Need Help

[catmomof6]

Hi,  I posted this on another thread because the thread kind of got off course so I hope this is a better place to post.  I am trying to get my cats transitioned to raw, but first they were on free feeding so I had to transition to 2 meals/day.  Then, I transitioned them from Orijen Dry to canned Meow Mix.  I realize Meow Mix is not a very good canned food so I am trying to get them transitioned to Fancy Feast Classic then to raw.  I have one cat that will not eat any canned, he will only eat raw chicken.  I know just raw chicken is not good but he will not eat anything else.  
My question is - what do I do with him?  All 6 of them will not touch the food if it is not anything they don't like, they are beyond finicky.  When they don't eat it scares me, I am afraid they will get sick.  Plus, I have a skinny one that does not need to lose any weight. If anything he could afford to gain a pound.  I am so confused!!!!

 

[lovesmekitties]

Hi - I'm pretty new to raw myself.  For your chicken lover, you could sprinkle raw chicken with TC Feline's Plus formula supplement that contains bone and liver and at least that would get him eating a balanced diet for now..  http://tcfeline.com/tcfeline-usa/  I read someone describe it as "kitty crack" their cats loved it so much!  It may be a good way to introduce your finicky eater to turkey, beef or other meats if he likes the supplement topper.  You could also try a bag of Stella & Chewy's freeze dried raw in the chicken and that would be balanced.  If he likes that, maybe he would take to their turkey and duck flavors too.

 

[catmomof6]

Thanks for the help, I checked into TC Feline and ordered some so hopefully it won't take too long to get here.  That is perfect for what I need if he will eat it.

 

[lovesmekitties]

Oh yay!   In the meantime, if you're in a bind, you could add a little raw liver and do a search on the boards for the eggshell powder recipe some people use in place of bone meal.  I know LDG has made it.  At least you could offer that to him until the TC Feline is shipped.  Not sure how involved it is to make.  Some of the pet stores sell the Stella & Chewy's in single serving sizes too - if he'd eat the freeze dried chicken mixed with water it would be so convenient and you wouldn't have to add anything.  A lot of cats seem to especially like it from what I've read here - and for what it's worth, my own kitties have turned their noses up at other brands but they snarf down the S & C.  I'd sure like to know how he does so please post an update.

 

[ritz]

Yes, some cats love freeze dried organ (liver, kidney) but won't eat fresh. Go figure!

 

[catmomof6]

Unfortunately, I do not have a lot of choices to pick up from a pet store that carries anything but over the counter garbage food and treats.  I order online mostly.

 

[catmomof6]

I just ordered Stella and Chewy's Freeze Dried Chicken also from Chewy.com, it only takes one day for me to receive it.  They are fantastic when it comes to getting items that I order shipped.  I figured that way I can get him on that (if he will eat it)  until the TC Feline comes.  This morning he wouldn't touch the raw chicken!  I think they all are being fussy butts on purpose to drive my crazy and get their way!

 

[lovesmekitties]

I'm glad it only takes a day from Chewys.  I'll be curious to know what he likes.  Little stinker - he didn't eat the chicken?!

 

[catmomof6]

Nope, he just sniffed and sniffed then left.  My other boy Jax came over and licked it for awhile but didn't eat any, he has never had raw before.  Except when he was younger and ate bad raw stuff.  When I found him (which was a good thing)  he had lung worms!  Bad stuff!!  All 6 of my cats were feral.

 

[ldg]

Hi and welcome!

I have 8 indoor, all of mine were feral too. :rub: Lung worm is a problem for the feral cats in the colony - slugs are a real issue here. One of our kitties was so badly infested when first rescued (and she was our first experience with it - and a first for several vets, too) she almost lost her life to the parasites. She has high blood pressure, and after heaps of diagnostics, the theory is that the scarring seen on the arteries in her lungs is causing the high blood pressure, and

Some questions? You're transitioning all the cats? And one won't eat canned, but was eating raw chicken? Everyone else is eating canned? Are you giving the "fussy" kitty dry food in the meantime?

Transitioning can be a slow process, and unless there's a health reason for the transition, there's really no need to rush.

I don't know if this will help, but it may be worth a read: http://www.thecatsite.com/t/264675/transitioning-free-fed-kibble-kitties-to-timed-meals-and-new-food

I do hope (he? the kitties? ) like the S&C. I love Chewy.com!

 

[catmomof6]

Hi LDG and thank you, Jax my lung worm kitty was my vets first too so I had to take him to a specialists to do the test where they put them under and stick a sponge type object down their throat into the lungs to get a sample. The specialist has seen cases but not as bad. He started sneezing blood so I took him to the vet, he was treated a couple times with antibiotics then my vet now suggested that it could be a couple of things and lung worm was one. Then off to the specialist.
I am transitioning all of them. They are all on canned except Gage the fussy one well, technically he is on canned but fish products canned and that is not good so I really want to get him going in the right direction. Hopefully the S & C will work. I realized today there is no hurry so I decided to back off and just let them eat canned for awhile (even though I cringe at the thought of garbage canned vs. Orijen dry they were on) although i would like to get them on a better canned which i have been trying to do and is causing all kinds of problems. That's when Gage got really fussy wouldnt eat any canned except fish canned thats when I started feeding him raw chicken. Sorry so winded, hope that explains everything.

