Cat Raw Food Calculator

The taurine story — why feline raw is different

In 1987 a series of papers from UC Davis (Pion, Kittleson, Rogers, Morris) connected taurine deficiency in commercial cat food to a wave of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) cases that were killing pet cats across North America. The fix — supplementing taurine in canned and dry food — became an AAFCO requirement in 1991 and is the single reason taurine sits at the center of every feline nutrition recommendation today.

Dogs synthesize taurine from cysteine via cysteine sulfinic acid decarboxylase. Cats have very low activity of this enzyme; for cats, taurine is functionally an essential amino acid. A taurine-deficient raw diet — for example, a 100% muscle-meat diet with no heart, no organ supplementation — produces DCM and central retinal degeneration within 3-6 months. Both are at least partially reversible if caught early; the heart muscle remodels and vision can stabilise, but only if supplementation begins before late-stage damage.

The Feline Nutrition Foundation, founded by Margaret Gates and the Pottenger Cat Studies advocates, codified the 1000 mg/kg-food taurine target in the early 2010s. Dr Lisa A. Pierson DVM (CatInfo.org) writes the most-referenced lay-language version of the same recipe — "Making Cat Food" — and her supplement list reads identically: taurine 1000 mg, B12 100 µg, vitamin E 100 IU, fish oil for EPA/DHA, salt or kelp for iodine.

Cats also have higher protein requirements than dogs because their hepatic urea-cycle enzymes are constitutively expressed — they cannot down-regulate protein catabolism. AAFCO Cat Food Nutrient Profiles 2024 sets adult cat protein minimum at 26% (DM basis); commercial dog food sits at 18%. A PMR that runs 84% muscle meat (vs 80% canine PMR) reflects this metabolic difference.

Bone share differs too — only barely. Cats and dogs both target ~10% raw meaty bone for the calcium and phosphorus ratio (1.2-1.4:1 Ca:P), but cats are at higher risk of urinary crystal formation with phosphorus excess, so the 10% ceiling is more strict for cats. Senior cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD stage 2+) should NOT eat raw without veterinary supervision — the bone phosphorus load can accelerate decline.

Salmonella and Listeria risk is real, but managed. Cats have short gastric transit times and stomach pH below 2.0, which clears most pathogenic bacterial loads. The greater risk is to humans in the household — immunocompromised, pregnant, or under-5 children. CDC guidance is to handle raw cat food with the same hygiene as raw human meat: dedicated cutting board, sanitize surfaces, wash hands.