Starting on the Raw Food Journey

[paziqi]

So, I've begun the process of switching the cats to the raw food.  We've been working on getting onto timed feedings for the past couple of weeks, and that has been going well.  I recieved an order from Hare Today last wednesday, and decided to see if they would eat the the homemade version I'm planning on feeding them in the future.  I have 5 cats, 2 of whom already enjoy raw snacks now and then.  The other 3 I wasn't sure of.  On thursday I started offering them all some raw along side their canned.  It was hit and miss.  On any given day at least half of them would chow the raw, but it wasn't the same cats each day.  Go figure.  At least they were all eating it.

On saturday I decided to try them all on just the raw.  Happily, they all ate it, no problems.  Unfortunately, 2 of them threw it up again within the hour.  So, I decided to go back to the slow road. I am now mixing a small quantity of raw into their canned, and increasing that each day.  If everything goes well, we should be entirely on raw within 2 weeks.  This has been a bit of a problem, since it means I'm not feeding an entire can of the canned food, and some of my cats don't like the canned food once it has been refrigerated.  One of my boys refused to eat last night, but he was eager this morning.  I also have some fortiflora (sp?) to use in emergencies.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Congrats on going the raw route! 

  I've got the same issue with my furkids not liking canned once it's been refrigerated, so i just use the 3 oz cans for those meals when I can't feed raw.  (or in your case, maybe a mix of 5 oz AND 3 oz?) 

Anyway, almost ALL of us newbies have had to resort to using toppers to get our pickies to eat raw, especially when introducing a new protein.  I've been feeding raw since March of this year, and I'm STILL using toppers almost daily.  2 of mine really like Fortiflora, and 1 absolutely HATES it!  But, I always have a box of it handy...it's been a lifesaver around here. 

What many of us also  use are things like Wholelife freeze fried chicken, turkey, cod, salmon, lamb, venison or PureButes freeze dried chicken,  or now Carolina has discovered a new one called Shelf Reliance freeze dried beef, chicken, ham and turkey.  Or you can even used parmesan cheese! 

We'll be anxious to here how your journey proceeds.  Best of luck.  Sounds like it's going to be a fairly easy transition, since they are already eating it.  You said you ordered Hare-Today.  What exactly did you feed them?   Did you order the Alnutrin to mix in with it?   Are you giving them pro-biotics and maybe digestive enzymes too?  That might help with the throwing up.

 

[ldg]

Oooo how exciting!

Sally pretty much covered all the bases. :lol3: My main question as re: the vomiting is what was fed? And for the raw you've been offering them, has it all been the same protein?

Because during the transition, it helps to stick to white meats at first (for MOST kitties - obviously there are the exceptions who don't like chicken or turkey but LOVE beef and do well with it). In my cats, who are all older (I transitioned 8, and they range from 5 to 10 years old), red meats made a few of them throw up at first (as did organs). Or most of them. So what I would do is just back up, and go slower - which is exactly what you're doing!

FYI, for that extra canned food, you can freeze it. Many people recommend putting it in ice cube trays. But it'll dethaw REALLY quickly under warm running water if you stick it in a plastic baggie and smoosh it evenly flat. That's how I store the ground raw food. My crew eat 11 ounces at a time, and that dethaws pretty quickly if I need it to. :lol3:

And yeah - I had to use toppers for months. I don't remember how long. I still have to use some for one or two of the cats at times. It is what it is. What they're eating is so much healthier than what they WERE eating, I'm not going to worry about it if Spooky needs some "Flortification," as Sally named it. :lol3:

Keep us posted! :cross:

 

[paziqi]

The raw they are currently on is made with Better in the Raw mix.  I'm going to change them over to the Alnutrin once that is gone, but I had ordered the Better in the Raw before I knew about Hare-Today and Alnutrin.  At the moment, The Better in the Raw is just mixed with ground meat, but I like the idea of actually feeding them the ground bone better, which is why we'll be switching to Alnutrin.

The feedings have been going very well.  We have a system in place now.  Two of my boys have to be locked up in seperate rooms for half an hour.  They both chow down as fast as they can, then go after whatever is on someone elses plate.  The other three all eat a bit, then wander off.  I wait about 15 minutes, track them down, and put their plates back in front of them, and they eat a little more.  Then we have to repeat one more time, before it's time to let the bad boys out, and dispose of any left overs.  There is usually a little left over now, but not much.

I was worried that they would become accustomed to the flavor of the toppers, and refuse to eat without them.  So, I didn't want to over use them.  But you are right, I'd rather have them eating the raw with the fortiflora than the dry/canned combo they've been getting.  So I'll try not to worry about that.  And I hadn't heard of using probiotics before.  I'm going to check into that.  Thanks for all the suggestions!

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Great system.  I've got a speed eater too, and he's fat as well (figures, huh

), so I definitely do NOT want him getting into anyone else's bowl.  I feed my slowest eater first, up on the table, then the other two on the floor, but I have to keep my eyes on all 3 all the time.  Plus the speed eater gets his food smooshed into his bowl so he can't just gulp it down in one big swallow.  I just wish he understood why everyone else is still eating when he's done.  He looks at me like he's being denied

. 

Yes, do check into probiotics, and digestive enzymes.  They help in the beginning, especially since raw food is so new, and if your furkids are throwing up, could be they  need them.  Most of us use Prozyme brand.  There are tons of probiotics around.  You can get them just about anywhere.