THE FELINES DIGESTIVE SYSTEM

The basic dynamics of the feline digestive system is made a for meat eating hunter. In other
words, cats are carnivores. That means that their digestive system is designed for quick processing
of a high protein diet. A cat's mouth construction means that a cat tears or bites at his food.
Swallowing it quickly allowing the salivary juices virtually no time for the preliminary break down of
starchy food and carbohydrates into the blood sugars. Any starches/carbohydrates present in a
cats diet is of little nutritional value. The feline's gastric juices are more powerful than those of a
human. In fact, they are strong enough to soften bones. Cats are able to swallow large chunks of
prey inducing feathers, hair and bones that are not broken down in the stomach may be
regurgitated. In the stomach, the protein is broken down into amio acids, these amio acids
combine to form the building blocks necessary for replacement of cells throughout the cats body.

KEY FEATURES OF THE WAY CATS PROCESS FOOD INCLUDE:

»Sharp teeth designed to shear and tear prey.

»No amylase in their saliva since they do not tend to eat high carbohydrates diets naturally.

»Little starch processing enzymes in their pancreas since, again, they do not have carbohydrate
processing capacities.

»Taste Buds—no “sweet tooth” like people and dogs.

»Short length of the gut and fast transit time means little weight in the guts for an active
predator.

»Liver does not tend to store carbohydrates, and tends to become fatty if the normal dietary
intake is disturbed.

»Metabolism control is mostly controlled by protein intake since their pancreas uses amino acid
triggers for insulin release, not glucose as with people and dogs.

»Not garbage hounds like dogs, so do not tolerate or enjoy anything less than “super fresh” food.

»What we call “finicky”, is thought to be due to their natural pickiness for fresh food, combined
with an amazingly sensitive sense of smell that allows them to choose only the best!

More than you really wanted to know? This is the world of cats!
DIET & NUTRITION

          INTRODUCTION

If you are presently feeding your cat “kibble” food, now is the time to make the switch to food
that will keep your special feline friend healthy for the rest of its life. Cats are obligatory
carnivores. They require nutrients found in meat for mandatory survival. Cats metabolism is
perfectly equipped to digest meat in a 2 hour period, compared to the human metabolic period of
36-55 hours.  Their system is designed to extract proteins and nutrients from meat in its raw
state. Also, since cats are unable to break down complex carbohydrates, the practice of feeding
your cat carbohydrates, which they can not utilize, may lead to many feline health problems.

Below I will be listing a number of well known feline diseases that are growing concerns
throughout veterinarian clinics within our country.

       TARTAR CONTROL

There are varieties of tartar-control cat foods that claim to improve the health of the gums in
cats. However, these foods contain high levels of processed carbohydrates and cellulose, wood
derived indigestive fiber. Carbohydrates place an unnatural burden on a cats gastrointestinal
tract. In the wild, felines benefit in a variety of ways from eating their prey.  For example, the
cat gets abrasive action from the bone of its prey, facilitating a defense against a variety of
gum diseases. This effect may be duplicated if the cat is served a diet of meat that contains
ground bone. Additionally, bone does not disintegrate and deposit carbohydrates in a cats teeth
like kibble food does.

THE TRUTH ABOUT KIBBLE FOOD

As Pet Food industries began to expand, pet food companies were not required to keep up with
real life studies. Consequently, pet food companies seemed to neglect cats unique metabolic
enginery, which was made to adsorb energy and nutrients from protein, not carbohydrates.
Today's cats are eating kibble food filled with high pre-digestive carbohydrates with moderate
levels of protein, usually derived from vegetables protein sources and little fat that cats
desperately need. Pet companies add tons on corn, rice, wheat, oats, barely and other grains,
even potatoes to meat to help bulk them up. Adding to the problem the over heating and
pressure process during the extrusion, destroying the nutrients, enter in the cats bloodstream as
sugar. Furthermore high levels of Carbohydrates are needed to help the mixture push through,
that is fed into the extruder. Naturally cats would not eat grained-based foods, so potent
enhancers/food additives, acidified yeast and salt coat the kibble food making it more palatable
for cats to eat.
INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE

Sugars from processed carbohydrates found in kibble food flood the blood with sugar. The blood
sugar is carried from the GI tract to the liver, alarming the pancreas by producing and secreting
insulin to help lower the sugar levels, since high levels of sugar cause an  accumulation of fat in
the body. Consequently, the cat that is on a high carbohydrate diet repeatedly receives surges
of  insulin  that  the  feline  pancreas can not cope with. Many cats who are exposed to such an
unnatural diet  become overweight and are exposed to added pancreatic stresses which they are
not equipped to deal with, often resulting in diabetes.  

