Absolutely not. All animals may be a little possessive over their food (a survival tactic in the wild), so we would recommend giving your pet a little space while they are actually eating, but that is true regardless of what you are feeding them or how sweet they may be. Trust your common sense – don’t let your two-year-old tug on ANY dog’s ears while they are enjoying their supper, for example – but there is absolutely no correlation between raw feeding and behavioural problems in general or aggression in particular.

That is true of cooked bones, because the cooking process makes them brittle and likely to splinter.  But a raw meaty bone is one of the best things you can offer your pet.  Wild dogs and wolves gnaw on raw bones as a source of essential calcium and other minerals, and to clean the teeth and keep them strong.  We will ask you to keep an eye your animals when they are eating raw meaty bones to avoid any risk of choking or teeth breaking. And while we wouldn’t necessarily offer a turkey leg bone to your cat (simple question of weight ratio!)  our feline friends love chomping on our chicken necks, pilchards, and venison ribs.

This is something many people are nervous about, so it’s a good question. Many opponents of raw feeding (mostly kibble / pellet companies) have raised a lot of fear about pathogens in raw meat. Firstly, to put your mind at ease, our food is registered, which means that we are subject to strict control regarding levels of bacteria / pathogens / salmonella in the food. The food gets tested at regular intervals, and so far has always come back with far better test results than even strictly necessary. These results are sent to the Department of Agriculture, who have even tighter rules about pet food than our South African laws on human food! So our food is very safe for your pet, and for you.

Regardless, let’s talk a little about bacteria in raw meat. Some of the confusion and fear comes in because one of the reasons humans cook much of what we eat is to kill bacteria. Dogs’ and cats’ stomachs are highly acidic, far more so than humans, which helps them process bacteria like salmonella (and others) without getting sick. The natural digestive enzymes and bile in their systems aid safe digestion and rejection of bad bacteria. Live enzymes in raw food help to boost your pet’s immune system and make it even better at this (sadly kibble is processed at way too high a temperature for these enzymes to survive, which can contribute to a weakened immune system in pets who only eat pellets… but this can be reversed when they return to a natural diet, so never fear!).

OKAY, GIVE ME A LIST. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BENEFITS MY PET AND I CAN LOOK FORWARD TO?

People who have switched their pets to our raw cat and dog food have found:

• Dry, flaky, itchy, or uncomfortable skin has cleared
• Allergic reactions their pets had previously had on commercial foods have disappeared with the raw diet
• Generally improved mood, energy, and playfulness in both cats and dogs (many owners just thought their pet was naturally lazy or sluggish until they saw the renewed liveliness that a diet change brought about!)
• Teeth are naturally clean – chewing on raw meaty bones helps scrape tartar off the teeth
• Overall improved immune and digestive systems meaning fewer visits to the vet
• Arthritis has significantly reduced in some dogs
• Kidney function has improved in both cats and dogs
• Dogs and cats are excited at meal times – no more of the “do I have to eat this??” facial expression!
• The ripping and chewing involved in eating raw meaty bones develops the jaw, neck, and shoulder muscles, and aids coordination. Commercial foods will never assist in this important muscle development
• Better weight control, for a few reasons:
  – the food is more effectively digested (it is not clogged with unnecessarily high levels of carbohydrates)
  – pets on commercial food often seem insatiably hungry because their food is not giving them the nutrients their bodies crave – this is no longer the case on the new diet
  – owners confess to being less tempted to give table scraps and other excess treats because they watch their pets genuinely enjoy every meal!
• No more pet odour
• Stools are smaller and don’t smell as bad – this seems to be one of the most popular changes!
• Cat owners agree, “no more stinky litter boxes and best of all – cat pee smell is non-existent!”
• Their animals are living longer on a raw diet than their previous pets had survived on commercial dog and cat foods
• Despite popular concern, the food is quick and easy to serve
• Bitches manage their pregnancies better
• Better weight and survival rates in puppies and kittens. Young ones develop at a more appropriate rate – and quick growth spurts are avoided.  A GOOD breeder will want to stop fast growth in any pup or kitten.
• Decreased vet bills (your dogs and cats are healthier!)
• Pets who were previously on cortisone or anti-biotic medication now need less or none at all
• And the greatest honour of all for us to hear, and we’ve heard it many times, “I think your food saved his/her life”.

Our customers have shared many other encouraging bits of feedback with us. We could write reams about the benefits but you would be reading all day, so please don’t hesitate to make contact if you have specific questions about health concerns or anything else we haven’t covered here.

Kismet living her best life.

HOW DO I KNOW IF MY PET WILL BE HAPPIER AND HEALTHIER ON A RAW DIET?
Our first pet whose life was literally saved by the raw diet was our beautiful bullmastiff Kismet. We had watched her suffer for so long, and felt so helpless when vet after vet could do nothing for her. Two allopathic vets told us to put her down, and we felt truly desperate. It is hard to even describe the joy and relief we felt when we found the raw diet that would save her life. Kismet was the first dog to sample our Give a Dog a Bone recipes, and her delight and improved health were our inspiration. There are more details about her and our kitty Flat Cat’s journeys to health on the Our Story page (needless to say, Flat Cat was the founding furry behind Cat of the Day).

Our pets were among the many unlucky enough to fall visibly ill, but we have also had so many customers who didn’t even realise their pets weren’t as happy or healthy as they could be until after they had changed them to raw dog and cat food.

Chandre tells many of our customers about her cat Cuddles, who, at the age of three, did nothing but sleep. Her previous cats had suffered from bladder and kidney problems, and she says, “It was frustrating for me because I was doing everything ‘right’ according to the ‘rules’ of looking after your cat. But my cats just kept on being sick, which left me with the constant question, ‘what am I doing wrong?’” Chandre decided to try something new, and switched Cuddles to the Cat of the Day raw diet.

Cuddles became like a kitten again – playful, energetic, and simply happier. He showed no signs of the previous cats’ bladder or kidney problems. Cuddles’ vet was so excited when she saw his shiny coat, glowing eyes, and sparkling teeth, and was amazed to hear that all it had taken was a change to a natural raw diet.

More of our furry customers tell their (and their owner’s) stories on the Feedback from Well-Fed Friends Page in their own words

WHY DID YOU CHANGE YOUR PETS' DIETS AND WHY SHOULD I?
We are a family with both two-legged and four-legged family members. We have always been slightly dog-crazy, and when our zany cat Flat Cat came into our lives, we swore it was possible to be equally “dog” and “cat” people. It was only when these beloved furry four-leggeds became sick from eating an expensive brand of pellets that our eyes were opened to raw feeding.

An article by Born Free USA entitled What’s Really in Pet Food put us off pellets for good (more about the history of dry pet food at the bottom of the page). It made us realise that we had had no idea what the mysterious dry kibble was really made of. It promised complete health on the label but the listed ingredients in no way resembled real food. Dr Karen Becker puts it this way:


With our Cat of the Day and Give a Dog a Bone raw food, on the other hand, you can see exactly what your animals are eating. You can be assured that your dogs and cats are getting a varied, species-appropriate diet filled with real fresh meat and other high quality ingredients