How long have you been feeding raw? (And other hindsight questions)

[stiletto]

How long have you been feeding raw?

How old is/was the oldest cat you had that was on a raw diet? Any health issues?

How did you discover and decide to transition to raw feeding?

What kind of model are you using? (ground, commercial frozen, frankenprey etc?)

In hindsight, what is/was the most challenging thing about feeding raw? The more rewarding?

What is one tip/word of advice you would give those thinking about feeding raw or just starting out?

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I'll get the party started!

How long have you been feeding raw?

8 years

How old is/was the oldest cat you had that was on a raw diet? Any health issues?

My oldest raw fed cat is almost 15, she's been on raw for 8 years. Was a total kibble baby prior to that.Since switching to raw, neither of my cats have health issues. They've been to the vet maybe once or twice each since I switched. I have a friend who is a vet that checks in on them and although it's not blood or anything, she says they look great.

How did you discover and decide to transition to raw feeding?

When I adopted my younger one 8 years ago, he wouldn't eat kibble. He actually would vomit it up and also got very sick. So sick that my vet had told me to prepare for the worst. After switching, he stopped vomiting and recovered completely. Since then, I never looked back.

What kind of model are you using? (ground, commercial frozen, frankenprey etc?)

Frankenprey.

In hindsight, what is/was the most challenging thing about feeding raw? The more rewarding?

Most challenging: transitioning (young cat took to it right away, my 8 year old took about a whole year to fully transition), finding a routine that both worked for me and the cats (what to buy and how much at a time)

Most rewarding: the changes in their health. I noticed within the first week, healthier and less stinky poops, better energy and affection. Over the course of time, their coats are soft and shiny, their teeth are immaculate, and they have had zero health issues so far.

What is one tip/word of advice you would give those thinking about feeding raw or just starting out?

Perseverance and a good support system. You need to be more stubborn than your cats and not be discouraged by setbacks because it WILL happen. Happened with my older cat twice where I had to go back to square one. But in the long run, it saves me money in vet bills, and my cats are just overall more healthy. Older cat is 15 and still acts like a kitten, running, jumping, cuddling etc.

 

[missmimz]

How long have you been feeding raw?

About a year 

How old is/was the oldest cat you had that was on a raw diet? Any health issues?

12.5 years old. He had started vomiting his kibble regularly so I started researching food, and when i couldn't get him to eat wet food I tried raw and it worked. His vomiting is likely a combo of his thyroid levels creeping up and some mild IBD. 

How did you discover and decide to transition to raw feeding?

Just hunting around online for better food options (including here). I did everything possible to try and transition my old man to wet food but he just would not eat it no matter what tricks I tried. When i offered him Rad Cat he liked it, and i thought okay, raw it is. 

What kind of model are you using? (ground, commercial frozen, frankenprey etc?)

Pre-ground from HT meat/bones/organs with alnutrin, as well as boneless with both alnutrin with eggshell calcium and EZcomplete, and some Rad Cat. 

In hindsight, what is/was the most challenging thing about feeding raw? The more rewarding?

It's still challenging for me because I have a lot of cats (10) and it's just time consuming to feed all of them. I spend a lot of time feed/making food/cleaning up etc. Not all of them eat raw, and they don't all eat 100% raw, but I'm slowly increasing it more and more and I'm hopeful that most of them will be 100% raw in the next year. Mostly its a cost issue as well as the fact 7 are kittens so they eat a lot and often. It's totally worth it though. Seeing how happy and healthy my cats are makes it worth all the effort (and money). 

What is one tip/word of advice you would give those thinking about feeding raw or just starting out?

Don't be scared! Raw feeding is really easy once you get the hang of it. I started out feeding commercial raw (Rad Cat) moved into boneless, and then into meat/bone/organs. If you're not comfortable feeding grocery store meat (which I'm not) buy from a place like HT, which has really good quality meats. 

 

[abby2932]

How long have you been feeding raw?
- just over two years now

How old is/was the oldest cat you had that was on a raw diet? Any health issues?
- one cat was 8 years old the other cat was 3 years old

How did you discover and decide to transition to raw feeding?
- internet research of the best food to feed the cats led me to raw diet information and Dr Pierson's website

What kind of model are you using? (ground, commercial frozen, frankenprey etc?)
- I feed mostly homemade ground and frankenprey with a small portion of commercial frozen (Rad Cat)

In hindsight, what is/was the most challenging thing about feeding raw? The more rewarding?
- the most challenging is definitely the time it takes me to prepare their food for the month. Homemade ground food and Commercial frozen raw is nothing but weighing and portioning the frankenprey into individual meals takes quite some time and is definitely the biggest drawback of the process.

However, the best thing about feeding raw is the health of my cats who are in perfect condition and I wouldn't go back to canned or kibble again

What is one tip/word of advice you would give those thinking about feeding raw or just starting out?
- definitely do your research to ensure that you're feeding a balanced diet.

 

[sophie1]

Nice thread!  I hope the answers are helpful to people considering the switch especially.

How long have you been feeding raw?

3 years

How old is/was the oldest cat you had that was on a raw diet? Any health issues?

Both of my cats have been raw fed from birth.  They are now 3 years old and wonderfully healthy with appropriate weights.  My main worry has been nutritional balancing in developing kittens/adolescent cats as they get almost no foods that carry the AAFCO stamp of approval.  Doesn't seem to be a problem!

