Cats can physically eat raw meat, but most vets and major health agencies recommend not feeding it because the infection risks often outweigh the benefits, especially if it isnā€™t a properly formulated diet.

Can cats eat raw meat?

  • Cats are obligate carnivores, so meat is a natural part of their diet, but ā€œnaturalā€ does not always mean ā€œsafeā€ in a modern kitchen environment.
  • Raw meat can carry bacteria like Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria that may make both your cat and your household sick.
  • Some commercial raw diets or carefully balanced home-prepared diets can be made more safely, but they still need strict hygiene and professional formulation to avoid deficiencies.

Main risks of raw meat

  • Bacterial infection : Studies and veterinary groups report that around a quarter of tested raw pet foods contain harmful bacteria such as Salmonella or Listeria.
  • Parasites : Raw meat, especially from wild or poorly controlled sources, can contain parasites like Toxoplasma gondii, which can threaten vulnerable people and animals.
  • Nutritional imbalance : Plain raw muscle meat is not a complete diet; without organ, bone, and precise supplementation, cats can develop serious deficiencies over time.

If youā€™re considering raw anyway

Always involve your vet (ideally a board-certified veterinary nutritionist) before putting a cat on a raw diet.

  • Use only diets designed as ā€œcomplete and balancedā€ for cats, not just random cuts of raw meat from the supermarket.
  • Follow strict food-safety practices: freezing as directed, careful thawing, separate utensils, and thorough cleaning of bowls and surfaces to reduce contamination risk.
  • Avoid cooked bones (they splinter) and seasoned meats like sausages or cured products, which can be high in salt or contain toxic ingredients like garlic.

What to feed instead

  • High-quality commercial wet or dry foods that meet AAFCO/FEDIAF standards are generally safer, balanced, and much easier to handle than raw meat.
  • If you like the idea of ā€œless processed,ā€ ask your vet about safer alternatives such as gently cooked or freezeā€‘dried raw diets that are formulated for cats and produced under stricter controls.

Bottom line: For most owners, it is safer to avoid raw meat and stick to balanced commercial diets unless a veterinary nutritionist is actively guiding a properly formulated raw plan.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.