anyone feed raw?

[Gen120]

Anyone here feed raw food to their cats? raw diet? Been doing tons of research & reading a book called the natural cat with recipes for raw food & what vitamin additives you need to order. Those have been ordered & coming today. Much like bird food, cat food, canned & dry is filled with additives & chemicals that I don't want my cats eating. There is a local meat market that sells cat food (good, boneless scraps from their local grassfed beef, think it is hearts & livers?) I have to do tons of more research so I don't give them too much iron etc but was just wondering if anyone here does that?? I found our cats love scrambled eggs so I can cook those & mix it in for protein & its our chickens eggs so they're free range/organic etc.

 

[Jaguar]

I did raw for a while with my diabetic cat. He loved it, did really well on it, but it just wasn't financially viable as meat is EXTREMELY expensive in Canada.

If you don't have a good grinder or don't like the idea of having to deal with organs, etc. there are powdered supplements such as TCFeline which are meant to be added to raw boneless meat to make a complete diet. I think that's a good middle ground for a raw diet. There's also a few commercial options, like Stella & Chewy's, and some pet stores may have other brands of frozen/refrigerated raw as well.

 

[Sylvi_]

I fed raw for a few months, but switched over to a dry/wet diet per my vets request. My male did very well on it, but my female has a very sensitive stomach and the extra protein was bothering her.
I use Blue Wilderness, which is a grain-free brand. I love it and both my dogs get the same brand as well.
I so agree that a ton of brands have additives and chemicals, so it's important to do research on individual brands.
Hope your kitties do well on it.

 

[Bokkapooh]

Be sure to do some research. Cats needs taurine amongst other essential nutrients unlike other meat eating animals.

 

[Gen120]

Yeah I already ordered the vitamin powers including some with taurine in it. I did research & plan to do tons more also. Yeah, we feed the grain free Purina dry food. We will still use & buy that when we go out of town etc so whoever the caretaker is doesn't have to feed raw lol! Thank you guys for the advice! I am glad there are others here that feed raw.

 

[Mizzely]

Be mindful that some cats won't be interested lol. They are biologically inclined to turn their nose up at cold meat. Mine won't even eat most canned foods!

 

[Lady Jane]

I started a kitten out on the frozen raw foods. As time went by the kitten had trouble maintaining a good weight.

 

[Gen120]

Our cats go crazy for scrambled eggs so I can add those into the raw mix + 2 veggies according to the natural cat book. Oddly enough all 3 of our cats like canned pureed organic pumpkin & sweet potatoes so I can mix those into it also. Believe me, I am definitely doing so much research. My cats are just as important to me as my birds & I am definitely not making this decision lightly or without factoring in the opinions of my family (they all agree with me though lol)

 

[Lady Jane]

I have that book too. It's a go to book for any feline issues.

 

[painesgrey]

Please, please make sure you're doing this under the direction/guidance of a vet or a boarded veterinary nutritionist. Even recipes that are formulated to meet nutritional needs can prove problematic, since there are a lot of conditions that can be caused by excesses and deficiencies in a cat's diet.

 

[Gen120]

Please, please make sure you're doing this under the direction/guidance of a vet or a boarded veterinary nutritionist. Even recipes that are formulated to meet nutritional needs can prove problematic, since there are a lot of conditions that can be caused by excesses and deficiencies in a cat's diet.

Will do!

 

[Yoshi&Reza]

Nature's Variety might be a good option for you. I fed my girls raw full time for a while but as my standard poodle got older; it became too expensive.

They have a raw option for cats and it comes completely balanced so there is no risk to your cat.

When gathering the ingredients yourself... you have to get a variety. People who are 100% into raw say it is easy; but until you get into a routine and know that it is working for your cats, it can be tricky. It is easy to think you have everything figured out and then the animals weight starts to drop a little.

There are amazing benefits from raw though. No way to deny that! Even though I feed my girls Wellness now, I will still get turkey necks for them once a week to clean their teeth.

And by the way, most vets will not know much about a raw diet and may not be supportive of it. That is the good thing about the Nature's Variety because it is balanced and complete.

 

[Bartleby]

My cat and dogs get a partial raw diet. Raw is messy and can be time consuming, it doesn't appeal to pet sitters and sometimes I forget to thaw out what's needed. I believe variety is important and sourcing the wide variety of raw meats that would make me feel confident in my food plan has proven quite the headache....not to mention expensive. Getting all the supplements and balancing the ratios are also things that I just don't want to hassle with. So I opted to feed a varied diet of kibble, wet and raw. It works for us.

I believe we're getting the benefits of all the different diets...but also avoiding some of the pitfalls. If I'm pressed for time or have forgotten to thaw a serving whipping out a commercial meal is quick. I can feed the kibble in treat puzzles or timed feeders and the pet sitter is much happier to dole out dry then anything else. The wet and raw up the moisture content and since including bone in meals my vet has remarked how clean their teeth have become. If the raw is accidentally missing some essential nutrients the commercial diets will cover those.

Plus my crew has always loved their food, but since doing the varied rotational thing they seem even more excited about what might be popping up in their bowls!

 

[Tongue Flicker]

Not 100% raw but my mom use to feed 'blanched' chicken meat. She hates seeing the reddish/pinkish parts on meat so she does that and apparently our cat loved it. But a few years ago when i started keeping sugar gliders and hedgehogs, we held off on feeding raw so as not to awaken her 'wild side' and start having an appetite on my smaller critters lol

 

[JLcribber]

Major has been on raw since I got him but he's a dog. Fresher breath. Cleaner teeth. Much blacker and softer hair.

I buy Carnivora patties with fruit and vegetables mixed in. The stories I've heard is that a lot of cats just won't eat it and don't do well on it?

Carnivora whole animal dog and cat raw food diets.

 

[Ribbit21]

I tried a raw diet for my cats last year. It was difficult to do. It's so much easier to feed raw to dogs. Cats have such specific dietary needs. My cats did not do well on it at all. My oldest cat lost weight and 2 cats had really bad diarrhea. I think it would be easier to start out with a kitten.

If you want to try I would start out with pre-packaged raw diet that already has the right nutrients in it.