When To Start Transitioning To Raw?

[Sketchyeh]

Hey there,

I made an account just for this purpose! I hope that a more seasoned raw-feeder will be able to give me some advice.

\Here's my issue: it's not just that my cat won't eat the raw food I've gotten for him (I chose "Stella & Chewy's Meal Mixers - Duck, Duck, Goose" since he doesn't seem to have any dislike for poultry) - it's that he won't eat anything but his dry kibble.

My cat (Krueger) has been on dry food his entire life, from the day I adopted him. I recently have been transitioning him from Iams to Performatrin Ultra (grain free), which he did not have any issue with. I've never been able to get him to so much as lick a wet food product, save for one time (which was the Ultra brand as well), and he won't even touch tuna from a can or anything.

Now that I've moved out on my own and I'm paying for all of his food, I really want to get him started on a healthier diet so he doesn't develop any issues later on in life. I have purchased four small cans of Ultra brand wet food, as well as the meal mixers I mentioned above, and I have a few samples of freeze-dried raw food as well. He has never had a feeding schedule, always free-fed, but from my research, it says that getting a cat on a routine would be the most beneficial.

So what do I do?
Do I put him on a dry food schedule first, get him used to that, and then start introducing wet food so I can then introduce the raw later on? Should I give up on RAW raw and stay with the freeze dried? (He likes freeze dried treats, and has shown interest in the nuggets, though not very much). In the event that I do put him on a schedule, what would the best times of day be?

I have an idea of how to do this, but I'm not sure where to start or what would be least stressful for him. Now that we've moved to a small basement suite, he doesn't have as much space to roam and he cannot go outside, so I also hope this will help keep him healthy and fit.

Any advice, cat lovers?

 

[Neo_23]

It's often easier to get cats to switch from dry to wet first, and then to go from wet to raw.

I would try different brands and flavours of wet foods to try and find one that he likes. You can mix the wet with the dry, but just make sure it doesn't sit out too long for bacteria to build up.

I find that the probiotic Fortiflora works as a great appetite stimulant. I can usually get cats to eat something they don't prefer by sprinkling a little bit of it on their food. You don't have to use a whole packet if you're just using it as an appetite stimulant, you can use half and put the rest in the fridge.

This article gives some great advice for transitioning kibble-addicted cats to wet and eventually raw: http://catinfo.org/docs/TipsForTransitioning1-14-11.pdf

I would say that canned food and raw are both healthier than dry. The key is that they both have high moisture and are low in carbs. Whether or not food cooked or raw food is better is an issue up for debate. Personally I feed a raw/canned diet so my cat gets the benefits of both.

I feed 3 times a day - raw in the morning, some can in the afternoon/evening, and then some more canned before bed.

 

[Sketchyeh]

Thank you!
I've been slowly (and I mean SLOOWWWWLY) getting Krueger to eat wet food. Usually, I have to leave it with him for the day or he won't touch it. I know you aren't supposed to do that, but otherwise, I will be wasting way too much food. He does seem to eat it when it's left for him during the day like his dry food used to be, so I think he will soon adjust. Meal times are still hard to plan since I work varying hours, but I usually at least take any food he has up at night so he will be hungry in the morning.

As for RAW, he's not super keen on it yet. He did eat three little meal mixers once, but any attempts I've made past that have been useless. Thank you so much for your help! I appreciate it

 

[hell_storm2004]

I did mine at a fairly early age, before they turned 1. I tried to finish a pack of dry food as I didn't want to waste it. But after meat diet, they wouldn't even touch it.

My friend's cat was on dry food all her life. At about 5 years of age, she tried to change it didn't work, she gave up. Patience is the key. From what i know if they are doing it all their life, they dont associate meat with food.

 

[sabrinah]

My cat was on just dry for 10 years, then when it was finally time that I got to choose her food I got her eating half her diet as wet, and now we're transitioning to raw. It can be a long process. I definitely agree with getting your cat used to canned first. I used Stella and Chewy to start with while I planned my raw adventure, then started introducing plain raw chicken and liver (she hates the liver!). Eventually I made the food using Alnutrin and I've been ssslllooowwwlllyyyy working it in to her wet food. It's been a pain and she really doesn't seem to enjoy it, but she has no choice.

 

[Sketchyeh]

Exactly! Yeah, he's definitely not thrilled about it. But I'm hoping that I can at least get my new kitten used to eating wet food from the start so that the transition won't be too hard. I may even wait to introduce raw again until the kitten is old enough to eat it too, just in case.

 

[hell_storm2004]

I would suggest take tiny piece of meat and hand feed them. Not like shoving in her mouth!
Just hold it in your hand and take it to their mouth. Let them smell it, lick it and get a taste for it. That's how I did it. If they are eating it that way, then i guess you can move on to bigger stuff.