Don't take that as an indication - my cats have been eating raw with great enthusiasm for 10 months and none of them eat necks or plain organs :lol3:
Keep going hun - don't give up!
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Launching into homemade raw!
- Thread starter andrya
- Start Date
Keep going hun - don't give up!
You should have tried offering them some of the turkey breast or leg meat! :lol3:
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When I first offered Mazy cat raw, she refused to eat even her canned food, as it was placed next to the Rad Cat raw. Now, two months later she is experimenting with little chunks of chicken gizzard and chicken thigh. I really never thought I'd see the day!
It just takes time is all. And...in many cases tasty garnishes
. For Mazy I am using Vets-Best hair ball relief. She LOVES that stuff. Just a light dusting is all she needs these days, and sometimes I can fake her out and let her think I am garnishing, when I don't really put any thing on the meat.I tried forti flora but she wasn't interested. She likes PureBites chicken breast, but again, it just doens't do it for her as an inducement to eat her raw food. So I'm sticking with the Vets-best for her, which is okay as she has a long history of trouble with hair balls, and since I started using the Vets-Best she hardly ever needs the petroleum based hair ball remedy (I use cat lax because it's the only one that doesn't have corn in it these days) which was why I turned to the Vets-Best in the first place.
My Jennie, who has a long history of constipation, even on an all canned grain free, fruit and veggie free diet ever since she's lived with me, eats one tablespoon of pumpkin a day. I've tried a few times to cut her back, even skipping every third or fourth day, but...she needs that pumpkin every day or her bowels (and anal glands) get really messed up.
Anyway, what I seemed to have taken a long round about way to say (:lol3
is that don't view one refusal as a "never". They'll get there, It may take months, and trickery on your part, but they'll get there.- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #24
Thanks for the encouragement
l'm still waiting for all my supplements to arrive from the States, so l hadn't planned to give them any raw in the meantime, but when l saw the neck and giblets, l thought, "why not"?
But the cats had other thoughts, lol.
l am disappointed actually because they've been eating raw rabbit patties from Boldraw for about 6 months. l still have to hide it in their canned food (except for the kitten, he loves the stuff), but l thought now they had the taste for the patties they would automatically just eat raw. Apparently, l have a lot to learn
They won't touch those Natures Variety Instinct medallions, even when they're hidden in canned food.
Once l get all my goodies here, l'll make up a batch and hide it in their favourite food, or look for a different garnish, as you suggested. l love the fake garnish - that's great
l'm still waiting for all my supplements to arrive from the States, so l hadn't planned to give them any raw in the meantime, but when l saw the neck and giblets, l thought, "why not"?
But the cats had other thoughts, lol.
l am disappointed actually because they've been eating raw rabbit patties from Boldraw for about 6 months. l still have to hide it in their canned food (except for the kitten, he loves the stuff), but l thought now they had the taste for the patties they would automatically just eat raw. Apparently, l have a lot to learn
They won't touch those Natures Variety Instinct medallions, even when they're hidden in canned food.
Once l get all my goodies here, l'll make up a batch and hide it in their favourite food, or look for a different garnish, as you suggested. l love the fake garnish - that's great
What flavors have you tried so far?
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #26
l got them the beef and the venison, and they like neither. lt may be the texture, it feels more like a paste than a meat.
They still have what's left of the Boldraw rabbit patties, but l'll have to buy them another raw to fill in the time waiting for these supplements to arrive.
The Boldraw looks and feels like ground meat, so l might just buy another package of that, and the dog can whoof the NVIR.
They still have what's left of the Boldraw rabbit patties, but l'll have to buy them another raw to fill in the time waiting for these supplements to arrive.
The Boldraw looks and feels like ground meat, so l might just buy another package of that, and the dog can whoof the NVIR.
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Or it may just be because it's new. Remember, don't take a first rejection as final. Keep offering them periodically, and use tricks! (tasty garnishes)
This morning Mazy cat ate some Rad Cat, not only without garnish, or "fake out garnish", she didn't even ask for it. I put it in front of her and she ate it. It took almost 2 months to arrive at that point!
As with anything dealing with cats, patience and perseverance, along with the love, will win the day!
This morning Mazy cat ate some Rad Cat, not only without garnish, or "fake out garnish", she didn't even ask for it. I put it in front of her and she ate it. It took almost 2 months to arrive at that point!
As with anything dealing with cats, patience and perseverance, along with the love, will win the day!
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #28
That's wonderful, it sounds like Mazy is a full convert
l will keep persevering with these medallions, they don't go to waste if they don't eat them, so it's all good.
l really like the sound of Rad Cat. l wrote to them a while ago to see if l could buy it up here in Canada, and they said they were looking for a distributor. So, l wrote to a pet food distributor to see if they'd be interested, lol. l'll see what response l get, but if they think there's $$ interest, they might give a product a second look, we'll see.
