What raw food to get my kitten?

[ares]

Hey guys!

So it turns out Ares LOVES raw. He's been having eating issues for the last few days, and I've had some Bravo raw sitting in my freezer for when he got better (as I wanted to wait till his URI was done before starting him on raw.) On a whim, I gave him a small portion to see how he took to it, assuming I would have to transition him from canned to raw I mixed it with his wet food. Little guy picked through his wet food to get to the raw, and ate another spoonful of just raw I put on his dish - YES.

Now my question is, what commercial raw should I be feeding him? I see a lot of raw diets have veggies in them, which cats just don't need, and I don't have the time or space to make this food myself. Any you can recommend that I could buy in a store? (I have several organic and independent pet stores in my area.) Is there a Bravo that doesn't have veggies? As I bought one for him to try, but it wasn't a balanced formula - do they have one for cats?

Thanks!

 

[ritz]

Oh, how good your cat is so smart!  As are you to at least give raw a chance.

RadCat gets high praise on this site; it is available in most independent pet stores.

Bravo does have a vegetable free blend  for cats, but you have to add supplements.  Alnutrin is a good supplement; there are others, too.  Check with the independent pet stores--they probably sell a supplement if they sell raw food.

The other option to making your food is to go the Frankenprey route:  protein (meat, poultry, rabbit, quail, goat, etc. what ever you can find in your local grocery store/your cat likes) + liver + kidney + bone.

Let us know how things go.

 

[harleydiva]

Here is some lists of commercial products.....  

http://feline-nutrition.org/nutrition/easy-raw-feeding-for-the-busy-person

http://www.naturalcatcareblog.com/2010/12/the-7-best-natural-commercial-cat-foods-so-far/

I have heard good things about RadCat.....it is not available in my area, and is (in my opinion) REALLY expensive.   I used Bravo Balance for a while with good results.  It has some fruits/vegetables, but it is pretty minimal.  If you use one that is for both dogs and cats, I would be sure to add extra taurine, either in the form of heart, or an actual supplement.

 

[ares]

Just did some looking around for radcat, and it IS very expensive. If I were to choose between Bravo balance and Natures Variety - what would you pick? How should I portion this food out, and how long should I thaw it in the fridge?

Thanks for helping guys, this is all a little confusing hahah

 

[Willowy]

Don't choose between them---use both! The more variety, the better.

As for portioning, some people let it thaw, portion it into meal-sized servings, and re-freeze. Or just let 3 days' worth thaw out and scoop the servings out. However it works best for you. Thawing time depends on the size of the frozen portion and how cold your fridge is.

 

[ares]

Don't choose between them---use both! The more variety, the better.

As for portioning, some people let it thaw, portion it into meal-sized servings, and re-freeze. Or just let 3 days' worth thaw out and scoop the servings out. However it works best for you. Thawing time depends on the size of the frozen portion and how cold your fridge is.

Thank you! That is a great idea lol.

I currently have a 12 week old male kitten, and in the next month will be getting another one the same age (he really needs a sibling ) How many ounces of raw a day should a kitten this age be eating? 3-4oz? I know it's less because their getting more out of it, I'm just not sure how much less! I might look for 3oz containers too so I wont have to measure too much and I can leave them for my mother when she watches my cats

 

[harleydiva]

I started with Nature's Variety the first 10 days or so.  Then I went to Bravo Balance....cats liked it much better.  The Bravo is more "meaty", while the NV was kind of pasty/pate like....doesn't look much like meat.  (I only tried chicken and beef).    After they had the Bravo.....they wouldn't eat NV anymore.  Now that I am making my own with premix....they won't eat Bravo.  

I personally think Bravo is better quality than NV.  

 

[ares]

Also, what are some the main supplements I should add to bravo balanced chicken? taurine, fish oil, anything else?

 

[ritz]

I don't believe you need to add any supplements to Bravo Balance.  If you want, you could add some Krill oil a couple of times a week and slip in a piece of chicken/turkey/pork heart once or twice a week as a treat.  Some people add an egg yolk or half an egg yolk a week for the Omega 3/6.  They are calorically dense--not an issue for a growing kitten but could be in the long term.

BTW:  is the kitten(s) on probiotics?

To calculate how much to feed, you can refer to the Bravo's chart.  www.catcentric.org has a chart that compares commercial raw products/brands.  This site also contains a wealth of information about raw feeding in general.

