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Old October 12th, 2011, 02:59 PM
speck speck is offline
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A few Q's on Raw

Hi all,

I have a 3 month old kitten who is thriving on her raw diet (store bought). However, she seems to only really enjoy chicken and turkey. 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?

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, yet the commercial raw has different percentages. Can I buy the commercial for dog and feed it to both kitten and puppy?

Last question.... how much would I save to invest in a grinder and mini freezer and make my own? And if I make my own can I make it suitable for both? or will I still need to make two separate batches?

As for the commercial raw I buy, the cat food is 90% meat and 10% veggie and the dog raw is 75% meat and 25% veggie.

Thank You!
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Old October 12th, 2011, 04:09 PM
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sugarcatmom sugarcatmom is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by speck View Post
Hi all,
Hi speck, welcome to pets.ca!

Quote:
Originally Posted by speck View Post
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.


Quote:
Originally Posted by speck View Post
However, she seems to only really enjoy chicken and turkey.
What brand is it, and what other flavours or brands have you tried?

Quote:
Originally Posted by speck View Post
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.

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Originally Posted by speck View Post
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.

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Originally Posted by speck View Post
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.

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Originally Posted by speck View Post
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


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Originally Posted by speck View Post
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
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Old October 12th, 2011, 05:35 PM
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Love4himies Love4himies is offline
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Good choice going raw . I actually make my own homemade raw. The main protein source is chicken, but pork or beef may be added too. It is sooooooooooooooo much cheaper and yes, I grind mine.

I do also feed my cats Nature's Variety and Wellness canned (plus others, but not as regularly) and I buy different protein sources in that.

The hard part about making raw with the different sources is because of trying to grind the bones, chicken is easiest.

I do find that all my cats do prefer venison to any domestic meat, so if you can get your hands on some, it may be a great treat for your kitty
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