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what way would be cheaper dry diet or wet diet only or both?
- Thread starter mewlittle
- Start Date
I will have to find the thread that LDG put together on cost comparisons of feeding our feline friends. From what I know, the cheap food is surprisingly not cheap to feed only because the cat will need much more of that type of food compared to the more expensive, highly nutritious and filling foods. I feed raw and some canned food. Dry food is cheap to feed but would recommend a wet diet over dry any day. I will try to dig up that thread for you. 
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- #3
I meant witch way is cheaper lol and okay and I know a all dry diet is badI will have to find the thread that LDG put together on cost comparisons of feeding our feline friends. From what I know, the cheap food is surprisingly not cheap to feed only because the cat will need much more of that type of food compared to the more expensive, highly nutritious and filling foods. I feed raw and some canned food. Dry food is cheap to feed but would recommend a wet diet over dry any day. I will try to dig up that thread for you.
The info in that thread was from an article I wrote on the cost of feeding raw. It's here, with the tables with the cost comparison at the end: http://catcentric.org/nutrition-and...y-cat-or-i-can-afford-to-feed-commercial-raw/
From a "how much does it cost to feed the food" perspective, it's cheapest to feed dry only. There But from a "how much does it cost over the life of my cat including vet care," although the information doesn't really exist, I have a strong feeling that feeding homemade food costs the least, if properly balanced. Just like with people, whole foods in their natural state are so much healthier, and highly processed foods take their toll. Top that off with the fact that almost all pet food, including most of the "high quality" pet food is still the dregs of the garbage of the garbage of the human food industry... and so much of it isn't species appropriate, it's no wonder our cats (and dogs) are suffering from being overweight, diabetes, FLUTD, chronic renal failure, allergies, IBD....
From a "how much does it cost to feed the food" perspective, it's cheapest to feed dry only. There But from a "how much does it cost over the life of my cat including vet care," although the information doesn't really exist, I have a strong feeling that feeding homemade food costs the least, if properly balanced. Just like with people, whole foods in their natural state are so much healthier, and highly processed foods take their toll. Top that off with the fact that almost all pet food, including most of the "high quality" pet food is still the dregs of the garbage of the garbage of the human food industry... and so much of it isn't species appropriate, it's no wonder our cats (and dogs) are suffering from being overweight, diabetes, FLUTD, chronic renal failure, allergies, IBD....
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #5
thanks I'm thinking about going mostly wet thouThe info in that thread was from an article I wrote on the cost of feeding raw. It's here, with the tables with the cost comparison at the end: http://catcentric.org/nutrition-and...y-cat-or-i-can-afford-to-feed-commercial-raw/
From a "how much does it cost to feed the food" perspective, it's cheapest to feed dry only. There But from a "how much does it cost over the life of my cat including vet care," although the information doesn't really exist, I have a strong feeling that feeding homemade food costs the least, if properly balanced. Just like with people, whole foods in their natural state are so much healthier, and highly processed foods take their toll. Top that off with the fact that almost all pet food, including most of the "high quality" pet food is still the dregs of the garbage of the garbage of the human food industry... and so much of it isn't species appropriate, it's no wonder our cats (and dogs) are suffering from being overweight, diabetes, FLUTD, chronic renal failure, allergies, IBD....
Thanks, LaurieThe info in that thread was from an article I wrote on the cost of feeding raw. It's here, with the tables with the cost comparison at the end: http://catcentric.org/nutrition-and...y-cat-or-i-can-afford-to-feed-commercial-raw/
SO MUCH!!!!!- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #7
would it be cheaper if i did wet and raw then wet and dry? and how much raw to feed per lb of body weight i'm thinking on doing raw my problem is i do not have a big freezer and don't know were to get the meet and i don't really want to order online because of dry ice
No, I doubt very much wet and raw would be cheaper than wet and dry. The dry food costs less to feed. Here's the summary table at the end of that article. It starts with the cheapest and progresses to the most expensive, and the table includes 48 brands of kibble (including ZiwiPeak’s air-dried raw not intended for rehydration), 40 canned foods, and 15 commercial frozen raw foods.
The kibble category included 10 “supermarket” distribution brands, 19 grain-free brands, 18 pet/specialty distribution brands, and the one raw kibble. The canned category included 8 supermarket distribution brands, 17 grain-free brands, and 15 pet/specialty store distribution brands.
This is a link to the table: http://catcentric.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Combined-Products-Cost-Comparison-1.pdf
The comparison assumed an adult 10 pound cat, used non-sale prices, and manufacturer recommended amounts of food (even though most cats need less food than recommended). Obviously the table doesn't include homemade raw.
I live in an RV, so I totally know the problem of freezer space. :lol3: We ended up buying a mid-size chest freezer on craigslist for $35 that we keep out back, covered in a tarp. Carolina was living in an apartment with very little space, and found a small one that fit in a corner. :nod:
The cost of feeding raw completely depends on how much you pay for the meat. I think you have 14 cats? Willowy has more than that, and I'm pretty sure she feeds her kitties Friskies pate foods supplemented with raw. :nod: But without the ability to buy meat on sale and store it, it probably isn't cost effective.
