A few questions on Raw Feeding

[kirathecat]

Hi, everyone! I recently got a 1 year old cat from a shelter (his name is Whiskey) and  he has been experiencing some digestive problems so I started looking into raw diets and I've got so much helpful info from this forum but I still have some questions.

As much as I would like to feed Whiskey raw prey model or at least order different types of ground food from Hare Today , it's just not possible right now (VERY limited freezer space and we will probably be moving within next 3-6 months) and good quality commercial raw is WAY too expensive to feed alone.

I've read that some of you guys are feeding your cats meat bough at the store and that seems doable to me. So my question is, what brands and what kinds of meat/poultry do you buy (in the USA) and  from which stores? What specifically do you do with the meat right after you came from the store before making it into cat food? (the last one is probably silly but I don't cook much)

Will it be okay to get my cat on this type of monthly meal plan (he already likes raw chicken I've given him as a treat to try)?

70% of the diet:

Chicken and/or turkey thighs or breasts  (from supermarket) chopped into bite size pieces with scissors mixed with Alnutrin with calcium. Liver added to the diet through freeze dried liver treats like Stewart, for example (I know how to calculate the amount needed).

20% of the diet:

Nature's Variety Raw Rabbit Patties/Bites (for variety)

10% of the diet:

Nature's Variety LID cans (so there won't be any problems during long distance traveling in the car with my kitty)

Thanks!

 

[missmimz]

 
Hi, everyone! I recently got a 1 year old cat from a shelter (his name is Whiskey) and  he has been experiencing some digestive problems so I started looking into raw diets and I've got so much helpful info from this forum but I still have some questions.

As much as I would like to feed Whiskey raw prey model or at least order different types of ground food from Hare Today , it's just not possible right now (VERY limited freezer space and we will probably be moving within next 3-6 months) and good quality commercial raw is WAY too expensive to feed alone.

I've read that some of you guys are feeding your cats meat bough at the store and that seems doable to me. So my question is, what brands and what kinds of meat/poultry do you buy (in the USA) and  from which stores? What specifically do you do with the meat right after you came from the store before making it into cat food? (the last one is probably silly but I don't cook much)

Will it be okay to get my cat on this type of monthly meal plan (he already likes raw chicken I've given him as a treat to try)?

70% of the diet:

Chicken and/or turkey thighs or breasts  (from supermarket) chopped into bite size pieces with scissors mixed with Alnutrin with calcium. Liver added to the diet through freeze dried liver treats like Stewart, for example (I know how to calculate the amount needed).

20% of the diet:

Nature's Variety Raw Rabbit Patties/Bites (for variety)

10% of the diet:

Nature's Variety LID cans (so there won't be any problems during long distance traveling in the car with my kitty)

Thanks!

Here are some tips for grocery store meat shopping. Just watch for sodium levels in meat and don't buy pre-ground (it sounds like you're going to chunk it anyway).  I don't feed grocery store meat (just my personal preference) but a LOT of raw feeders do. Your monthly plan looks good to me. 

http://www.foodfurlife.com/shop-for-meat.html

 

[kirathecat]

I really needed reassurance and confirmation that my feeding plan won't harm my kitty, so Thank You, @missmimz  for your prompt reply.

So, technically, I can just pick up any brand of chicken thighs that doesn't have anything extra added to it (no sodium, carrageenen or other stuff) at my local grocery store and make the food?

And if choosing between two brands, for example, Tyson has 65mg sodium and Simple Truth has 95mg sodium, both claim that nothing was added, i should pick lower sodium, right?

 

[missmimz]

 
I really needed reassurance and confirmation that my feeding plan won't harm my kitty, so Thank You, @missmimz  for your prompt reply.

So, technically, I can just pick up any brand of chicken thighs that doesn't have anything extra added to it (no sodium, carrageenen or other stuff) at my local grocery store and make the food?

And if choosing between two brands, for example, Tyson has 65mg sodium and Simple Truth has 95mg sodium, both claim that nothing was added, i should pick lower sodium, right?

