BARF diet for cats: how to do it and opinions

2023 Author: Alex Livingston | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-26 11:39

What is the BARF diet for cats? BARF is the acronym for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food. In other words, the pyramid of this diet is located at the base of the pyramid raw food. We remember that the cat is a predatory animal, in fact in nature it goes in search of birds or mice and therefore it is a fairly independent animal in this sense. For these reasons it is good to leave room for the animal instinct that the cat has, without distracting it too much from its feline nature.

With the BARF diet the cat favors foods such as offal, fish, some vegetables and bones which as it is known are a good source of calcium. The ultimate goal of the BARF diet is to improve and maintain the cat's health by avoiding all food-related diseases. It has been seen in recent years that numerically speaking, the cats that do this diet have increased and this data can only give us serenity since the barf includes only natural and non-industrial foods. In other words, it is a healthier diet, although it has some cons that we will explore further on. However, it should be added that eat raw food it can cause cat problems related to some types of infections. Some meats may in fact contain bacteria that are directly responsible for diseases with different symptoms. In fact, cooking leads to the loss of a high percentage of bacteria which are therefore sensitive to high temperatures. So the advice we give you, if you decide to start the BARF diet for your cat, is to first ask your veterinarian for an opinion.

How to start the BARF diet

If you have decided to do start the BARF diet to your cat the advice is always to consult your vet which will give you useful information to avoid any kind of error. For example, the cat should not be overloaded with proteins which, if in excess, are harmful to the liver and kidneys. Another advice is to study certain basic rules to follow, such as the freezing of meat which varies in relation to the type of parasite that must eventually be eliminated. In fact, we remind you that BARF is a diet and that therefore your every mistake is related to the health of the cat.

Opinions on the BARF diet

Numerous studies show that the benefits related to the consumption of raw meat are not many but are above all related to the balance of the intestinal microbiome which becomes more varied, promoting the health of the whole organism. Other benefits are associated with the BARF diet besides this, but these are only beneficial but not proven effects.

pros and cons

From what has been said so far, it is clear that the BARF diet offers both advantages and disadvantages for the cat. Let's see together what are the pros and cons. Here are which ones pro offers the BARF:

• there nature of the intestine of the animal is maintained and safeguarded by the BARF diet which is more similar to that of the wild cat
• the elimination of carbohydrates avoids the problems of obesity and diabetes in cats
• with the intake of fresh meat there is no risk that your cat introduces preservatives that have a harmful effect on the body
• it is possible to favor one meat and discard another type according to the needs of your cat; with industrial food this becomes truly impossible.
• your cat's mind improves because it feels freer thanks to the fact that the animal is like this in nature

Let's see what the against of the BARF diet for cats:

• as well as a home diet, BARF also requires you to weigh each food. Making a mistake in this sense means compromising the health of the cat
• having not yet fully demonstrated studies on the benefits, it is not possible to ascertain the complete safety for the animal in the BARF diet
• the cat can contract certain diseases due to the presence of both bacterial and viral microorganisms, in fact these microorganisms are largely lost at high temperatures.

The BARF diet in specific cases

Be careful in the case of BARF diet in kittens, because errors in dosing the nutrients lead to a further problem, namely that of causing alterations in the growth of the puppy.

Particular is also the cases of the BARF diet in a sick or elderly cat, because in both cases various vital functions are compromised. For example, if you exceed with proteins, the first problems are borne by the liver and kidneys which, if already compromised, can degenerate.

Finally, the advice we give you is to consult your veterinarian in all cases in which you have decided to start the BARF diet for your cat, especially if your furry friend has particular conditions.