What are the real risks of a raw food diet for cats?

The main documented risk is not to your cat’s nutrition, it is bacterial contamination that can sicken both your cat and the people in your home. FDA testing of raw pet food found Salmonella in 15 of 196 samples and Listeria monocytogenes in 32 of 196, rates far higher than dry, semi-moist or jerky products showed in the same testing. The exposure runs both directions: a cat can get sick from eating it, and a person can get sick from handling contaminated food, touching a contaminated surface or having contact with a cat that carries the bacteria without symptoms of her own. If you feed raw, treat the kitchen prep like raw meat for people: separate surfaces, thorough handwashing and no shortcuts on cleanup.