ARE CARBOHYDRATES CAUSING FELINE  
OBESITY & DIABETES IN CATS?

Inflammatory Bowel Disease, or Inflammatory Bowel Syndrome is a not a definitive diagnosis, but
rather the general process that occurs in the tissue of the gastrointestinal organs. IBD is an
immune-reaction disease probably caused by foods. Food plays  the major stimulant to clause this
allergic reaction, since food is the major substance found in the stomach and intestines.  
Therefore diet plays a large role in the management of IBG. Cats with IBD are reacting to many
unnatural ingredients found in kibble food, such as artificiality and over processed commercial
food.
CAN CARBOHYDRATES CAUSE URINARY TRACT  
         DISEASE?

The Urine of the cats/carnivores is acid based (pH below 7.4). Kibble food with a high
carbohydrate content cause very high alkaline urine levels (pH above 7.4) which lead to
inflammation of the Urinary Tract. Dry kibble cat foods also provide very little moisture. The
natural prey, however, contains 75 to 80 percent moisture. Originally cats have a low thirst drive
because of their origins. Thus, kibble-food-fed-cats are usually dehydrated and their urine is
very concentrated. The unnatural high concentration of minerals and other compounds found in
the urine, along with the high alkaline levels leads to UTD.  A raw meat based  diet, which result
in natural acid pH is more dilated. These conditions do not allow the formation of crystal and
stones, eliminating possible inflammation in the Urinary Tract.


    HEPATIC LIPDOSIS

Hepatic Lipidosis, also known as "fatty liver disease", is the condition of Liver dysfunction caused
by the accumulation of fat in the cells and tissue of the Liver. Occurring in cats, especially with
a history of obesity, after a two week period of anorexia (loss of appetite) often affecting more
females than males.  Naturally this fat clogs the liver which in turn leads to failure of the liver’s
normal function.  Again we are reminded of the importance of a carbohydrate-free diet.


FELINE ALLERGIES & FELINE ASTHMA

Skin allergies, IBD, Stomatitis, Asthma, and allergic Otitis are multiple manifestations of the
same basic process and are often triggered by the same allergy-causing substances. Allergies are
often reactions to food.  Kibble and canned foods with carbohydrates  are the most likely
culprits, contributing to allergic skin diseases.

        CONCLUSION

A raw meat diet can correct all of the problems that are caused by commercial kibble foods.
Many of the serious illnesses discussed earlier include Obesity, Diabetes, Urinary Tract Disease,
IBD, Feline Allergies, Asthma and Tartar Control. A low protein diet causes cats to break down
their own muscle quicker than omnivores do without protein, which can lead to a variety of health
problems. Cats require an essential fatty acid called arachidonic acid, which is found only in
animal protein fat. While dogs can manufacture arachidonic acid from other acids, cats cannot.
Further, recent studies have shown that processed foods (Kibble and canned foods) are a
contributing factor in increasing number of pets (like humans) suffering from cancer, arthritis,
obesity, dental disease and heart disease. I have personally observed a greater improvement in
overall health and size of the kittens since implementing a raw meat diet. Kittens/Cats fur is
softer, shiner, they have more energy, their bodies and muscle tone feel sufficiently firmer.
Queens are healthy, strong, robust and continue to have excellent body composition. They
maintain steady weight gain throughout pregnancy, producing more lactation than seen in previous
pregnancies, with no weight loss during and after the nursing period. Cat’s waste is almost
odorless. A cat’s system is design to extract  proteins and nutrients from meat in its raw state.
Cats are unable to break down complex carbohydrates. The practice of feeding your cat
carbohydrates, which they can not utilize, leads to many Feline Health Problems. ~Further
Resources to read: Elizabeth M. Hodgkins, DVM, Esq. Your Cat  A must read book, Simple
Secrets to a Longer, Stronger Life. Dr Jeff Feinman BA, VMD, CVH, article on Feeding Your
Cat.  holds both molecular biology and veterinary degrees from the University of Pennsylvania.
Michelle Bernard's Raising Your Cat Naturally  online essay on "The Truth About Dry Cat Food" I
invite everyone to sign onto the Yahoo groups IBD site to view files on nutrition and discuss
treatments & Surgical Options. The Carnivore connection to nutrition in cats written by Dedra L
Zoran DVM, PhD, DAVIM. Cat Nutrition.Org information & Resources.

Doc. Elizabeth Hodgkins D.V.M., JD can be reached at All About Cats Health Center, Yorba
Linda, California 92887. Doc. Hodgkins is also a well known breeder and owner of Sunstone
Ocicats, ph:1714-692-8228 Please contact this gracious lady or her associates for further
information or read more about her protocol for treating feline diabetes.

