What is the best cat food? A novel and different answer!

The question has been asked a million times on the Internet and there are a million answers and therefore this page will not be seen when I provide my answer which I think is the best one (!) as there will be too much competition. I'll press on nonetheless.

The answer must be this: a mouse, yes, a live mouse that does not have any worms in their gut! The mouse is the ideal food for a domestic cat. As cats are obligate carnivores, their ideal diet is 40% protein, 50% fat and only 3% carbohydrates. And inside the stomach of the mouse there is some vegetation - a bit of roughage when combined with mouse fur. This is the ideal diet. But the problem is that mice sometimes have worms in their gut and the domestic cat acquires these worms when they eat mice.

It's no big deal as you can administer deworming pills but it is not ideal. However, in terms of a balanced diet a living mouse attacked and eaten by a cat is very healthy. 

Next in line would probably be home-made raw cat food [link to a full page on this] which meets all the requirements of a balanced diet with all the required nutrients added in (you can buy a nice mix online). The problem here is that many people don't know how to make home-made raw cat food and neither are they sure about how to store it to avoid cross contamination. It is a bit tricky and the vets say cat owners should not try. Too risky.

But certainly, a genuine expert who is also a cat owner could make some excellent raw cat food themselves. There are many people who promote this kind of diet particularly some breeders who have acquired the expertise to do it properly.

And then next in line after that, would be the highest quality wet cat food on the market because it should replicate exactly a whole living mouse! And there may be some added nutrients as well which will be of benefit to a domestic cat. It must be balanced and complete.

And then last in line would be poor quality dry cat food because it's just too dry and domestic cats don't compensate for this dryness by drinking enough water. Plus, the carb content is far too high. It is very unnatural albeit convenient for the owner. Some vets think that dry food promotes feline diabetes and obesity.

There is actually another option in respect of dry cat food which is vegan dry cat food. A lot of people will wince at the thought of it because they have this firm belief that domestic cats can't be vegans but commercially made vegan dry cat food contains all the nutrients that a domestic cat requires. The only difference is that the protein is plant protein rather than animal protein. There is little difference between the two in terms of nutrition for the cat.

And there are advocates of this kind of dry cat food who say that their cat's health has improved. I am going to try it out myself and I will report back.

Feeding domestic cats with raw chicken necks carries a small risk of transmitting bird flu to them

This is a cross post because I think the subject is important. You will see many websites on the Internet recommending that cat caregivers provide their cat with raw chicken necks in order that they can chew on a raw product which is good for their gums and teeth and their health generally. It is believed that the risk of eating raw chicken necks and wings because of the cartilage and bone content is far outweighed by the benefits to their oral health.

Image: MikeB. Testing for bird flu.

So, it is a balanced decision as to whether you feed your domestic cat companion raw chicken 'on the bone' so to speak. But that balance has been upset by the fact that bird flu is present in Europe. In Poland it appears to be at epidemic proportions and in that country around two dozen cats are believed to have died of bird flu, 13 of which were found to have been tested positive for H5N1 which has also proven, as I understand it, that they were fed raw chicken sometimes bought from local supermarkets.

I would advise, as I'm sure others would, that at this particular juncture, cat caregivers should not be feed their cat with raw chicken necks or wings unless they can be totally sure that the product is devoid of any contamination from bird flu. I don't know what checks are made. I suspect that in the UK and many other countries, all the poultry on supermarket shelves has been checked for diseases such as bird flu. But can we guarantee it? I think not.

But, as mentioned, in Poland, a European country and part of the European Union, 13 domestic cats contracted bird flu from raw poultry. This is just putting up a flag of caution in case people habitually feed their cat with raw chicken. It is not uncommon. And normally it is advisable. I don't do it but I think I might because reliable and respected experts on domestic cat caregiving such as Dr. Bruce Fogle DVM, recommend feeding bird wings to domestic cats to improve their gum health.

Poor oral health is very prevalent in domestic cats particularly elderly cats. It is almost impossible to clean their teeth unless they've been trained to accept it when kittens. The claims by dry food manufacturers that their pellets can help to clean teeth is dubious to say the least. They may help slightly. 

However, I think that you will find that most veterinarians would agree that chewing on chicken necks or wings will improve teeth and gum health despite the risks of a shard of bone being broken off. Necks are probably better because they contain cartilage primarily and skin and muscle which makes them safer.

UK government notice 6th July 2023:

The Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) for poultry and captive birds, introduced to help stop the spread of avian influenza (‘bird flu’), has been lifted.

The enhanced biosecurity measures were brought in across Great Britain in October when there was a medium risk for some poultry premises. The measures have been vital in protecting flocks across the country from the virus which is circulating in wild birds.

This is good news obviously and indicates a reduced risk.