How did you discover and decide to transition to raw feeding?

I never in a million years imagined feeding raw to cats.  All my friends with cats went the perennial dry food bowl route, which is what I'd figured I would do too.  I got my cats from a breeder (I wanted low-allergen Siberians since I am allergic to cats), and the breeder was a big proponent of raw feeding.  I quickly discovered the joys of odor-free cat poop, did a lot of reading on the subject, and never looked back.

What kind of model are you using? (ground, commercial frozen, frankenprey etc?)

A combination:  ground from Hare Today (chicken, turkey, rabbit, pork, goat, and cavies), Nature Variety chicken (the 5 lb chubs for dogs only), and raw meat and liver chunks either from a trusted local source or Hare Today (chicken, turkey, pork trim, venison), both given as treats and mixed into ground food.

In hindsight, what is/was the most challenging thing about feeding raw? The more rewarding?

Most challenging: the time, effort, and freezer space required.  Making their food is not difficult, but it requires planning ahead.  It helps that I free-feed the raw food in a chilled bowl (FrostyBowlz).   I didn't start feeding meat chunks right away, and there was a very frustrating transition period that involved a lot of piles of regurgitated food on my carpets.

Most rewarding: no stinky poop in a small New York apartment, soft luxurious fur, and happy healthy cats.  Feeding meat chunks is fun and has done wonders for their teeth.  One of them had gingivitis at age one when I was feeding only ground food.  

What is one tip/word of advice you would give those thinking about feeding raw or just starting out?

Start with commercial raw food, avoid food in the form of small pieces which are inevitably freezer burned, and be very, very patient.  Buy a good pair of kitchen shears for cutting up meats, and keep them sharp.

 

[abbyntim]

Fantastic thread!

How long have you been feeding raw?

Almost two years since I started the transition. Both Abby and Tim still eat a tiny bit of canned mixed with ground raw, mainly because they like it.

How old is/was the oldest cat you had that was on a raw diet? Any health issues?

Both cats will be 7 in July. No health issues now. The male, Tim, was very ill prior to feeding raw.

How did you discover and decide to transition to raw feeding?

Tim had severe digestive and other issues (crystals in urine, asthma, and supposed HCM) that our veterinarians could not resolve. We previously left bowls of kibble out for the cats to graze. After Tim's second terrible constipation episode, we switched to canned. Then all the other problems developed. Each new medication the vets prescribed caused more problems. I suspected something in his food and experimented with lots of canned brands, eliminating suspect ingredients and seeing some improvement. I resisted the idea of raw because it seemed so "icky". But coming here and talking with others who fed raw made us think that was the way to go. Additionally, we found a new vet who not only supported raw feeding but encouraged it due to all of Tim's issues. It took us a while because our vet wanted us to wean Tim off cisapride first, which took four months, then she wanted him to remain on his regular diet for at least a month to make sure he could poop without cisapride. After that, we began a slow transition. Abby is taking longer to transition, but when she saw Tim gobbling up his food, it made her more willing to try. She tends to favor the freeze-dried food, so we're still working on her with the more meat-like foods such as Rad Cat and ground supplemented rabbit.

What kind of model are you using? (ground, commercial frozen, frankenprey etc?)

We feed a combination of commercial raw- Rad Cat, Primal frozen, Primal freeze dried, Stella and Chewy freeze dried. We also feed ground rabbit muscle meat, organ meat, and bone supplemented with Dr. P's recipe. I would like to branch out to chunks for dental health, but have not built up the nerve. Reading this thread has helped and next time I visit a pet store, I will look for chunks.

In hindsight, what is/was the most challenging thing about feeding raw? The more rewarding?

Challenging: Getting over my "ick" factor (former vegetarian who is still squeamish about raw meat). Finding room in the freezer for the food. The cost, which I could reduce if I could buy in bulk, but right now  do not have the freezer space. Having to be home at specific times to feed the cats (compared to leaving out a bowl of kibble). I've tried leaving food out in timed feeders with ice packs and frosty bowls, but Tim is very food aggressive and eats Abby's food. If we have to be gone for a full day, we now just separate the cats and leave each one with a timed feeder.

Rewarding: Cats are so healthy and energetic. Poops don't even smell (seriously!) and are not the disgusting, smelly globs they used to be. Cats have fantastic coats and their breath does not smell. The cats are just clean and healthy and wonderful. Spending more on food, but spending less time and money at the vet, and less stress all around due to not going to the vet all the time.

What is one tip/word of advice you would give those thinking about feeding raw or just starting out?

Definitely start with commercial food. Start slow and be patient. Don't give up if the cat refuses a few brands and/or flavors. Abby, we have learned, really loves some but not so much others. If we had given up after the first few fails, she would still be eating canned food.

 

[abbyntim]

I never in a million years imagined feeding raw to cats. 

avoid food in the form of small pieces which are inevitably freezer burned

To your first point, I also feel the same. When I first heard of feeding raw food to animals, I thought that was so weird. Now I think it's weird that I thought it was weird!

To your second point, that makes so much sense. We started with Primal Pronto, which are small pieces, because they come in smaller bags and I have limited freezer space. The cats do not love them. Quite possibly due to freezer burn. The cats, however, love Primal nuggets, which are much bigger, and the color of these bigger pieces looks much better. And because it's more cost-effective to buy the larger bags, I've found room.