                   LEARN HOW TO READ CAT FOOD LABELS       

*The pet food companies may divide the grains so they appear to be different: brown rice,
brewer rice, rice flour, rice, corn gluten meal, corn grits, ground corn, corn meal, etc.
QUESTIONS REGARDING THE RAW MEAT DIET
Q1. I’m thinking of changing my cat’s food from kibble food to a raw meat diet. Where can I buy
it from?
A1.There are number of wholesalers online where you can purchase an already made raw diet.
Here are a few: Only Natural Pet Store, Feline Pride and Natures Variety. My favorite is Feline
Pride, which contains chicken, whole chicken bones, chicken liver and heart, along with supplements
that cats desperately need. ~ Never use the microwave to defrost the Raw Meat Diet with.~
Q2. Should I be concerned about parasites found in a raw meat diet?
A2. No, a cat’s stomach is very acidic and their intestinal tract is very short. This enables the
meat to be digested and passed through their body very quickly, not giving enough time to cause
problems. It takes 12 hours for a cat to digest kibble food which causes an excess/multiple of
parasites, contrary to what we have been lead to believe. See below the effects that cooked meat
have on cats. The research was conducted by Dr Francis Pottenger. Additionally it only takes cats
2 hours to digest raw meat, which contain 80% water, making the process very quick.  The diet
remains frozen and served immediately after the meat is thawed.  Once thawed and served to
your cat, do not leave out for more than 30 minutes on hot days. Never thaw the raw meat Diet
in the microwave.  However, a healthy cat with a healthy immune system is able to expel and
fight of  parasites and other diseases.
Q3. Should I be concerned about meat contaminations found in a raw meat diet?
A3. No, in the wild cats hunt and kill their prey. They eat their food raw. Their stomach
enzymes help dissolve bad bacteria. Bacteria is destroyed by the high acidic stomach juices, and
what little goes through does not have a chance to grow and cause problems because of the
efficiency and speed that a cat is able to process meat. Again we see the parallel between a
healthy natural diet contributing to a cat’s healthy  nervous system and immune system. Above all,
when handling raw meat,  remember to  practice good hygiene and common sense, as you would
with your own family.
Q4. I am ready to make my cat the Raw Meat Diet, where can I find the recipe?
A4. There are two recipes for the raw meat diet. Annie's Raw Meat Diet - both boneless and
with bones. To make the boneless diet, you will need ground turkey purchased from Aldi or ground
chicken and supplements.  Please read recipe below.  If you choose to make the raw meat diet
with Bones you will need a powerful meat grinder that can grind bones. I use Tasin TS-108 for
best results. Supplements added to the raw meat can be purchased from iherb.
Q5. Why is Taurine so important for my Cat?
A5. Taurine is an essential dietary nutrient for cats that are destroyed during the process of
cooking. Uncooked meat stabilizes and contain double the amount of Taurine, which is not found in
cooked meat. Further studies show, as outlined in the study carried out by Dr. Pottenger’s Cats,
cooked meat destroys this important nutrient. While dogs and humans can make taurine from
other amino acid precursors, cats do not possess the necessary enzymes to do this. Taurine
deficiency may cause blindness, myocardial failure, immune responsiveness, the ability to maintain
feline pregnancy, desorbing or aborting fetuses, still born, low weight births and other
neurological symptoms. Deficiency of Taurine occur after periods (e.g. Five Months up to two
years) Please read the benefits of Taurine in a Feline’s Diet.
Q6. Is it safe to give my kitten the Raw Meat Diet?
A6. Yes, in fact the Raw Meat Diet is suitable for all stages of a cats life. A kitten can be given
the raw meats as early as five weeks during the weaning process.

Below are the Supplements that are added to the Raw Meat Diet. Supplements can be ordered
at iherb. Do not add the Beef Gelatin and Bone Meal to Anne's Raw Meat Diet with Bones.
               ANNE'S RAW MEAT DIET WITHOUT BONES

Do not add Gelatin and Bone Meal to Anne’s Raw Meat Diet with Bones.
                 *For every 4 LB of  Ground Meat Ratio*

*4 LB of Ground Turkey or Ground Chicken. Can be purchased from Aldi or Walmart.

*Place in food processor or grind one tray of washed Chicken Hearts and Gizzards. Can be
purchased at Walmart or any Grocery Store.

*Wash 7 ounces of Chicken liver. Grind in Food Processor. (best to have some chunks of meat for
the cat to chew)

*4000 mg of Taurine - 1 tsp. NOW powder

*2 cups of water

*4 Tablespoons Bone Meal  (the kind meant for human consumption-not for gardening)

*4 raw Egg yolks

*4000 mg of Salmon oil - 4 caps of 1000 mg each

*200 mg Vitamin B complex - 4 caps of 50 mg each (Powder discounted)

*800 IU Vitamin E - 2 caps of 400 mg each

*2 Tablespoons unflavored Gelatin - add after above ingredients have been mixed.