Like you, l'm aiming for a three-pronged approach eventually - l'd like 1/4 home-made raw, 1/4 assorted commercial raw, and 1/2 assorted canned foods.
l will keep persevering with these medallions, they don't go to waste if they don't eat them, so it's all good.
l really like the sound of Rad Cat. l wrote to them a while ago to see if l could buy it up here in Canada, and they said they were looking for a distributor. So, l wrote to a pet food distributor to see if they'd be interested, lol. l'll see what response l get, but if they think there's $$ interest, they might give a product a second look, we'll see.
Like you, l'm aiming for a three-pronged approach eventually - l'd like 1/4 home-made raw, 1/4 assorted commercial raw, and 1/2 assorted canned foods.
....and having eaten ground rabbit that is a juicy ground meat, they may not like the NV. It is "pastey." :nod: S&C, Primal, and NV say that the high pressure processing doesn't cook the food.... but in the end, those meats look quite different than any other commercial raw, and have a different texture. :dk:
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #30
Success! One of the adults has deigned to eat the lunch offering:
View media item 133620
l mixed it with Wellness Chicken, they all like that, but so far there's only the one taker.
View media item 133620
l mixed it with Wellness Chicken, they all like that, but so far there's only the one taker.
OMG your kitty is so beautiful! 
Who is that?
Who is that?- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #32
HA! You speak very clearly with your tongue in your cheek View media item 133625
Really? Are you kidding me? His coat pattern is AMAZING. :love: No tongue-in-cheek! :lol3: And my mind is BLOWN that someone would request his picture be removed! I mean - no matter WHAT they thought - that's just.... WRONG!
nfire:
Hare-today is great, as we already mentioned....
But I asked what flavors you had tried because these two were complete failures here and with a lot of people too :nod:
The most popular NV, IMHO, is the rabbit - that was well liked.
The chicken is well liked by other members too - Lauren's kids love the Organic Chicken.....
I personally like Hare-Today way better, both ingredient wise, the response from the kitties, and of course, as far as price was concerned :nod:
By the way, your kitty is amazing! :love: Can you post more pictures? We don't have many of them here
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Yay!!
One step at a time is just fine, Andrya! This is a lifestyle change, not a race, so you can take it just as slow as your kitties need you to.
Also, those supplements are more of a "covering all the bases" measure than an absolute requirement, especially since you plan on grinding whole prey, and nutritional deficiencies take weeks, sometimes months, to develop, so I see no reason you can't start offering your homemade raw right away.
Furthermore, with whole prey, I'd absolutely leave out the psyllium husk (or any other fiber) and glandular supplements, and I'd probably cut all the others in half, except the Omega 3 source. Speaking of that, by the way, whole sardines would probably serve as well and be more "effective" than salmon oil (which can go rancid pretty quickly).
Looking forward to watching you get all your kitties transitioned!
AC
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #36
Thanks for the advice, and you're right, there's no reason to wait if l start with whole prey (l still need a grinder). At least it'll get them started on the right path.
l would love to get my hands on Hare Today but l can't find it up here, and their site says they only ship to the States. Same with Rad Cat, unfortunately.
Thanks for everyone's support and encouragement, l'm sure l'll be on here leaning heavily if/when things break down.
Aww, thanks guys for complimenting my poor Bretten. l'll put a couple of pix up that show him in all his gangliness View media item 133925View media item 133926
Note the CatMan shadow ^..^
View media item 133927
Taking up his side of the bed!
l would love to get my hands on Hare Today but l can't find it up here, and their site says they only ship to the States. Same with Rad Cat, unfortunately.
Thanks for everyone's support and encouragement, l'm sure l'll be on here leaning heavily if/when things break down.
Aww, thanks guys for complimenting my poor Bretten. l'll put a couple of pix up that show him in all his gangliness View media item 133925View media item 133926
Note the CatMan shadow ^..^
View media item 133927
Taking up his side of the bed!
How can people not think you kitty is amazing? :scratch: His coat pattern is sooooooooooooooo beautiful! And if he's that soft, it must be impossible to keep your hands off of him!
- Thread Starter Thread Starter
- #38
It's here, it's here!!
l got home from work and the first package was here, and it contains all the essentials to start.
Tomorrow l'll get a grinder, lite salt, freezer jars, and some tasty meats
Okay, NOW I'm excited
l got home from work and the first package was here, and it contains all the essentials to start.
Tomorrow l'll get a grinder, lite salt, freezer jars, and some tasty meats
Okay, NOW I'm excited
Oh I'm so excited FOR you! :lol3:
OK, it's only been a day... is today "tomorrow"? Are we shopping for a grinder today?
