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thanks so much for this information! im going to print it out so i dont forget.
The pre-ground meat that sophie1 has suggested make the food preparation considerably easier. You may want to transition to them after a while. I wouldn't start out with them, despite the convenience, because you would have to place a large order to make the shipping cost worthwhile. If the shipping cost is not a concern and you would like to proceed with that route, let me know.
You seem to have quite a variety of chicken cuts available to you. I would start out with bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (or leg quarters if thighs are not available). If I were you I would start out with a small package - at most 3 lbs. You should be able to easily find chicken liver as well. Buy the smallest package possible. Organic is preferable, but anything you buy from a grocery store is almost certain to be better than what they put in commercial canned food.
I should have asked you this earlier, but forgot. Sorry! In addition to muscle meats (thighs or leg quarters) and liver, you will need to add a number of supplements. I will list them below. It may be easier for you to start out with a premix, which is basically a mix where someone else mixed up all the supplements for you. TCFeline and Alnutrin are two brands that are mentioned often on this forum. I have never used a premix, so I can't tell you if one is better than the other. If your mind is set on feeding homemade food, I would suggest that you go ahead and purchase the supplements. If you have any doubts, buy a premix so you won't get stuck with the supplements. If you buy the premix, read the label carefully. It may include, for example, liver, so you would have to omit the liver from the recipe below. I buy my supplements from amazon, but you will be able to find them at any health food store or pharmacy and the better-stocked grocery stores. Dr. Pierson explains each supplement and suggests sources for it at http://catinfo.org/?link=makingcatfood. I STRONGLY suggest reading the whole page before you start.
I add canned pumpkin to my cat's food. It helps prevent constipation and diarrhea. You can skip it if you prefer. If you add it, use canned 100% pumpkin, not the type that has pie spices added in.
I wouldn't buy a grinder yet if I were you. See if you are up to continuing with homemade food, then make the investment. I have the Tasin TS-108 recommended by Dr. Pierson. It works well. I bought it from http://www.onestopjerkyshop.com/tasin-ts-108-electric-meat-grinder-1/. Someone I know bought this one (brand new) from ebay: http://ebay.to/1EhTMxm. It seems identical to my grinder in every way, for less than half the price. I have seen both grinders up close and have used both of them. I can't tell the difference.
Another investment that is worth making later is a box of mason jars. Since you have two cats, the 16 oz size would be what I recommend. The wide-mouth version is easier to use. For now, zip-top freezer jars would be just fine.
Other supplies that you need: a big mixing bowl (stainless steel is best) and a rubber spatula (or large mixing spoon). A wide-mouth funnel of the type used for canning is a very useful addition, but you can do without. Poultry shears are very useful. Regular kitchen shears would work just fine. Even a sharp knife would do. You also need a set of measuring spoons.
I am assuming that you will use powdered eggshells, at least initially.
In summary, you need the following supplies:
Large mixing bowl (stainless steel is best)
Rubber spatula or large spoon
Quart-size zip-top freezer bags
Measuring spoons
Wide-mouth funnel (optional)
16 oz wide-mouth mason jars (optional)
The ingredients you need are:
3 lbs skin-on chicken
4 oz liver
1.75 tsp. powdered eggshell
Premix (amount per directions on label) or supplements listed below
2 egg yolks (optional)
7.5 ounces of canned pumpkin (optional)
Supplements:
4000 mg taurine
1.5 tsp lite salt (NOT regular salt) http://www.mortonsalt.com/for-your-home/culinary-salts/food-salts/3/morton-lite-salt-mixture/
50 mg B complex
400 mg vitamin E
5 mg manganese (optional)
5000 mg fish oil
Instructions:
1. Heat your oven to 350F.
2. Set aside a medium bowl or a measuring cup (easier to use). Add about half a cup of warm water. Drop in the fish oil capsules so they will soften. If you use fish oil from a bottle, you don't need this step.
3. This part is a very slightly modified version of the web page I suggested that you read. I feed raw, so I don't need this step.
4. If you used fish oil capsules, squeeze them against the sides of the bowl until all the oil is released into the water. Remove and discard the capsules. Some capsules completely dissolve in water, so you can skip this step.
Bake (at 350 degrees) the chicken/turkey thighs and liver leaving ~50% of the thigh meat raw. (The time needed varies depending on how thick the thighs are but is usually ~15 minutes, give or take.) I use a Pyrex dish since I will be using all of the fat drippings so I can add them to the ground meat/bones/skin/liver/eggs. The liver will be cooked more than the meat which is fine.
Remove from the oven and put in cold water to stop the cooking process.
Remove meat from the bone for chunking.
Cut the meat into chunks the size of a die (~1/2 inch cubes) or a bit smaller at first and then larger (size of your thumb) once your cat gets the hang of chewing on them. You can use a kitchen knife or scissors.
5. Add the egg yolks (if you are using them) to the water and whisk until smooth.
6. Add the supplements to the water and whisk until smooth again.
7. Add the drippings from the chicken, the chunked chicken, the pumpkin (if you use it), and the water-egg-supplement mix to the large mixing bowl and mix very well. You may need a little more water to make the mixing easier.
8. Remove enough food for a day or two, and freeze the rest in zip-top bags. You can defrost the frozen food in the refrigerator, or in a bowl of warm water. I doubt that the world will end if you defrost it in the microwave.
Let me know if you have any questions. Good luck!