Kitties loving raw....a few rambling questions

[txcatmom]

Hi.  My four domestic shorthairs have been getting snacks of raw food (NV chicken and S&C chicken and turkey) and have moved up to getting a meal of raw food each day (HT chicken, tried rabbit a couple of times.)  The S&C really just gets used as treats and toppers since it is so expensive.  But the cat with the biggest health challenges (Lucy) gets it for snack and sometimes meals (we're trying to do 100% raw for her, if the other cats don't get too jealous.) 

I'm a little hesitant to commit to 100% raw for several reasons mainly....

1)  I'd probably need to buy a freezer.  There are some raw brands locally but NV is the most affordable and I'd like to move on to other brands or rely more on the Hare Today.

2)  I know if we did 100% I'd start looking into making it myself and I'm not sure I'm ready for the steep learning curve.

So far they have taken an instant liking to everything (the exception being only 3 out of 4 liked the rabbit.)  This leads me to my first question...

*  Eko is the only kitty who won't touch the rabbit (will lick the S&C topping off, that's it.)  We've only tried twice.  Given how important different proteins are and that two of the cats are crazy about the rabbit, I want to keep trying.  But I feel so bad about Eko going hungry.  What do you usually do in this situation?  I know mixing it in slowly with other foods is a possibility, but hard to do when you have raw portions frozen in meal sized bags.  Have you ever had a cat who warmed up to a new protein after repeated exposure?

*  Are there any other drawbacks to ground bone in the food besides possible constipation?  Right now we are ordering HT with bone and organs, but I know you can order some meats without bone (and use a different supplement.)

*  What is the name of the supplement you can sprinkle on chunks of meat?  I slivered off a little raw pork last night and two of the cats were very interested.  I think Eko would take some time to get interested in chunks.  I'd love the dental benefits of chunks, but would probably do a different meal for Lucy since she is missing a lot of teeth.  (I'm thinking of buying some Rad Cat just for her since it is so expensive and maybe the other cats could have a chunk meal when she has that.) 

*  Given that they all love raw chicken, are there other proteins that taste similar to try next?  I'm guessing turkey would taste similar.

*  Is feeding raw pork really safe?  I ordered just one pound from HT and it is in the freezer.  I've had doubts about using it though because the message that raw pork is dangerous (for humans) is so ingrained.

*  Is raw fish safe?  The only reason I ask this one is that S&C has a chicken (or turkey?) and salmon flavor that I've thought about trying just for variety.  S&C isn't a major part of their diet so it isn't terribly important, just wondering.

This question might belong more in the health section but here goes....

*  Does an intolerance for a new protein sometimes take 6-8 meals before it causes a problem?  Leo occasionally throws up right after eating.  Now, I'm 90% sure it has to do with how fast and enthusiastically he eats, but I was just wondering about the intolerance thing since he has had mostly chicken raw....and has thrown it up occasionally, but after eating it successfully for 6-8 meals or snacks.  (Note:  this problem showed up with canned food and we pretty much just did away with flavors he loved tooo much and gulped down.  This almost completely solved the problem with canned food.  It has happened a few times with raw now, and he is super enthusiastic with the raw so that could be the explanation with the raw too.)  By the way, he has seen the vet and she just wanted him to try prescription canned.  We said no thanks and our tweaking his canned flavors got it mostly under control. 

Thanks in advance for any answers you can provide.  I lurk on the raw threads and learn so much!

 

[ldg]

I'm a little hesitant to commit to 100% raw for several reasons mainly....
1)  I'd probably need to buy a freezer.  There are some raw brands locally but NV is the most affordable and I'd like to move on to other brands or rely more on the Hare Today.

2)  I know if we did 100% I'd start looking into making it myself and I'm not sure I'm ready for the steep learning curve.

