Last Updated: 22/10/2026
Raw Diets for Cats: What Our Vets Want You to Know
Thinking about raw feeding for your cat? Our vet explains the real benefits and risks, and what to check before making the switch to a raw diet.
Author: Dr Carla Paszkowski BVSc (Hons)
Reading Time: 4 minutes - short read
Raw diets for cats have surged in popularity, but the science around them is more nuanced than you might expect. On one hand, pro-raw advocates report a long list of benefits. On the other, the risks are well-documented and worth taking seriously. This article gives you the honest overview.
Is raw food good for cats? For some, yes, it can offer real benefits, but it carries genuine bacterial and nutritional risks, especially for kittens, pregnant or nursing cats, and households with young children, elderly or immunocompromised people. A commercially prepared, AAFCO-compliant raw diet is a safer starting point than home preparation, and it's worth talking to your vet before switching.
Got a dog instead? Read our guide to raw feeding for dogs.
What is a raw food diet?
A raw food diet includes uncooked ingredients from food animal species, fed to cats at home. Ready-made options include fresh, frozen, and freeze and air-dried formats. Many commercial raw diets are formulated to meet AAFCO nutritional guidelines, but some are labelled for supplemental or occasional feeding only, it's always worth checking the label.
Air and freeze-dried foods are considered close-to-raw, as they are processed using gentle techniques without the intense heat of cooking. These gentle techniques extend shelf life as well as reducing the risk of bacterial contamination of completely uncooked raw food.
For a full breakdown of what the evidence actually says for each claimed benefit, see Do raw diets really work? What the research says.
Are there benefits to raw feeding for cats?
Supporters of raw diets report a range of benefits - from better palatability and improved digestibility, to firmer stools, stronger immune function, and even reduced cancer risk. Some of these claims have research to support them (at least partially), and some don't hold up as well under scrutiny.
What are the risks of raw feeding for cats?
The risks of raw diets are more consistently documented than the benefits. The two main concerns are bacterial contamination - raw meat can carry Salmonella, Campylobacter, Listeria, and E. coli, and cats can shed these bacteria for weeks even without appearing unwell - and nutritional deficiencies, particularly in home-prepared diets where imbalances in key nutrients like calcium, Vitamin D, and taurine are common.
For the full picture, including who should avoid raw feeding altogether and how to handle it safely, see our raw food safety guide.
Is raw better than dry food for cats?
Not necessarily. There's no robust evidence that raw beats a complete and balanced dry or wet food. Several studies are tiny (6 kittens in one4, 9 cats in another7) and the diets differed more than just “raw”. Digestibility was slightly better4, but dry food was still highly digestible, and cooked meat matched raw.7 Claims about better coats and stools rest on uncontrolled case series8.
Raw foods are much more likely to carry Salmonella, Listeria and antibiotic resistance genes than dry (FDA found Salmonella in 15 of 196 raw samples vs 1 of 120 dry cat foods)9. Some are nutritionally incomplete8, and H5N1 in raw food killed cats overseas in 2024 and 202510. AVMA and WSAVA advise against it 11,12.
See our guide to wet vs dry cat food for the pros and cons of each, and raw diet evidence for pets for a deeper dive.
What should I consider before switching my cat to raw?
Here are the questions worth working through.
Is your household low-risk? Raw feeding carries real bacterial risks for people as well as pets, and is not recommended in households with children under 5, elderly individuals, pregnant women, or anyone who is immunocompromised. If that's your household, a fresh cooked diet gives you most of the "whole food" benefits of raw without the contamination risk - it's worth considering as a middle ground.
Are you planning to home-prepare or buy commercial? Home-prepared raw diets are frequently found to be nutritionally imbalanced - even recipes from books or reputable-looking websites. If you're set on going raw, a commercially prepared diet that meets AAFCO guidelines is a significantly safer starting point. And if you do want to prepare food at home, a consultation with a veterinary nutritionist is genuinely worth it, especially for cats who can develop life-threatening illness from taurine deficiency alone.
Is your cat a good candidate? Raw feeding tends to work best for healthy adult cats without underlying health conditions. It's generally not recommended for kittens, pregnant or nursing cats, or cats that are already immunocompromised.
