Wanna be raw/home-made cat foodie

[lucicat]

Hi all! I have two kittens 8 and 5 months old. From the time we brought the first home I started reading everything I could get my hands on about cats ans nutrition and behavior. I'm into natural health and real food eating for myself, so it only made sense to me to provide that for my cats too. But I haven't yet quite gotten in the swing of things. . .partly due to vets always saying they don't recommend it and partly because, well life is busy and figuring it all out hasn't quite happened. Also, my kittens (well one of them) is quite picky about food and that makes it seem a bit daunting. Also they eat a ton right now and I think it will be simpler once they've slowed down to adult portions! Anyway, just looking for support.

Right now they get fed 3x a day. A high quality pate in the morning (either Kasik chicken or turkey or Newmans Own organic turkey and liver), a high quality dry food midday (the absolute best I could find was Orijen) amd TikiCat After Dark for dinner (this is shredded chicken and organ meat) with a little raw (frozen nugget type, I get rabbit) mixed in. They also like the freeze dry raw. this one: Northwest Naturals Freeze Dried Chicken Cat Food, 4 oz
But they like to eat it dry and so even though it's raw I worry that it doesn't have the moisture content. But maybe I could use this as their "dry food" meal to move them away from the kibble. I feel like they just eat and eat!!! I know that's their age though.

I spend a lot since I buy such good quality food and I know it would make sense to make my own. But then it seems daunting. Any advise for getting started? Or thoughts on the nutrient quality of how I do feed them now?

 

[Furballsmom]

I know that's their age though.

It is, and you're right, they need to eat as much as they want until they're at least a year old, possibly longer.

A note, some cats do really well with raw/home-cooked, some cats have a difficult time digesting it and some just don't like it.

Here are a couple articles;

Homemade & Raw Food For Cats - A Collection of Guides - TheCatSite

Editorial note - TheCatSite.com does not advocate feeding raw food to cats. Over the past years, leading veterinary organizations have published statements on the topic. They all advocate against feeding raw food to cats, commercial or homemade. If you're considering switching to a raw diet...

thecatsite.com

Raw Food For Cats - Interview With Pet Nutritionist Dr. Martha Cline - TheCatSite

The major pet food recalls of the past decade brought on a renaissance of alternative diets for dogs and cats. In what appears to be more than just a temporary fad, many cats are now fed homemade, often raw meat-based diets. Interview with Dr. Martha Cline In a recent Skype call with Dr. Martha...

thecatsite.com

Cat Food & Feeding Archives - TheCatSite

Cat Food & Feeding and Feline Nutrition Articles

thecatsite.com

 

[kittyluv387]

The easiest (and most expensive):

EZComplete Fur Cats 225g - Makes 12.1 lbs of food

Welcome to Food Fur Life! We believe in simple. Our supplement for homemade diets is designed to make it as easy as possible to feed your pets a complete and balanced diet based on the prey model, the way nature intended, in one EZ step.

www.foodfurlife.com

Next Easiest (and more affordable but you have to source liver):

Alnutrin with Calcium (Pre-packaged)

www.knowwhatyoufeed.com

 

[kittyluv387]

So for the above you should be using skinless thigh meat (turkey or chicken). You do have to grind and this is absolutely the best bang for your buck. It's a staple in the home made food community.

Tasin TS-108 Electric Meat Grinder, #12, Stainless Steel, Raw Pet Food Making

Tasin TS 108 Electric Meat Grinder #12 by One Stop Jerky Shop now includes 3 each Stainless Steel Plates and Blades! This #12 electric meat grinder is perfect for making homemade beef jerky and sausage at home.

www.onestopjerkyshop.com

You'll also need a kitchen scale to weigh your supplements.

Not sure where you live but a lot of us get products from here:

Home Page | Hare Today

hare-today.com

I personally buy their pre ground turkey thighs, turkey livers, boneless rabbit chunks and the whole rabbit grind.

 

[kittyluv387]

Ah one last thing. You absolutely need to add omega 3 fish oil to their diet. I don't believe it's included in the ezcomplete and alnutrin. The reason is that fish oil oxidizes and goes bad quickly when exposed to air. I personally just poke a hole in one capsule and spray it onto my cat's raw food every night. The one capsule is 300mg of combined epa and dha which is a daily maintenance amount. Note that this is also great for kidney health which is a weakness in many cats. Normally a cat would be getting this nutrient from brain and eyeballs. But the thighs don't contain those parts of course. I get the fish oil and chicken thighs from costco since it's the most affordable option. I use one of those metal crab picker things to poke the hole.

PS - This stuff takes up space so a freezer chest is pretty useful unless you want to make small batches frequently.

Goodluck!

