Massive ammounts of curiousness

[kattenyajen]

So, being realatively new to cat ownership (usually its roomates who have cats, so their call, but now I live with my boyfriend who has a cat, and we just jointly got a kitten) I'm curious after reading some things up about raw feeding.

I'm sorry if there is already something created on this topic, but...

1. How do you figure out exactly what kinds of raw food or portions ect. to give your cat? Trial and error? Vet advision only? (my vet admitted to having no experience with raw food for cats except as an occasional treat - I live in a community with mostly seniors who have been doing the kibble thing their whole lives. Changing vets is to be avoided, as both cats HATE carriers and the vet is within 2 min walking distance so they can just be carried)

2. Is there a way to do a 3 way combination? Some dry food, some canned food and some raw food? And again, the hard part would be figuring out the balance.
(for example right now both our cats are on their respective dry food primarily, with wet food 2-4 meals a week -I split the wet meals so its one portion dry during the day for grazing then wet in the evening-. my idea would be more of a D/W, D/R, D/D, repeat or some combination there of at first, until I was comfortable and could convince the other half that it's not just 'a bunch of new age crap' -for the record, I identify with being wiccan, so he doesn't phrase it QUITE that way. just clearly as his family has had cats his whole life, dry is good enough with occasional treats of wet food. But I'm curious about the raw thing too, and I think both cats would LOVE it)

3. Is it all wild game/natural diet prey only, or is it as easy as using fit-for-human grocery store things?

 

[sharky]

1. Many vets do not know alot about raw but it sounds like you have one willing to help and learn with you... that is a HUGE plus... As total lack of vet agreement or hiding what you are feeding can endanger your cat. Google raw food calculators or Natures Variety has one that allows for % of dry , canned and raw and gives you the amounts based on wt and activity... General rule is 2.5-4% of body wt per day ( ie for a ave 10lb cat 4 -5 oz per day if raw only)...

2.Raw digests Faster than the other two ... Many do wet near or with raw ( latter I would not recommend outside the intro phase).... Dry digests at half the rate to 75% slower than raw and thus a bacterial issue can arise ... Many do feed dry and raw without separating but most will feed one in the am the other in the pm...

3. Wild prey posses many dangers ( bacteria , parasites etc) ... Ie an outdoor cat eatting mice and vermin needs worming far more often than an indoor one...

I personally get as close to organic; if not organic to be a little more sure of quality and purity... I DO NOT use grocery meat outside my small town one that will give me the farms name and directions to it ... But that meat is = to the local health foods all natural .. basically I give what I am willing to eat( plus the organs )

 

[khayos]

I follow 80% muscle meat 10%edible bone 5%liver 5%other secreting organ (kidney for example)

My cats are all older,2% of their ideal weight is what I feed. For all of my cats thats about 4oz of raw a day.

There is away to feed dry,wet, and raw. I have not done so and I have no idea on how too. Sorry

I feed mostly meat I get from the grocery store. I also post CL ads about freezer burned meat. We got most of our red meat that way. I also feed whole prey to the two male cats. Dog and Princess won't touch whole prey. We get feeder mice. That's as far as we've gone on the whole prey area.