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Is raw cat food safe? What are the dangers and salmonella risks?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | American Shorthair | Female | spayed | 10 lbs

We're thinking of trying raw cat food. Our cat has no significant health issues. What are the risks of salmonella? Is there a way to prevent it? Can cats get infected? I've heard it's a risk but also that cats don't get infected like humans do. Should we add raw eggs? Are raw egg whites safe? Are egg whites safe at all? I've heard eggs whites can harm cats but also that they're fine. Should we cook our eggs before feeding? How much raw food should we feed? Less than store-bought? More?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Ana M, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on February 20th, 2019

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lily. Raw diets are very trendy and unfortunately, there is a lot of inaccurate information available on them. First of all, there is no scientific research proving any health benefits to them. The reports you will read are anecdotal evidence. There is substantial research though showing the risks. The diets are frequently improperly balanced leading to nutritional deficiencies over time. As you mentioned, the risk of Salmonella poisoning and other pathogens is very real for both you and Lily. If you are interested in preparing her food at home though, this can be done. I use www.balanceit.com as the website is staffed by veterinary nutritionists. They will formulate a specific diet for and her individual nutritional needs. Then you can use the recipe to prepare the (cooked) food at home. I hope this information helps! Here is the AVMA (the governing body for veterinarians) position statement on raw foods: https://www.avma.org/KB/Policies/Pages/Raw-or-Undercooked-Animal-Source-Protein-in-Cat-and-Dog-Diets.aspx

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Maria DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    We cannot promote a raw diet in any animal. It is a public health risk and while you cat may not show signs, you can get salmonella or ecoli even from your cat. https://www.pawbark.com/feeding-pets-a-raw-meat-diet-can-be-dangerous/ These diets are dangerous and can cause obstructions, pancreatitis and gastrointestinal upsets as well as are a public health risk. As a veterinarian, I cannot support this type of diet. There are great diets out there. Proplan, Royal Canin, Science Diet are to name a few. These are diets backed by science to make sure your pet will live a good, healthy life. Thank you for using PetCoach.

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