Starting with Raw Food

[djkitties]

I went to my local natural pet food store and they had Stella & Chewys, Primal and Natural instinct raw. They were very expensive.

I've have tried Grandma Lucy's freeze l dried which is economical but now realize it's too many carbs. I found out it has 20% potato.

I have also used canned food but my kitty likes to eat several small meals a day and only seems to like the food right out of the can. Once I put it in the fridge and then try to warm up with a little water, he won't eat it. so I'm wasting a lot of food. He loves kibble but have been trying to limit that to a small portion. in the middle of the night when he wakes me up to eat and then I don't have to worry about it going bad.

I would like to try either a different freeze dried food or maybe raw commercial. Freeze dried would be probably be less waste as I can make small serving at a time. Otherwise, raw frozen but I have a small freezer so can buy too much at once.

Does anyone have suggestions as to most economical. I'm actually getting a second kitten this weekend so will be needing lot's more food! I would buy online (and hope the kitties will eat it) if I have to.

Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[peaches08]

From what I understand, premixes would be cheaper than commercial foods. Just mix up what you can store at a time. I do a homemade ground with chunks recipe, and it seems to be the cheapest way but there are initial costs (grinder). My grinder and upright deep freezer paid themselves off in about 8 months though.

There's also a prey model raw but I am not as familiar with it.

 

[djkitties]

What premix to you get? Thanks
 

 

[ritz]

Welcome to The Cat Site.  And congratulations for wanting to feed raw.

Freeze dried food varies in price from place to place, store to store.  Keep in mind that because of the way cats utilize raw food, some pet owners find their cats don't eat quite as much, so it's not quite as expensive as you might think.  And certainly it can be less expensive than premium cat food.

RadCat gets very good reviews, and commercial raw tends to have the 'feel' of wet food so the cats don't perceive it as Not Food.  It is in a fair number of independent pet stores.

You could try Hare Today (if on the east coast) or My Pet Carnivore (located in the mid west); (both mail you the raw food frozen)!   Both sell commercial raw, that is, nutritionally complete meals, as well as plain meat/organs if you want to try Frankenprey (whole prey model).  Shipping costs are extra.

If price is a consideration, you could check out your local grocery stores.

If you go the Frankenprey route, you do need to balance it out (meat/liver/non-secreting organs like kidney/bone).

Finally, if you haven't already, check out this site for LOTS of information about feeding raw.  Lots of good tips for how to transition a cat from wet/dry food to raw.

 

[djkitties]

Thanks Ritz.

I'm in the midwest so I'll look into mypetcarnivore. I would probably like to start out with the premix. I'm not sure I'm ready for Frankenprey as it is all so confusing to me and I want to make sure it's nutritionally complete.

My resident kitty is about 1 1/2 years old and i've had him for about 5 months now. I've been using premium canned and it's so expensive as well as all the wasting that goes on. Lately he doesn't like anything I've given him and wants to hold out for kibble.

I'm also worried about all the recalls.

And I'm adopting a second kitten this weekend.

I have been reading on this site and trying to figure it all out.

Thanks for any help!
 

 

[peaches08]

What premix to you get? Thanks

 

I used Better In The Raw and TC Feline; Alnutrin and Call Of The Wild are also good ones to use.

 

[djkitties]

I used Better In The Raw and TC Feline; Alnutrin and Call Of The Wild are also good ones to use.

Oh I see. Do you add the premix to the raw food you grind up? Are you making frankenprey or do you grind up some meat and add the premix. I think I would look into raw meat like mypetcarnivore and then add the supplement. Oh gosh I'm confused.

 

[djkitties]

Also, I just looked at mypetcarnivore and I wouldn't be able to start until June 14th when the truck comes to my area. Any suggestions on what do buy to start sooner? thanks

 

[peaches08]

Oh I see. Do you add the premix to the raw food you grind up? Are you making frankenprey or do you grind up some meat and add the premix. I think I would look into raw meat like mypetcarnivore and then add the supplement. Oh gosh I'm confused.