My 8 cats eat 2 pounds of raw food a day. They each ate about one 5.5 oz can a day (2.75 pounds of canned food). The larger kitties ate a little more, the smaller kitties ate a little less. My cats range in size from around 7 pounds to (at the time) 15 pounds, and they range in age from 5 or 6 to 10 - though now that they're eating raw, their energy has gone up considerably. :lol3:
If you feed whole prey model raw with bones as the source of calcium, an adult 8 - 12 pound cat will most likely eat 5 - 6 ounces of food a day; if you use meat and a calcium supplement (like eggshell powder or bone meal), they'll probably eat 4 - 5 ounces a day.
The kibble category included 10 “supermarket” distribution brands, 19 grain-free brands, 18 pet/specialty distribution brands, and the one raw kibble. The canned category included 8 supermarket distribution brands, 17 grain-free brands, and 15 pet/specialty store distribution brands.
This is a link to the table: http://catcentric.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Combined-Products-Cost-Comparison-1.pdf
The comparison assumed an adult 10 pound cat, used non-sale prices, and manufacturer recommended amounts of food (even though most cats need less food than recommended). Obviously the table doesn't include homemade raw.
I live in an RV, so I totally know the problem of freezer space. :lol3: We ended up buying a mid-size chest freezer on craigslist for $35 that we keep out back, covered in a tarp.
Carolina was living in an apartment with very little space, and found a small one that fit in a corner. :nod:The cost of feeding raw completely depends on how much you pay for the meat. I think you have 14 cats? Willowy has more than that, and I'm pretty sure she feeds her kitties Friskies pate foods supplemented with raw. :nod: But without the ability to buy meat on sale and store it, it probably isn't cost effective.
My 8 cats eat 2 pounds of raw food a day. They each ate about one 5.5 oz can a day (2.75 pounds of canned food). The larger kitties ate a little more, the smaller kitties ate a little less. My cats range in size from around 7 pounds to (at the time) 15 pounds, and they range in age from 5 or 6 to 10 - though now that they're eating raw, their energy has gone up considerably. :lol3:
If you feed whole prey model raw with bones as the source of calcium, an adult 8 - 12 pound cat will most likely eat 5 - 6 ounces of food a day; if you use meat and a calcium supplement (like eggshell powder or bone meal), they'll probably eat 4 - 5 ounces a day.
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- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #9
I want to cut or stop feeding kibble because even thou there on NO GRAIN there poo still looks bad but when i did wet for like 3 days strait there poo straitened out but theay was still hungrey i figured if i did raw and wet they wont be as hungry and well be healthier and i have 13 cats 3 dogs not 14 cats lolNo, I doubt very much wet and raw would be cheaper than wet and dry. The dry food costs less to feed. Here's the summary table at the end of that article. It starts with the cheapest and progresses to the most expensive, and the table includes 48 brands of kibble (including ZiwiPeak’s air-dried raw not intended for rehydration), 40 canned foods, and 15 commercial frozen raw foods.
The kibble category included 10 “supermarket” distribution brands, 19 grain-free brands, 18 pet/specialty distribution brands, and the one raw kibble. The canned category included 8 supermarket distribution brands, 17 grain-free brands, and 15 pet/specialty store distribution brands.
This is a link to the table: http://catcentric.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Combined-Products-Cost-Comparison-1.pdf
The comparison assumed an adult 10 pound cat, used non-sale prices, and manufacturer recommended amounts of food (even though most cats need less food than recommended). Obviously the table doesn't include homemade raw.
I live in an RV, so I totally know the problem of freezer space.We ended up buying a mid-size chest freezer on craigslist for $35 that we keep out back, covered in a tarp.Carolina was living in an apartment with very little space, and found a small one that fit in a corner.
The cost of feeding raw completely depends on how much you pay for the meat. I think you have 14 cats? Willowy has more than that, and I'm pretty sure she feeds her kitties Friskies pate foods supplemented with raw.But without the ability to buy meat on sale and store it, it probably isn't cost effective.
My 8 cats eat 2 pounds of raw food a day. They each ate about one 5.5 oz can a day (2.75 pounds of canned food). The larger kitties ate a little more, the smaller kitties ate a little less. My cats range in size from around 7 pounds to (at the time) 15 pounds, and they range in age from 5 or 6 to 10 - though now that they're eating raw, their energy has gone up considerably.
If you feed whole prey model raw with bones as the source of calcium, an adult 8 - 12 pound cat will most likely eat 5 - 6 ounces of food a day; if you use meat and a calcium supplement (like eggshell powder or bone meal), they'll probably eat 4 - 5 ounces a day.
How much wet were you feeding them? Do they normally free-feed kibble and maybe they just didn't like eating at mealtimes? When I quit free-feeding my cats did act like they were starving but they were just being dramatic because they liked their bowls being full all the time :lol3:. And, yep, I do feed Friskies paté and some raw.
