down carbohydrates and therefore cannot digest them. They get their energy from proteins and fats.
Barf supplements for cats
If the cat is fed a raw diet, natural BARF supplements can be useful. Especially if the cat refuses individual components of the raw food. Cats often tend to disdain offal, but even bones and fish are not always popular with velvet paws. These nutrients must be compensated for by other means. Especially animals in special situations, such as illness, change of coat or growth, have a higher nutritional requirement and should receive an additional supply of important vitamins and minerals.
Ground bones or bone meal for cats
If your four-legged friend refuses to eat raw bones or cannot eat them, you can also feed them ground bones. They are just as nutritious and contain important calcium and phosphorus. Bone meal is a suitable alternative to whole or ground bones. The ground animal bones have a balanced calcium-phosphorus ratio and can easily be mixed into the food. Both calcium and phosphorus play an important role in bone metabolism and for tooth substance; the two minerals are also necessary for blood clotting and muscle activity.
Eggshell powder, on the other hand, is recommended for cats with kidney disease. It generally consists of between 37-38% calcium and has a very low phosphorus content.
Taurine for cats
Taurine is an important amino acid in the cat's body. However, cats cannot synthesize the nutrient themselves and should be added to raw meat as a BARF supplement. Although raw meat already contains taurine, it is only present in sufficient quantities in the hearts of prey animals.
➠ The average daily requirement of taurine for an adult cat is 50 mg per kilogram of body weight.
The taurine requirement is higher for older, pregnant and nursing animals. If cats consume too little taurine in their food, this can lead to poor eyesight, nervous system disorders and immunodeficiency, among other things. This is because the necessary amino acid plays an important role in the immune system and is essential for keeping the retina healthy.
Salmon oil for cats
Salmonoil for cats as a dietary supplement provides important fats and essential omega-3 fatty acids. These essential fatty acids cannot be produced by the cat's body and must be taken in with food. This is because the long-chain fatty acids are involved in numerous metabolic processes in the body: Among other things, they have a positive influence on blood circulation, promote the development of the brain and visual acuity and are an important building block of the cell membrane. An omega-3 deficiency can therefore be detrimental to the animal's health and even cause secondary diseases. A dry, shaggy coat, increased itching, skin inflammation and dermatoses are just some of the possible symptoms of a deficiency. Vegetable oils as an alternative to salmon oil are less recommendable for cats.
➠ Cats of normal weight (3-5 kg) should be given approx. 1/4 teaspoon of salmon oil daily. You can usually find the appropriate dosage on the salmon oil bottle.
Coconut oil for cats
Coconut oil is also recommended as a food supplement for cats. It should consist of 100% natural coconut oil and ideally be obtained by gentle cold pressing. The lauric acid in coconut oil for cats is said to have an antifungal effect and help with fungal infections. Coconut oil can also support the intestinal flora and provides important amino acids, trace elements, vitamins and minerals. Experience reports have shown that coconut oil for cats can act as a supportive prophylactic against worm infestations and other parasites.
➠ The daily dose should not exceed ¼ teaspoon.
Barfeeding cats - recipes for every day
To get your cat into a routine, you can simply put together a few recipes for the whole week. We have a few recipe suggestions for you that will add some variety to your cat's daily diet. However, this compilation is only a guideline and should be adapted as required.
Recipe "Duck feast"
- 35% duck meat
- 30% duck necks
- 20% duck hearts
- 10% duck liver
- 5% grated zucchini
- Taurine and salmon oil as required
Recipe "Chicken with fish"
- 35% chicken carcass
- 20% rainbow trout
- 20% chicken heart
- 15% chicken gizzard
- 10% chicken liver
- 5% carrot puree
- Taurine and salmon oil as required
Note: For food-sensitive animals, you should use a single type of meat and avoid mixed meat.
Conclusion
Bar feeding for cats is on the rise. This natural and species-appropriate feeding method is winning over more and more cat owners. BARF is a real alternative, especially for sensitive animals and allergy sufferers: you not only have an influence on the composition of the food, but also more flexibility and variety in the cat's diet. In addition, the species-appropriate feeding of the animal has an effect on its health and can have a positive influence on it.
Before switching to BARF, however, you should know your cat's needs and preferences so that you can tailor the food accordingly. Otherwise, malnutrition can occur with serious consequences.
To provide your cat with the necessary vitamins and minerals, you can use all-in-one supplements such as AniForte® Barf Complete Cat. This ensures that your cat gets all the nutrients it needs. Alternatively, individual important food supplements such as salmon oil can also support your cat's nutritional requirements for Omega 3 & 6: While AniForte® Taurine provides essential amino acids for the heart and circulation, AniForte® BARF-Line ground bones is the perfect substitute for feeding bones to cats.
