this post was submitted on 14 Feb 2025
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I've seen at least a few kibbles that include some freeze dried raw meat in them, so I don't think "kibble" is 100% safe unless you're paying close attention. For example: https://www.chewy.com/instinct-original-recipe-real-chicken/dp/693326
I also just want to note for anyone reading here that the venn diagram of "raw" food and "wet" food has very minimal overlap, especially in terms of what's sitting on the shelves in stores. Most canned food is not raw, and should be safe from bird flu.
In order to maximize shelf life, most raw food is generally sold either freeze dried or frozen. In the case of freeze dried, it's often stored at room temperature, and you can either reconstitute with water to serve "wet" or serve "as is" in it's dry, crunchy form. Something else to be aware of is that a lot of treats at the "fancy" pet supply stores are freeze dried and raw, so it's worth paying very close attention if your cat is immunocompromised (very young, pregnant/nursing, senior, FIV+, etc.) and/or if you're concerned about bird flu.