Contact Kayla Al-Shamma-Jones
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 Salmonella in raw food recently made big news when Feline Pride, a New York based producer of raw food for felines, was prompted by the FDA to recall its Natural Chicken Formula due to salmonella. We humans are constantly warned about the dangers of raw poultry and salmonella. And rightly so–in humans it can cause fever, diarrhea, and all sorts of other nasty symptoms. So it’s only natural that we worry about salmonella when it comes to feeding our cats a raw diet. The fear has penetrated so deep that even amongst experts who recognize the nutritional superiority of a raw diet often caution against it, citing concerns of salmonella, e-coli, and other pathogens commonly found in raw meat.
But according to the The Cornell Book of Cats, cats are “extremely resistant to experimental infection with salmonella…and clinical salmonellosis is uncommon in cats.” So even when researchers are trying to infect cats with salmonella, it’s difficult! It makes sense. A cat’s stomach is an extremely acidic environment, which makes it hard for salmonella–and many other bacteria that commonly reside in meat–to survive. Think about it: to survive as a species any carnivore must have a built-in protection against salmonella. Your barnyard mouser wouldn’t last very long if he was prone to salmonella.
There are exceptions to this rule. Older cats and cats with comprimised immune systems might be better off with some cooking to ensure that their food is completely bacteria-free. This doesn’t mean that you should feed dry food–it’s absolutely infested with bacteria (and sometimes mold and mycotoxins! For more information on the dangers of dry food, go here.) Either choose a healthy canned food (I like Natural Balance , especially their grain-free varieties, and Wellness) or prepare your cat’s food using Feline Future’s raw food powder and lightly brown the meat before mixing.
You should also take care when transitioning your cat to a raw diet, as chances are his immune system is not at full power. Start with a spoonful of raw food at the beginning of each meal, before you feed any other food, and gradually increase the portion sizes over the span of a month or two. This will also help your cat adjust to the higher nutrient and water content of his new diet.
And it goes without saying that you should disinfect your kitchen thoroughly after making raw cat food for your own safety. A dilute mixture of vinegar and water or bleach and water works well. Be especially careful if you have any small children or elderly about. And if you don’t leave raw food out for extended periods of time and practice common-sense safe handling of your cat’s raw food, you decrease the odds of infection for both humans and cats.
 An orange tabby in Iowa is the first confirmed case of swine flu in cats. According to veterinarians, the cat caught swine flu from his caretakers. While this came as a surprise to some, any seasoned feline companion will tell you that it’s very common for cats to catch diseases from their caretakers–and vice versa! Beyond swine flu, here’s a partial list of diseases that can jump between you and your cat:
- ringworm
- feline conjunctivitis
- pasteurella
- salmonella
- bartonellosis (cat scratch fever)
- helicobacter pylori
- toxoplasmosis
- rotavirus
- rabies
While our orange tabby is making a recovery, this is an important reminder for caretakers.
So how do you prevent catching (or giving!) a bug to/from your furry friend? As always, simple hygeine goes a long way!
- wash your hands frequently, especially after petting sessions, after being licked, or after being sneezed on
- clean out the litter box daily
- if feeding raw (the ideal diet for your cat), be careful–never store raw meat in the fridge for more than 24 hours and always dispose of uneaten portions no later than 30 minutes after setting it out.
- keep kitty’s claws clipped to prevent scratches from breaking the skin
- never allow kitty on counter-tops or other food preparation areas
 Even though cats are carnivores, it’s no secret that most cats enjoy an occasional nibble of grass. And why not–it’s full of enzymes, vitamins, minerals, fiber anti-oxidants, cholorphyll! Having cat grass around can help your furry baby prevent constipation, sooth stomach upset, prevent hairballs, and give your cat a boost of vitamins and minerals to keep his immune system healthy.
However, it’s important to keep cat grass around–don’t let your cat simply eat houseplants because several common houseplants are toxic to cats. And letting your cat just eat the lawn isn’t great either, as it’s likely contaminated with pesticides and fertilizers…or dog poop from that annoying dog next door, or auto exhaust from the nearby freeway, or…the list goes on and on! You need a safe patch of grass indoors, near the kitty’s food, that isn’t contaminated with crap.
If you don’t want to spend $5 for a tiny pot of grass, don’t worry, growing your own is easy!
Step 1: Find Wheat Kernels. The variety doesn’t matter. You can find these at your local Whole Foods or other health food store where bulk food is grown.
Step 2: Soak in water for 24 hours. Use a large glass mason jar if you have one.
Step 3: Drain and rinse. Drain the water, using a mesh strainer if possible to get as much of the water out as possible. Rinse the seeds and drain them again, then return them to the jar. Wait 12 hours.
Step 4: Repeat. Repeat the rinse cycle every 12 hours or so until you notice tiny little shoots–see picture.
Step 5: Plant. Find a small pot, fill it with potting soil. It is also a good idea to anchor the pot with rocks in the bottom, to prevent kitty from knocking it over easily. Plant the seeds, covering them with about 1/4 of dirt. Sprinkle about 1/4 C of water on top every 12 hours, keeping the grass away from kitty until it is about 4-6″ tall.
Step 6: Enjoy! Once the grass is fully mature, place it next to kitty’s normal feeding area and he will begin to experience the joy of fresh, healthy kitty grass, and you will experience the joy of spending less than a dime to improve your cat’s health.
 Some cats will beg for anything (see picture). My kitten Moonie has often begged for lettuce, green beans, bananas, tofu, and even bottle caps! Begging may be cute, but there are definitely some foods you should not feed your cat, no matter how much he begs! They are:
1. Onions and garlic
Onions contain a substance (N-propyl disulphide, for you scientists out there) that can destroy the red blood cells in cats, causing a condition called Heinz body anemia. Symptoms include lethargy, loss of appetite, weight loss, and rapid breathing/pulse. Garlic also contains this substance, though to a lesser extent. Shallots, leeks, and other related vegetables are also off-limits. Pay special attention to this one–several foods commonly fed to cats (baby food, meat gravy, etc.) contain onion and can lead to Heinz body anemia over time!!!
2. Nightshade vegetables
Tomatoes (especially green ones), potatoes, eggplants, and other nightshade vegetables will cause severe gastro-intestinal distress for your cat due to a substance called Glycoalkaloid Solanine. And as anybody who’s had to clean up a messy litterbox or experienced a cat fart knows, that’s bad news! Cooking can neutralize the substance, but why bother when your cat is a carnivore and can’t really digest vegetables anyways?
3. Chocolate
We all know about how toxic chocolate is for dogs–but it’s also bad for cats! Neither species can digest theobromine, a substance found in the cacao bean. If you really must feed your cat chocolate, please stick to white chocolate, as it contains insignificant amounts of the substance. Or better yet, don’t feed your cat any chocolate at all.
4. Milk
Forget that age-old image of Mittens lapping from a bowl of milk–the truth is that milk is harmful to cats and can cause digestive distress. Cats, like lactose intolerant humans, do not have sufficient amounts of the enzyme lactase to efficiently digest milk. It may not cause death, but it can case diarrhea, gas, and vomiting. If your cat is currently a milk-addict, then try switching to lactose-fee milk or heavy cream (feed 1/4 cup or less at a time), which has less lactose than regular milk. Your best bet is, of course, to get him off milk completely.
5. Grapes and Raisins
It is well-documented that grapes can cause diarrhea and renal failure in dogs, and the ASPCA recommends not feeding them to your cat either. Nobody is quite sure why grapes are so dangerous, but better safe than sorry!
If your cat has ingested any of these foods, please get him to the vet right away!
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