BEEN THERE EXACTLY. :lol3: I live in an RV with 8 cats. We don't have enough freezer space for the two of us people. :lol3:

I had no plans on making homemade. The only thing really available to us that I could afford was NV, and because of freezer space, it HAD to be available locally. BUT.... the NV targets 15% bone in the food. That's too much for some cats, and it was too much for some of mine. They got constipated. (Too much bone = constipation, too little = soft stools or diarrhea). So it was suggested to me that I feed some just fresh meat to "thin out" the NV. I was nervous, but tried chicken. At that point, they'd been eating NV raw for a month or two, and they LOVED the plain raw chicken. In fact, they loved it so much, that three of the boys refused to eat ground raw any longer. So I had to move - and fast - if I wanted to keep them on raw. My goal was 100% raw for all of them. It isn't for many, and I respect that. I do think even one meal of raw a day - or even as treats! - provides benefit. :nod:

So on Carolina's suggestion, I started searching craigslist. And we found a decent sized chest freezer for $35. We put it on a platform behind the RV and covered it with a tarp. :lol3: Works like a charm! Over the humid summer it has built up some frost, and we'll need to defrost it when it's cooler. But this was a great solution. There were some small enough we could have fit them in the RV, but cost was an issue for us.

As to the steep learning curve.... in my experience, it seems a lot more daunting than it turns out to be. :nod: Nutritional deficiencies develop over time, so there's no actual rush to get it right immediately. For fussy kitties, it's the transition curve that is more of an issue (as it turns out in my experience) than the learning curve of feeding. :nod: I have older cats with health issues, so I wanted to use a calcium supplement instead of bone (since I wasn't going to be feeding ground. ). It was easy to do, and if you're going to provide bone-in meals or make ground, then it's even easier to do. But the learning is a process, and you don't need to know everything before you start, and your kitties won't suffer for it. Just a thought.

So far they have taken an instant liking to everything (the exception being only 3 out of 4 liked the rabbit.)  This leads me to my first question...

*  Eko is the only kitty who won't touch the rabbit (will lick the S&C topping off, that's it.)  We've only tried twice.  Given how important different proteins are and that two of the cats are crazy about the rabbit, I want to keep trying.  But I feel so bad about Eko going hungry.  What do you usually do in this situation?  I know mixing it in slowly with other foods is a possibility, but hard to do when you have raw portions frozen in meal sized bags.  Have you ever had a cat who warmed up to a new protein after repeated exposure?

Yes. Some of our cats didn't even recognize raw as FOOD at first. And repeated exposure - by just putting a little blob next to their canned food and putting that yummy topper on there - and they eventually started eating it. Those dethawed raw portions will last a couple of days in the fridge, so for Eko, just keep putting out that little bit of rabbit, you don't have to use the whole portion. Oh - and with the NV rabbit, there is a lot of pork fat in there. So in my experience, whether a cat liked NV "rabbit" or "chicken" or whatever is no representation as to whether they actually like that protein or not. Most of their foods aren't single-sourced proteins. In fact - I think only the organic chicken is.
.

*  Are there any other drawbacks to ground bone in the food besides possible constipation?  Right now we are ordering HT with bone and organs, but I know you can order some meats without bone (and use a different supplement.)

Not to my knowledge. I think NV and the HT ground meats are a little high in bone content, and if your kitties get a little constipated, you can consider ordering some of the boneless stuff from HT and mixing it in - or feeding it as a separate meal every few days until you find the amount needed to make them... not constipated. :lol3: If you want to run the risk I took (that your kitties decide they don't really like ground), you can also just buy meat from the supermarket and offer them a meal here and there of boneless chicken thigh or breast or something....

In the end, I preferred having the control (exactly one of the concerns you express about going 100% raw. :lol3: ), and my cats didn't want ground. (Now they do eat the ground whole rabbit from HT, and the ground whole pork, so I do include those sometimes).

