What raw foods work for you?

[2furgirls]

I've tried to put both my kitties on raw and unsuccessfully. Lots of $ down the drain! Could you share what worked for you please. My older one (3) is overweight and is showing signs of gingivitis too. I think raw will help her. The vet asked me not to feed the baby kitty (with "dire-rear") raw so I kept it out of the house. But I've heard otherwise about raw fixing intestinal problems. I see sardines on your menu, as these canned sardines? or fresh from a sefood market? What else raw do you give?

Thank! and great job from the pix. PS Wonder if it works for HUMANS too!!!

 

[sharky]

Originally Posted by 2furgirls

I've tried to put both my kitties on raw and unsuccessfully. Lots of $ down the drain! Could you share what worked for you please. My older one (3) is overweight and is showing signs of gingivitis too. I think raw will help her. The vet asked me not to feed the baby kitty (with "dire-rear") raw so I kept it out of the house. But I've heard otherwise about raw fixing intestinal problems. I see sardines on your menu, as these canned sardines? or fresh from a sefood market? What else raw do you give?

Thank! and great job from the pix. PS Wonder if it works for HUMANS too!!!

Most of the sardines are the cooked canned type... there are some on here that can get fresh, even if I could I would not as raw fish IMHO has far to many dangers ...

What types of raw did you try ?

 

[auntie crazy]

I only buy raw, water-packed, canned sardines; they're easy to find on the grocery-store shelves in the tuna aisle.

You say you didn't want to feed your kitten the raw you were offering the older cat, so you "kept it out of the house". Would it be possible to just put the kitten in another room? There are so many dangers outside and, for the life of my, all I can see is a sad, hungry, lonely kitten sitting on the doorstep in front of a closed door while her older companion gets a delicious meal of raw. *sniff*

(By the way, my Spencer and Heather ate raw as kittens and did just fine, as did - and do - the kittens of several folks on this forum. There are, in fact, quite a few raw-feeders who start their kittens on raw directly from weaning.)

As for what meats I feed my own crew.... why, there isn't a single (fresh) meat I can think of that I wouldn't offer them.

Currently, they're eating different parts of rabbit, pork, beef, chicken, turkey, and duck, as well as sardines and crickets once a week and occasionally some Cornish hen or quail.

 

[2furgirls]

Originally Posted by Auntie Crazy

I only buy raw, water-packed, canned sardines; they're easy to find on the grocery-store shelves in the tuna aisle.

You say you didn't want to feed your kitten the raw you were offering the older cat, so you "kept it out of the house". Would it be possible to just put the kitten in another room? There are so many dangers outside and, for the life of my, all I can see is a sad, hungry, lonely kitten sitting on the doorstep in front of a closed door while her older companion gets a delicious meal of raw. *sniff*

(By the way, my Spencer and Heather ate raw as kittens and did just fine, as did - and do - the kittens of several folks on this forum. There are, in fact, quite a few raw-feeders who start their kittens on raw directly from weaning.)

As for what meats I feed my own crew.... why, there isn't a single (fresh) meat I can think of that I wouldn't offer them.

Currently, they're eating different parts of rabbit, pork, beef, chicken, turkey, and duck, as well as sardines and crickets once a week and occasionally some Cornish hen or quail.

Hi, sorry for not getting back earlier, I was trying to find answers to my posts and missed this one. BTW when I said I kept "it" out of the house, I meant the raw food not the cat! I would never banish one of my fur babies to the outside. They do however, get lots of supervised garden time, and they each have personally crafted "grass salad bars" 6 feet long by 6 feet across, filled with various cat safe grasses.

I have tried many approaches to raw, many brands of raw (Primal, Wild Kitty, Wellness Core, the stuff that looks like sausages sold in Whole Foods, can't remember) - and also Prowl, Feline Future's Instincts... etc. etc. etc. They all mostly ended up in the trash bin.