Are you set up for the hygiene requirements? Safe raw feeding takes consistent habits: dedicated utensils, prompt cleanup of uneaten food, regular worming and careful storage. If that’s not realistic for you, it’s better to know upfront than to do it inconsistently.
Can cats eat raw chicken from the supermarket?
No, we don't recommend it. Raw supermarket chicken can carry Salmonella and Campylobacter, which can make your cat and the people in your home sick. Plain chicken also isn't complete and balanced, and freezing doesn't make it safe. If you'd like to feed raw, choose a commercial raw diet labelled complete and balanced and follow strict hygiene. For a lower-risk middle ground, try gently cooked fresh cat food.
See our guide to toxic food and household items for cats for more hazards to watch out for.
What is the best raw food for cats?
The best raw food for cats is a commercially prepared one that's labelled complete and balanced for your cat's life stage, not a home-prepared recipe. For most households that means frozen raw, or freeze or air-dried if you want easier storage. Here are some of our top-rated options.
If you’re still unsure, your vet can help you weigh it up for your cat. For more on formats, read whether cats need wet food or our full guide to the best cat food.
References
Crissey SD, Swanson JA, Lintzenich BA, et al. Use of a raw meatbased diet or a dry kibble diet for sand cats (Felis margarita). J Anim Sci 1997;75:2154-2160.
Vester BM, Burke SL, Liu KJ, et al. Influence of feeding raw or extruded feline diets on nutrient digestibility and nitrogen metabolism of African wildcats (Felis lybica). Zoo Biol 2010;29:676-686.
Freeman LM, Michel KE. Evaluation of raw food diets. J Am Vet Med Assoc 2001;218:705-709.
Hamper BA, Bartges JW, Kirk CA. Evaluation of two raw diets vs a commercial cooked diet on feline growth.J Feline Med Surg. 2016 Dec;18(12):991-996
Sugimura T, Wakabayashi K, Nakagama H, et al. Heterocyclic amines: mutagens/carcinogens produced during cooking of meat and fish. Cancer Sci 2004;95:290-299.
Knize MG, Salmon CP, Felton JS. Mutagenic activity and heterocyclic amine carcinogens in commercial pet foods. Mutat Res 2003;539:195-201.
Kerr KR, Vester Boler BM, Morris CL, Liu KJ, Swanson KS. Apparent total tract energy and macronutrient digestibility and fecal fermentative end-product concentrations of domestic cats fed extruded, raw beef-based, and cooked beef-based diets. J Anim Sci. 2012 Feb;90(2):515-22. doi: 10.2527/jas.2010-3266. Epub 2011 Oct 14. PMID: 22003235.
Lyu, Y., Wu, C., Li, L., & Pu, J. (2025). Current Evidence on Raw Meat Diets in Pets: A Natural Symbol, but a Nutritional Controversy. Animals, 15(3), 293. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15030293
Nemser S, Doran T, et al. Investigation of Listeria, Salmonella, and Toxigenic Escherichia coli in Various Pet Foods Foodborne Pathog Dis 2014;11:706-709.
AVMA News (2025). Cat deaths linked to bird flu-contaminated raw pet food, sparking voluntary recall. https://www.avma.org/news/cat-deaths-linked-bird-flu-contaminated-raw-pet-food-sparking-voluntary-recall, accessed 21/10/2026
AVMA. Raw diets for dogs and cats, https://www.avma.org/resources-tools/avma-policies/raw-or-undercooked-animal-source-protein-cat-and-dog-diets, accessed 21/10/2026
WSAVA. WSAVA Global Nutrition Committee Statement on Risks of Raw Meat-Based Diets. https://wsava.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/WSAVA-Global-Nutrition-Committee-Statement-on-Risks-of-Raw-Meat.pdf, accessed 21/10/2026
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History
Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space and we update our articles when new information becomes available.
Wed 21 Oct 2026
Edited by Dr Gillian Hill BVSc (Hons)Dr Carla Paszkowski BVSc (Hons)
Veterinarian
Dr. Carla graduated from the University of Queensland in 2013 with a Bachelor of Veterinary Science and worked for a number of years in small animal clinics across South East Queensland. While Carla enjoys most facets of clinical veterinary work, she holds a special passion for feline medicine, pocket pets, and nutrition.