 

[lavishsqualor]

Anyone ever use "Better in the Raw" available on Amazon? I've always been curious because it has great Amazon reviews..

 

[Azazel]

Have you tried giving them small pieces of some of the whole raw meat you cook for yourself (not pre-ground) as a treat to see what their reaction is? That’s a good start.

 

[lisahe]

I think my best suggestion would be to start slowly if you want to feed some homemade food. As A Azazel mentioned, it's good to toss a bit of meat to your cats to see if they're interested. Oddly, though, our cats aren't nearly as interested in plain pieces of meat that I drop (intentionally or otherwise!) on the floor. But they love it when it's made into cat food and fed on a plate.

There's nothing wrong with feeding multiple "modes" of food: we feed commercial raw, homemade cooked, and canned every day. (That sounds more complicated than it is!)

Both EZ Complete and Alnutrin offer samples of the supplement so you can make a batch and try it out on your cats. Our cats have a strong preference for Alnutrin (I use the kind with egg shell calcium) and they used to like EZ, too, but I'm cutting it from the menu because something in it (the mussels, I think) makes one cat barf.

I cook the meat -- chicken, turkey, and/or pork -- and generally make one-pound batches of food. I use a food processor rather than a grinder. Tip: If you eat meat and want to try Alnutrin, the easiest way to deal with the liver is to buy a roast chicken! (If you buy a container of chicken liver, though, weigh out chunks within the Alnutrin range, and freeze them, one tub will last a long time!)

 

[Willow's Mom]

We started with the dehydrated raw, then moved to the frozen raw by the time Willow came along. That got expensive, so now we're using EZComplete and meat that I choose from the grocery store, heath food store, and we have a good relationship with the local rodentry for whole mice and rats.

I will absolutely open a can of Blue Buffalo or even Fancy Feast if she needs a portable lunch or if I forgot to take something out to thaw. Kittens need to eat as much as they want. My little animals seem to be more active than usual, because the package on the prepared raw says "puppies/kittens may eat up to twice as much" as the recommended amounts for adults, and when I cut my yearling puppies back it wasn't enough to maintain healthy weight for my 6-7 lber.

I don't have a grinder yet because I'm a bit OCD about dental health. Willow is eating her organs well enough that we might be ready for Alnutrin next time, but the dogs would need a grinder right now.

It's a journey, just like it was a journey to learn how to feed our human families.

 

[lucicat]

Thanks everyone! I won't try to comment on each response, but try to address things here.

They have not been interested in just plain raw meat when I've given them little bits as I cook. However, I have very lightly cooked the innards from a chicken I bought for roasting and they loved that. They also LOVE to eat any bits and scraps from roast chicken or turkey. When I have one I do pick the bones and give them all the little scraps of meat as "toppers" on their canned food. So I suspect they would love something like the partially cooked turkey recipe.

I don't have a grinder yet, so that's an investment I will have to make. . .another hesitation of mine. I do have a good food processor though, but I know it's not good enough for bone.

I actually worry a little bit about them getting too much liver. . .as both of the canned foods I feed have liver in them. . .I suppose it would all be easiest to control if I was just making it all myself. But yeah it's a bit overwhelming, the meat, the grinder, the supplements.

I live in the US, in the PNW. I think I would have access to some pretty good sources of raw food and/or supplies for my own.

 

[lucicat]

A separate question: do you think it's ok to give the dehydrated raw food without adding water. . .I think they would accept it as a replacement for kibble this way. . .but I worry that it lacks too moisture. This wouldn't be their entire diet though. . .just one meal.

 

[lucicat]

We started with the dehydrated raw, then moved to the frozen raw by the time Willow came along. That got expensive, so now we're using EZComplete and meat that I choose from the grocery store, heath food store, and we have a good relationship with the local rodentry for whole mice and rats.

Wow, I am super curious about this whole mice and rats thing!!!! It seems like the absolute most species appropriate diet. . .but how does it work? I assume you buy them dead? And. . .?

 

[lucicat]

The easiest (and most expensive):

http://[URL]https://www.foodfurlife.com/store/p3/EZComplete_Fur_Cats_-_130_Servings.html#/

[/URL]

Next Easiest (and more affordable but you have to source liver):

http://[URL]https://www.knowwhatyoufeed.com/store/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=50

[/URL]

That supplement looks great! It is stressful to think of measuring out all the various vitamins etc. Nice to know there are ways to have it already to go and just add to meat. And with the EZ you don't need to add liver or bone. . .just muscle meat right? So that would be pretty simple. . .

 

[Willow's Mom]

Wow, I am super curious about this whole mice and rats thing!!!! It seems like the absolute most species appropriate diet. . .but how does it work? I assume you buy them dead? And. . .?

