Healthiest Cat Food?

[MeowMeow]

Hello,

The road to feeding cats purer, healthier foods that aren’t kibble or out of a can has been such a difficult thing to accomplish in comparison with dog feeding. Raw meat over time became hard on my cats organs, developing mild kidney & liver issues.

I don’t understand how raw meat diets can backfire when it’s supposedly a superior choice, and why companies aren’t disclosing these types of things while touting raw is best?

I find myself back to the drawing board with feeding again. Is there a meal plan or document to follow that the doctors recommend?

Currently I am trying Darwin’s Kidney meat formula to lower lab numbers and then onto another diet very soon.

Thinking about Honest Kitchen?

In the forum, Dr Jeff & Dr Christina advise HK is ultra-processed, but Dr Jean said it’s not ultra-processed. Is there a disagreement?

I am concerned about additive ingredients of canned food.

Also, is Honest Kitchen raw dehydrated mixed in with a bit of meat & veg for an early stage elevated kidney diseased cat OK?

Am I to buy chicken from Whole Foods and cook it and add it to HK?

Thank you for listening, any advice is helpful.

 

[NancyK]

What exactly were you feeding that you feel caused the liver and kidney disease? I don’t see how raw meat can lead to liver or kidney issues unless excessive organ meats are fed or the diet is very unbalanced. Organ meats are loaded with nutrients and meant to be fed in moderation. I guess if there is not enough calcium, the diet could also be too high in phosphorus.

Nancy

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Dr Jean said it’s not ultra-processed. Is there a disagreement?

Yes, and I would absolutely defer to Dr. Jean. To me (and a prior definition from the USDA), any food that's processed at all is already not fresh, and once the food is pelletized and had non-food items added, it is ultra-processed:

vitamin A supplement, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, thiamine mononitrate (vitamin B1), riboflavin (vitamin B2), calcium pantothenate (vitamin B5), pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), folic acid, vitamin B12 supplement, niacin supplement], mixed tocopherols, turmeric, dried bacillus coagulans fermentation product, rosemary extract.

Am I to buy chicken from Whole Foods and cook it and add it to HK?

Yup. And beef, and sardines, etc.

HK is still far better than canned.

 

[Dr. Christina]

My answer is more about the perspective of feeding cats than the specific suggestions you are asking for. I hope it helps.

Back up a moment, stop thinking about "cat food" (which has only been around for a hundred years) and start thinking about species appropriate food. What have cats had to eat and drink over the last few centuries? Mice, birds, small mammals, fish, etc. Muscles, skin/fur/feathers, organs, a little bit of pureed/partly digested vegetable/seed mixtures. Fresh killed. Sometimes cats have the joy of choosing what protein they want to eat, often it is just what they catch. And it is usually a variety.

Now think about what people eat. Some thrive on vegan, others do not. Some thrive on paleo, others do not. Most would agree that the best would be freshest, happiest, seasonal, local products, with a lot of variety. Not just the same organic meal day in and day out with supplements.

How, then, can we best feed each cat? There is no one right answer. You job is to learn the BEAM, Early Warning Signs of internal imbalance and keep a journal to track these. Understand how to judge if your kitty is moving towards cure, palliation and suppression. Learn much more on the HA! website and forum. Many have written about their cat feeding challenges, so do several searched there.

What I fed my cats for decades was a mixture I made every 4-6 weeks and froze in weekly portions. Each batch was slightly different as I tested different supplements from conferences. Most of the muscle, bones, organ meat and vegetables came from a local family farm - humane and organic certified and happy.

Sometimes one or more of the cat may not like the mixture I made, so I had various toppers of food I had discovered (through offering everything) that each loved.

Best is to feed some of your own food. If needed, feed a frozen raw or slowly cooked commercial diet. Feed different brands over time so your cat does not get fixated on one kind (then they go out of business - cat goes on strike) and so different nutrients and sourcing is fed.

Dr. Christina

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Thanks so much for the highly informative and helpful post Dr. Christina!

 

[MeowMeow]

Thank you all for the helpful input!