anyone tried this?

[elliriyanna]

I found this company that makes dehydrated BARF diets its called the honest kitchen and I was going to get their prowl formula for Emma. Its human grade food material and sounds good to me overall

Any thought?

 

[ldg]

I don't remember who tried it.... but apparently when the water is added, it's the consistency of oatmeal? Her cats didn't like it very much.

It's probably better than many canned foods, and definitely better than kibble. :nod:

But with all the starches in it, it's about 21% carbohydrates, so still pretty high carb level for a cat.

 

[elliriyanna]

I wish I could do a frozen BARF diet but its very hard to get ahold of and I want to do the best I can for her. Its high in carbs but its still better than the 50/50 wet dry diet she is getting now. My cat loves gravies and such so maybe she would like it. I could always mix a little canned food in it at first to help transition her. 

I thought it would still be the best options I could do. My boyfriend wants nothing to do with a raw diet for Emma ( He thinks the work is just unnecessary ) and he feeds her more than half the time ... When I told him about the dehydrated he said that was doable. So I am trying to compromise and still give emma the best I can. 

 

[vball91]

Can you find Stella & Chewy's freeze-dried raw? It's the same concept in that you rehydrate it but without any starches so very low carb. Feline Naturals is another good freeze-dried raw.

 

[elliriyanna]

I found it but unfortunately its out of my price range  

I am trying to give her the best but unfortunately we are on a fairly strict budget. 

 

[elliriyanna]

Actually I just found this one ... Its the only other option I can afford http://www.pet360.com/product/9369/...ain-free-chicken-and-fish-flavor-dry-cat-food

This one is actually grain free ( Which I like) and is actually more affordable for us ... 3 lbs makes 17 lbs. 

 

[ldg]

If you want to feed her the best, but on a budget, have you considered making your own raw (or cooked) food? The least expensive (meaning no investment is necessary for a grinder) is prey model raw. I bought a small chest freezer from Craigslist for $35, and I'm now able to stock up when I find meat on sale. I don't buy chicken or pork unless they're on sale: I pay $1.99 per pound. I have a spreadsheet where I look at how much it costs me per day to feed the cats. If I take out all of the more expensive stuff that I get shipped, it costs me $0.50 a day. I use some supplements: if I take out anything that most prey model raw feeders don't use (probiotics, krill oil, etc.), it costs me $0.70 per day per cat. If I add back in the salmon oil I add to my cats' diet, it costs me $0.79 per day.

To feed the Prowl, assuming someone has an average weight cat, they have a link to how long one box will last. Assuming the cat is of average size (10 pounds), at 1/2 cup per day, they say a 4 pound box lasts about a month (32 days). If you buy it at Chewy.com with free shipping (even though you'd need to add a little more to the basket to qualify), it costs $41.15 for a box that will last a month (well, 32 days). That means it costs $1.29 per day to feed each cat (if the kitty weighs 10 pounds and eats 1/2 cup per day).

I don't feed my cats organic food: but it is fresh food that isn't processed at all. And when the hubby and I forget to go shopping, we can always eat "the cat food." :lol3:

 

[elliriyanna]

I considered it but I am VERY uncomfortable with it ... Also a 2 lb box should last longer than a month since when mixed it makes 7 lbs ... 

The Grandma lucys is the same price and makes 17 lbs ... So it would be better for my budget but its ok if they prowl is better ... I am not THAT broke. 

The 2 lb box would last roughly 2 months ( going by what she currently eats) so it would only cost $12 a month to feed her according to my calculations. 

Also the raw prey model makes me very uncomfortable ... I have worked very hard to train my cat with rodents ( I also keep rodents) So I do not want her to get use to eating them. 

Emma is my only cat ( and it will stay that way) so it could certainly be worse as far as food costs. 

 

[ldg]

Well, you don't have to feed live prey - or any rodents at all. Most of us use chicken, beef, pork, etc. so you wouldn't have to worry about that. But I understand feeling uncomfortable making homemade.

As to the Prowl... that was for a FOUR pound box, and according to the information the manufacturer provides on their site: http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/resources-and-programs/feeding-tips#catfood

If a 2 pound box makes 7 pounds of food, if your cat eats 5 ounces of food a day, that's 22 days of food. :dk:

You're saying a 3 pound box of Grandma Lucy's makes 17 pounds of food? If that's correct, backing into the number, you'd be feeding 82.5% moisture. That's good, certainly, she'd be really hydrated! But for it to last 2 months, she'd need to be eating 4 ounces of wet food a day. That could be. On raw, my 10 - 12 pound cats eat 4.5 ounces of food, and my 7 pound cats eat just 3 ounces of food a day. But I think given that it's not raw food, it'd be more comparable to canned. On canned, most of my cats ate about one 5.5 ounce can of food a day. But that's still almost two months: 54 days. :nod:

I'd go for the Prowl over the Grandma Lucy's. The GL has fish as the 2nd ingredient, and still has all the potatoes and stuff. The reviews say it looks like rehydrated potatoes with freeze dried chunks of chicken and fish in it. :dk:

 

[elliriyanna]

Emma eats 1/3 cup a day ... She is overweight at 10 lbs ... ( not that 10 lbs is big but my cat is rather small ) 

Honestly they looked the same to me lol , I only know about kibbles. 

