Storing frozen raw food

[arinlars]

Hello all!

I'm trying to to feed Mimi raw food as I think it will help her ibd. She is eating wet food so I thought transitioning will be easier. Well she hates it
I have put a portion of the frozen food in the refrigerator to become softer. She doesn't eat it .. How long can I store it int he refrigerator before I throw it away?

Any tips to help her eat the raw? Finicky cats

 

[abby2932]

Is it commercial raw? What kind?

I transitioned my cats by putting about 1/4 raw mixed in well with 3/4 of their canned food and gradually increased the amount over a two or three week period.

Some people have had luck putting a little canned food and the raw food side by side and letting the cat choose but I think that mixing the raw and canned together and slowly increasing the raw until there is no canned left is a great method that worked for me.

By the way, my cats were 8 years old and 3 years old when I switched them from canned to raw.

 

[abby2932]

oh and I think you can leave raw food in the fridge for 2 or 3 days before it needs to be eaten or thrown away. I defrost only one day of food at a time.

 

[pinkdagger]

How long has the raw been thawing in the fridge? There's nothing wrong with refreezing it if you need to, and then try again later. I buy some of my meats raw and some frozen, and I always thaw, portion, and refreeze. Some companies recommend serving raw within 24 hours, but others say just follow common sense and try not to exceed 3-4 days like with meat you'd be thawing and preparing for yourself.

I don't feed a full raw diet, but Kismet looooooves raw. I always mix it with wet food.

 

[arinlars]

It's natures variety, luckily I bought the "sample" for $8! Well I thought she will eat it so I thawed only for one meal. I will try tomorrow as Abby 2932 suggested to mix it. Still they are smart they will be "really? We know what you are trying to do"

Pink dagger you are lucky that your kitty loves it! The cat food is supposed to get soft within minutes according to the package so now I have the one portion in the fridge for a day

 

[pinkdagger]

I feed two kinds of the Nature's Variety - I bought a lamb chub, which neither cat will eat on its own, and the sample of duck, which they also will not eat on its own. I had to thaw those in the fridge for like 12 hours before it got soft enough (some pieces wound up softer than others), and then I just mashed it all into the wet food till you couldn't see the difference. They ate it up like it was nothing!

Kismet only likes the actual cuts of meat or even ground meats on their own - she won't wolf down any commercial raw, which oh-so-conveniently for me is one of the most expensive foods I've bought for them. Cats!

 

 

[arinlars]

Awesome advice! I will do that ASAP!