Introducing 6-month finicky kittens to a raw diet

[konuku]

Even before I got my kitties, I wanted to have them eat raw food. I wanted to introduce them to it once they settled a little into my place. Now 7 weeks later, I thought it would be a good time.

I made my own using a recommended recipe from a reputable site - with chicken pieces, liver, heart, vitamins, etc. I put a 1 tsp into each kitty's bowl with their favorite food. One refused to touch it so a blended more "real" food in so it would be about 1/2 tsp. She still refused to touch it.

Her brother did eat it but ate only 1/2 of the bowl which is unusual for him, but he has also become the more finicky of the two (he HAS to eat his favorite chicken tin or else). So, so far not great.

1/2 tsp seems to be so little, yet still it's a no go?

Does anyone have any suggestions? I want to do this right, so they will not be put off it forever. Commercial raw food is hard to find in Switzerland which is where I live, and I am not sure they would like it any better.

Many thanks!

 

[Columbine]

My girl is studiously resistant in eating 'real' raw food (as opposed to rehydrated freeze dried raw). What works for her is to coat the raw in a strongly smelling powder - I use the freeze dried raw (Nature's menu - a UK brand, sold in 40g bags as cat treats) or freeze dried cooked pure meat treats -Cosma Snackies are the ones I have, but other makes are Thrive and Orijen Tundra. All are available from http://www.zooplus.ch

Other coating options are Purina FortiFlora (its actually a probiotic, but as you're using it purely for flavour you don't need to use the amount stated on the pack), finely grated parmesan or other strong cheese...anything that your kittens go crazy for.

Transitioning can be a slow, laborious process. Asha still won't eat raw by itself, and we've currently reached a stalemate when it comes to reducing the 'seasonings'. With enough time and attendee, you will get there.

Of course, you might want to try a different recipe - maybe with a different meat as the base. Hang in there - you'll transition them eventually.

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[konuku]

Thanks so much. I read that it is good to put out some raw next to their real food so that they get used to at least smelling it. But when I did it, my boy ate the bowl instead of his real food! That was a win. But then he didn't want to do it again.

I have been able to slowly mix a little into their real food and they do eat it okay. They don't wolf it down, but it depends on the food. The more mild the food, the more they can smell it so I have noticed that Royal Canin Kitten wet food tends to hide it well even though I don't like that brand personally because it is not pure enough. But it might serve for this purpose.

I cooked real chicken the other night and decided to add some of the delicious juice and fat from it to the raw to see if they woud eat the raw on their own. And they did! Granted, it has flavour added like yours but it is a start.

I think I will get there. Can't wait as I think it will be so much healthier...and cheaper. I think at the moment, my kitties can cost me up to $200+ per food per month for both of them. Eek.

 

[bellaluna777]

I am going through this with my 23 week old Ragdoll, Charlie. Charlie came to us @ 8 weeks and was a dry food addict. In the first 2 months we switched him to grain-free dry, Orijen and at the same time, I was able to get him to eat commercially frozen raw chicken&salmon, Turkey by sprinkling Florostore, a pro-biotic on top of little balls of meat to resemble his kibble. I was particularly successful @ doing this if I offered it to him as he was just waking up. We did the raw and kibble for 2 months.

After that I started giving him freeze dried chicken and lamb from Feline Natural. Luckily he took to it immediately and we stopped giving him dry kibble altogether. Because the freeze dried has chicken and lamb, he now eats a commercially prepared raw lamb food, 50% of his daily intake, with the other 50% being freeze dried. Eventually, I'd say in about a month, I hope to have him on a completely raw diet. It could take longer!!!!

We have all our cats on raw and some take to it immediately, while others require a SLOW transition. It has been a lot of work, particularly with our Ragdoll kitten, very picky and strong-willed, however, it will pay off when they are older because all of our previous cats fed dry kibble died of cancer and kidney disease.