Last Updated: 10/09/2026
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: 3 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.
Raw feeding can offer real benefits for some cats, 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.
What should I consider before switching my cat to raw?
This is where it gets genuinely individual - so rather than a simple yes or no, 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? Raw feeding done safely requires consistent habits - dedicated utensils, prompt cleanup of uneaten food, regular worming, and careful storage. If that's not realistic for your lifestyle, it's better to acknowledge that upfront than to do it inconsistently.
If you're still unsure, your vet is the best person to help you weigh it up for your cat. And if you're deciding between formats more broadly, our guide to whether cats need wet food is a good next read, or see 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.
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History
Our experts continually monitor the health and wellness space and we update our articles when new information becomes available.
Thu 10 Sep 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.