*  What is the name of the supplement you can sprinkle on chunks of meat?  I slivered off a little raw pork last night and two of the cats were very interested.  I think Eko would take some time to get interested in chunks.  I'd love the dental benefits of chunks, but would probably do a different meal for Lucy since she is missing a lot of teeth.  (I'm thinking of buying some Rad Cat just for her since it is so expensive and maybe the other cats could have a chunk meal when she has that.) 

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FYI, I think Lucy would do fine with bite sized pieces of meat. I've seen the feral cats eat mice. I'll spare you the details, but Baloo does exactly enough chomping (once) to kill it, and then he swallows it whole. He doesn't chew at all. Neither does my indoor kitty Billy. I have to cut his pieces small to slow him down. But when I was working toward chunks, no matter how large I made them for him, he'd pick it up, and just swallow it. When I made his 1.5 oz meal in two strip "chunks," he made two swallows and was done with his meal in about two seconds. The other cats do sort of chew and chomp.... but in the wild, they don't really chew. They rip and tear. So if the meat isn't on the bone, they don't really need to "chew." In fact, cats have no enzymes in their saliva to start the process of digestion, so they're not really even designed for "chewing." :dk: But that's why bones are important, for the dental benefit. I don't feed bone - but the really chewy meat is gizzard, and THAT they do chew. But even Lucy could eat gizzard if you cut it up small.

Oh - there definitely IS some dental benefit to the minimal amount of chewing they do on the meat. :nod: I've had Spooky back at the vet since being on chunky raw, and even though I don't feed bone, the plaque build up on her teeth is almost nil - unheard of for her, six months after a dental.

OH! :doh3: Almost forgot - the supplement you can sprinkle on meat to make it complete is Call of the Wild by Wysong. I don't know if this shipping code still works, but try FREESHIPJPX. I use the Call of the Wild for Lazlo. His stools are bulkier than the other kitties', but he does really well on it. :nod: http://www.wysong.net/products/cotw-dog-cat-supplement.php
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*  Given that they all love raw chicken, are there other proteins that taste similar to try next?  I'm guessing turkey would taste similar.

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Hunh. I never thought about it like that. My cats HATED any ground turkey - but they all like chunky turkey breast and turkey thigh. :dk: I just decided what proteins I wanted them eating, and worked to get them eating them. :lol3: I found that one of my kitties has a real issue with ANY red meats (and that includes pork and rabbit). So I feed those meals 50/50 with a light meat - and I feed that same meal 2x a day, so it's "as if" they got a meal of turkey breast and a meal of lamb, it's just two meals of 50% turkey breast and 50% lamb.
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*  Is feeding raw pork really safe?  I ordered just one pound from HT and it is in the freezer.  I've had doubts about using it though because the message that raw pork is dangerous (for humans) is so ingrained.

We've talked a LOT about that here. You're in the U.S., so the answer is YES, it is safe. :nod: Here's the most recent thread where we discussed it:

The discussion of pork starts at this post: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/246777/raw-food-for-dummies-aka-me#post_3231475

And another thread:

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/242291/raw-pork-okay

*  Is raw fish safe?  The only reason I ask this one is that S&C has a chicken (or turkey?) and salmon flavor that I've thought about trying just for variety.  S&C isn't a major part of their diet so it isn't terribly important, just wondering.

Raw fish in limited quantity is OK. The issue with raw fish is that it has an enzyme (thiaminase) that destroys thiamine, causing thiamine deficiency (thiamine is vitamin B1). It can cause some serious neurological problems, bradycardia, and aggression. http://www.cat-world.com.au/thiamine-deficiency-in-cats But like with anything, moderation is the key. :nod:
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This question might belong more in the health section but here goes....

*  Does an intolerance for a new protein sometimes take 6-8 meals before it causes a problem?  Leo occasionally throws up right after eating.  Now, I'm 90% sure it has to do with how fast and enthusiastically he eats, but I was just wondering about the intolerance thing since he has had mostly chicken raw....and has thrown it up occasionally, but after eating it successfully for 6-8 meals or snacks.  (Note:  this problem showed up with canned food and we pretty much just did away with flavors he loved tooo much and gulped down.  This almost completely solved the problem with canned food.  It has happened a few times with raw now, and he is super enthusiastic with the raw so that could be the explanation with the raw too.)  By the way, he has seen the vet and she just wanted him to try prescription canned.  We said no thanks and our tweaking his canned flavors got it mostly under control. 

