BARF for Cats: Tips, Risks and Alternatives
BARF, which is an abbreviation of Biologically Appropriate Raw Food, enjoys a large popularity amongst dog owners. More and more cat owners are giving up buying cat food and are switching to home-prepared food.
In the following, you will learn exactly what BARF is all about and what you have to pay attention to. We'll also explain the risks and why it might be a good idea to change your cat's diet.
How does barley for cats work?
Today BARF stands for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food.
BARF is about providing the cat with home-made meals made from raw ingredients such as meat and vegetables instead of conventional cat food.
The idea behind this is to provide a diet that is based on the diet of wild cats. BARF should optimally meet the nutritional needs of cats, which are carnivores by nature, and promote the health of the animals.
BARF is associated with risks for cats
There are a number of risks. If done wrongly, inappropriate nutrition represents a serious health hazard for the cat. This normally happens due to lack of knowledge. As a result, your cat may be under- or over-supplied with nutrients, leading to digestive problems and numerous other health problems.
BARF does not only mean meat
It’s well known that cats are carnivores and their digestion is therefore specialized in the utilization of animal food components. Many owners therefore assume that the meals of the four-legged friend should consist mainly of meat.
However, this is a big mistake which does not even begin to provide the animal with sufficient nutrients. To understand why this is so, it is worth taking a look at the diet of wild cats. Because they do not only eat meat, but always consume their prey as a whole.
For this reason, your cat's barbecuing meals should contain other animal components such as offal or cartilage in addition to muscle meat. These parts of the animal also contain important nutrients that your cat urgently needs.
Barley for cats and the micronutrients it contains
In addition to things like meat and offal, a well-balanced meal with barley also contains small amounts of vegetables or fruit, which provide the cat with fibre for digestion, among other things.
Another aspect that should not be overlooked in barley, and which is at least as important for your cat's health as the correct composition of the other ingredients, is the micronutrients it contains.
For the health of your four-legged friend, it’s essential that you provide him with the right vitamins and minerals in the right amounts. What the manufacturer has already done for you in the case of ready-made feed, is completely your responsibility in the case of raw feeding.
To avoid deficiency symptoms and serious health problems, you must therefore know exactly what your cat needs and take this into account at all times. This is not possible wiithout care and a certain amount of knowledge about the nutritional needs of cats.
The right way to handle raw meat
Raw meat is often contaminated with numerous germs, which can pose a health risk for humans and animals if not heated.
It’s very important to ensure that you maintain perfect hygiene when handling raw animal products. The meat should also always be kept well chilled and it’s best to store it in the freezer so that you can always defrost it fresh in portions.
However, you should be aware that bacteria already present in the meat do not die from freezing and that there is therefore always a certain risk despite all precautions.
How to BARF properly
If you decide to bark your cat in spite of all the risks mentioned, you should at least do it properly and not exclusively according to the motto "as long as it's raw and homemade".
When feeding your cat, pay particular attention to the following points:
- Use not only muscle meat, but also other animal ingredients.
- Provide your quadruped with smaller amounts of fruit and vegetables with roughage.
- Make sure that the meals exactly meet your cat's micronutrient requirements.
- Be aware that raw meat can be contaminated with germs.
- Let a professional help you put together your cat's meals.
- Our alternative for a species-appropriate diet for your cat without barley
As you can see, barbecuing cats has a number of disadvantages and can very easily lead to health problems. Apart from that, it takes a lot of time, which sometimes not every cat owner can afford every day.
For this reason, we generally advise against barfening cats and instead recommend the use of a high quality ready-made cat food, such as you will find in our range.
With I Love My Cat foods you can be sure that your four-legged friend receives exactly the nutrients they really need to stay healthy and happy.
All varieties consist of carefully selected ingredients, with which you will succeed in feeding your cat a species-appropriate diet, even without barley and the associated risks.
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