The best raw meat diet for your cat should include a variety of meats that are easy for you to source and feed so that you stick with it!

Cats can eat a raw diet that’s balanced with a variety of meats. Common meats include turkey, chicken, beef, and fish. Cats can also eat rabbit, duck, and quail.

The more variety of meats in your cat’s raw diet, the better.

Feral cats eat 5-7 proteins to meet their nutritional needs.

Each meat option has its own nutritional benefits. Plus, feeding variety can help prevent boredom and picky eating.

Jericho eats whole prey mice, rats, day old chicks, and hamsters plus ground duck meat, bones, and organs and raw rabbit treats.

I’ve fed Jericho a wide variety of raw meat diets over the years. From premade raw to DIY raw with a premix to raw meaty bones recipes and now whole prey and DIY ground raw.

whole prey raw diet meal prep for cats jess caticles

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PS – If you’re ready to switch to a healthy raw diet, my Raw Feline Foodie course is for you!

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Best raw meat diet for cats – whole prey

Whole prey is the best raw meat diet for cats because it’s what they eat in the wild.

jericho chewing on whole prey mouse jess caticles
Jericho chomping on a whole prey mouse

You can find whole prey at reptile breeding facilities online or at local pet shops.

It’s completely normal for pet snakes to eat whole prey. But for some reason it isn’t normal for cats (also carnivores who eat whole prey). Well I’m here to change that!

My favorite places to buy whole prey for my cat:

Cold Blooded Cafe has more variety of whole prey. I also order from Hare Today because they have whole prey and raw meat for cats.

2nd best raw meat diet for cats – DIY raw

DIY raw is the next best raw meat diet for cats because you have control over the ingredients and how it’s made.

cat eating homemade raw food
Gracie used to beg for kibble and now loves raw!

Raw diets aim to mimic what whole prey provides. So you’ll typically see 80 10 10 ratios. However, 80 10 10 on its own is not complete and balanced.

You can get most nutrients from a variety of meats and a variety of proteins. But some nutrients may be low like manganese, iodine, B vitamins, iron, and vitamin D, for example.

My favorite raw meat ingredients for recipes include:

  • Beef meat
  • Dark chicken or turkey meat
  • Pork tenderloin
  • Heart
  • Raw meaty bones
  • Liver
  • Spleen
  • Kidney
  • Salmon or sardines
  • Green tripe or blue mussels
  • Canned oysters

And there are whole food supplements you can use to fill in nutritional gaps.

My Raw Feline Foodie course includes balanced recipes using these amazing ingredients!

The other DIY raw option is to use a premix. A premix is an easier way to get started on DIY raw.

3rd best raw meat diet for cats – premade raw

There are excellent raw meat diets that are already made for your cat. Way more options than when I first started feeding raw!

cat eating raw food
Ash eating Viva Raw

This is the best option for you if you don’t have the time to DIY raw yourself. You will spend more money on premade compared to DIY.

However, this is an excellent option if you don’t have the time or if you are a beginner to raw meat diets.

My favorite premade raw diets for cats:

  • Viva Raw. Use code JESSCATICLES to get 20% off your first order.
  • Quest Cat Food – frozen raw and freeze-dried raw. Use code JESSCATICLES to get 25% off your first order.
  • Darwin’s. Tell them about your cat and get your first 10 lbs for just $14.95.

Freeze-dried raw is the more costly diet option. However, it is easier because you don’t have to freeze or thaw it. You just add water, let it rehydrate, and feed it.

Both options are easy enough for beginners, though.

Ready to switch to raw for a happier cat?

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