The main reasons to avoid feeding your cat a raw food diet include health risks and nutritional balance issues. Raw food can contain pathogens such as salmonella, E. coli, listeria, and other pathogens that can cause serious health problems and even be life-threatening. Cooking food removes most pathogens, but raw foods increase these risks. In addition, homemade or commercial raw food diets may be nutritionally unbalanced and lacking in essential vitamins and minerals, which can lead to health problems in cats in the long term.
To ensure your cat's health, it is recommended that you provide food that has been cooked at high temperatures or choose a nutritionally balanced commercial cat food. If a raw food diet is chosen, ensure that the food is from a reliable source, proper hygiene measures are taken during handling and preparation, and consult a veterinarian for professional dietary advice.