When I decided to do raw, I ordered the grinder but it took a while to get it since it was backordered at that time. So, to get my sick kitties (IBS diarrhea) onto raw quicker, I ordered premix. I simply cut the meat into strips and added the premix and water. Depending on which premix you buy, you may have to add liver (the site will tell you).

Once I got the grinder, I chunk some of the meat and grind the rest including bone per www.catinfo.org recipe. I get my supplements from www.iherb.com.

Frankenprey is a great option, but only one of my cats will do it. The other two sissies walk away. LOL!

Check out the links in the resources thread. Awesome info including menus.

A few things first: get rid of the dry. It's just not good for them. Second, you'll notice changes like a big increase in urine output. It will also be less sticky and smelly. Less and smaller stools with less odor too. My cats coats were greasy at first, but then turned incredibly soft. Like, freakishly soft.

Oh, for now you can supplement about 15% of the diet with raw without additional supplementation. One of the easiest things you can do is give gizzards, wing tips, necks...just rinse and serve!

 

[pinkman]

Check out the links in the resources thread. Awesome info including menus.

A few things first: get rid of the dry. It's just not good for them. Second, you'll notice changes like a big increase in urine output. It will also be less sticky and smelly. Less and smaller stools with less odor too. My cats coats were greasy at first, but then turned incredibly soft. Like, freakishly soft.

Oh, for now you can supplement about 15% of the diet with raw without additional supplementation. One of the easiest things you can do is give gizzards, wing tips, necks...just rinse and serve!

The menus are really awesome. Once I move, I'm planning to switch to frankenprey myself. 

I also wanted to elaborate about cutting out the dry completely. Not only it is far from being a diet cats were born to eat, it also digests at a different speed than raw does. Many on this board will say that you should not feed dry with raw. 

I use gizzards and necks, sometimes egg yolks to supplement my ground raw. Not only gizzards and necks are cheap to buy, they are great for dental health! 

 

[djkitties]

Thanks Peaches.

I think my local store has nature's logic supplement. So I maybe I would start by getting the supplement and adding to raw chicken strips. That way I can get started. My kitty is used to a pate so I don't know if I can get him to eat the unground meat. But it's not so much of a waste since I wouldn't have to buy a lot of chicken and the supplement I can use if I get the ground mypetcarnivore meat later on.

 

[djkitties]

The menus are really awesome. Once I move, I'm planning to switch to frankenprey myself. 

I also wanted to elaborate about cutting out the dry completely. Not only it is far from being a diet cats were born to eat, it also digests at a different speed than raw does. Many on this board will say that you should not feed dry with raw. 

I use gizzards and necks, sometimes egg yolks to supplement my ground raw. Not only gizzards and necks are cheap to buy, they are great for dental health! 

Yes, I'm going to have to cut out the dry completely. I've only been using it at night when my kitty is driving me nuts meowing. I don't think I'm ready for frakenprey but I am aiming toward ground meats and adding supplements. I'm going to try out your and peaches idea of gizzards etc.

 

[ritz]

Sounds like a good plan to me!  Good luck and post progress reports.

 

[djkitties]

Sounds like a good plan to me!  Good luck and post progress reports.

Thanks Ritz. Will do!

Is is bad to buy the chicken ground up already? i think I read that somewhere.

 

[peaches08]

Thanks Ritz. Will do!
Is is bad to buy the chicken ground up already? i think I read that somewhere.

Yes!! Ground meat has bacteria ground into it due to the blades dragging the bacteria into the meat. Now, I'm talking about grocery store ground, not pet food suppliers.

For cutting up meat, get yourself a pair of poultry scissors. I agree with pinkman, get them used to eating some strips now for dental health. I've asked my vet twice now about my oldest cat (over 2 years old) and he says leave him alone. The other two have beautiful teeth as well.

 

[pinkman]

Chicken, beef, or any ground meat bought at a supermarket is not recommended due to the fact that there's a lot of surface area that bacteria can live in also (I think.) The thing with ground raw mixes from Hare-Today or similar vendors is that they are ground frozen, I believe.

With gizzards when you try them you can try cutting them into small pieces if your cat doesn't take them well. With necks, you can mash them up a little so they're not so intimidating.

