Salmonella & Raw Feeding
Updated: 6 days ago
“But isn't raw food dangerous because of Salmonella?”
Yes, Salmonella is a real concern. Raw meat can contain Salmonella, along with other bacteria, and feeding raw means you need to take food handling seriously.
That doesn't mean I think feeding a healthy cat a properly prepared raw diet is inherently dangerous.
I've fed my own cats raw for years, and my kittens are raised on raw food. But I'm also not interested in telling people that “cats can't get Salmonella” or that there is absolutely nothing to worry about. That's not true, and it isn't a particularly useful way to talk about food safety.
The better question is:
What is the actual risk, and what can you do to manage it?
That's what we're going to talk about here.
What Is Salmonella?
Salmonella is a group of bacteria that can cause salmonellosis, an illness affecting the intestinal tract. It can be carried by animals and can contaminate raw meat and other foods.
And here's an important distinction:
The presence of Salmonella does not automatically mean that the animal eating the food will become sick.
Healthy cats have digestive systems that are very different from ours, including highly acidic stomach contents and a relatively short digestive tract. Cats are also naturally exposed to a wide variety of bacteria through normal behaviors like hunting, eating prey, grooming themselves, and occasionally eating things they absolutely should not be eating.
That doesn't make them immune to foodborne illness. It means we shouldn't automatically equate “Salmonella was present” with “this cat is going to get sick.”
Healthy animals can carry bacteria without showing obvious signs of illness, which is one reason that the human side of raw feeding deserves just as much attention as the cat's side.
The Bigger Concern: Cross-Contamination
When I talk to someone who is worried about Salmonella and raw feeding, I think this is the part worth understanding.
You aren't just feeding meat to a cat. You're handling raw meat in your house.
That means the same basic food-safety principles you would use when preparing raw chicken, beef, or other meat for your own family apply here too.
The biggest concern is often cross-contamination- raw food getting onto your hands, countertops, refrigerator handles, utensils, cutting boards, floors, or other places where it can eventually come into contact with people or food.
That's why I don't think “my cat has a strong stomach” is an adequate food-safety plan.
Your cat isn't the only one interacting with the food.
My Basic Rules for Handling Raw Cat Food
I don't think raw feeding requires turning your kitchen into a laboratory.
It does require being sensible.
Wash Your Hands
Wash your hands thoroughly after handling raw pet food, containers, bowls, and anything else that has come into contact with the food.
This is probably the easiest thing you can do and one of the most important.
Keep Raw Pet Food Separate
I prefer to keep raw pet food separate from food we're preparing for the human members of our household.
Don't put raw pet food on the same cutting board you're using for vegetables for dinner. Don't set a container of raw food next to prepared food in the refrigerator. Don't let raw juices drip onto other foods.
Think about raw pet food the same way you would think about raw meat you're preparing for your own dinner.
Clean the Prep Area
Anything that touches raw food needs to be cleaned afterward.
That includes:
Cutting boards
Knives and utensils
Countertops
Food bowls
Containers
Scales
Grinders and other equipment
If you're preparing homemade raw food, this becomes even more important because you're working with a larger quantity of raw ingredients.
Keep Raw Food Cold
Raw meat is perishable.
Keep food refrigerated when you're actively using it and frozen for longer-term storage. Thaw frozen food in the refrigerator rather than leaving it sitting on the counter for hours whenever possible.
And if something smells spoiled, looks spoiled, or has obviously been mishandled, throw it away.
Raw feeding does not mean feeding rotten meat.
Don't Let Raw Food Sit Out Forever
Cats don't need their food sitting out all day.
Put down the appropriate amount, allow your cat to eat, and clean up leftovers according to your food-safety routine.
This is especially important in warm environments.
What About the Cat Bowl?
The bowl is part of the food-preparation area.
If you're feeding raw, wash your cat's bowl regularly rather than letting dried food accumulate around it.
I also like having several bowls available so there isn't any temptation to put fresh food into a bowl that still has yesterday's leftovers stuck to it.
Stainless steel or another easy-to-clean surface is convenient because you're dealing with something that needs to be washed frequently.
And don't forget the surrounding floor. A cat who carries a chunk of raw food across the kitchen is perfectly capable of creating a little raw-food trail for you to discover later.
Can My Cat Get Salmonella?
Yes.
A healthy cat is not magically incapable of becoming infected with Salmonella.
However, illness in a particular cat depends on many factors, including the amount and type of bacteria involved and the cat's overall health. Some cats may carry bacteria without obvious illness.
This is one reason I don't think either extreme is particularly helpful.
“Raw food will give your cat Salmonella” is an oversimplification. So is “cats can't get Salmonella.”
The truth is more boring:
Raw food can contain pathogens. Cats can become sick from pathogens. Good food handling reduces the risk. That's true even if you've been feeding raw for years without a problem.
What About My Family?
This is where I think every household needs to make its own risk assessment.
A household with healthy adults who are already comfortable handling raw meat is different from a household with someone who is particularly vulnerable to foodborne illness.
