Cat Nutrition with Kymythy Schultze
By Don Hanson, PCBC-A, BFRAP
< Updated 2025-05-10 >
< The link to this page – https://forcefreepets.com/CatNutrition-KymythySchultze/ >
This post contains two articles on cat nutrition that previously appeared on my blog for Green Acres Kennel Shop. One is a link to a podcast we did with author Kymythy Schultze, in 2017, and the other is a review of her book, Natural Nutrition for Cats: The Path to Perfect Health. Both are still very relevant.
Podcast – Pet Nutrition with Kymythy Schultze, Author of Natural Nutrition for Cats: The Path to Purrfect Health
Link to podcast – https://woofmeowshow.libsyn.com/pet-nutrition-with-kymythy-schultze-author-of-natural-nutrition-for-cats-the-path-to-purrfect-health
In this episode of The Woof Meow Show from July 29, 2017, Kate and Don interview Kymythy Schultze, a Clinical Nutritionist, and Animal Health Instructor, and the author of Natural 
Nutrition for Dogs and Cats: The Ultimate Diet, The Natural Nutrition No-Cook Book, and Natural Nutrition for Cats: The Path to Purrfect Health.
Kymythy’s first book, Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats, has long been the first book I recommend for clients who want to prepare a homemade diet for their pets. I like that it is short, simple, and easy to understand while at the same time being complete. Kate and I recently read Kymythy’s book, The Ultimate Diet and Natural Nutrition for Cats, and were equally impressed.
We start our show by asking Kymythy how she became interested in nutrition, and she explains how her interest started with her health problems, which improved as she began paying attention to what she ate. As her health improved, Kymythy began looking at how better nutrition could improve the lives of her pets and the wildlife she rehabilitated. Kymythy went on to become a Certified Clinical Nutritionist for humans and then studied animal nutrition at Cornell University’s school of veterinary medicine. Kymythy notes that while her formal education was invaluable, she has also found that, like with so many other things, common sense plays a huge role in nutrition.
Kate asked about common nutritional traits between dogs and cats. Kymythy noted that both cats and dogs are carnivores, but dogs are more opportunistic and will sometimes eat things that are not good for them. One only needs to look at their physical anatomy to tell that dogs and cats are predatory carnivores.
We discuss the terms “biologically appropriate food” and “species-appropriate nutrition” and what they mean. Kymythy explains how nature and evolution have designed animals to eat specific things. Cats and dogs are designed to eat meat. From their canine teeth to their digestive systems, they have evolved to kill, eat, and digest food that may even be teeming with bacteria.
In her latest book, Kymythy talks about a reader in Scotland who expressed concern about the big pet food companies, many of whom actively deny the fact that cats and dogs are carnivores, and the influence these companies have on what veterinary students are taught about nutrition.
We asked Kymythy to tell us about the nutrition classes she took at Cornell. She expressed concern, which we share, that so many of the “self-described experts” and veterinary nutritionists are being trained by the pet food companies that promote heavily processed food. When these students become veterinarians, they then go on to promote foods from these companies. Kymythy noted that only one of her professors at Cornell was NOT a paid pet food company employee. One must wonder how these professors can be unbiased in their teaching.
Kymythy told us that real, fresh food was never discussed in her classes at Cornell. The only foods discussed were highly processed commercial pet food. I have noted some of Kymythy’s comments about her Cornell experience below.
“Food, in its natural form, really wasn’t discussed.” “How nutrition was approached was all about excess and deficiency. About specific nutrients like calcium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, that sort of thing. It wasn’t about food.” “We didn’t really learn much about food. We learned about products, and excess and deficiency.”
“It was a real eye-opening experience for me, it really was, going to Cornell, because it was not what I thought it was going to be. I thought we were going to be talking about food. Because I consider that nutrition. And if we’re gonna talk about nutrients let’s talk about nutrients from real food. It really surprised me that really was not included at all. It was more talking about individual nutrients in excess or deficiency states and products, what products to use. That was the bigee. It wasn’t that a dog or cat may need more of this type of food, it was what product would be best to use in this case.“
In segment two, we focus on cats, asking what nutrients they need to be healthy. Kymythy explained that the answer is pretty evident if we look at what many of our cats do when left on their own: kill and consume small rodents and birds. Their natural behavior tells us they need muscle meat, organ meat, and bones. The best diet for our cats will mimic that as closely as possible. Kymythy mentions that her last cat, who passed away, lived to be 32 years old on such a diet. She notes that having cats live into their late 20’s is the norm for her. Kymythy stressed that the length of life should not be our only concern and that the quality of life is equally important. The quality of the nutrition we provide for our pets plays a massive role in the quality of their lives.
