Raw diet vs. today's economy

[imissmycats]

How does feeding raw compare price-wise with a high-end dry/wet diet?

I'd be interested in feeding raw a couple times a week- because that's as much as I could afford. Is that okay for cat's systems?

ETA: It should be said that these are not just my cats, but my mom's as well. She takes care of them while I'm away at college 9mos of the year, and she would not be enthused with doing 100% raw, but I could possibly convince her to offer it a couple times a week.

 

[sharky]

lol.. a few times a week is how I do it ...

For me and how PICKY I am about the meat I eat and they eat ... premium wet and dry for five cats is 35-60$ a month ... the lower being 50-75% by product no grain / veggie wet which is way cheaper than premium with grain , no grain with veggies ... Plus I get bulk discounts

...

Raw for the five would run me 70-120$ deopending on what meat they eat ... chicken is cheaper and you can easily do "franken prey " method .... premade commercial raw is about 4$ a day .. butcher done raw is 2-3$ a day

 

[furryfriends50]

The price is going to differ where ever you live. Also if you get free meat etc it can make a huge differance price wise.

I do not (yet) get free meat and it costs $10 a day for 20 cats right now. However they are barn cats and it has been below freezing for a weekish now so they go through a lot more food than a house cat would. Probably twice as much.

 

[missymotus]

I don't feed dry, all wet would run me $10-15 day. Raw is much cheaper than that for me, but I don't do it for cost I feed what I feel is best for the cats.

 

[brookesphynx]

With my four cats, I was spending about $60-70 per month for premium grain-free kibble/canned. Now that I've switched to feeding only commercial raw, I spend about double that amount. But, considering how much healthier they are now...I imagine I'll more than make up my expenses later on with reduced vet bills.

No doubt preparing the raw yourself (rather than buying it pre-made) would save some money, but if your Mom is already on the fence, commercial raw might be the only way to go and you'll definitely save money - and still get some benefits - by feeding it just a few times a week.

 

[chris10]

Its on average $0.50-1.50 per day to feed one cat. I can feed my four kitties for about $1.15 per day. So meat prices will determine. Comparing to regular Innova feeding a 13oz can from a bulk buy case will cost around $0.65 to feed one cat a day.

 

[auntie crazy]

Switching from a high-end canned diet (predominantly grain-, veggie, and fish-free) to a frankenprey raw diet reduced my feeding bill for five cats by more than half.

A lot of variables come into play with a question like this, not the least of which is local prices differences, but generally speaking, commercially prepared raw foods are going to cost more to feed than canned foods, and a personally-prepared raw diet (either ground or frankenprey) will cost less.

 

[imissmycats]

Thanks for all the replies guys.

At this point, the fact is that my mom will probably not switch to all raw. Maybe when she retires- she just can't warrant the time/complication of learning something new (yes yes, I know it can be easy and fast, but this is my mother, trust me.). Our cats are healthy on the dry/wet we have them on now. I might be able to convince her to do some raw chicken necks/legs, etc. a couple times a week.

Will that be okay for the kitties systems?

 

[sharky]

I have had no issues with a few servings a week

 

[imissmycats]

thanks that's good to know Sharky.

 

[sharky]

I will add on those days I pull the dry food up till about 8 hours later

 

[addiebee]

Originally Posted by sharky

I will add on those days I pull the dry food up till about 8 hours later

Is that for the difference in digestion times?

I was also wondering about giving the boys some raw a couple times a week. They are going nowhere fast re: adoption and Archie already had periodontal disease. Need to get a quote from the vet for cleaning and treatment. She thought it was bad enough to warrant something.

The high end grocery store chain here - Hiller's - has really good meat. They grind their own. You can get organic meats, etc. I know how my boys react when they get "whole" cooked food from me - salmon, shrimp. They go crazy.

 

[sharky]

Originally Posted by AddieBee

Is that for the difference in digestion times?

I was also wondering about giving the boys some raw a couple times a week. They are going nowhere fast re: adoption and Archie already had periodontal disease. Need to get a quote from the vet for cleaning and treatment. She thought it was bad enough to warrant something.

The high end grocery store chain here - Hiller's - has really good meat. They grind their own. You can get organic meats, etc. I know how my boys react when they get "whole" cooked food from me - salmon, shrimp. They go crazy.

yes it is for the digestion times...

lol at the cooked foods My Zoey loves cooked meats ( raw beef and some chicken she will do on occasion)

there are some powders that are avail for dental aids ( most have enzymes and pro biotics in them) that are proven effective