Once again, welcome to Rawfed.com's myth page; my name
is Carissa (to skip the personal bio, click here). Everything
that you will be reading here came out of a personal project I called
my "Raw Notebook." The Myth Pages are the result of nearly four years'
worth of learning, researching, probing, and pondering; at the
beginning of June 2004 I finally decided that I needed to write down
everything I had learned, which is how the Raw Notebook was born. Then
more and more people asked if I was going to publish my personal myth
list on the web, and I finally did when I saw the need for
myth-debunking grow. The Myth Pages—started in 2004—have grown
tremendously from those myths originally in the 'Raw Notebook', and
more information is continually being added to the existing myths. I
have had a tremendous amount of help along the way from the experienced
raw feeders on the Yahoo! Rawfeeding list;
without them I certainly would not be here (and I still have much to
learn). I owe a big thanks to my colleague and 'internet mentor' CB,
who made Rawfed.com possible. I also owe a huge thanks to George Cowan,
who helped me redesign the Myth Pages and created the beautiful banner
you see on each page.
Just a little information about me: I graduated from Colorado State University in 2004 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Zoology and Biology, with a concentration in Anatomy and Physiology. I worked for 4 years in the Clinical Sciences Department of the CSU Veterinary Teaching Hospital before deciding that I would be much happier as a high school science teacher instead of a veterinarian. My interest in raw feeding was sparked in 2001 after reading about it in a German Shepherd magazine. As a long-time dog owner and dog lover, I was definitely interested immediately, especially since I was (and am) always looking for ways to improve the quality of life for my family's pets. In 2002 I joined the Yahoo! Rawfeeding list to learn more; the rest is history, and I will never look back. Additionally, feeding a raw diet has introduced me to the idea of a completely holistic, healthy lifestyle for my pets that includes fresh air, exercise, and the minimization of harmful toxins. The only current carnivore under my roof is my cat Kona, and she is fed a species-appropriate raw diet. Any other carnivore entering my care will be fed the same way. Be sure to check out Kona's camping page on this server!
I applaud your efforts to seek out the truth and your
desire to provide the best life possible for your pets. Best wishes to
you and your pets as you embark on your quest. Whatever your decision
may be, I hope that you will come away with a better understanding of
your companions and the practice of raw feeding.
BEFORE YOU BEGIN THE MYTHS:
Here are some questions to
provoke thought and cause reflection. I ask that you seriously consider
these questions, pondering the answers you come up with and the
evidence you have to support those answers.
First, look at your own thoughts regarding raw diets and commercial
foods. What are your own thoughts and opinions at this point? What sort
of things have you heard both for and against raw, both for and against
kibble? From whom did these pieces of information come? How have you
come to form your opinions? What do you hope to learn/get out of these
pages?
Now let us continue. Think about human food. How does a package of
frozen tator
tots compare nutritionally with a whole, fresh potato? Are the
freeze-dried berries or 'fake berries' in certain cereals on the same
nutritional level as fresh whole berries? Are processed foods for
humans better than the fresh whole foods available to us?
Let us move on to our pets. Pick up the bag or can of pet food and take
a look at the label. What are the primary ingredients? What other
things are listed in the ingredients? What are their purposes in your
pet's food? Are they as good as the things found in 'real food'? Are
they actually found in fresh whole foods?
Here are several more questions:
