Ground?

[TulipRoxy]

I have completely switched my cats over to raw for about 2 months now. They were previously eating Instincts TC and raw meat for about 3 months or so.

They are doing great! I noticed they have started to look better since I started making raw for them, even better than when on Instincts TC. They're coats are incredibly sleek, teeth are getting cleaner, and less smelly gasto issues.

My question is this. Most of the info online is directed at people who want to grind. I see no need as the cats willing crunch up the chunked peices and its good for thier teeth. Is there anyone here that doesnt grind for their cats? If so do you have any good info or websites with people that feed whole?

My recipe is very simple

50% chunked chicken carcass, or wing tips
50% meat ( chicken, turkey, beef) organs( kidney, liver) or egg ( at least 3 times a week this is heart for taurine, and at least one other is beef chunks)
they also get salmon oil vitamin E and a teesy amount of kelp

How does this compare to what others feed? I guess I'm kinda relaxed with the dogs, I've been doing it longer, but I'm not as sure with the cats.

Thanks from the mildly obsessive cat mom!

[sugarcatmom]

Originally Posted by TulipRoxy

They are doing great!

Love to hear it!

Originally Posted by TulipRoxy

Is there anyone here that doesnt grind for their cats? If so do you have any good info or websites with people that feed whole?

Want4rain feeds her cats along the lines of a whole prey model, and doesn't grind. Not sure if you've seen this website: http://www.rawfedcats.org/naturesway.htm There's also a yahoo group somewhere on feeding whole prey to cats.

I wish my guy would go for it, but he just won't chew bones. At 15+ years old I'm not counting on him changing. At least he does like his raw. He prefers some of the chewier meats such as venison and buffalo so his teeth get a bit of a workout, just not the full meal deal.

[Love4himies]

Thank you for that recipe I would love to get my resident kitties on raw without grinding the bones too. They just don't seem to know what to do. Funny thing is when I feed raw with unground bones to my foster kittens, they know exactly what to do and love it so much better than cat food.

In your recipe, are you currently grinding the bones or the meat and want to stop grinding?

[TulipRoxy]

Originally Posted by sugarcatmom

Love to hear it!



Want4rain feeds her cats along the lines of a whole prey model, and doesn't grind. Not sure if you've seen this website: http://www.rawfedcats.org/naturesway.htm There's also a yahoo group somewhere on feeding whole prey to cats.

I wish my guy would go for it, but he just won't chew bones. At 15+ years old I'm not counting on him changing. At least he does like his raw. He prefers some of the chewier meats such as venison and buffalo so his teeth get a bit of a workout, just not the full meal deal.

Thanks for the website. I think I'd seen it before, but i bookmarked it so I can go back and thoroughly read it. It looks like that diet model approximates what I feed. Is it looked like their RMB were more meaty, and I usually feed carcass as they are softer, but they contain less meat, but I also add extra meat to the diet everyday.

I'm actually really surprised that they took to it. I never thought they would. That why i had them on Instinct TC for a while, but one day I gave them some neck chunks and both loved it!

[TulipRoxy]

Originally Posted by Love4himies

Thank you for that recipe I would love to get my resident kitties on raw without grinding the bones too. They just don't seem to know what to do. Funny thing is when I feed raw with unground bones to my foster kittens, they know exactly what to do and love it so much better than cat food.

In your recipe, are you currently grinding the bones or the meat and want to stop grinding?

No I've never ground. I used Instinct TC with ground meat and organs for a while, but found it was kindof expensive to be buying both the powder( plus shipping and handling) and ground meat. However, this was really helpful in switching them as it helped me get over the nervous, "Am I feeding every possible nutrient in the right proportions" part. Then I just gave them small hunks of kneck that were smashed up and they took to it. But this took a while. Before I started the Instinct I first transitioned both to cans. It probably took me several months to fully get them on raw.

Good luck with your kitties!

