As long time members know, I've been feeding my cats raw for over three years. I started with commercial ground, but "had" to move to a modified prey model to accommodate the fact that most of my cats (at the time) started refusing to eat ground once they'd eaten chunks.
Well we have decided not to put the feral cats we relocated with us back outside for various reasons. So I'll be feeding 15 cats raw, and apart from the fact that cutting up meat each meal time for 15 cats is a bit time consuming, I can't reasonable police 15 cats to not pull musical bowls. I already have some I have to feed cod liver oil instead of freeze dried liver, some that need freeze dried liver instead of fresh, those that will eat kidney, those that won't, etc.
But assuming I can't get away with feeding ALL ground meals (which solves the problem!), but can incorporate some, I need help generating ideas on how to get them ALL everything they need.
I was thinking about using some whole animal grinds from Hare-Today, and rather than diluting the bone content by adding meat and organ, adding just the needed organ, and feeding however many plain meals of meat are needed. That way I only need to get "some" ground into them. But I worry about those bone-heavy meals rather than spreading the bone out. I know people feeding traditional PMR do this all the time, but that's now how cats eat in the wild, and one of the reasons I wasn't in love with a few meals of really lumpy bone content.
Some make a slurry of the liver and kidney (or whatever organs) with the sardine. But many of my cats don't like sardine. I'm not even sure if I made it with Fancy Feast they'd eat it. :lol3:
Ideally I use a mix of ground and chunks. OR all chunks - but how to "hide" organs for those that don't like them to ensure everyone gets at least the needed liver, if not kidney? The problem is individual organ meats with only feeding chunked food. Any thoughts on how to make sure they all get at least liver, if not liver & another organ - knowing a sardine slurry doesn't work?
Thanks for any suggestions!
Well we have decided not to put the feral cats we relocated with us back outside for various reasons. So I'll be feeding 15 cats raw, and apart from the fact that cutting up meat each meal time for 15 cats is a bit time consuming, I can't reasonable police 15 cats to not pull musical bowls. I already have some I have to feed cod liver oil instead of freeze dried liver, some that need freeze dried liver instead of fresh, those that will eat kidney, those that won't, etc.
But assuming I can't get away with feeding ALL ground meals (which solves the problem!), but can incorporate some, I need help generating ideas on how to get them ALL everything they need.
I was thinking about using some whole animal grinds from Hare-Today, and rather than diluting the bone content by adding meat and organ, adding just the needed organ, and feeding however many plain meals of meat are needed. That way I only need to get "some" ground into them. But I worry about those bone-heavy meals rather than spreading the bone out. I know people feeding traditional PMR do this all the time, but that's now how cats eat in the wild, and one of the reasons I wasn't in love with a few meals of really lumpy bone content.
Some make a slurry of the liver and kidney (or whatever organs) with the sardine. But many of my cats don't like sardine. I'm not even sure if I made it with Fancy Feast they'd eat it. :lol3:
Ideally I use a mix of ground and chunks. OR all chunks - but how to "hide" organs for those that don't like them to ensure everyone gets at least the needed liver, if not kidney? The problem is individual organ meats with only feeding chunked food. Any thoughts on how to make sure they all get at least liver, if not liver & another organ - knowing a sardine slurry doesn't work?
Thanks for any suggestions!
