A New "Raw"some Beginning... (yup - another one LOL)

[feralvr]

Does she like the S&C FD? :dk: (Sorry, I don't remember!).

Yes, it's REALLY hard not to give in to their begging. When there were no more kibbles in the house, it made it a lot easier. :lol3: It's SO HARD to be mean Momma - but look at the results!
THE BEGGING WILL STOP! And meal time WILL become fun and special!
Lauren, I'm just BEAMING right now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yep - she does LOVE S&C FD. I have not offered it lately because I was using the Epigen 90 for the bedtime meal. The reason is so when I go away, there is something for the three scardy cats to eat who won't come out for meals when a sitter comes. That would be problem #4 - unsolved. That is why I am trying to get them to like the ZiwiPeak air dried as I could leave that out all day. I guess I could leave out the S&C FD too. It is such a problem with raw feeding and traveling when you have three cats that hide when anyone comes over. How do you get raw fed cats to eat for a sitter as there is no raw meat that could be left out safely :dk: AND the other three piggies would eat it up anyway before the three P's ever came to eat. I can't risk them not eating in my absence. I have to be able to have her leave out some sort of food for those three to come and eat after she leaves. AND I will not allow them to be so stressed over having to be so hungry that they are forced to come and eat when the sitter comes. Will not work, I am sure. I can't let Perla get stressed. So that is why I was so happy to have found out about the Epigen 90. It was my saving grace for when I am gone. We are going to Door County in September for almost a week!

For now, I have foregone the Epigen and am using the S&C FD again at bedtime for Pip and Perla along with the ZiwiPeak that the four boys will eat - well Presley not always. :lol3:

 

[feralvr]

WELL!!!!!!!!! Will wonder's EVER cease. Last night for dinner - Perla AND Pipsqueak both ate fresh chicken breast mixed in with their HT chicken. I pretty much made the meat in teeny tiny pieces and they both cleaned their plates. Perla had 1.6 ounces of ALL raw for dinner I did sprinkle on the FD Salmon here and there to get her to finish. But this is going much easier then I expected!! :happy3: Breakfast was the typical RC Lamb and I am going to try to add in the RC turkey and see if I can get her to eat that as well. I would like her to have some other proteins to eat but don't want to move to fast and make changes since this new routine is, well, so NEW :lol3: SLOWLY we will make progress. But this is day three of her being 100% raw!!!! Can this be true and how long will this last?? :scratch: :lol3:

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Oh, Carolina, are you coming to Phoenix anytime soon???????  I NEED you!!! 

Lauren, this is such wonderful news!

I'm beaming too 

  

Gosh, Perla will need a new nickname pretty soon.  No more

for her

 

[carolina]

Yep - she does LOVE S&C FD. I have not offered it lately because I was using the Epigen 90 for the bedtime meal. The reason is so when I go away, there is something for the three scardy cats to eat who won't come out for meals when a sitter comes. That would be problem #4 - unsolved. That is why I am trying to get them to like the ZiwiPeak air dried as I could leave that out all day. I guess I could leave out the S&C FD too. It is such a problem with raw feeding and traveling when you have three cats that hide when anyone comes over. How do you get raw fed cats to eat for a sitter as there is no raw meat that could be left out safely :dk: AND the other three piggies would eat it up anyway before the three P's ever came to eat. I can't risk them not eating in my absence. I have to be able to have her leave out some sort of food for those three to come and eat after she leaves. AND I will not allow them to be so stressed over having to be so hungry that they are forced to come and eat when the sitter comes. Will not work, I am sure. I can't let Perla get stressed. So that is why I was so happy to have found out about the Epigen 90. It was my saving grace for when I am gone. We are going to Door County in September for almost a week!
For now, I have foregone the Epigen and am using the S&C FD again at bedtime for Pip and Perla along with the ZiwiPeak that the four boys will eat - well Presley not always. :lol3:

in the plane, ready to leave.... Have only a second, but trust me: hope is the same way. When raw is all they eat, and they have a routine, they WILL come out for the sitter. If not in the first meal, they will on the second. I promise you. Stick to a routine, and stay strong I am SO proud of you

 

[carolina]