Our discussion then shifts to water as a nutrient and its extreme importance to cats. Unfortunately, processed food does not contain water in the necessary quantities to meet a cat’s needs. Because of their low thirst drive, cats may not ingest the amount of water they need to be in optimal health. That is why cats need to have wet food in their diet. A natural diet, like a piece of meat, would have a high moisture content compared to a bowl of kibble with very little moisture. If your cat is going to a water bowl frequently, it is likely that they are not getting enough water in their food and may be dehydrated.
Kymythy also discusses how young kittens imprint on food and how changing a cat’s diet can be difficult as they age. Cats imprinted on kibble can almost become addicted to dry food, which is not in their best interest. While transitioning to a better diet can be difficult, Kymythy has never had a cat that she could not transition to a more nutritious food.
In the show’s third segment, Kate asks Kymythy if a cat that has been fed kibble all its life will have difficulty digesting raw food. Kymythy indicates that feeding a poor diet can have a negative effect on the gut flora, probiotics, and enzymes. She explains that simply adding appropriate probiotics and digestive enzymes to the new food may help the cat make the transition.
Kymythy summarized the initial steps people can take to improve their cat’s health.
- Feed a species-appropriate diet, consisting of meat and bone
- Learn all you can, however, be cautious, especially on the internet
- Kymythy emphasizes “There are things you need to know, but it is not complicated.”
Kate and Don recommend reading Kymythy Schultze’s book- Natural Nutrition for Cats: The Path to Purrfect Health.
Book Review – Natural Nutrition for Cats: The Path to Purrfect Health by Kymythy Schultze
I believe that providing our pets with species-appropriate nutrition is one of the most important things we can do to help them live a long, high-quality, vital life. Sadly, this does not always happen due to a lack of knowledge, misinformation spread by big pet food companies, or choosing convenience over our pet’s health.
My wife and I have been eager students of pet nutrition long before we even knew we would enjoy careers in the pet care services industry. We had a dog with severe medical issues that were related to his diet ( FMI – https://forcefreepets.com/petnutritionourstorywithgus/%20 ), which caused us to devour everything we could learn from books, seminars, articles, people, and more. We focused mostly on dogs at first, then expanded to cats. When our newest cat, Boomer, developed nutritionally related health issues at a young age, we started looking for more information on cats and nutrition. Like most things, dog and cat, there is often less available information about our feline friends.
Kymythy Schultze’s first book, Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats, has long been the book I recommend for clients who want to prepare a homemade diet for their pets. I like that it is short, simple, and easy to understand while simultaneously being complete. When I heard about Kymythy’s latest book, Natural Nutrition for Cats: The Path to Purrfect Health, I immediately added it to my “To Read” pile. As has happened more than once, I am kicking myself for not putting this book on the top of the pile sooner.
By reading Natural Nutrition for Cats: The Path to Purrfect Health, you will learn the how and why of feeding your cat for optimal health. You will also learn about the relationship between veterinary schools, the veterinary community as a whole, and the big businesses that represent the vast majority of the pet food industry. The latter makes this book a “must-read” for dog people in addition to cat lovers.
One of the things that I like best about Kymythy and her books is that they are based on common sense, which seems to be disappearing from our world. For example, early on in the book, she states, “A good diet for your cat is one that provides the correct nutrients, in the proper forms, that it needs to be healthy and happy. Plus, the regimen has to please you, too. If you’re uncomfortable with a particular way of feeding or if you don’t understand it, you probably shouldn’t be doing it. How you feed your cat must fit into your personal comfort zone and be good for your cat as well.” Kymythy’s book provides the reader with expert advice on feeding a cat, but Kymythy recognizes that not everyone will have the resources to feed as she does and makes that clear. She provides the reader with the information they need, seldom provided by pet food companies or veterinarians, so that you can make an educated decision that will be in the best interests of you and your cat. As she notes, “The main goal here is to get some real food into your feline friend!”
Kymythy’s recommendations certainly have merit. We recently interviewed her on The Woof Meow Show, where she told us that her most recent cat to cross the Rainbow Bridge lived to be thirty-two years old and that most of her cats lived into their mid-twenties. Kate and I were speechless for a few moments, and those who know us know that is a rarity. Kymythy obviously is on to something!
