When you bark your cat, that is, feed it raw meat, you know exactly what ends up in its bowl - Shutterstock / SERGEY DOLGIKH Instead of the English version "bones and raw food", the term "organic, raw feed" for barf has prevailed in German. The feeding method is considered the most natural way to feed cats. After all, there is no ready-made food available from your can in the wild. Cats' stomach and digestive tract are designed to process feed animals. This is where the barf diet comes in.
Barf advantage: Knowing what ends up in the bowl
A great advantage of the barf diet is that you know exactly what your velvet paw is consuming. Finally, prepare the feed yourself according to a recipe. It is important that you inform yourself in advance about the nutritional needs of cats and get advice from your veterinarian in this regard.
Cat barking: what to feed?
Raw meat alone is not enough for bartending. You may also need to add fiber and minerals so that your fur nose is not lacking in anything. In addition, not all types of meat are suitable for raw feeding - raw pork, for example, is taboo because it can contain the deadly Aujeszky virus.
If you observe all of this, your salon lion will be supplied with all the important nutrients. At the same time, you avoid the risk of unnecessary ingredients and additives in cat food. Industrially produced, inferior cat food usually contains all kinds of fillers or food additives that are supposed to hide the poor food quality. In the long run, this can lead to symptoms of deficiency or intolerance.
Positive effects on behavior and appearance
Many cat owners report the positive effects that a switch to barking can have. This will make your cat healthier overall. This is noticeable both in their appearance and in their behavior. If you do everything correctly, you can observe the following changes in your room tiger:
● shiny fur
● healthy body weight
● muscular build
● healthy teeth, hardly any tartar or gingivitis
● healthy digestion
● less bad breath
● strengthened immune system
● bright, cheerful being
Avoid diseases with barf feeding
This natural type of nutrition can also alleviate or even prevent so-called lifestyle diseases in cats. These include, in particular, food allergies, which domestic cats are developing more and more often these days. The substances in the finished feed to which these cats react with an intolerance are not contained in raw meat.
Digestive problems or inflammation of the urinary tract area can also decrease or even be prevented with the barf diet.
Bass is better for the environment
In addition, you are doing the environment a favor by switching your cat over to bass. Because you no longer have to open cans or sachets to feed your fur nose, you create much less garbage.
Furthermore, your room tiger can utilize the high-quality raw feed much better, so that it excretes less feces. As a result, you rarely have to completely clean the litter box - this also helps to save waste.
Cat barking: what are disadvantages?
The barf diet can also have disadvantages for cats. And this is exactly what you should know if you want to change the diet of your velvet paw.
Elaborate preparation
Open the can, fill the bowl and you're done: compared to dry and wet food, Barf's diet is not that easy. You should deal with the topic in advance. After all, it is important to know the animal's nutritional needs exactly.
You should know how to put together the food to ensure that your cat is properly fed. The amounts of meat, nutrients and active ingredients depend on the size, weight, age and activity of your four-legged friend. The vet or veterinary practitioner can help you here.
More work and costs
Not only is it difficult to obtain information in advance of the barf diet, but also the preparation of the feed itself. Obtain, cut, puree, put together rations yourself - if you compare barf with commercially available feed, the nutritional method clearly takes more time.
But barfen not only costs time, it is also more expensive than dry or wet food. It is not only meat, but also vegetables and necessary nutritional supplements for your cat.
Baref - a challenge on vacation
If you want to go on vacation with your four-legged friend, the barf diet is difficult. Because on the go, fresh meat feeding is not always feasible, as storage and frost options are often simply lacking.
Pathogen hazard
While a large part of bacteria and viruses are killed during cooking, these are still contained in the raw meat. That is why it is particularly important to ensure sufficient cooling and hygienic processing for the Barf.
As mentioned above, under no circumstances should you feed your darling raw pork. It may contain pathogens that cause Aujeszky disease, which is always fatal in cats.
Cat barked: yes or no?
When it comes to nutrition, then opinions differ - so also when it comes to the topic of baref. Some swear by this feeding method, others advise against it. It is clear that if you are considering barking your cat, it is best to ask your veterinarian for advice.
