Feeding raw and canned? What to do? Canadian options

Ravynn

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Hi guys, i'm so conflicted on how I should be feeding my 5 1/2 month old kitten, Binx. He's been eating the Fancy Feast classic line since he was 8 weeks old and I used to add water to it so it was soupy which he loved as a tiny kitten. Now, he's basically fed up with the FF pate. He also eats Fussie Cat chicken and turkey dry food. He's had Freshpet kibbles which he loved (they have spinach which I didn't realize so not buying it anymore), he's had Freshpet in the tubes (which i'm keeping him on), he likes Fancy Feast chunky food but I don't think they're that great for him with the additives and wheat gluten? His poo also gets soft if he eats the fancy feast with gravy but he can eat shredded food in broth. He likes the Beyond wet food line but at $20cad for a box of twelve 3oz cans, that gets a little pricey.

I figured i'd try him out with some raw food and see if he would eat it. I got Hungry Hunters from Petsmart Canada (just Big Country Raw under different name) in the Breeders Blend formula but they didn't have the Thrive Fortify that they recommend which is $35... so I can only use the raw food as a tester/treat until I figure out what i'm doing. I also read some people say the 10% bone in that line can be too much for some cats? This is the only pre-made raw here except for some freeze dried food but that seems quite pricey too?

Basically, i'm all over the place and I don't know what to feed him. I don't want him on dry food but most of the good wet food here is too pricey except for Friskies and Fancy Feast and I have to travel to the stores that have the "good" wet food which I can't do all the time. The Freshpet tubes are a good price for what he eats and I can easily get them as a family member works where they are sold. I don't want to make my own raw food either.

I don't know if I should feed him the Hungry Hunters and get the Fortify and rotate with Freshpet tubes, get Freshpet tubes and feed him cheaper wet food without gravy, cook homemade meat and use a completer?

What to do... anyone have any thoughts to share?
 
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Ravynn

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What would be wrong with either/both of these options?
I wasn't sure if I should worry about the bone content with the pre-made raw and if it would have a difference if I rotated it with Freshpet. Like, would feeding Freshpet with the pre-made raw almost "dilute" the bone content?

Are the cheaper wet foods that are shredded/flaked/chunky that have wheat gluten/etc okay to feed along side? I can't seem to find too many that don't have gravy.
 

Furballsmom

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I understand...
Like, would feeding Freshpet with the pre-made raw almost "dilute" the bone content?
Feeding the freshpet, and other wet foods every other meal, or every other day, gives his system a different set of nutrients, which i personally think is always a good thing, and also a chance for his system to handle the bone content. Whether you actually feed it side by side on the same plate or mixed in, you could definitely try it but i think spacing out the food brands might be better.

You'll still want to keep an eye on the litter box so that you can tell if his system might be particularly sensitive to the bone content.
 
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Ravynn

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I understand...

Feeding the freshpet, and other wet foods every other meal, or every other day, gives his system a different set of nutrients, which i personally think is always a good thing, and also a chance for his system to handle the bone content. Whether you actually feed it side by side on the same plate or mixed in, you could definitely try it but i think spacing out the food brands might be better.

You'll still want to keep an eye on the litter box so that you can tell if his system might be particularly sensitive to the bone content.
Sorry if I seemed like I was all over the place. All this different information is a lot to take in and sometimes I don't know the best way to go about things. I'm still not entirely sure if i'm going to do raw + Freshpet rolls or cooked + Freshpet rolls, I ordered a sample of TCFeline just in case I decide to experiment.

He did try the raw this morning and he ate it all!
 

Feste

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For me, homemade raw or cooked (if I give Feste pork or a little bit of fish) has been best. I don't add any bone, as I don't have a grinder, but I do add a seaweed calcium replacement (to make up for the bone), and she does eat the bones in sardines and anchovies. In terms of bone content, I found Primal's bone content was a bit too much for Feste when I fed commercial raw when we were moving and traveling. But adding a small bit of pumpkin (fiber) helped with her poop. (And if you don't want to add pumpkin in with the food, you could put it in a Kong toy as a treat during play time; even though they are for small dogs, Feste likes playing with them.)
 
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Ravynn

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For me, homemade raw or cooked (if I give Feste pork or a little bit of fish) has been best. I don't add any bone, as I don't have a grinder, but I do add a seaweed calcium replacement (to make up for the bone), and she does eat the bones in sardines and anchovies. In terms of bone content, I found Primal's bone content was a bit too much for Feste when I fed commercial raw when we were moving and traveling. But adding a small bit of pumpkin (fiber) helped with her poop. (And if you don't want to add pumpkin in with the food, you could put it in a Kong toy as a treat during play time; even though they are for small dogs, Feste likes playing with them.)
What seaweed calcium replacement do you use? It seems like a lot of commercial raw has too much bone - i'm reading because a lot of recipes are based off of what dog's need. Do you put anything else in the kong? That seems like something Binx would like for sure. He's learning a lot of different habits from our dog, he's even tried chewing the dog's bone.
 

Feste

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What seaweed calcium replacement do you use? It seems like a lot of commercial raw has too much bone - i'm reading because a lot of recipes are based off of what dog's need. Do you put anything else in the kong? That seems like something Binx would like for sure. He's learning a lot of different habits from our dog, he's even tried chewing the dog's bone.
I am using Animal Essentials Seaweed Calcium. I used to use bone meal, but it made Feste a little constipated.So when I finished the jar, I switched to the seaweed. It is about two teaspoons per pound of homemade cooked or raw food.

Binx sounds like he might play with the Kong. Sometimes, I’ll also add tuna, dried anchovies or a few crumbles of goat cheese. She is a bit spoiled. :)
 
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