However, raw was not recommended by the two vets who saw "Baby". And the first two rules for feeding raw seem to be:
# Avoid packaged supermarket ground beef
# Buy "free-range" meat and poultry from a trusted butcher

When I find #2 then I will be more inclined to go raw, but it will be something I prepare at home.

 

[auntie crazy]

Originally Posted by 2furgirls

Hi, sorry for not getting back earlier, I was trying to find answers to my posts and missed this one. BTW when I said I kept "it" out of the house, I meant the raw food not the cat! I would never banish one of my fur babies to the outside. ...

*WHEW!!*

Originally Posted by 2furgirls

However, raw was not recommended by the two vets who saw "Baby". And the first two rules for feeding raw seem to be:
# Avoid packaged supermarket ground beef
# Buy "free-range" meat and poultry from a trusted butcher

When I find #2 then I will be more inclined to go raw, but it will be something I prepare at home.

Neither of those "rules" is something I follow in feeding my cats. They get the same cuts of meat I buy for myself, no more, no less. Think about what goes into commercial products - anything on the grocery store shelves is going to be leagues ahead in quality and bio-available nutrients!

Just a thought - a lot of the commercially-prepared raw products have fillers such as fruits and veggies in them, not to mention other stuff; have you ever just tossed the cats a chunk of raw chicken breast or a slice of beef stew meat?

 

[sharky]

Originally Posted by 2furgirls

Hi, sorry for not getting back earlier, I was trying to find answers to my posts and missed this one. BTW when I said I kept "it" out of the house, I meant the raw food not the cat! I would never banish one of my fur babies to the outside. They do however, get lots of supervised garden time, and they each have personally crafted "grass salad bars" 6 feet long by 6 feet across, filled with various cat safe grasses.

I have tried many approaches to raw, many brands of raw (Primal, Wild Kitty, Wellness Core, the stuff that looks like sausages sold in Whole Foods, can't remember) - and also Prowl, Feline Future's Instincts... etc. etc. etc. They all mostly ended up in the trash bin.

However, raw was not recommended by the two vets who saw "Baby". And the first two rules for feeding raw seem to be:
# Avoid packaged supermarket ground beef
# Buy "free-range" meat and poultry from a trusted butcher

When I find #2 then I will be more inclined to go raw, but it will be something I prepare at home.

I completely agree with those rules as I do not buy that for me

unless they fall under that ...

Many vets are not familiar with raw ... at that point ask them why they are not recommending it ? Most will state either personal preference or lack of knowledge... Obviously if it is the latter ask if they are willing to learn with you

...If it is personal ask where they got the opinion from?

 

[2furgirls]

Originally Posted by sharky

I completely agree with those rules as I do not buy that for me

unless they fall under that ...

Many vets are not familiar with raw ... at that point ask them why they are not recommending it ? Most will state either personal preference or lack of knowledge... Obviously if it is the latter ask if they are willing to learn with you

...If it is personal ask where they got the opinion from?

One of the problems in trying to find then missing replies is I end up gabbing a lot elsewhere!

The vets did not recommend raw to Baby while she had bloody "dire-rear" when they did not know the cause(s). They did not find anything despite repeated tests, and more tests, so we were in a holding pattern. Raw could introduce other microbials that could complicate matters before it helped.

She was delicate for a long while, she hit 5 pounds only when she was 9 months, our goal was to get her to 9 pounds at her 1 year birthday. We did not think she would make it. Already she has lost some. She has amazing spirit and fought hard to get over the hump. She really suffered.

Her 9 lb minimum weight goal is something we set based on our own observations of feline length/bone structure/breed averages, not the standard vet language on the subject of cat weight. Both our fur girls are very very long, bone-wise. (We always ask vets questions, and in fact, refuse to have our cats treated out of our sight. If a vet practice doesn't allow that, we don't go. Even busy vet hospitals set up their treatment rooms so parents see their pets being treated without being in the room. )