I don't really have any feedback to offer on feeding cats raw, but I thought I might pop in to address your other questions. Granted, I don't claim to be a cat expert by any means. I just have my experiences with the Kitty Boy Brothers to go on.
Not all cats are destructive to plants. Though many cats are destructive to some plants. Spider plants are a particular favorite. I've never had a cat that was able to leave them alone. Ticheli in particular loses his brains about them. Other than that, they generally leave my other plants alone.
My cats are socialized like dogs. It may be weird, but I think it worked out okay. They were trained to walk on a leash and harness, and for the first 2-3 years we had them we took them shopping at Petsmart/Petco fairly regularly. The only reason we don't do that anymore is because we don't really frequent those stores often. They were very popular when we did do that, though. lol
Really, for the most part I did just train them like dogs, because that is just what I know how to do. LOL! So it can be done. Just be prepared for a cat to do something that is seemingly out of left field (compared to what a dog might do). They do tend to be better critical thinkers in many ways, and can find... creative ways to test you.
Regarding equipment... yeah, litter box, toys, and something to scratch on are the basics. Mylar crinkly balls are very popular in my house. The teeny tiny plush small breed/puppy toys by Kong are actually big favorites. Ticheli takes his Kong teddy bear every where. Whitacre's favorite toy of all time was an old, colorful sock that had lost it's match.
He carried it like a baby.
Long story short, cats are different from dogs. But they aren't THAT different. At least, not in my opinion.
I hope that helps a little. Good luck!