[sugarcatmom]

Originally Posted by speck

Hi all,

Hi speck, welcome to pets.ca!

Originally Posted by speck

I have a 3 month old kitten who is thriving on her raw diet (store bought).

Awesome! Nothing better than a raw fed kitten. I've got a few myself and they have the softest, most luxurious fur and the sleekest feline physiques.

Originally Posted by speck

However, she seems to only really enjoy chicken and turkey.

What brand is it, and what other flavours or brands have you tried?

Originally Posted by speck

Being the cheapest of the raw meats, its great for my pocket, but is it great for her nutrition?, as cheapest is often less healthy? Do I need to get her supplements?

I do tend to prefer to feed a greater variety of protein sources if possible. Lessens the likelihood of addiction or allergy. You may have to introduce new foods more gradually than you've tried in the past, or perhaps sprinkling the top of it with something irresistable (my cats are crazy for freeze-dried duck liver these days) would help your kitty get used to it.

Originally Posted by speck

My other question, we are getting a 9 week old Boston Terrier today! Of course we are going with raw for him also, but I'm curious as some recipes for raw online are ok for both cats and dogs,

Depends on the recipe. Do you have something specific in mind? There is more room to move as far as nutrition goes for dogs, but cats have a pretty precise range of what they need to be healthy. It's possible to feed something designed for cats to dogs, but not necessarily the other way around.

Originally Posted by speck

Can I buy the commercial for dog and feed it to both kitten and puppy?

Again, depends on the commercial product you're referring to. There are some that can be fed to both dogs and cats (like Nature's Variety Instinct), but most of them are not interchangeable. Dog oriented products often have too much plant matter and not enough protein, may not have enough taurine, and can be out of balance as far as calcium to phosphorus ratios.

Originally Posted by speck

Last question.... how much would I save to invest in a grinder and mini freezer and make my own?

You can get a small chest freezer from Home Depot for around $200-$250, or you could check out Kijiji ect. for something even cheaper. As for grinders, it's best to pay a few bucks for a good one like Northern Tool or Tasin. Not all meat grinders can handle bones, but the Tasin TS-108 does: http://www.featherfootallnaturalpet....em.TS-108.html as does the Northern Tool Industrial #12: http://reviews.northerntool.com/0394...rating&dir=asc

Originally Posted by speck

And if I make my own can I make it suitable for both?

If you make it with the cat in mind, then yes.

Some more info on making cat food:
http://www.a-house-full-of-cats.com/rawmeatcatfood.html
http://catinfo.org/?link=makingcatfood
http://www.holisticat.com/rawrecipe.html