In Chapter 1, Kymythy starts by defining good health. She discusses the many health issues found in cat’s today (“Problems with skin, coat, parasites, teeth, weight, odor, digestion, kidney, thyroid, pancreas, diabetes, urinary, respiratory, and immune systems are not normal. They’re not signs of good health!”) which are all too often accepted as “normal” because they are becoming more and more prevalent. Then she discusses why what we feed our pets plays such a significant role in their health. Central to that theme is the importance of eating and feeding real food instead of processed products; “As both humans and felines have strayed from eating fresh foods, both our species have suffered a huge increase in obesity, diabetes, allergies, cancer, behavior problems, general ill health, and more.”
The book also discusses the anatomy and physiology of the cat and how that determines what food is biologically appropriate for them as a species. The cat is an obligatory carnivore, meaning they MUST eat meat. Many of our cats who spend time outdoors routinely hunt, kill, and consume what they have killed – preparing their meals just as nature intended. Mice and birds are a more natural source of nutrition for our cats than processed kibble which can be as much as 60% carbohydrates, something that the cat has no need for in their diet; “Even the National Research Council’s Subcommittee on Cat Nutrition states that “. . . no known dietary carbohydrate requirement exists for the cat . . .” Obesity is a significant problem for both dogs and cats, and we all know the link between carbohydrates and obesity in humans. Pets are no different. [ FMI – Pet Obesity Is A Major Health Issue for Our Pets – Please, Do What You Can to Help! – https://forcefreepets.com/pet-obesity-is-a-major-health-issue-for-our-pets-please-do-what-you-can-to-help/ ]
The cats’ need for water from their food is also addressed, something that cats do not get in sufficient quantities from dry food and treats. We also discussed this on The Woof Meow Show with Kymythy, where she noted: “If your cat is going to a water bowl frequently, it is likely they are not getting enough water in their food and may be dehydrated.” The cat’s instinctual need for water in their food is yet another example of why feeding fresh meat, or a quality canned food, at least as a supplement, is a better choice than only feeding your cat dry food. [ FMI – Our Pets’ Most Important Nutrient–Water – https://forcefreepets.com/wateranimportantnutient/
In Chapter 4, Kymythy addresses pet kibble, cans, and the major pet food manufacturers. She discusses how pet food regulations are developed and how these regulations are, in her opinion, lacking. In reference to those that establish the regulations, she states, “The authors actually say, ‘Few nutritional requirements are known for the adult cat for maintenance or for pregnancy and lactation.” Kymythy then discusses how these commercial kibbles are tested, in a feeding trial where “Quality of life and longevity aren’t part of the test, and even a year-long feeding trial may not expose imbalances that take longer to affect a cat.”
In chapter six, Kymythy addresses what is in the bag, explaining why “veterinarian recommended” on the bag is not as helpful as many assume. She reviews common ingredients used in cat food and tells you what to look for and, more importantly, what to avoid. As Kymythy states, “One might think it reasonable to assume that the premium price of this brand of food and the fact that it’s sold through veterinarians would assure us of better-quality protein. But I suppose the lesson is: Don’t assume!”
The concept of feeding our pets something that is not cooked is difficult for some, especially veterinarians, to understand. In Chapter 7, Kymythy explains how cooking food for our pets, especially at high temperatures and pressures, can be detrimental. She states: “Research at the National Cancer Institute and Johns Hopkins University in the U.S. and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in London, and other studies— including those conducted by experts in Japan and Europe— show that cooking meat with high temperatures creates chemicals that aren’t present when it’s raw. Seventeen different carcinogenic (cancer-causing) compounds develop that collectively are called heterocyclic amines (HCAs). These HCAs interfere with the body’s genetic structure and are proven to cause cancer in animals. They’re specifically linked to cancer of the stomach, pancreas, colon, heart, and breast. The substances are even found in nursing youngsters, so we know they travel through breast milk.” She also cites a study by Dr. Paul Kouchakoff that examined the effect of cooked and raw food on the immune system; “After much research, he concluded that raw food was viewed by the immune system as ‘friendly,’ and cooked food was viewed as dangerous.” Lastly, Kymythy discusses the 10-year study by Dr. Francis Pottenger that demonstrated that cats fed an entirely raw-food diet were vastly healthier than those fed a cooked diet.
