Alexa – Can My Cat Eat Raw Pork?

I want to introduce you to our furry family member, Stormy. If you have already started your journey with my book, The 40 Day Hero’s Journey, you may know her as a critical character in the book’s description of Screenplay Script Elements.

She is an absolute joy to our family, well, most of the time. Since we adopted her from a shelter, she has gone from a timid and scared kitten to a cuddly and trusting family member. However, at times she is very vocal about her wants. 

This morning is a prime example. Let me start at the beginning. The 40 Day Hero’s Journey paperback version was officially released two weeks ago. I am busy completing the eBook version and plan to release it soon. I am in the depths of that work and marketing the book. And if that isn’t enough, I am already formulating the sequel. Book two explores the idea that once the Hero completes their journey, they must decide what to do with the new world creating knowledge they gained.

So, to that end, I am currently on my next Hero’s Journey. I am on Day 12 and as you may know, Day 12 is Save the Cat. If you don’t know this – what are you waiting for? Get started on your Hero’s Journey. On Day 12, the Hero explores an act of compassion with the idea that all Heroes conduct themselves at their core with kindness towards others.

I chose to make suet birdseed treats for the wintering birds in my backyard as my act of kindness. Feeding the birds is a family tradition that goes back to my mother. She was well-known as Birdie Grandma to her grandchildren. She always had multiple bird feeders visited by many species, including Cardinals, Juncos, and Nuthatches – to name a few. Chickadees were her favorites. She loved to talk to her black-capped friends, calling chick-a-dee-dee-dee repeatedly. And yes, they would respond. She respected their feistiness, and they always brought a smile to her face.

I have been saving fat trimmings from pork and beef over the last several years with the intent of rendering them down and making suet cakes for the birds. Unfortunately, these ziplock bags of fat collecting in the basement chest freezer had become a bit of a hassle. The need to move them around whenever I needed something from the freezer was proof it was time to get rendering.

So picture this: I am standing in the kitchen this morning cutting fat with a kitchen shear and putting the pieces in a large dutch oven. I am suddenly aware of a presence looking up at me from the floor. Stormy meows lightly in her signature high-toned pitch. In my ignorance, I have no idea what she is on about.

Then it hits me. Stormy wants some of what I am working on. I forget that her sense of smell is much more developed than mine. So she wants some pork, raw and all. But is raw pork okay for cats to eat?

Alexa – can my cat eat raw pork?

According to the website foodfurlife.com, “YES! Pork is a wonderful meat for cats. Most cats both love pork and do very well with it.” The website goes on to clarify that bacon and ham should be avoided “due to the sodium content, smoke flavoring chemicals, nitrates and potentially preservatives.” In addition, the article explains the benefits of pork in a cat’s diet. It also lists several myths that it dispels with supported facts. All in all, “put your fears aside, and let your kitty enjoy this nutritious protein in its natural state.” 

It seems as though a particular black kitten has some raw pork in her future.

On a larger scale, I have once again explored the fundamental fact that all Hero’s conduct themselves with kindness. It is essential in all Hero stories across all cultures and times that the Hero is selfless. Their actions and interactions reflect that fact in everything they do. Take away kindness, compassion, empathy, respect, and love, and all that is left are villains and bystanders.

Order a copy of my book The 40 Day Hero’s Journey on Amazon to start your journey and explore what it is to be a Hero in your own Hollywood movie story.

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