Thanks in advance for any answers you can provide.  I lurk on the raw threads and learn so much!

Not in my experience. For us, if there was an issue, it showed up immediately, and by using smaller amounts, and limiting the total amount fed at any one time, we stopped the vomiting.

There is one thing to keep in mind.... was any of this vomiting done when a meal was fed late? I know you're not at 100% raw, but when feeding raw, their internal environment changes. They become more acidic (which is natural and healthy). BUT they can start producing that bile in anticipation of a meal, and until they've completely adjusted to the raw in their diet, they can eat the meal, and then throw it up if it's late. Sometimes they'll throw up bile before the meal. I switched to raw mid-January, and I can now be late with a meal - and I'm not sure when it happened. But back in Feb, March, April, If I was running a half hour late, at least someone would puke.

As to the enthusiastic problem, I have that with Flowerbelle. Sometimes she'll just wolf down her meal, and then it comes right back up. Why it happens to her, and why it didn't happen with Billy when he'd eat his entire meal in two chunks, I have no idea. But to this day, (in fact it happened last evening at their dinner time meal) every once in a while Flowerbelle will eat quickly, and it'll come back up. And then she wonders why she's hungry. :lol3: I just give her a small piece of whole life freeze dried chicken to absorb the acid in her tummy, and then I give her a new meal - but I dole it out in three portions so she can't just wolf it down. And yes, the other kitties are REALLY jealous.

 

[txcatmom]

Thanks so much.  I read the pork threads and feel comfortable using the pound I have and seeing how they like it. 

and then he swallows it whole

Eeek!  Sounds like our snake.

but the really chewy meat is gizzard, and THAT they do chew

Shortly after I posted this, I was getting a whole chicken ready to cook for dinner.  Well, Leo has started coming running any time there is raw meat, so I gave him whatever they put inside the chicken....the little parts (not the neck, I figured the bones might be iffy.)  He chewed and growled and chewed some more until they were all gone.  I watched, so pleased, because his teeth and gums are bad for such a young cat.  Eko's are too, but I think he will need some encouragement to try the chunks.

It was good to read that most of you have seen intolerances manifest right away.  As far as meals being late...since their raw meal is breakfast, no worries there.  NO WAY they would let me sleep past breakfast. 

But, when we were tweaking their canned diet to resolve Leo's vomiting problem one of the changes we made was to move dinner up one hour earlier (thanks to advise we read here.)  That may have helped, but the change was made with other changes so it's hard to say for sure.  I think cutting out his favorite flavors was the biggest help (poor guy.) 

 

[auntie crazy]

...  This leads me to my first question...

*  Eko is the only kitty who won't touch the rabbit ... But I feel so bad about Eko going hungry.  What do you usually do in this situation?  I know mixing it in slowly with other foods is a possibility, but hard to do when you have raw portions frozen in meal sized bags.  Have you ever had a cat who warmed up to a new protein after repeated exposure?
...

Short answer - yes. The longer answer - Cats change their minds all the time, so you can't base a menu on what they like on any given day, you'll drive yourself crazy. Instead, get them used to eating what you put down. Feed three meals, at the same time every day, put the food down for 20 mins or so, then pick it back up. Of course, you can utilize all the typical transition tricks (mixing the foods, irresistible toppings, offering the food more than once, etc.). Eventually, they will eat whatever you put down.

In addition, the more variety you offer, the less "finicky" cats typically become.

...

*  Are there any other drawbacks to ground bone in the food besides possible constipation?  Right now we are ordering HT with bone and organs, but I know you can order some meats without bone (and use a different supplement.)
...

