Containment is the name of the game when you feed your cat or dog a raw diet. You want to keep the food in a cordoned-off area, so you don't find a meatball under your pillow. It's a natural instinct for both dogs and cats to bury and/or hide their food. Makes me think of a story a farmer told me about feeding raw to his German shepherd. Seemed like his dog would first bury the meat, then later dig it up and wolf it down.

"They like that gamey flavor," the farmer hypothesized.

Whatever the case may be, today's raw-feeding urban owner is not too keen on allowing his pet this "luxury." So what do you do to stop it? Fortunately, you have a number of options that will keep your home clean and meat-free.

1) Feed your pet in a crate like I do. Easy clean up, 100% contained and if your dog was crate trained from the get-go, he'll feel extra secure. Remember, the crate is his de facto den.

2) Serve your pet their meals in a small tiled room like a vestibule. Most homeowners have them, so they might as well make good use of them.

3) Use baby gates to section off part of a room that's tiled like the laundry room or kitchen. Again, it's an easy clean up and after a while your pet will get used to it and will feel that much more secure during his chow-down.

Once you've got your system working, you can go to bed again or watch TV on your favorite couch worry-free from discovering an unwanted gift from the meatball fairy.