Yep - she does LOVE S&C FD. I have not offered it lately because I was using the Epigen 90 for the bedtime meal. The reason is so when I go away, there is something for the three scardy cats to eat who won't come out for meals when a sitter comes. That would be problem #4 - unsolved. That is why I am trying to get them to like the ZiwiPeak air dried as I could leave that out all day. I guess I could leave out the S&C FD too. It is such a problem with raw feeding and traveling when you have three cats that hide when anyone comes over. How do you get raw fed cats to eat for a sitter as there is no raw meat that could be left out safely :dk: AND the other three piggies would eat it up anyway before the three P's ever came to eat. I can't risk them not eating in my absence. I have to be able to have her leave out some sort of food for those three to come and eat after she leaves. AND I will not allow them to be so stressed over having to be so hungry that they are forced to come and eat when the sitter comes. Will not work, I am sure. I can't let Perla get stressed. So that is why I was so happy to have found out about the Epigen 90. It was my saving grace for when I am gone. We are going to Door County in September for almost a week!
For now, I have foregone the Epigen and am using the S&C FD again at bedtime for Pip and Perla along with the ZiwiPeak that the four boys will eat - well Presley not always. :lol3:

in the plane, ready to leave.... Have only a second, but trust me: hope is the same way. When raw is all they eat, and they have a routine, they WILL come out for the sitter. If not in the first meal, they will on the second. I promise you. Stick to a routine, and stay strong I am SO proud of you

 

[ldg]

I don't have experience with someone other than us having to take care of our cats. But Carolina does.

 

[feralvr]

Oh, Carolina, are you coming to Phoenix anytime soon???????  I NEED you!!! 

Lauren, this is such wonderful news! I'm beaming too     :high5: :beerpals:

Gash, Perla will need a new nickname pretty soon.  No more rincess: for her

:lol3: Yeah, Carolina sure got my issues all worked out!!! A huge, huge help and inspired me to push for that final lap. . To be a mean momma :rofl: Meaning NO MORE FOOD BETWEEN MEALS!!! I will say, it is not easy and the rincess: is not to happy about my meeting with Carolina :lol3: Maybe Carolina will do a phone consult for you :dk:

 

[feralvr]

The good news about our upcoming vacation is that Heather will be taking care of the babies and they all know her. Perla does still hide when she comes over but the last time she cared for them, she told me that Perla did come for her food on the second day. Carolina, yeah, I know your Hope was the same way :nod: It should all work out and I am thinking of having Heather leave out the ZiwiPeak in a couple of bowls and the S&C in a couple more. Just overnight, if Perla didn't come for her meals during the day. Will give me piece of mind. I think that will work :happy3: Good plan??!!

 

[carolina]

Oh my, we need to find myself a nickname for the next time I come to town - do NOt call me Carolina in front of rincess: Perla :spit:
Lauren, I am just so happy, for you, I am elated
Your situation really worried me..... it was soooooo complicated, I don't know how you hang in there.... At the same time it was just clear to me how very very close you were.....
I am very proud of you Lauren, I know how hard it can be..... It can be gut-wrenching..... You are doing a fantastic job - you are a super momma!!

Now on to the issue with the trips -
Yes, Hope is very much a little feral too, and I have the exact same issues you have with Perla. To the "T".
For her, routine becomes not only important, it becomes crucial. I travel almost every week, and trust me when I say, I promise you, promise you, once she gets used to the routine, she WILL come out for the feedings.
That is the most important thing I would work on - I seriously would not get her used to other foods.... or to expect anything overnight - do not give her an outing.... That will give her the choice of not coming out.
She has to be used to Feeding station = food. Meals times = Food.
Hope hides during play time, she even hid from me for a couple of days this last time I came back - she was under the bed the entire time. But guess what? Every meal, sure thing - she was on the kitchen, happily waiting for dinner, and running excitedly to her place.
I came home by susrprise, and walked in on Kelly feeding them -
They didn't even come to the door for momma - each were on their plates, gobbling down their food until their plates were completely clean - including Hope.
IMHO, the less you feed outside of meal times, the quicker they will get used to meal times/routine, the easier it will be for you, the more reliable a sitter will be.
With that said - I do have back up plans - for example: I always have a large bag of WL chicken for emergencies - that is something they ALL eat. Today for example, when I had my emergency and had to switch sitters, I knew Kelly would be late.... So I fed them all a meal of WL before I left to the airport to buy time.
Do I train them to eat that? Nope - that is a back up for emergencies.
So, for you, what you can do, is to keep a bag of S & C for emergencies - if Perla doesn't show up for the day, yes, then the sitter gives it during the night. She is already used to digest that, and you won't have a problem.....
But for now, I would honestly train her to eat only at meal times.....
I know it it is hard..... But it will work.... For you and her
Does it make sense?