I wish this one one of those diets that I could feed her the dog form ( Since some raw diets you can) .. I dont want to feed her the fish version but it seems to be all they make just for cats. I am not so good at this math lol. I know 6 lbs of dry lasts her about 6 weeks , when we were feeding only dry. 

Do you think any of the dog formulas may be ok for Emma? I usually wouldnt even consider it 

My friend had told me cats need more Taurine but I could easily add that into the mix if this is healthier. http://www.petfooddirect.com/Produc...-Free-Chicken-Flavor-Dry-Dog-Food#ingredients

I think my problem is I was going on her dry food numbers ... she eats about 4 oz of wet food when fed exclusively on wet. 

so let me see ... 17 lbs x 16 oz = 272 / 4 = 68 days ( GL) 

7 x 16 = 112 /4 = 28 days ( THK) 

And both foods are the same price ... Ok solution ... Find a better job. 

 

[ldg]

Where are you located? (Roughly - even just a State LOL)

 

[elliriyanna]

Ohio. In the land that petco just came last year ... Our petco's suck too since they bought out and converted a local chain. 

 

[furmonster mom]

I used to used Honest Kitchen's products.  From what I recall, they are supposed to be used as supplementary to a meat diet... not as a food by itself.  Personally, I quit using them because of all the plant/fruit/veggie content.

I agree with LDG that prey model raw is the most cost efficient.  And as long as you stick to meats other than rodents (mice, guinea pigs, rats), your pets should get along just fine.  The cat should be full and satisfied from their diet, and should not be the least bit tempted by her roommates.

 

[elliriyanna]

I just wish I felt comfortable making her a diet and I KNOW my boyfriend would not be ok with it ... I barely talked him into dehydrated. I feel more comfortable with something prepared since I know she is getting all her nutrients and he feels more comfortable with something he can just throw on the floor for her ( Not literally but you know what I mean) 

Hmm ... it makes it sound like its meant to replace other foods http://www.thehonestkitchen.com/cat-food/prowl

I am liking the grandma lucys more though because the texture and protein levels. 

 

[ldg]

Where do you see the guaranteed analysis for Grandma Lucy's? Is it higher protein? I couldn't find it (though I have a bad internet connection, and gave up waiting for OnlyNaturalPet to load. They usually have that info).

 

[elliriyanna]

This is for the lucys cat formula 

Ingredients

 

USDA Chicken, USDA Ocean White Fish, Potatoes, Flax, Carrots, Celery, Apples, Cranberry, Blueberry, Taurine, Vitamin A, Vitamin D3, Vitamin E, Niacin, Iron, Calcium, Phosphorus, Zinc, Riboflavin, Thiamin, Potassium, Manganese, Chloride, Copper, Magnesium, Pyridoxine, Cyanocobalamin, Maltodextrin


Calcium1.00%
Crude Protein (min)40.00%
Crude Fat (min)15.00%
Crude Fiber (max)4.70%
Moisture (max)6.00%
Phosphorus0.55%
Magnesium0.16%
Taurine0.30%

 

This is for the Honest Kitchen Prowl 

Ingredients

All ingredients dehydrated: Chicken, eggs, potatoes, sweet potatoes, organic flaxseed, pumpkin, spinach, cranberries, rosemary extract, tricalcium phosphate, choline chloride, zinc amino acid chelate, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, potassium iodide, potassium chloride, iron amino acid chelate, copper amino acid chelate.

Guaranteed Analysis

• Protein, 35.00%
• Fat, 29.50%
• Fiber, 2.38%
• Moisture, 5.20%
• 576 calories per cup

To me Lucys looks better ... More Fiber, more protein and less fat. 

 

[ldg]

Well, high fiber isn't good for cats; neither are carbs. And the Lucy's, when you look at it on a dry matter basis (which I posted the Prowl DMB a few posts ago) is

Protein 43%
Fat 16%
Fiber 5%
Ash (assuming it's 8% as fed) is 8.5%,
which means carbs are 28%.

THAT is high in carbs.

I'd feed the Prowl over the Grandma Lucy's. I don't like any kind of potatoes for cats, but the sweet potatoes are "less bad" than white potatoes, which do nothing but add starch to the diet.

 

[elliriyanna]

I will order the prowl when I order my other pets food ( free shipping) and we will see how it goes 

 

[ldg]

Good luck! I hope they like it. :nod:

 

[elliriyanna]

well if she doesn't I will try the Grandma Lucy.