Young children, older adults, pregnant people, and people who are immunocompromised can face more serious consequences from certain foodborne infections.
If you have someone in your household who is particularly vulnerable, I would discuss raw feeding with your physician or veterinarian and think carefully about whether the additional handling risk is appropriate for your household.
And regardless of who lives in your house, I would not allow a cat fed raw food to lick people's faces immediately after eating. Good hygiene is still good hygiene.
What About Salmonella in the Cat's Poop?
This is another reason I don't want to reduce the conversation to “the cat won't get sick.”
A cat can potentially carry and shed bacteria without looking sick.
So litter-box hygiene matters regardless of what you feed, but it's especially important when you're thinking about foodborne pathogens.
Scoop litter regularly, wash your hands afterward, and don't allow children to play in or handle cat feces.
The same goes for cleaning up diarrhea or other digestive messes.
You don't need to be terrified of your cat. You just need to practice good hygiene.
Does Freezing Kill Salmonella?
This is an important one because people sometimes assume that putting raw food in the freezer makes it sterile. It doesn't.
Freezing can be useful for storage and can affect some parasites depending on the temperature, time, and organism involved, but you should not treat your home freezer as a sterilization system for Salmonella.
The food still needs to be handled as raw food after you thaw it.
If you're purchasing a commercial raw product, look at what the manufacturer actually does to control pathogens rather than assuming that “frozen raw” means pathogen-free.
Some commercial products use additional processing methods intended to reduce bacterial contamination, but these methods should be understood as risk reduction, not a guarantee that the food is sterile.
What About Freeze-Dried Raw?
Freeze-dried raw is still made from raw ingredients, so I don't treat it as automatically equivalent to cooked food from a food-safety standpoint.
The major difference is that the moisture has been removed, which makes the product much more convenient to store and transport. Follow the manufacturer's instructions for handling and rehydration, and wash your hands and feeding equipment after handling it.
If you are using freeze-dried raw specifically because you want a lower-handling-risk option, check the manufacturer's processing and pathogen-control information rather than assuming that every freeze-dried product is processed the same way.
What About Commercial Raw Food?
This is one area where I think it is worth doing a little homework.
Not all commercial raw food is made the same way.
Some products are complete and balanced diets. Others are intended to be supplemental foods or ingredients. Some manufacturers have extensive quality-control and pathogen-reduction programs, while others may provide much less information.
So when you're comparing products, I would look beyond the pretty package.
Ask:
Is this actually complete and balanced for the life stage I'm feeding?
What ingredients are being used?
Where are those ingredients sourced?
What pathogen-control processes does the company use?
How is the food manufactured?
How is it packaged and shipped?
What are the storage and handling instructions?
Does the company provide meaningful information about its quality-control practices?
A raw diet being commercially prepared doesn't automatically make it risk-free.
It also doesn't mean that every commercial raw product has the same risk profile.
What About Homemade Raw?
This is where the food-safety conversation becomes even more important because you are the manufacturer.
When we make food for our own cats, we're sourcing the ingredients, storing them, grinding or processing them, mixing everything together, portioning it, and cleaning up afterward.
That means we are responsible for controlling contamination throughout the entire process.
I keep raw preparation separate from normal food preparation and take sanitation seriously. Equipment gets cleaned, food is kept cold, and finished portions go into the freezer promptly.
And this is another reason I don't recommend jumping into homemade raw after reading one article on the internet.
There are actually two separate questions:
Is the food nutritionally complete and appropriate for the cat?
Is the food being sourced, prepared, stored, and handled safely?
You need to get both right.
You can make a nutritionally excellent diet and still handle it poorly.
And you can handle raw meat beautifully while feeding an incomplete diet.
What About Salmonella Recalls?
You may occasionally see a recall for raw pet food because Salmonella or another pathogen was detected.
That doesn't mean every raw-fed cat is suddenly sick.
A recall is a warning that a particular product or lot may pose a risk and should be taken seriously. Stop feeding the affected product and follow the manufacturer's or regulatory agency's instructions.
But recalls aren't unique to raw food.
Dry and canned pet foods have also been recalled for bacterial contamination and other problems.
The existence of a recall doesn't prove that an entire category of food is unsafe. It tells you that a particular food or batch has a problem that needs to be addressed.
Should I Be Worried About Salmonella?
I think concerned is a better word than afraid.
If you're feeding raw, understand that raw meat isn't sterile. Take reasonable precautions. Keep your food cold. Prevent cross-contamination. Clean your equipment. Wash your hands. Keep litter boxes clean. Pay attention to your household's individual risk factors. That's it.
I'm comfortable feeding raw because I believe the nutritional and practical benefits of a properly formulated fresh diet outweigh the risks for our particular household, and because I'm willing to put the necessary food-safety practices into place.
That doesn't mean I think everyone has to make the same decision. We have 4 young children and I know that it can be a lot to think about how to manage all of these things! You must choose the path that suits your family best in this season of life.
Raw feeding comes with responsibility.
I don't think the answer is pretending the risk doesn't exist. I think the answer is understanding the risk well enough to manage it intelligently.
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