Sorry, I forgot to add this to my last post.  When you feed animals meat
you can cook it but when you do it kills off all the beneficial enzymes.
The enzymes are essential for maintaining a healthy immune system.  If an
animal eats a cooked food diet for too long it can severely compromise
their immune system.  You can buy enzymes in a powdered form to supplement
an animals cooked diet (similar, I assume to human acidophilus) but raw
meat is always the best source for this.  You would probably have to look
for this enzyme supplement at a natural food store or pet store that
carries natural pet products.  I also make sure to buy only organically
produced meat and then I know I am avoiding all the chemicals and hormones
used in regular factory farming.  I buy meat four pounds at a time from the
bucher and have it wrapped in half pound packages then I freeze most of it
(which I've been told doesn't affect the enzymes) and defrost it as needed.
This way I don't have to go to the meat market every couple days since as a
vegetarian I really don't like to hang out in those types of places (ha
ha!).  A book that I would recommend eventhough it is for cats (check your
library) is: The New Natural Cat: A Complete Guide for Finicky Owners by
Anitra Frazier and Norma Eckroate.  They talk all about feeding raw vs
cooked diet and even have recipies.
 
Raw is good!! =)
Sadie
[Posted in FML issue 3322]