 

[harleydiva]

Also, I just looked at mypetcarnivore and I wouldn't be able to start until June 14th when the truck comes to my area. Any suggestions on what do buy to start sooner? thanks

I am also in the Midwest and use My Pet Carnivore for the majority of my supplies.  Their mixes are ground whole prey, which give you meat/bone/organ.  All I do is add Alnutrin supplement, which is available from the company who makes it at knowwhatyoufeed.com. I also add salmon oil once a day to add omega 3.  Water packed, salt free sardines are another good source of omega 3....I usually feed them once a week or so. With MPC, I started with the fine ground products for the first couple of months.  I now add in regular grind, such as ground guinea hog (pork), beef supermix (beef with tripe), etc with no problems.  

Before I found MPC, I was using Bravo Balance products.  They were more expensive than mixing myself, but still less expensive than the canned.  Cats ate it fine until they tasted the stuff from MPC....then they wouldn't eat it anymore.  (Thank goodness for dogs, who will eat anything....lol).  

There is also a raw food coop which operates in the midwest area, with monthly deliveries (rawpaws.org).  My guys liked the kitten mix, and are currently eating the venison and natural beef with green tripe.  I will still get stuff from them, but I am lazy, and don't really like having to mix in the organ to the mixes, so will stay mostly with MPC.  At this point, most of their ground products are from Blue Ridge Beef, most of which need organs added.  Their rabbit is $1 a pound cheaper though, and is complete.  

 

[djkitties]

Thanks Peaches and Pinkman!
 

 

[djkitties]

Ok, I went to my local natural pet food store and I was wrong. They don't carry any supplements for raw that I was thinking about. I called around and can't find any so I'd have to order online.

But they did have a couple samples of primal frozen chicken w/salmon  and turkey, I just gave my kitty 1 cube of the chicken. Well he started jumping around as soon as I took the package out of fridge.! He ate a cube!!  So, I think I'll go back and get a 3lb package tomorrow. I might get the mypetcarnivore or just do fresh meat with a supplement (that I would have to by online)

Oh, and I got a pack of gizzards yesterday, really cheap and gave him a few small strips and he loved that as well.!

I'm adopting a second kitten on Monday..so excited. He's been on Royal Canin dry and Fancy Feast wet.. Can I just start giving him the FF with raw to get him used to raw  and stop cold turkey the dry? I've got an appt at the vet but not for a week. I know the vet is holistic and is into raw / grain free but don't know about kittens.

Thanks for any help.
 

 

[djkitties]

I am also in the Midwest and use My Pet Carnivore for the majority of my supplies.  Their mixes are ground whole prey, which give you meat/bone/organ.  All I do is add Alnutrin supplement, which is available from the company who makes it at knowwhatyoufeed.com. I also add salmon oil once a day to add omega 3.  Water packed, salt free sardines are another good source of omega 3....I usually feed them once a week or so. With MPC, I started with the fine ground products for the first couple of months.  I now add in regular grind, such as ground guinea hog (pork), beef supermix (beef with tripe), etc with no problems.  

Before I found MPC, I was using Bravo Balance products.  They were more expensive than mixing myself, but still less expensive than the canned.  Cats ate it fine until they tasted the stuff from MPC....then they wouldn't eat it anymore.  (Thank goodness for dogs, who will eat anything....lol).  

There is also a raw food coop which operates in the midwest area, with monthly deliveries (rawpaws.org).  My guys liked the kitten mix, and are currently eating the venison and natural beef with green tripe.  I will still get stuff from them, but I am lazy, and don't really like having to mix in the organ to the mixes, so will stay mostly with MPC.  At this point, most of their ground products are from Blue Ridge Beef, most of which need organs added.  Their rabbit is $1 a pound cheaper though, and is complete.  

Thanks for the info. Sorry I didn't see this post until now. I can't find Bravo and I thought that primal was going to be more than canned, but according to their feeding guidelines it about what I was paying for canned. It's still a lot for me especially since I'll have two. But I'm so afraid of all the recalls that I would like to do mypetcarnivore. How do you defrost it ..does it come in a big package? The other thing is I have a small freezer so can't buy too much at once.  I'm going to look into rawpaws too...thanks for the tip!