 

[harleydiva]

Also, what are some the main supplements I should add to bravo balanced chicken? taurine, fish oil, anything else?

Bravo Balance is complete.  It is, however, formulated for both cats and dogs.  When I was feeding it, I always fed chicken hearts at least a couple of times a week for added taurine, as well as salmon oil several days a week for omega 3.  You could also feed water packed, salt free sardines once a week.  Other than that....you should be good.  

Chicken is a good starting protein.  Once he gets used to it, add additional proteins in the rotation.

 

[ares]

Thank you Ritz, Harley, this has been very helpful! I'll pick up his raw balanced tomorrow and some extras as well.

Would I be able to add those to every meal? As I plan on pre-making them and putting them in 3oz containers. Also, how many proteins should I be switching?

 

[ritz]

Ritz is an adult female, so it may be different for young cats, but I pop open a 500 mg Krill oil about three times a week and smear it on her food.  When I run into a good price on hearts, I pick up some and give her a meal, in a regular rotation.  I use to give Ritz probiotics every day after a bout of throw up; now, it's about three to four times a week.  (When she is particularly nervous, I put some Rescue Remedy in her food, but that's another thread !)  I don't supplement with egg, but that's my personal decision.  But I have within the past five months, added Alnutrin, the kind that is formulated for use with organs and bone, to the frankenprey, which, like you, I prepare in 3 oz batches.  I tend to buy the same protein, from the same cuts of the animal, and was a little worried about Ritz getting the micronutrients she needs.

Ideally, you should rotate three to five proteins.  I'm fortunate in that Ritz loves any and all proteins, from goat to llama to venison to pork/chicken/veal/beef/rabbit.  It really depends on your cat:  some prefer light meat, some dark; some don't like the texture of certain proteins.  If you yourself are a meat eater, now is the time to experiment:  every time you prepare meat/fowl, give your cats a taste and see how they like it.

 

[harleydiva]

 

[ares]

Thank you! I was in the middle of looking for some containers as we speak - I'll stop by walmart today and pick some up. My kitten will, sadly, only eat off of flat surface

 

[harleydiva]

I did a little digging, and it said I should feed a little over 3 oz a day of raw food, but I feel like it should be more. I'll most likely do 4-5oz and split it up between 3 feedings (as he's only 12 weeks) and yes, I have him on a probiotic right now, as he's currently on his 3 antibiotic for an URI. This, actually, leads into my next question. Should I wait till his immune system is back up and healthy before I start feeding him raw? Or will the raw diet actually help him?

Thank you! I was in the middle of looking for some containers as we speak - I'll stop by walmart today and pick some up. My kitten will, sadly, only eat off of flat surface

The Glad ones are cheaper, and stack a bit better.....the Rubbermaid ones have a screw-on lid that won't come off, and are definitely sturdier and will last longer.

 

[ritz]

I don't know if you should wait until his immune system is back up to par.  Hopefully someone with more knowledge in this area will chime in.

With all of the antibiotics he is on, it may be hard to determine whether any (if any) reaction to the food would be because of the antibiotics or the raw food.

He should be on probiotics because of the antibiotics--regardless whether you're feeding any kind of raw.

There are some brands that are guaranteed to be pathogen free; I think Primal is one.  You might check into those.  Or make sure the meat you buy is super fresh, not (like I do) reduced 50% because it is approaching its "sale by" date.

PS:  thrift stores and garage sales are good places to find Rubbermaid type containers.  To maximize space in a freezer, chose the same shape--square and rectangular seem to take up less space than round ones.

 

[harleydiva]

PS:  thrift stores and garage sales are good places to find Rubbermaid type containers.  To maximize space in a freezer, chose the same shape--square and rectangular seem to take up less space than round ones.

I think Ritz is right about the square containers stacking better and possibly taking up less space.  I do like using both, because I pack different foods in different container types.  

 

[ritz]

One of these days I'll get super organized/coordinated, and co-cordinate meats & colors of tupperware like containers....

 

[harleydiva]

One of these days I'll get super organized/coordinated, and co-cordinate meats & colors of tupperware like containers....

I'm not organized at all most of the time....but I do get compulsive about a few things.  I would be so happy if they would offer the little snack containers with different colored lids so each protein could have it's own color...lol.

 

[ritz]

There are such little snack containers, I think I found them in the thrift stores or office supply store.

Very small, barely fit 3 oz of protein and kidney/liver.