I bought a freezer for the raw feeding, because, yeah, it's hard to do if you don't have enough freezer space. Unless you live near the grocery store. You just buy regular meat, nothing fancy, although it's probably best to avoid pre-ground meat, since you don't know how it was handled or what they added to it.. If it's less than 15% of their diet you don't have to worry about balancing it.
Dry is way cheaper than canned but not cheaper than vet bills :tongue2:. So I think this way is working out well for all of us.
I bought a freezer for the raw feeding, because, yeah, it's hard to do if you don't have enough freezer space. Unless you live near the grocery store. You just buy regular meat, nothing fancy, although it's probably best to avoid pre-ground meat, since you don't know how it was handled or what they added to it.. If it's less than 15% of their diet you don't have to worry about balancing it.
Dry is way cheaper than canned but not cheaper than vet bills :tongue2:. So I think this way is working out well for all of us.
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- #11
I know this wasn't part of the options but raw food is the cheapest and best quality out there. Seriously. Just mix 3 part ground meat with 1 part finely chopped vegetables (cabbage is good) and maybe add some boiling water to it if you're concerned about bacteria. It's what cats thrive on and I'm sure you've seen how surprisingly well off countryside feral cats are.
Cats have no need for veggies (they don't derive benefit from non-animal matter) and that's a seriously nutritionally deficient diet. It may be OK as a supplemental diet for outdoor cats who hunt, but for cats who don't hunt, that diet would quickly lead to nutritional deficiencies and death. No calcium, not enough taurine,not enough vitamin A, vitamin D, or probably any vitamin, etc. There's lots of info on providing a BALANCED raw diet in the raw feeding subforum
. If someone can't provide a properly balanced raw diet they should stick with commercial food so their cat doesn't suffer.
Ground eggshells or calcium rich babyfood for calcium and taurine. The veges are optional. Cat's eat grass to help them digest food and she doesn't mind them at all. I think it's a whole lot better than the unnecessary carbs they put in commercial cat food. I bought whiskas for the first time recently and was shocked that they only guarantee 4% meat in them. And that's the best cat food you can get here. Where I live the shelter cats only eat raw meat and veggies and they are surprisingly healthy.Cats have no need for veggies (they don't derive benefit from non-animal matter) and that's a seriously nutritionally deficient diet. It may be OK as a supplemental diet for outdoor cats who hunt, but for cats who don't hunt, that diet would quickly lead to nutritional deficiencies and death. No calcium, not enough taurine,not enough vitamin A, vitamin D, or probably any vitamin, etc. There's lots of info on providing a BALANCED raw diet in the raw feeding subforum. If someone can't provide a properly balanced raw diet they should stick with commercial food so their cat doesn't suffer.
Cats lack the enzymes necessary to digest veggies. The small amount of veggies that feral cats obtain from their prey's GI system is predigested with enzymes produced from the prey animal. And that's if they eat any of the intestines.
Mewlittle, as far as costs go, my grinder and deep freezer paid themselves off in 8 months. Previously I was feeding Friskies wet and other cheap canned, and even though I was feeding the grain free varieties my cats were sick with diarrhea. Since being on raw the diarrhea resolved and I've only needed to take them to the vet for their vaccinations.
Yeah, if I lived somewhere with iffy cat food availability and selection I would definitely go with raw/homecooked. And probably even a somewhat unbalanced diet will be better than the poor quality cat foods that are available in those places. But if someone is in the U.S. I'd rather not encourage them to feed a less-than-perfectly-balanced diet because it gives raw feeders a bad name and gets the vets all cranky when they find out that someone is feeding raw, not differentiating between those doing it right and those just throwing down a pan of ground beef :/. We all have to be good examples :tongue2:.
But, yeah, cats don't produce amylase, which is an enzyme needed to digest/derive nutrition from starches. So any veggies/grains/starches are just for bulk, to fill the cat up cheaply. Hearts are a good source of taurine, liver is a good source of vitamin A, egg yolks and oily fish are a good source of vitamin D. It's not hard to do a balanced raw diet but it does take some research and effort.
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- #17
thats cool I recently found out my house wont handle a freezer meaning the power will kill if i plug it in my house is weird.
is freezed dry raw the same thing as freezer stored raw? and were can i get freezed dry raw? and is nature variety instinct rawboost powder any good?
I don't know anything about those foods, hopefully someone else can help with that.
I ran into electrical problems myself, so I had an electrician help me out by changing something about the breakers. Just throwing that out there!
Freeze-dried raw is good (if you rehydrate it), but it's crazy expensive. Even allowing for water weight added back in, it's still something like $12 a pound. I buy it from www.doggiefood.com or on Amazon but only for a treat.
If you rent you can make your landlord fix the wiring. Or, if you have a garage it might be on a different breaker (mine is) and there's usually fewer things plugged in in the garage, so that might be an option.
If you rent you can make your landlord fix the wiring. Or, if you have a garage it might be on a different breaker (mine is) and there's usually fewer things plugged in in the garage, so that might be an option.
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- #20
it is a breaker problem we are plaining on getting it fixed but don't know when yet thanks