It's actually the easiest and most expensive way to feed raw. Not all cats will recognize a carcass as food right away, but if you're game for it, then try a pinkie mouse from the reptile section of your local pet store. It's only going to set you back a dollar and a half or so and your kitty will LOVE you if s/he takes to it.

If not, your other kitty might. They are cats, after all.

The rodents are frozen when you buy them. You thaw them in the refrigerator. A medium rat is almost enough food to last all day. The cat eats everything, so there is no waste.

 

[kittyluv387]

That supplement looks great! It is stressful to think of measuring out all the various vitamins etc. Nice to know there are ways to have it already to go and just add to meat. And with the EZ you don't need to add liver or bone. . .just muscle meat right? So that would be pretty simple. . .

Right you just need thigh meat. I specify thigh because cats need a decent amount of fat so something like breast meat wouldn't be appropriate. Once you get comfortable doing that I would look into sourcing liver so you can save on supplements with alnutrin. But up to you of course!

 

[lucicat]

It's actually the easiest and most expensive way to feed raw. Not all cats will recognize a carcass as food right away, but if you're game for it, then try a pinkie mouse from the reptile section of your local pet store. It's only going to set you back a dollar and a half or so and your kitty will LOVE you if s/he takes to it.

If not, your other kitty might. They are cats, after all.

The rodents are frozen when you buy them. You thaw them in the refrigerator. A medium rat is almost enough food to last all day. The cat eats everything, so there is no waste.

Is it. . .messy? bloody? I'm not a vegetarian, but this makes me hesitate.

I know it would be very biologically appropriate. . .but still lacks the hunting aspect. . .so not exactly the natural behavoir and all that. But an interesting thought. My brother used to buy pinkies for a pet snake. . .

 

[lucicat]

It's actually the easiest and most expensive way to feed raw. Not all cats will recognize a carcass as food right away, but if you're game for it, then try a pinkie mouse from the reptile section of your local pet store. It's only going to set you back a dollar and a half or so and your kitty will LOVE you if s/he takes to it.

If not, your other kitty might. They are cats, after all.

The rodents are frozen when you buy them. You thaw them in the refrigerator. A medium rat is almost enough food to last all day. The cat eats everything, so there is no waste.

Off topic but I'm curious. .. We find dead (decapitated) rats in our yard from our neighbors outdoor cat. . .why does he not eat them? wouldn't he prefer them to the dry kibble his owner sets out?

 

[kittyluv387]

Off topic but I'm curious. .. We find dead (decapitated) rats in our yard from our neighbors outdoor cat. . .why does he not eat them? wouldn't he prefer them to the dry kibble his owner sets out?

Cats kill for fun. Many cats are dry kibble addicts too.

 

[Willow's Mom]

Is it. . .messy? bloody? I'm not a vegetarian, but this makes me hesitate.

I know it would be very biologically appropriate. . .but still lacks the hunting aspect. . .so not exactly the natural behavoir and all that. But an interesting thought. My brother used to buy pinkies for a pet snake. . .

I am a vegan and have been for over 30 years.

Raw meat doesn't smell up your house the way cooked meat does. A pinkie is a quick mouthful, so you're not going to see any blood. I feed my furkids in their crates, so I don't have to watch. Willow starts at the front end so yes, I do have to scoop up a half-eaten medium rat to put it back in her bowl and into the refrigerator, but it doesn't look like a scene out of a horror movie or anything.

I'd think that a 5 and 8 month old could easily handle a regular mouse or a rat pup without leftovers. I could never afford to do this at pet store prices so I take what is available.

My supplier did a grind for me of some jumbos, including hair, bones, skin, everything. She did not need a meat grinder, just a food processor. Willow would rather have her rodents whole and the mousies are having babies, so we probably won't be doing that again but it was an easy way to get a novel protein into my dogs while supporting a fellow pet lover.

I would be very hesitant to feed live prey to my own kitten because she might get hurt. She's a spoiled rotten little pet, but I do respect the work that barn cats do and have come to respect pet fancy mice and rats a lot more than I used to.

I won't be combining predators and prey in the same family, but if my carnivores predecease me, I'll be too old for another puppy or kitten, but might still be able to give a spoiled wotten widda wat or a mousie a good life.

 

[Willow's Mom]

Off topic but I'm curious. .. We find dead (decapitated) rats in our yard from our neighbors outdoor cat. . .why does he not eat them? wouldn't he prefer them to the dry kibble his owner sets out?

Willow eats the heads first too.

He might be just eating the heads for the same reason kids eat just the filling of oreos or he might genuinely prefer the kibble. Cats are creatures of habit and don't always know what's good for them.