By; Molly Willms at newsroom@stcloudtimes.com.

Just like the hundreds of diets on the market for humans, it seems everyone has their own idea of how and what our pets should eat.

One of the fastest-growing debates out there is the case for raw versus processed food.

We all know what processed food is: the bags, pouches and cans of brand-name pet food. Their ingredients include cooked and processed meat with added nutrients and carbohydrates.

A raw diet for animals consists of the components of their diet in the wild. Cats are naturally carnivores, so a typical raw diet for a cat consists of raw fish, fowl, beef and eggs and many of the organs and bones of the animals from which they come. For dogs, the diet is similar, but includes a vegetable component. In both cases, nutrients such as taurine and vitamin E are often added.

In the wild, a feline would eat a mouse, for example. They would swallow the entire mouse, meat, organs, bones, fur and all.

Raw food advocates argue that a raw diet more closely mimics what animals would eat in the wild and, thus, more accurately meets their nutritional needs.

Many followers of a raw food diet for their pets extol its virtues: better checkups, healthier coats, more energy and the like.

Those who oppose a raw food diet point to the possible risks for animals and humans. Handling raw meat can lead to either pet or owner contracting salmonella or E. coli poisoning, and food left out for too long becomes a breeding ground for bacteria. What’s more, if raw food is portioned incorrectly, pets are missing vital components of a healthy diet.

Advocates counter that cats are much less likely to contract the food poisoning humans are prone to, and that animals should be fed at regular mealtimes anyway (as opposed to free-feeding, the practice of leaving a full dish out at all times).

Furthermore, they point out that starch and meal, used to bulk up processed cat food, are not a part of a normal feline diet. They also point out that it’s better to give animals nutrients naturally found in the food they’re eating, rather than cooking vitamins out and adding them back in synthetically.

Both options have viable arguments. Processed food is still the most widely used option by pet owners.

To learn more about the alternative raw diet, visit feline-nutrition.org or, for both sides of the story, see pets.webmd.com.

It’s all about finding what’s best for you and your pet, so don’t forget to ask your veterinarian before changing your pet’s diet.

This column is the opinion of Molly Willms. Email Willms questions or suggestions to Molly Willms at newsroom@stcloudtimes.com.