A Guide to Cats and Raw Feeding
Published date: 03 July 2025
Every cat is different, and there is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to diet. Raw diets can be a fantastic way to feed your feline, and many high-quality brands are available.
So, if you are curious about raw food or looking to switch, here is all you need to know about raw feeding cats.
Benefits of Raw Feeding Cats
Our feline friends look adorable, but they are incredible predators behind their fluffy exteriors. Cats are obligate carnivores who are designed to crunch and tear through meat.
Learn about the basics of Cat Nutrition.
Raw diets are the closest you can get to a natural wild diet for a cat, and feeding raw can have multiple health benefits.
Our feline friends have a strong acidic gut and a high level of pepsin (protein-digesting enzyme) to break down meat, bone, organs and flesh. They are quite literally designed to eat raw, so these diets can work wonders for their digestive system.
A high meat, natural, raw diet is easy to break down, meaning less waste and more nutrients absorbed.
If you dread cleaning out your cat’s litter tray, switching to a raw diet can work wonders for reducing stool smell and frequency.
Our feline friends are also known for being reluctant drinkers. Raw diets are moisture-rich, which will help keep cats better hydrated.
Need more help getting your cat to drink? Watch our video for our top tips.
How to Switch Your Cat to a Raw Diet
The good news is that our cat’s guts are already designed to cope with high levels of meat.
The bad news is that often, cats do not cope well with sudden changes in texture and smell. Swapping from dry food to raw food means a lot is changing around your cat’s dinner time. Sensitive felines will need time to get used to this change.
Follow the steps below:
- It is often easier to switch from a wet diet to a raw diet. Before you dive headfirst into raw, try slowly introducing your cat to a natural high-meat wet food.
- Once they have accepted wet food, you can start to introduce a raw diet.
- Put a small amount of raw mince or raw pieces in a bowl, a couple of feet away from their normal diet. This will allow your cat to get used to the smell and presence of the new food.
Allow the raw food to come up to room temperature before you serve it, this will be much more appealing to your feline. - At first, your cat will likely completely ignore the raw diet. However, using their remarkable senses, they are taking in information about the new food. Learn more about these senses in our Fussy Cat Video.
- Eventually, your cat may start sniffing the new food. To encourage them to taste, you can try mixing some of their raw mince into their wet meal.
Some cats don’t take change very well, so be patient with this process. For some, it will be a quick transition; for others, it may take a few weeks.
Homemade and Premade Raw Cat Diets
There are many options for owners wishing to use complete premade diets.
It is often easier to use a premade diet, as these diets will not require additional supplementation. For first-time raw feeders, this is the best way to begin!
For owners who want to experiment with homemade diets, this is the general make-up to aim for: 55% muscular tissue, 25% muscular organ, 8% bone, 8% secreting organ and 4% liver.
It is important to keep in mind that every cut of meat will be slightly different. Cats need taurine in their daily diet. Organs such as the heart are a great source of taurine, so it is worthwhile to include them.
Pssst. Cats fed exclusively on raw diets will need dental support. For advice, watch our Cat Chewing Video.
Variety Diets
Some owners choose to offer their cats a variety diet, where they use both raw and dry foods.
As cats are typically natural grazers, this approach can favour their eating style.
Their dry biscuits can be left down for them to graze on, then a meal of raw can be given once or twice a day. This gives cats the benefits of both types of diet; just be careful not to overfeed.
Want more cat advice? Explore our other feline-themed topics.