Yep. You'll either want to chunk it and add supplements or grind it up. You can go with whatever brand you feel more comfortable with, or whichever is lower in sodium, just stay under 100mg per 4oz. You can either make food each day, or make a batch and freeze it in smaller containers and take out of the freezer as needed. If you haven't already you might want to join the Raw Feeding for IBD facebook group. Lots of raw feeders there that are SUPER helpful and you don't have to have a kitty with IBD to be part of the group. Good luck 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/RawFedIBD/

 

[sophie1]

Dear Kira,

Your feeding plan sounds great for your kitties.  Just one piece of advice, once you have it set up try adding more proteins, and also more animal parts.  Anything else your supermarket sells should be fine - pork and beef should be quite doable.  And, ask if they will sell you gizzards (chicken, turkey) and hearts (poultry, beef), and maybe even things like beef cheeks and tongue.  They're great for your cats and will cut your costs as well.  Also you can buy boned cuts and ask if they'll debone for you.  I get turkey drumsticks that way, and it saves me a lot of extra work!

I'd also try them on fresh chicken liver now and then.  Not all cats like it, but fresh liver is one of my cats' favorite treats.

The Alnutrin should guard against gross nutritional deficiencies, just like the supplements added to canned foods do, but there's nothing like a varied diet for the ultimate insurance & health.  I worry that 3 proteins, with one at only 10%, isn't quite going to be enough. 

 

[kirathecat]

Thanks, @sophie1

I know one store nearby has chicken gizzards and another one has beef liver, and i think, i saw beef tongue and even sweetbread on the shelf. I plan on trying other meats, but he doesn't like beef all that much. Lamb pieces like for stew - ok to try? I'm really worried about giving him raw pork, though... maybe i'm over-thinking?

Sorry, I've lived in the USA only for a few years so i'm a little bit confused as to where to go and what to ask. Am i correct i can just go to a meat counter at any supermarket and ask for gizzards, livers or to debone pieces of poultry? Even places like Walmart (we also have here Smith's & Harmons, that's where i shop most of the time)? [feel like such an idiot asking that]

 There's also an Asian market store they have some frozen meats and animal parts, i believe. Will that be safe to try for the cat?

 

[sophie1]

Sounds like you have some great options to explore!  All the meats you listed are just fine, including pork.  And yes, certainly ask for what you need at the meat counter.  The worst they can say is no.

You should of course investigate and be aware of all the issues that surround raw meat, and only do what you're comfortable with. 

 

[kirathecat]

Update & Questions

Ok, so i've been feeding Whiskey (my cat) chicken with beef liver with Alnutrin for about a week. He already wasn't too fond of his wet food and a interested in raw when i was planning the switch. So far so good. I've been giving him 3-4 small meals a day. He became very active and energized, his coat is super shiny.

Now to the questions.

1. He doesn't want to eat right after he wakes up in the morning (either canned or raw) but meows and follows my husband around as he gets ready for work. Whiskey will eat 2-3 hours later after he runs around and plays. He just wants attention in the morning, is that it?

2. He seems to dislike eating in the kitchen and from a plate. He will eat half of the food or a few pieces then walk away, but if i put the remaining food on the feeding mat near his scratching post in the living room he will finish everything on it. Should i start feeding him near the post then? What can possibly be wrong with the kitchen? Plastic tile floor, maybe?  About a month ago he had no problem eating in there and also enjoyed Fancy Feast Classic out of a plate (which he now would barely touch if offered). Is it normal for cats to change their preferences like that?

3. The strangest thing happened today which really freaked me out. I put his chicken on a feeding mat in the living room by his scratching post, he ate every bit of chicken and even licked the 'sauce' then he started COVERING & SCRATCHING the mat as if he just used the litter box. Has anybody seen that sort of behavior when on raw? What does it mean??? Chicken was just out of the freezer, same batch that he's been eating for a whole week without any problems. The mat is squeaky clean and doesn't smell of anything else.  He did it AGAIN during 2nd feeding.

Please, help with my weird cat! 