 

[feralvr]

Oh my, we need to find myself a nickname for the next time I come to town - do NOt call me Carolina in front of rincess: Perla :spit:

Yeah - we had our girl power morning meeting today, as usual. She wants to ban me from the meetings unless I come with her favorite - Beef and Liver classic Fancy Feast SORRY rincess: no more of this

Does it make sense?

Yes - perfect sense and I am totally getting the NO food between meals and it IS working. She devoured her breakfast today, as did Presley, who was another beggar for food between meals. This has made my life so much easier now having them all eating in the same place for each meal. :nod:

I am going to also try her on the ZiwiPeak air dried Venison/Fish. I have a bag of that here, just received it. Maybe she will like that and then I can use that as the "back-up" food for the three scaredy cats if they don't show for meals when Heather is here. But, my concern is Walden.... my fat boy. Ziwi is SO fattening and I could see him gorging himself on that stuff. OH what a PIA. The other thought is to confine the three P's separately from the other three. In the foster room, while I am gone. But that might cause more stress for Perla - I have to be extra cautious with her due to her herpetic eye issues. Stress = flareup.

I think if I traveled like you, each week or every other week, then they would just get used to me coming and going and a pet sitter coming in. I really only travel a couple of times a year and only leave for about 5 - 6 days. Sometimes we will take a short trip to Door county in between those other trips. So really let's say about three times a year. Not a lot. So it is more of a shock to the cats when all of the sudden I am gone. I am just thankful that Heather has shown much more responsibility this last year - seen the error of her ways. She is very willing and reliable to care for the cats if I go away. AND the cats already know who she is. SO here's hoping :cross: that the rincess: will do just fine with Heather. :nod:

Carolina - and a :lol3: (that my situation was worrying you :heart3 It warms my heart that you care so much and have been so helpful and supportive this last week with the Perla Project. :heart3: Again, I think what really helped was to get that outside opinion of how mixed up my whole day was with feeding all of these cats and trying to make life so easy and stress free for Perla. It just became a daily routine for me that I was on auto-pilot. It was so time consuming too. It helped to get another perspective on how mealtimes were being run over here. I am SO happy that we discussed all of this last week and I know now what I need to do and need to STICK to it. For my sanity :lol3: SOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!! :lovegrin:

 

[feralvr]

WELL!!!!! Will wonder's ever cease. Perla is completely converted and runs (and MEOWS :lovegrin for her meals. :lol3: I was feeding her way too much food for breakfast and then the snacks after if she came to ask for more. Now she is eating RC Lamb (of course ) RC Turkey, HT Chicken and HT Pork. I do still have to Flortify it but she digs right in. She gets about 1.7 - 1.8 ounce for breakfast and dinner and then at bedtme she gets 1/4 ounce rehydrated S&C. I am thrilled that this new plan is working for my rincess:

OH btw. She weighed in at a whopping THIRTEEN pounds...... Six weeks ago she weighed 12.2..... SO, yeah, :anon: I was totally overfeeding Perla. Now, we have a really solid routine that she just loves.

 

[ldg]

MEAN MOMMA PAID OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh Lauren, I'm just so happy for you and especially for rincess: Perla! What fantastic news!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cats just love love love routine! It's just getting over that hump in changing how things were done to the new routine that's hard for us. :nod: But GREAT JOB!

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Yay!  And once again, I'm so jealous.  My very own Stinkpot is on a raw strike at the moment

, but I am SO HAPPY for you! 

 

[carolina]

:blobgreen :blobmul::hobbes:

Lauren, that is fantastic!!!
And look at how many meats she is eating! She not only converted, she converted with a BANG!

bang1.gif

• carolina
• Aug 14, 2012

GREAT job momma!!!! Awesome, awesome job!!!!!