Bone - ground or not - does not by itself cause constipation. Bone is, in fact, a necessary part of a balanced diet. It's only when there's too much - over 10% usually - that problems arise. Or when the bone used is denser than the cat is equipped to handle, like weight-bearing bones from turkeys and such, and anything from larger animals like pigs and cows.

... 

*  What is the name of the supplement you can sprinkle on chunks of meat?  I slivered off a little raw pork last night and two of the cats were very interested.  I think Eko would take some time to get interested in chunks.  I'd love the dental benefits of chunks, but would probably do a different meal for Lucy since she is missing a lot of teeth.  (I'm thinking of buying some Rad Cat just for her since it is so expensive and maybe the other cats could have a chunk meal when she has that.) 
...

There isn't any specific supplement that goes with chunks of meat.

As Laurie said, though, even cats with few or no teeth can handle chunks if they're small enough. You could totally go prey model raw and just cut Lucy's meals small enough for her.

... 

*  Given that they all love raw chicken, are there other proteins that taste similar to try next?  I'm guessing turkey would taste similar.
...

Add anything and everything you can get your hands on! The more variety, the better.

... 

*  Is feeding raw pork really safe?  I ordered just one pound from HT and it is in the freezer.  I've had doubts about using it though because the message that raw pork is dangerous (for humans) is so ingrained.

*  Is raw fish safe?  The only reason I ask this one is that S&C has a chicken (or turkey?) and salmon flavor that I've thought about trying just for variety.  S&C isn't a major part of their diet so it isn't terribly important, just wondering.
...

Pork is safe, fish isn't really something you want to add very often. In addition to the thiamine issue, it's often an allergenic (according to Dr. Hofve, one of the top 3), and can cause several other problems.

... 

This question might belong more in the health section but here goes....

*  Does an intolerance for a new protein sometimes take 6-8 meals before it causes a problem?  Leo occasionally throws up right after eating.  Now, I'm 90% sure it has to do with how fast and enthusiastically he eats, but I was just wondering about the intolerance thing since he has had mostly chicken raw....and has thrown it up occasionally, but after eating it successfully for 6-8 meals or snacks.  (Note:  this problem showed up with canned food and we pretty much just did away with flavors he loved tooo much and gulped down.  This almost completely solved the problem with canned food.  It has happened a few times with raw now, and he is super enthusiastic with the raw so that could be the explanation with the raw too.)  By the way, he has seen the vet and she just wanted him to try prescription canned.  We said no thanks and our tweaking his canned flavors got it mostly under control. 

Thanks in advance for any answers you can provide.  I lurk on the raw threads and learn so much!

Food "intolerances" of the sort you're referencing almost invariably show up right away and fade with time. I think you're correct that your boy is simply eating too fast. An easy way to fix this is by offering the food in chunks that are too big to swallow, forcing the cat to stop and chew the food. In the meantime, the ground food can be smooshed down onto the plate, which will force the cat to lick and lick and lick to eat, disallowing any big gulps. 

Hope this helps you some!

AC

 

[carolina]

Hi.  My four domestic shorthairs have been getting snacks of raw food (NV chicken and S&C chicken and turkey) and have moved up to getting a meal of raw food each day (HT chicken, tried rabbit a couple of times.)  The S&C really just gets used as treats and toppers since it is so expensive.  But the cat with the biggest health challenges (Lucy) gets it for snack and sometimes meals (we're trying to do 100% raw for her, if the other cats don't get too jealous.)  :lol3: ( WOOHOO YEY I am sooo happy for you an the kitties!!! :hugs and congrats!! I am SURE Lucy will have GREAT benefits from raw :nod: How exciting! :bigthumb:

