Pre-mixes: Thaw, Mix, And Refreeze? Or...?

[daftcat75]

I don't have a grinder and I'd like to make a batch of food with a pre-mix like EZ Complete or Better Than Raw. Personally, I like EZ because I can make single meals. But I'm not sure EZ will work for Krista. For other mixes that I have to make 2 lbs batches or more, do I thaw the meat, mix it all up, and then re-freeze it? Are there any tips or considerations to make sure things mix and re-freeze well? I don't eat meat myself so I don't have the knowledge or experience of meat handling.

 

[dhammagirl]

Hi!
I don't eat meat either, but make raw ground food for my kitties. I thaw the meat (usually whole carcass rabbit, or boneless turkey thighs with ground turkey organs) in the chub(s) in a large metal roasting pan, on the counter in my basement overnight. In the morning it's still very cold, but thawed. I cut open the chub in the pan, remove the wrapper, add the pre-mix supplement, I use Alnutrin, water, some fish oil, and ground organs if necessary, and mix it well with my hands, whilst wearing dishwashing gloves. Then put it into small plastic freezer-safe containers and back into the freezer. I haven't had any issues with kitties getting ill or rejecting the food.

 

[sabrinah]

I don't eat meat either but I don't think I'm screwing up the process too badly. I always bleach the heck out of the entire kitchen when I finish making food and I wash my hands constantly, regardless of whether or not I wear gloves.

I usually buy meat a week before I need to make the food so it goes straight in the freezer from the store. When I'm ready I defrost just until I can get a knife through it, grind (in your case cut into chunks?), mix, portion into ice cube trays (it makes feeding easier for me), and freeze. I use Alnutrin so I have to add in the liver, then I add in extra fat until around 50% of calories are from fat (my senior kitty needs it), fish oil (not required but I like to add it), and I add in a little hearts and gizzards to round the weight up to a nice number. After a couple days I pop the cubes out of the trays and put them into stackable storage containers. I take out one day of food at a time and let it defrost overnight in the refrigerator. For some reason, it hasn't actually been defrosting fully overnight anymore for the last few months, so I have to crush the partially frozen cubes and mix them with a little water until it's not icy anymore. My cat has no problem eating very cold food.

All I can say is mix the heck out of the food to make sure everything distributes well. I mix together the supplement, water, and fish oil first so it's at least partially dissolved when I add the meat. Once my cat fully transitioned to raw I didn't have any issues with her eating the food, even if it had a little freezer burn or something. She only gets sick if she scarfs and barfs but making sure she has enough dry to graze on overnight usually prevents that.

 

[Tobermory]

I have separate bowls (stainless), utensils and sponges that I use only for making the cats’ food. My kitchen scale has a removable stainless top, too. I cover the countertop with newspaper because I’m a klutz and will invariably slop some on the counter when I’m portioning out the food. I freeze batches in Rubbermaid containers that hold about 6-7 ounces. I usually dampen several paper towels to have at the ready if I need to wipe something quickly.

I freeze the meat when I bring it home from the store and then move it to the fridge a couple of days before I’m ready to make food. Once it’s thawed, I mix in the supplements and water, stir really well, and then portion out the mixture by weight into the containers. Then I label each container so I know what’s in it and re-freeze. I try to have everything set up beforehand so I’m not leaving the meat out for a long period of time.

I feed chicken, turkey and rabbit, all boneless. For the chicken, I mix individual supplements and liver using Dr. Pierson’s recipe at catinfo.org. I use EZ Complete for the turkey and rabbit because the girls seem to like those proteins better with the EZ. Why might EZ not work for Krista?

I don’t know if this helps but ask if you have more questions!

 

[LTS3]

For other mixes that I have to make 2 lbs batches or more, do I thaw the meat, mix it all up, and then re-freeze it? /QUOTE]

Yes, partially thaw the meat, add in the pre-mix and water, stir to combine and break up the meat, portion out, and then refreeze.

 

[daftcat75]

Why might EZ not work for Krista?

Because the inclusion of digestive enzymes makes her look like this. And breaks her trill button. She normally trills at a touch or even the suggestion of one. But when the digestive enzymes are eating her, she’s silent with a don’t touch me face.

 

[Tobermory]

Because the inclusion of digestive enzymes makes her look like this. And breaks her trill button. She normally trills at a touch or even the suggestion of one. But when the digestive enzymes are eating her, she’s silent with a don’t touch me face.
View attachment 265762

Poor little one. She really does look miserable.