[Love4himies]

I get Jasper and Puddles to eat raw, Sweet Pea will if she is really hungry. I only supplement them with raw, because I am so afraid of not getting the proper recipe for them.

Puddles is a Himalayan and they are notorious for licking up their food so I don't think I could ever get her to eat unground bones. Jasper is also a licker, but I think I may be able to get him to. Sweet Pea is a chomper with a huge appetite so I think she will eat bones readily if she is hungry.

Would you be willing to give me more details on your recipe, such as how you feed them? Proportions, whole egg or is it just the shells. Do you mix the egg with ground meat, etc etc.

[rhartjr]

Originally Posted by sugarcatmom

http://www.rawfedcats.org/naturesway.htm

Great site sugarcatmom, I hadn't come across that one yet. I've 10 cats I really want to get off kibble but can't afford to feed that much canned. That site gave me some good ideas on how to give raw a try. Guess I'll be taking some cut up raw chicken breast home with a couple of cans of food I know they like. Thanks for posting that link.

[Love4himies]

Originally Posted by rhartjr

Great site sugarcatmom, I hadn't come across that one yet. I've 10 cats I really want to get off kibble but can't afford to feed that much canned. That site gave me some good ideas on how to give raw a try. Guess I'll be taking some cut up raw chicken breast home with a couple of cans of food I know they like. Thanks for posting that link.

I actually started Jasper on raw by putting a tinsy bit on his favourite treats, feeding him one by one and gradually increased the amount of raw by putting the raw underneath his treats. It also helps if the cat is really hungry as they are like humans, less picky with hunger.

[TulipRoxy]

Originally Posted by Love4himies

Would you be willing to give me more details on your recipe, such as how you feed them? Proportions, whole egg or is it just the shells. Do you mix the egg with ground meat, etc etc.

I know its really helpful to have detailed recipes in the beginning but in reality my recipe is not much more detailed than that. I just make sure that each day they have at least 50% chunked up RMB, and I alternate the rest. So far I have just given them chicken and turkey, but I'm gonna try rabbit or guinea hen as well. They eat 2 meals a day.

The other 50% of each meal is:

Liver approx 2X a week
Heart at least 3X a week
kidney chunks
Turkey meat
ground or chunks of beef
egg (beaten)
yogurt (occasionally)
canned salmon or fresh sardines if available

Then I split a salmon oil and vitamin E capsule between them, and add in kelp every couple of days.

I really just alternate whatever I have out of the freezer. It depends on what is available and what the dogs are eating as well. The only thing I make sure they get often is the hearts and beef for taurine.

I remember when I started them I was really worried that they wouldnt get enough of a balance, thats why I tried the Instincts powder, then I knew that they were getting everything they needed and wasnt worried about the Ca/Phos ratio being out of wack. This allowed me to start to get them to try other things and gave me the confidence to be able to do it on my own.

[Khari]

[QUOTE] Not sure if you've seen this website: http://www.rawfedcats.org/naturesway.htm There's also a yahoo group somewhere on feeding whole prey to cats.

The group that has been referred to above on Yahoo is "RAWCAT" - This group has been a wealth of info and support for transitioning my cats to raw. I highly recommend it. Search the archives for any info you may need and if you can not find what you are looking for ask the group. People are willing to help
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/rawcat/

Here is another Yahoo group that may help people with both dogs and cats
"RawFeeding"
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/r...ec=group&slk=2

[Khari]

Not sure if you've seen this website: http://www.rawfedcats.org/naturesway.htm There's also a yahoo group somewhere on feeding whole prey to cats.[/I]

The group that has been referred to above on Yahoo is "RAWCAT" - This group has been a wealth of info and support for transitioning my cats to raw. I highly recommend it. Search the archives for any info you may need and if you can not find what you are looking for ask the group. People are willing to help
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/rawcat/

Here is another Yahoo group that may help people with both dogs and cats
"RawFeeding"
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/r...ec=group&slk=2[/QUOTE]