I'm a little hesitant to commit to 100% raw for several reasons mainly....
1)  I'd probably need to buy a freezer.  There are some raw brands locally but NV is the most affordable and I'd like to move on to other brands or rely more on the Hare Today. Yep, Like Laurie, bought a freezer on Craig's List also.... GREAT Perfect size, solved my problem completely, and saves me a bunch of $$$! I paid $75 on mine. As far as NV and HT.... I like HT much better..... and it is cheaper too.... I like that there are no fruits, no veggies, and the meats are single protein meats :nod: REALLY like HT ground meats :bigthumb:

2)  I know if we did 100% I'd start looking into making it myself and I'm not sure I'm ready for the steep learning curve. SO been there! IMHO we think it is much worst than it really is.... Sometimes I look at their meals and think "am I missing something?" Because it has become such second nature, it is too easy :nod: The hardest thing to me, was to get them to like raw, and to convince them raw was food.... transition them to raw from free-feeding kibbles.... But you are already beyond that - you are SO far ahead from where I started :nod:


So far they have taken an instant liking to everything (the exception being only 3 out of 4 liked the rabbit.)  This leads me to my first question...

*  Eko is the only kitty who won't touch the rabbit (will lick the S&C topping off, that's it.)  We've only tried twice.  Given how important different proteins are and that two of the cats are crazy about the rabbit, I want to keep trying.  But I feel so bad about Eko going hungry.  What do you usually do in this situation?  I know mixing it in slowly with other foods is a possibility, but hard to do when you have raw portions frozen in meal sized bags.  Have you ever had a cat who warmed up to a new protein after repeated exposure? I do NOT like leaving a cat hungry and forcing a cat to eat To me, the best way to introduce a new protein to a cat that is currently eating another raw or wet, is a slow introduction. Much like a kibble introduction, mix a little bit of the new food into a food they already eat and love, and slowly increase the amount of the new food as you decrease the amount of the old food - a little bit every day. I did use repeat exposure for Lucky who had never eaten wet or raw, and hated anything that was not kibbles. IMHO, if a cat eats wet or raw already, mixing is better....

*  Are there any other drawbacks to ground bone in the food besides possible constipation?  Right now we are ordering HT with bone and organs, but I know you can order some meats without bone (and use a different supplement.) Not that I am aware.... I feed boneless because of 2 reasons: 1-Bugsy has IBD, and there are some reports that bones MIGHT push the pancreas into pancreatitis (has happened to some cats - RARE, but a risk I did not want to take), and 2, Lucky for some weird, odd, unexplained reason can not digest bones. But those issues are mine, not general issues.

*  What is the name of the supplement you can sprinkle on chunks of meat?  I slivered off a little raw pork last night and two of the cats were very interested.  I think Eko would take some time to get interested in chunks.  I'd love the dental benefits of chunks, but would probably do a different meal for Lucy since she is missing a lot of teeth.  (I'm thinking of buying some Rad Cat just for her since it is so expensive and maybe the other cats could have a chunk meal when she has that.) As far as supplements, you can feed it 2 ways - and Luarie and I feed both:
Call of the Wild, a supplement from Wysong, will balance chunks of muscle meat (or ground if you prefer) into 100% balanced and complete meals. So, provided that your cats like it, you don't need to feed organs (it has liver) and Calcium (also in it - it also has Taurine, etc.... I do feed that to Hope, and she has done GREAT on it. Reason why I feed that - she hates organs, even freeze dry, so a supplement is the solution for her.
There is plant matter in it - i.e. some fruits and herbs, but her digestion for some reason actually improved in it, so for her it works :dk:
My other two cats also eat chunks, and I balance it with Calcium, taurine, krill oil, etc.

*  Given that they all love raw chicken, are there other proteins that taste similar to try next?  I'm guessing turkey would taste similar. hum................... I say you have to try to know :nod: But yes, turkey is one that is liked here, pork too........ but then hearts are their FAVORITE meals Just keep trying, as variety is great in so many levels!

*  Is feeding raw pork really safe?  I ordered just one pound from HT and it is in the freezer.  I've had doubts about using it though because the message that raw pork is dangerous (for humans) is so ingrained. Laurie posted the threads - I feed often, to all my kitties, and never had an issue, so I have to say a sound YES!