She concludes Chapter 7, stating, “It’s ironic, really, how all these years later, many cat lovers are actually still repeating this research by feeding cooked pet food products to their cats. And not surprisingly, many are seeing the same ill-health effects that Dr. Pottenger saw in his cooked-food cats. These people certainly don’t intend to hurt their animal friends, it’s just that the cooked-product companies are very large, powerful, and convincing in their marketing. So who’s to blame for our cats’ health problems?”
In Chapter 8, Kymythy discusses responsibility and the fact that as our cats’ guardians, we are ultimately responsible for their health. She also discusses, as she did on The Woof Meow Show, many of her concerns about the pet food industry and its overly close relationship with veterinarians, especially veterinary schools. Kymythy notes in the book: “…when I was studying animal nutrition at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine a few years ago, only a couple of my professors weren’t paid employees of pet food companies.” Like Kymythy, I find this corporate bias in our educational system very alarming.
In our interview with Kymythy, she also talked about how little time was spent in her nutrition classes at Cornell learning about real food—whole, unprocessed food in its natural form. However, when one considers that most of these “nutrition classes” are taught by pet food company employees and that those companies do not use real food in their products, I guess one should not be surprised, although I would hope everyone would be disappointed.
In Natural Nutrition for Cats: The Path to Purrfect Health, Kymythy also discusses the brilliant marketing strategies used by big pet food companies. What she says is so important,
I am quoting her below.
The biggest petfood companies hire brilliant marketers to sell their products. After all, what could be better than having experts (veterinarians) endorse your product? How did this come about? Well, one of the parent companies that’s become very involved with vets also makes toothpaste. Do you remember the old advertisement that boasted eight out of ten dentists recommend a particular brand? It was a brilliant campaign and put this firm at the top of toothpaste sales.
At the time, the company also had a very small petfood division they were about to sell, but an executive came forward with a great idea: If they could use the same tactic with this branch as they had with their toothpaste, they’d be equally successful. So they used the pharmaceutical industry’s practice of spending tons of money to woo doctors. In fact, a retired sales executive from the petfood company commented on why this marketing strategy works so well: “It’s just like taking drugs: You go to the doctor, and he prescribes something for you, and you don’t much question what the doctor says. It’s the same with animals.”
They know that the trust cat guardians have in vets is so strong that they’ll feed what they’re told without question. So the manufacturer spends a great deal of money enforcing that connection. In fact, other than universities, this company is the country’s largest employer of vets! They fund research and nutrition courses and professorships at veterinary colleges and offer a formal nutrition-certification program for technicians. They’ve also written a widely used textbook on animal nutrition that’s given free of charge to veterinary students, who also receive stipends and get products at zero or almost-zero charge.
This relationship doesn’t end after graduation. The corporation sends veterinarians to seminars on how to better sell their products, provides sales-goal-oriented promotions, gives them lots of promotional tools, and offers big discounts so that vets make more money on product sales.
In Chapter 9, Kymythy discusses how she decided to feed her cats by making her food at home, instead of relying on any commercial product. As she points out, while some call feeding pets real food a fad, commercial pet food is a relatively new idea. For hundreds of years, people with dogs and cats fed their pets real food that they prepared themselves. Some in the veterinary community will argue that there is no proof that feeding a pet a raw diet or a homemade diet is safe. Kymythy states:” There’s no proof that feeding your cats a processed pet food is better for them than a properly prepared meal of fresh, species-appropriate food. And anyone who says cats live longer today because of those processed products also has no proof. Certainly, a cat may live longer today if it’s not outside being hit by a car or attacked by another predator. But the cats of my grandmother’s day were frequently living well into their late 20s without benefit of processed products. Feeding real food is really just the longest used way of feeding cats.” The fact that no studies exist to support that feeding processed foods provides optimal nutrition are also made by veterinarians Dr. Karen Becker and Dr. Barbara Royal in the documentary Pet Fooled: A Look Inside A Questionable Industry.
Kymythy concludes the book by discussing how you can start making food for your cat. “The C.A.T. diet— Cat Appropriate and Tasty! It’s a simple combination of raw meat (muscle and organ), bone, and a few supplements (or “supps” as we call them at my house). The ingredients provide every known nutrient, and the meal is easy to prepare.” She discusses shopping for supplies, preparing the food, and how to transition your cat to their new diet.
If you want to learn how you can make healthy, nutritious meals for your cat or if you want to find out more about cat nutrition and the good and bad of the pet food industry, I highly recommend Natural Nutrition for Cats: The Path to Purrfect Health by Kymythy Schultze