Yes. Cats are carnivores, and many owners feed them raw meat. Adult cats usually eat about 3% of their body weight a day, so a 4 kg cat eats around 120 g. Introduce it slowly, and handle it with the same hygiene as any raw meat.
Cats are built to eat meat. Their bodies run on animal protein and fat, which is why raw feeding suits a lot of cat owners. The tricky part with cats is usually getting them to try something new, so this guide covers what to feed, how much, and how to make the change without a standoff at the bowl.
What cats need from raw food
The same 80/10/10 rule of thumb used for dogs works as a guide for cats: about 80% muscle meat, 10% bone and 10% organ. A few things are worth knowing:
- Taurine: cats need taurine from their food. Heart is a natural source, which is why heart features in a lot of raw cat food.
- Organ: liver and other offal round out the muscle meat.
- Bone: minced bone is an easy way to include it for cats. Never feed cooked bones.
Most owners rotate a few proteins rather than relying on one.
What raw meat can cats eat?
Most plain raw meat suits cats, as long as the week includes some organ and bone as well as muscle meat. Here’s how the common options fit:
| Meat | How it fits |
|---|---|
| Chicken mince with bone | An everyday base: meat and bone in one |
| Veal, goat or lamb | Red meats to rotate through the week |
| Heart | Muscle meat that cats tend to love, and a natural source of taurine |
| Liver and other offal | The organ part of the bowl, in small amounts |
| Plain raw beef mince or steak | Fine as one protein in the rotation; on its own it’s just muscle meat |
| Raw fish | A share of the diet now and then, frozen first |
| Anything seasoned, smoked or cooked with bone | Leave it out |
So yes, cats can eat raw mince, including raw beef mince, as long as it’s plain. A steak or a pack of supermarket mince on its own is only the muscle meat part, though, so a mix with heart and offal through it covers more of what a cat needs.
Which of our foods suit cats
We get asked this a lot. Five of our products are marked “For Dogs & Cats”:
- Fussy Mix: we made this one with cats in mind. It’s chicken, veal mince, and liver and other offal.
- Veal Mince: 100% NZ veal, a single protein. Veal comes from young cattle, so we treat it as beef.
- Chicken Mince: 100% NZ chicken, minced with the bone.
- Goat Mince: 100% NZ goat. It can sell out, so check the product page.
- Lamb & Heart Rolls: lamb and lamb heart in 1.8 kg rolls, ten to a carton.
You’ll find them all together on our raw cat food page.
A simple way to start: Fussy Mix as the base, with Chicken Mince or Veal Mince rotated in once your cat is settled. Fussy Mix already has liver and other offal through it, so it brings the organ part along with it.
How much to feed
Adult cats usually eat about 3% of their body weight a day, split into two or more meals.
| Cat’s weight | Per day (about 3%) |
|---|---|
| 3 kg | 90 g |
| 4 kg | 120 g |
| 5 kg | 150 g |
| 6 kg | 180 g |
At 120 g a day, one 10 kg carton feeds a 4 kg cat for around 12 weeks, if raw food is all they eat. Our calculator has a cat setting that works it out for you.
The calculator uses about 2.5% for older cats and more for kittens, because they’re still growing:
| Cat | Share of current weight a day | Meals a day | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kitten, 2 to 6 months | about 6% | 4 | 1.5 kg kitten: about 90 g a day |
| Kitten, 6 to 12 months | about 4.5% | 3 | 3 kg kitten: about 135 g a day |
| Adult, 1 to 10 years | about 3% | 2 | 4 kg cat: about 120 g a day |
| Senior, 11 years and up | about 2.5% | 2 | 4 kg cat: about 100 g a day |
Weigh a kitten every couple of weeks and work the amount out again as they grow.
Portioning a 10 kg box for a cat
Our mixes and minces come as blocks of about 500 g, which is about four days’ food for a 4 kg cat. Thaw a block in the fridge, keep what your cat will eat in the next two to three days, and pop the rest straight back in the freezer. Raw meat thawed in the fridge can be refrozen.
Small lidded tubs make this easy. Split the thawed block into a few tubs, keep two to three days’ worth in the fridge, and freeze the rest, ready to move down to the fridge a tub at a time. A roll of Lamb & Heart goes the same way: thaw it, empty it into a sealed container, keep two to three days’ worth in the fridge and freeze the rest in tubs.
If you have a dog as well, one box can feed both. Our guide to portioning raw dog food covers splitting a carton up and fitting it in the freezer.
Switching a cat to raw
Cats can be very suspicious of new food, so go slowly:
- Mix a teaspoon of raw food into their usual food.
- Increase the raw share a little every few days, over a week or two, or longer if they need it.
- If they refuse it, go back a step and try again more slowly, or try a different protein.
Don’t let your cat go without food while you switch. If they refuse the raw food, keep offering their usual food and go more slowly.
Fussy Mix is a good place to start. Some cats take to it straight away. If your cat prefers the fridge chill taken off, let the portion sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
A few more things that help a cautious cat:
- Feed at the same times each day, and pick up what’s left after about half an hour.
- Try a different texture. Some cats prefer mince pressed flat on a saucer to a mound in a bowl.
- Stick with one protein until they’re eating it happily, then add the next.
Hygiene
Raw meat can carry bacteria, so handle it the way you would raw meat for your own meals. Thaw it in the fridge, wash the bowl after each meal, and don’t leave uneaten food sitting out. Our guide to thawing and storing raw food covers the routine.
If your cat has a health condition, check with your vet before changing their food.
Common questions
Can cats eat raw mince?
Yes, plain raw mince is fine. Pet mince with bone through it, or a mix with heart and offal, covers more of the bowl than mince made for people.
Can cats eat raw chicken?
Yes. Our Chicken Mince is minced with the bone and suits cats as well as dogs. Our guide to raw chicken covers handling it.
Can cats eat raw fish?
As a share of the diet, frozen first. Our guide to raw fish explains why it’s kept to a few days a week.
Can kittens eat raw meat?
Yes. Kittens eat more for their size, over more meals, and the calculator’s kitten setting works out the amount by age.
Before you order
Can my dog and cat eat the same food?
Yes. All five products above suit dogs too, so one order can feed the whole household.
Do you deliver raw cat food to my area?
We deliver across Auckland and Waikato each week. Check your address to see your delivery day.
What does delivery cost?
Delivery is $5 an order, whatever the weight, so a cat’s box can come with the dog’s order for one fee.
Products in this guide
More guides
How to portion raw dog food from your first 10 kg box
What's in the box, how to split blocks, bones and rolls into meals, how long a box lasts by dog size, and fitting it in the freezer.
Can dogs eat raw fish?
Why raw feeders add fish, why to freeze it first, how much to feed and what to know about bones.
Can dogs eat raw chicken?
Raw chicken is one of the most common proteins in raw feeding. How to handle it safely, and why cooked bones never go in the bowl.