Add water mixture with supplements and eggs to meat, package in plastic containers or freezer
bags and freeze. Freezer containers can be purchased from either Walmart or Dollar Tree, use   
Rubbermaid containers. E.g. “Take Along".  Divide small mixture amounts into plastic freezer
containers and freeze. Only freeze what your cat requires for a morning and dinner meal. Thaw
meat in the Fridge overnight, never in the microwave. Once thawed, serve to your cat, do not
leave out for more than 30 minutes on hot days. When making the receipt with bones, peel
chicken skin off, wash chicken, chicken liver & chicken hearts with water before grinding.
NOTE: Crush vitamin B complex capsules, cut oil capsules then drain along with other powdered
supplements into the 2 cups of water before placing into the meat mixture.
LITTER BOX & FELINE PINE INFORMATION
This Revolutionary litter box uses an
elevated insert with holes specifically
sized to remove the used sawdust into
the holes into the holding box.
Dust Free, All Natural Feline Pine
Pellet Cat Litter.  Litter can be
purchased at Walmart.

Toward the middle of the 20th century, Dr. Francis M. Pottenger, Jr., drawing on the
experiments of Weston Price in his treatments of respiratory disease, conducted a study on the
effects of heat-processed foods on cats. His study was prompted by the poor health of cats he
was using for adrenal studies; cats who were fed cooked meat scraps. As neighbors to his clinic
in Monrovia, CA, kept donating cats for his study, his supply of cooked meat dwindled, and he
found a source for raw meat scraps from a local meat packing plant. Dr. Potter observed within
a few months that the cats receiving the raw meat scraps were in noticeably better health; thus
his feeding study was born.
The controlled feeding experiment took place over ten years, between 1932 and 1942, and over
900 cats were eventually included. The optimum diet consisted of 1/3 raw milk, cod liver oil, and
2/3 raw meat, with one group receiving cooked food instead of raw. The findings were
astounding. Within a few generations, the cats receiving cooked food exhibited:

*Facial deformities: narrowed faces, crowded jaws, frail bones and weakened ligaments
*An excess of parasites
*All manners of disease
*Female cats became more aggressive while males became docile
*Difficulty with pregnancy and after three generations, pregnancy failed
*Kittens born of these pregnancies often did not survive to adulthood
*Kittens showed skeletal deformities and organ malfunctions

Clearly, there was a direct link between the cooking of meat and the resultant evidence of
malnutrition in Pottenger's cats.

Read additional information on, "What Is Best, Cooked Or Raw" written by Edmund R. Dorosz,
BSA, DVM
POTTENGER'S  CATS, COOKED MEAT Vs RAW MEAT
“To shudder with horror at the thought of giving a carnivorous predator raw meat is silly;
shudder instead at the sad state of the modern factory farm, and how the livestock industry has
trained us to accept that our foods are so filthy we don't dare any longer to "give the dog a
bone."                            Author Unknown.
Photographs and text copyright reserved @siameseroyalty.com
Q7. Yes it is true that cats are carnivores, however throughout the ages and centuries cats have
been domesticated and hence no longer require a full raw meat die.
A7. Those who advocate such a position are usually adherents of the Macro-Evolutionary Theory.
This is simply Pseudo-Science. The truth is not that environment changes genes over time but
that certain environments are more conducive to certain genetic make-ups. Hence, while "natural
selection" ensures that cats with suitable genes are more easily domesticated (Micro- Evolution),
and cats with less suitable genes make less popular pets-choices, it is simply a massive leap of
faith to suggest that cats can evolve from exclusively meat-eating Carnivores to some sort of
Carnivore/Omnivore mutated hybrid. The truth of the matter is, our Cats today still hunt and are
predatory Carnivores, they haven't genetically crossed species and, as we have witnessed for
years, flourish when given a raw meat diet.
Q8.Why the sudden suggestion that cats should only eat a raw meat diet?
A8. Cats have been and have always been carnivores for centuries. As directly opposed to
insinuation inherent in the above question, the truth of the matter is that manufactured "cat
food" is a giant moneymaker industry and a twentieth century invention/convenience.
Q 9. I have seen cats live to 20 plus years on regular Kibble food and that is my proof enough.
A9. Like humans, cats can live a relatively long, albeit often unhealthy life on a poor diet. The
problem of course, is not just the length of life that they may experience, but the quality of
life. A life subject to sickness and allergies coupled with poor immunity that is unable to fight
off such problems certainly compromises the cats quality of life, even if the owners are well
intentioned and otherwise competent caregivers.