 

[feralvr]

MEAN MOMMA PAID OFF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh Lauren, I'm just so happy for you and especially for rincess: Perla! What fantastic news!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Cats just love love love routine! It's just getting over that hump in changing how things were done to the new routine that's hard for us. :nod: But GREAT JOB!

:blobgreen :blobmul::hobbes:
Lauren, that is fantastic!!!
And look at how many meats she is eating! She not only converted, she converted with a BANG!

bang1.gif

• carolina
• Aug 14, 2012

GREAT job momma!!!! Awesome, awesome job!!!!!

OH I love all of the happy excitement!! Passed this on to Perla and told her how happy she has made all of us. She didn't like that and of course, did not finish her breakfast today. :rofl: Not to worry..... she is already asking for dinner which is about two hours away. I am SOOOOO happy too and thanks SO much for the suggestions and the support. Perla WAS there - I just didn't know it. :lol3:

 

[feralvr]

Yay!  And once again, I'm so jealous.  My very own Stinkpot is on a raw strike at the moment , but I am SO HAPPY for you! 

THANKS, Sally!! It does feel pretty good. But she still has her moments and manipulations - they just don't work anymore. I think the thing that made this SO easy was the fact that she IS getting fat. THIRTEEN POUNDS!!!! I think IF she were skinny - it would be much harder to stick to my guns about this schedule with her. But it is working. Maybe her stomach has grown due to me pumping food into her day and night, at her beck and call. :anon: and she was NEVER hungry before. Plus there was no set schedule for her meals, it was just whenever SHE was ready to eat, then I fed her. NOW she is waiting and asking for her meals about an hour before they are due. It really is a wonderful change.

I hope that Tinky stops being a Stinker about this. Hang in there... it really is not easy with the kitties that just don't believe that they are carnies and are so picky. But you do what you can and Tinky has to eat. Here's hoping that someday that will be RAW!!! :cross: :rub:

 

[auntie crazy]

Late to the party, but wanted to add my congratulations to what you've already received.

Sometimes it's not the kitties who have to adjust as much as it's their owners.

And I had to laugh when you posted how much weight she had gained. The first few weeks I was raw feeding, I didn't weigh anything because I was just "testing" to see if my kitties would even eat prey model raw. Then the stinkers went on a canned food strike and I was just scrambling to find different meat sources to throw down on their plates. When I finally had a chance to stop and breathe and do some calculations, I realized I was feeding some crazy amount way over what they needed. I weighed all the cats at that point and every single one of them had picked up pounds.

  So I empathize!

Congratulations again, Lauren!

AC

 

[feralvr]

Late to the party, but wanted to add my congratulations to what you've already received. Sometimes it's not the kitties who have to adjust as much as it's their owners. :high5:

And I had to laugh when you posted how much weight she had gained. The first few weeks I was raw feeding, I didn't weigh anything because I was just "testing" to see if my kitties would even eat prey model raw. Then the stinkers went on a canned food strike and I was just scrambling to find different meat sources to throw down on their plates. When I finally had a chance to stop and breathe and do some calculations, I realized I was feeding some crazy amount way over what they needed. I weighed all the cats at that point and every single one of them had picked up pounds. :lol3:   So I empathize!

Congratulations again, Lauren!

AC

AW, Auntie!!! I just saw this and thank you SO much. Yeah - ALL of my cats have porked up a bit :anon: I just can't believe it. You know they are getting fat when their heads look small. I honestly think I am making Muscle Mania cats over here. They seem SO much more muscled and fit. I mean, bigger but yet they have SO much energy. We have a blast in the morning over here right after I get up. They are ALL tearing around the house squealing and playing waiting for momma to get food out. :lol3: I LOVE this !!!!!!!!!!!!!! :bigthumb:

 

[feralvr]

NO MOMMA!!!!! EEK - SCARY SLIPPERS!!!!!!!!! You all gotta hear this NEW Perla drama........

but first......

boo scary spooky.jpg

• feralvr
• Aug 30, 2012

--->

pink slippers.jpg

• feralvr
• Aug 30, 2012

 

[catspaw66]

Can you say "whipped"?  Sure, I knew you could.    With a pretty face like Perla's, she should be able to get by with wrapping you around her cute little paws.