Feb.
18, 2013 — Animal scientists say a raw meat diet is a good source of
protein for cats, but pet owners may need to supplement with other nutrients.
In a
new paper in the Journal of Animal Science, researchers from the
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and Omaha's Henry Doorly Zoo and
Aquarium analyzed the value of raw meat diets for cats and exotic felids. The
researchers used several tests to evaluate the nutrients in meat from bison,
cattle, horses and elk.
To
test how the different diets affected cats, the researchers collected blood
serum and fecal samples from domestic cats and captive African wildcats,
jaguars and Malayan tigers. The researchers also used cecectomized roosters to
analyze amino acid digestibility in the different diets. Cecectomized roosters
have had an organ called the cecum removed, which allows scientists to better
analyze amino acids in their waste.
They
found that raw meat diets met many nutrient requirements for cats, but there
were some gaps. None of the diets contained the recommended levels of linoleic
acid, the horsemeat did not provide the levels of arachidonic acid recommended
for kittens, gestating females and lactating females.
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