*  Is raw fish safe?  The only reason I ask this one is that S&C has a chicken (or turkey?) and salmon flavor that I've thought about trying just for variety.  S&C isn't a major part of their diet so it isn't terribly important, just wondering. I rather stay away from raw fish due to the thiamine issue.......

This question might belong more in the health section but here goes....

*  Does an intolerance for a new protein sometimes take 6-8 meals before it causes a problem?  Leo occasionally throws up right after eating.  Now, I'm 90% sure it has to do with how fast and enthusiastically he eats, but I was just wondering about the intolerance thing since he has had mostly chicken raw....and has thrown it up occasionally, but after eating it successfully for 6-8 meals or snacks.  (Note:  this problem showed up with canned food and we pretty much just did away with flavors he loved tooo much and gulped down.  This almost completely solved the problem with canned food.  It has happened a few times with raw now, and he is super enthusiastic with the raw so that could be the explanation with the raw too.)  By the way, he has seen the vet and she just wanted him to try prescription canned.  We said no thanks and our tweaking his canned flavors got it mostly under control. I think this has more to do with the beginning of feeding raw, and getting their little bodies adjusted to it, than to intolerance. Eating too fast and acid build up can be an issue specially in the beginning, so it is important to no let them go too long without eating. 3 meals work better than 2 (to help preventing acid build up)....
Food intolerances here are seen immediately, and they are not occasional - for example: EVERY TIME Hope eats beef, she Every time Lucky eats a full meal of pork, she BUT - if Lucky eats 50% Turkey and 50% Pork, she is ok - so she is not pork intolerant, she just can't tolerate a full meal of pork on its own. It is important to recognize these differences :nod:
Bugsy was intolerant to chicken - BEFORE RAW - in raw form as long as the chicken is vegetarian fed, cage free, he is ok - why? :dk: But even with Bugsy with his IBD issues, I have not found a meat I was not able to feed him :nod:
So..... IMHO Forget about the "intolerances" from the past - and if you introduce a meat you are having issues, take a step back, and introduce that meat slowly. If he is eating too fast and you feed ground, smash the food on the bottom of the plate so he takes longer to eat. Take extra steps to prevent that issue - are all the cats taking a probiotic? Are they eating often?

Thanks in advance for any answers you can provide.  I lurk on the raw threads and learn so much! Ask away!!!!!

 

[txcatmom]

I do NOT like leaving a cat hungry and forcing a cat to eat

Yeah.  I'm definitely realizing I need to do some mixing.  I have pork thawing for tomorrow's breakfast (it will be their first pork) and am thawing some chicken to do some mixing.  If the pattern holds, two cats would be fine without the mixing and two need a gradual intro.  We'll go ahead and mix for everyone. 

are all the cats taking a probiotic

We just started taking probiotics and omega 3's for the humans in the house when I read about how important they can be for cats.  So the cats are getting some now too. 

 

[txcatmom]

So excited...I may have found a great hook for getting Eko to try new proteins.  This morning they got a blob of pork next to their chicken (I didn't actually mix them.)  Just like the rabbit, the two orangies (Leo and Lucy) loved it, Emily was okay with it, and Eko stopped eating when he finished the chicken.  He licked the S&C freeze dried topper off the pork but that was it.

Well, the other day I caught Eko trying to break into the salmon oil capsule bottle....he loves that stuff.  So I decided to put his omega 3's on his pork this morning....with a little beside the pork to get him going.  It worked!  He ate all his pork and some that had no salmon oil on it that was left on another cat's plate.  Hopefully we can continue to see success with this.  (You know how something will work one day and not the next sometimes.) 

 

[ldg]

Oh that's great! Yep, the trick to transitions is being trickier than the kitties! :lol3:

 

[auntie crazy]

Yay! Bribes win out again. LOL!

AC