 

[sophie1]

Sounds like you've made great progress!  After your cat is used to the chicken, you might try (slowly) adding new proteins.  Turkey is a good option to try.  I ask at the butcher for turkey drumsticks and have them debone it for me.  You can also get ground turkey and cook it.  Pork and beef are easy if you get the stew meat chunks.

Cat eating preferences....yep.  That's why we love them so much 

  Some answers to your questions:

1. My cats like to bird-watch in the AM and then play before eating, either with each other or with me (interactive wand toy).  It's sort of a natural sequence for cats.  You could start the day with a few minutes of play with your cats, THEN feed them, if you want to modify their schedules.

2.  There might be something about the kitchen they don't like - Noisy fridge too close?  Too close to their water bowl?  High traffic area?  Yucky smell from the garbage can?  Try finding a different spot in your kitchen.  Also, my cats have a habit of dragging chunks of food off the plate and onto the floor or a nearby carpet (yech).  I guess the carpet keeps the food from sliding around.  Do you have the same feeding mat in your kitchen?

3.  One of my cats does the covering and scratching thing next to food bowls.  It's hilarious.  At first I thought it meant he regarded the food as poop to be covered up, but I did some reading and it actually means he likes the food but wants to save it for later.   Let him come back to it, or if he is doing it a lot maybe he's telling you you're feeding him too much.  I'm amazed at how little my cats eat, given their size - no more than 8 oz/day between the two of them, and they're 15 lbs each and not the slightest bit fat.

 

[kirathecat]

Sophie1, thank you so much for all your advice! 

Yes, i plan on getting some turkey real soon. Also i asked for chicken liver at the meat counter and they had it frozen in the back

, so that's what i'm using for my next batch of food. You think i should alternate between chicken & beef liver for variety? My cat eats both)

1. If only it was a few minutes

 Since starting raw he has SO MUCH energy, it's truly amazing)))) but i try to do just that - play with him for as long as i have time for) and wait for him to let me know when he is ready for breakfast)

2. I guess, he doesn't like anything about the kitchen. Everything you wrote except for the garbage can applies to where his feeding mat is and, unfortunately, there is no other place for it in the kitchen 

. My kitty did the exact same thing when i was trying to feed him from a plate, he would grab a piece and move to a carpeted area with it, yuk! Since starting feeding him on a mat which is made of plastic but with uneven sort of feel to its surface that problem has disappeared 

 At first i had the mat on the floor in the kitchen 24/7 but my husband managed to step on it and almost fell, so now i put it away. A few days ago i discovered that my cat loves to eat in the second bedroom which is not used for anything but storage (so it's quite and low traffic area and no water bowls nearby) especially under a chair with a towel hanging from it (he loves to play hiding under the very same chair and towel). If i bring food on the mat and the cat to that room and leave - in 10 minutes all food will be gone and sometimes he will cover the empty mat)))) 

Since he is not dragging his food on the carpet from the mat i'm ok with feeing him in that bedroom) as long as the kitty is happy, i'm happy)))))

3. I'm really glad to know that it's because he likes the food not because he thinks i'm feeding him garbage

He only does the covering sometimes and only when he finishes all that was on the mat.

I'm too amazed at how little food he needs now) Mine is a 9 Lb kitty and eats somewhere between 3-4 oz a day - 2-3 times less than canned food i fed him before)

On unrelated topic real quick, have you ever heard of a cat that doesn't like flying feathery wand toys like da bird? Mine doesn't even look at it unless i drag it on the floor and make it disappear around a corner or behind a pillow... just weird)

 

[sophie1]

Yup, sounds like your kitty just doesn't like eating in the kitchen.  I  think you've got your solution with the extra bedroom under the chair.

I rotate interactive toys with my cats.  They tend to get bored when it's the same thing every day.  Try putting da Bird away for a month, and in the meantime try the little mouse they sell.  Nekko Flies also makes some lovely interactive toys, although they're a bit pricey.

I also made the mistake of playing with the laser pointer and thrown dry food/treats.  That's what really gets them to play now, and in comparison they're not as thrilled with the wand toys.  Oh well!