 

[ldg]

I know JUST how you feel. When we learn about the diet, it's hard not to have it happen fast "enough." :heart2: I took a looooong time to decide to feed raw, so we switched from free fed kibble to timed meals first. With 20/20 hindsight, I can see I did that too quickly. I really stressed out the cats in the process - and I "get" now it just wasn't necessary for me to push so hard. So I now try to be the little reminder for other people, that while it's important to keep the goal in mind, it is a journey, not a race. We don't need to drive ourselves crazy, and we don't need to stress ourselves and the kitties. Eating his fish-based canned foods probably won't be an issue for a little while - especially if it's canned, and he doesn't have a problem with crystals.

Of course, that he likes fish can help with the transition. A LOT. Because fish is so strong smelling. There are a lot of great fish "toppers" you can use to help: freeze dried salmon, freeze dried shrimp, bonito flakes... any of these crushed up are very pungent!

Dr. Pierson also has a recipe for tuna water in her transition guide. So if Gage is a tuna lover, you might want to try that (adding tuna water to the food).

You can make you own tuna water by adding 3 cups of water to a can of tuna. Mash it up and let it sit for ~15 minutes then pour the water into covered (to help maintain freshness) ice cube trays. 3 cups of water will fill two 16-cube trays. The ice cube trays can be used for other flavored liquids as well.

From: http://www.catinfo.org/docs/TipsForTransitioning1-14-11.pdf

***********************

For our Flowerbelle, it was a LOT simpler. We took her to a new vet for a 2nd opinion on her cough. She was a (very) recent rescue baby, so the first thing he did was use that little tool to get a stool sample from her. He came running into the room and said to my hubby (they'd been chatting), "You have GOT to see this. I have never, in 15 years of practice, ever seen anything like this." He was referring to how packed her stool sample was with parasites - just teeming with them! He'd never seen it before, and all the vets were back there, pouring through their books... (this was back in 2003). Now they see lung worm all the time.

 

[catmomof6]

Hi again,  Sorry took me so long to reply.  I have been out of town.  So while I was away I had my mom feed Gage his fish canned food and the rest received their normal crap   Meow Mix....yuck!!!

Anyway while I was out of town the TC Feline came so I mix up a batch of chicken and TC Feline betting he would like it since everyone says it is kitty crack....not a chance!

He wouldn't eat it but yet they were trying to tear apart the bag of TC Feline which they got it open and was licking the powder.  I then dipped my finger in the mixture (that I had mixed up for Gage) and smeared it on their lips, noses, cheeks,  thinking they would lick it off and like it.......not a chance!  The bag says mix the powder with water then mix in the chicken, I think what I might do is cut up some more chicken then sprinkle the powder on the chicken without mixing the powder with water.  So conclusion:  Gage is still fussy, the others are eating crap Meow Mix.  I am not pushing anything else on them,  except still trying to get some nutrition in Gage.  

The fish toppers you are talking about LDG - where do you get them?  Is that something I can order from Chewy.com?  We are not seafood lovers so I don't know a whole lot about seafood.

 

[lovesmekitties]

Wow, didn't even take to the TC Feline!  How did he do with the Stella & Chewy's?

 

[kittiesmama]

I make my own raw diet, 1/2 boneless skinless chicken breast, 1/2 bone in skin on thighs along with livers, b complex, taurine, fish oil and vitamin e. I dont use egg as i have a cat with allergies . The raw diet helped get one of my cats off insulin , and the other to stop licking himself bloody. Not to mention their coats are amazing. !!

 

[catmomof6]

I haven't tried the Stella's and Chewy yet.  Today was the first day I tried the TC Feline,  What do I do with him????  He is driving me insane...not to mention everyone else in the house.  I will try chicken with TC Feline Powder mix with no water tomorrow, then I will try Stella's and Chewy if he won't eat the TC Feline.  His brother was just a little while ago trying to tear the bag open again but he won't eat it Mixed properly.  These cats were feral...they should be the first ones to take to raw easily?!?  My lung worm kitty (Jax) will eat mice he catches that comes in the house so why won't he eat raw.......grrrrrr!!  I have backed off on the rest of the crew, they are eating canned.  Not a good canned but it is canned. I just want Gage to be eating healthy and the right mix of foods he should have.  Plus he is closer to eating raw then the rest, since he will eat chicken. 

 

[lovesmekitties]

Your ideas are good.  He's a stumper.  I'm thinking maybe you could PM LDG or wait for her to pop in - she has good experience to rely on.  I'm really hoping Gage will like the TC if it's sprinkled on or the S&C's.  Please let us know how he responds.  So right now, he WILL eat chicken, right?  Just not with the TC mixed with water?  So the problem is that he's not willing to take in a balanced diet.  Is he at least eating plain chicken right now?

 

[peaches08]

Well, sounds like the TC Feline will help transition everyone else!

I make my own raw diet, 1/2 boneless skinless chicken breast, 1/2 bone in skin on thighs along with livers, b complex, taurine, fish oil and vitamin e. I dont use egg as i have a cat with allergies . The raw diet helped get one of my cats off insulin , and the other to stop licking himself bloody. Not to mention their coats are amazing. !!

Curious, what does the bone percentage come out to? This may help the constipation prone kitties.

 

[catmomof6]

So far he is eating plain chicken.  Sometimes he turns his nose up at it, when he does that I substitute with canned seafood variety since that is the only other thing he will eat.   He will not eat chicken and TC mixed with water.  I will keep you updated and LDG should pop in soon, it will be interesting as to what she has to say.  Hopefully she has answers for Gage the fussy butt!!  Peaches - I hope TC will work with the others.   I am going to give them some time to adjust to the canned,  I don't want to rush things.  I feel like everyone in my house (people and cats) are confused and frustrated!

 

[peaches08]

Oh, and as far as Gage, what about using eggshell and etc. to balance the meat? LDG has a recipe and the measurements to do it per meal (I make large batches).