BARF diet for cats? - Paw Talk

RSbunny · #1 01-01-2005, 03:54 PM

Just curious as to whether anyone has looked into the BARF diet for their cats? I'm thinking about switching Milko on to it when he is an adult but was wondering if anyone had any personal experiences with it? If not I'll just have to buy the book and then tell you guys all about it!

I'm not 100% sure yet. At first I said I wouldn't and I have found a dry kibble that I like but he always wants a bit of what Biscuit is having when she has rmb's and veggie mixture meals so I was just curious. Of course all the info on the net makes it sound hard and confusing, just like the dog one!
And I wouldn't be starting him until he was an adult cause kittens and puppies need stacks more supplements and their diets are complicated so I just leave that up to the food company.
He currently already eats chicken bones too, has done since 5 weeks of age so I know he'll eat bones. He wanted Biscuit's chicken leg the other day!

pihlaja · #2 01-04-2005, 08:15 AM

You know, Carmen ... my cats don't even like chicken that much.

I imagine that if I put them on a BARF diet, I'd have to buy them meats like rabbit, lamb, and reindeer since THOSE are the meats they want to eat. I've offered them chicken and they just don't want it.

But offer them reindeer and they go WILD!

I think the BARF diet might be good for a kitty, since they are carnivores ... Don't have any experience with it, though.

You'll have to tell us all how it works out!

RSbunny · #3 01-07-2005, 04:09 AM

Looks like I'm buying the book then!!

I'll let you know what I decide....Milko loves it all!!!!! He is not a fussy eater at all which I'm sooo happy about...tuna, sardines, chicken, kangaroo, beef, frozen peas (he found one I dropped on the floor) stirfry's, vol-au-vents, hot curries (we can not leave our plates anywhere...he just wants! He isn't allowed to have!)....he'll have the lot and then he'll help Biscuit eat her food too!!

candyraver · #4 12-12-2006, 09:33 PM

hehe, BARF diet? xD

Sorry I couldn't resist

I don't even know what it is!

[/EDiT] Sorry, I reply to year old threads

I just am a
random replier

Mygala · #5 12-13-2006, 07:10 AM

I've talked over the BARF diet with several vets, I was thinking about if for my dogs. None of them (even the zoo vets) said they were convinced that it was better than the formulated diets.

Part of the problem is that there are sooo many trace elements and nutrients that come from the various organ and body parts. It's hard to come up with all of those unless you have direct access to live animals or a slaughter house. I don't even know of any zoos that use complete carcass feedings for their cats. It just turns out to be kind of impractical on lots of levels, and monitoring the actual nutrition is one of the problems.

If the animal had digestive issues, or if you wanted the BARF stuff to be a supplement, that's different. After looking and talking around, it seemed the only vets in favor of it were the ones writing the books.

Let us know what you decide, and how it works out if you try it. I still think about it from time to time.

bob