The Prey-Model and BARF represent the two different types of raw food diets you can feed your pet. While both are similar in their beliefs that your pet should be eating raw beef, organ and bones, there are a few differences in their overall philosophies. BARF stands for Biologically Appropriate Raw Food, though sometimes it is called bones and raw food.

The BARF diet follows the philosophy that your pet should have an omnivorous diet. Therefore, in addition to eating a raw diet of ground meat, bone and organ, your pet should also be consuming fresh fruits, vegetables, eggs, and supplements, such as cod liver oil, garlic, and flax seed.

The Prey-Model, also known as Primal, follows a philosophy that your pet, by nature, is a carnivore, and should be eating a diet that closely resembles what their predecessors, the wolf and wildcat, would eat in the wild. If you follow the Prey-Model, you will feed your pet a raw diet of 80% meat, 10% bone, such as animal feet, tails, backs, ribs, or necks, and 10% raw organ, 5% being liver and 5% other organs such spleen, kidneys, pancreas, lungs and tripe.

What model do we use?

In regard to Raw Paws Pet Food’s stance on what comprises a canine or feline diet, we don’t outright promote either the Prey Model or the BARF diet. Rather, we believe in providing general guidance, support, and encouragement to humans who are interested in providing raw (and even home-prepared) nutrition to their pet companions. We emphasize that cats and dogs need approximately 80% muscle meat, 10% bone, and 10% organ as a starting point for raw feeding.

With our current lineup of products, we could probably come pretty close to Prey Model (species dependent) with pieces and parts, but not necessarily with whole critters. Our best sellers are ground meat combinations. And while we currently have very few items that have veggies, fruits, and supplements already in them, we are open to making them available their demand grows. We neither encourage or discourage feeding foods other than meat, organ, and bone, but we are happy to share our own feeding styles when pet owners are curious.

Our goal at Raw Paws Pet Food is to offer variety and make raw feeding as accessible and practical as possible. When we talk with pet owners who are in need of guidance, we share basic information about what generally comprises a canine/feline diet, and we share our own experiences as raw feeders as well.