Supplementing a commercial diet w/ fresh foods

I have read some books lately. Most pet food manufacturers are totally against feeding healthy table scraps to pets. But I've read some holistic information indicating that the message that all table scraps are unhealthy is false and that it is actually very beneficial to supplement a processed diet w/ fresh food such as fresh, unseasoned meat, some plain yogurt or cottage cheese, grated raw or steamed veggies. I'm wondering if any of you supplement your cats commercial diet. If I were to do so I would cook the meat though and according to the author of "Food Pets Die For" Ann Martin it's fine to cook the food. She feeds her cats a homemade cooked diet. Dr Belfield is another holistic vet who approves cooking the food. I think the nice thing about supplementing a commercial diet is that you don't have to worry so much about a perfect balance of vitamins and minerals. I'm wondering if any of you have any recipes.

I have plenty of them

just got the new ones from the vet this week.... but it is early... can you wait till later I will send them ///

two of my three are eating off the oriental medicine chart ( hey I am tring it and it is working) ... they often get canned mised with homemade

Of course I'll wait. I just got out of bed myself. And I'll be cleaning house so perpaps I'll check again this evening. One thing that I always wonder is where people get all the supplements. Although I'll only be supplementing commercial pet food I know some recipes include supplements. I'm uncomfortable buying a supplement intended for people and assuming it's ok to give to animals.

Originally Posted by moggiegirl

Of course I'll wait. I just got out of bed myself. And I'll be cleaning house so perpaps I'll check again this evening. One thing that I always wonder is where people get all the supplements. Although I'll only be supplementing commercial pet food I know some recipes include supplements. I'm uncomfortable buying a supplement intended for people and assuming it's ok to give to animals.

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A lot of online pet supply sites sell supplements, e.g., http://www.solidgoldhealth.com/produ...wcat.php?cat=3
I offer cooked meat or fish, a hardboiled egg, cottage cheese, pumpkin or spinach instead of commercial food a few times a month, but don't bother to supplement because commercial food is still the bulk of the diet.

As long is it's not more than about 10% of their diet I don't think there's much harm in feeding cats table scraps but I'd be very careful in what you give. esp as some foods are toxic to cats (onion, garlic, chocolate, grapes to name a few). I let my cats lick my plate when I'm finished eating and it's more than my life's worth to throw out an empty yogurt carton without letting them lick it out first. But be careful of processed meats and foods that are high in salt or sugar. Cats don't really need these foods. Neither do they need veggies. I feed raw meat occasionally as a treat which they love more than anything else.

I'd also be careful about what supplements you add. Commercial foods are mostly balanced to ensure they have the correct nutrients (even the bad ones!) so adding supplements could result in an unbalanced diet. Some supplements are ok of course but I'd check with your vet or the manufacturer of the supplement first to make sure it's ok to add to commercial food. I add a probiotic to Jaffa's food.

I personally don't do it in any formal way but my cats do get raw food on occasion. Generally they have dry food available all the time and get wet food 2-3 times a day. They usually get raw food - mostly chicken thighs or gizzards or turkey necks - in place of wet food one meal a week.

Do you think I can trust raw meat from a regular grocery store such as Vons?

Originally Posted by moggiegirl

Do you think I can trust raw meat from a regular grocery store such as Vons?

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I'm not familiar with it. We buy "organic meat" only, just on principle, but Jamie won't eat any meat raw.

I buy local meat or certified non antibiotic treated, organic when avail .... Poultry is easier to get general grocery

I think that even fresh human grade food has parisites in it. We cook our food. I think raw food for cats is frozed to kill off parasires. I'm probably wrong. But I had a hard time with my cats and raw food so I gave up trying. If we give our cats chicken now it's been cooked.

Originally Posted by Sailfish

I think that even fresh human grade food has parisites in it. We cook our food. I think raw food for cats is frozed to kill off parasires. I'm probably wrong. But I had a hard time with my cats and raw food so I gave up trying. If we give our cats chicken now it's been cooked.

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Yes evan the best meat can have issues but most cats do fine... lol... i am rotateing now as all raw didnt fly

Originally Posted by Sailfish

I think that even fresh human grade food has parisites in it. We cook our food. I think raw food for cats is frozed to kill off parasires. I'm probably wrong. But I had a hard time with my cats and raw food so I gave up trying. If we give our cats chicken now it's been cooked.

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Yes it is reccommended that raw meat be frozen for at least 72 hours to kill off parasites. You're right about that. But it doesn't kill the bacteria.

Speaking of cooked food, what do you think of the recipes on this site? I don't believe they're complete and balanced recipes. Ann Martin rotates meals to give her kitties a balanced diet. But I think as as occasional meal, just to supplement a processed diet w/ occasional fresh food, they're nice. I haven't tried them yet. I'm not so sure the grains are necessary though. But according to Ann Martin, her animals are doing really well on her meals. She never feeds commercial pet food at all.
http://www.newsagepress.com/foodpetsdiefor.html

Originally Posted by moggiegirl

Yes it is reccommended that raw meat be frozen for at least 72 hours to kill off parasites. You're right about that. But it doesn't kill the bacteria.

Speaking of cooked food, what do you think of the recipes on this site? I don't believe they're complete and balanced recipes. Ann Martin rotates meals to give her kitties a balanced diet. But I think as as occasional meal, just to supplement a processed diet w/ occasional fresh food, they're nice. I haven't tried them yet. I'm not so sure the grains are necessary though. But according to Ann Martin, her animals are doing really well on her meals. She never feeds commercial pet food at all.
http://www.newsagepress.com/foodpetsdiefor.html

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Those recipes are FAR from complete .... but if she liteally rotated the recipes daily it may work

I read over a few, Seems they have put some thought into them. Anyone who goes out of their way to prep food like that sure loves their kittys. I would like to better my cats diet. We will poach chicken breasts or saute some chicken hamburg for the cats but never went to the extreme of blending food.

Those recipes are definitely not complete, even if they are rotated. None of them contain enough calcium, for one thing. They do sound good for snacks, though. I might try some and see what my cats think. Thanks for posting that link, moggiegirl.

Feeding a raw diet is tricky. When done "correctly", it can be marvelous. When done incompletely it can be disastrous...and in the same breath, I'll mention that there is no real "right" in raw feeding exclusively...it can be done a variety of ways, while still achieving excellent outcomes.

If you want to keep it really simple, continue feeding your regular commercially prepared food, to ensure that your cat is getting a balanced diet, and then offer fresh foods that are safe, and high in moisture, protein, and all of the goodies a true carnivore enjoys. To me, a little bit of raw and fresh food is better than a solely commercially prepared diet, even if the fresh stuff is only offered 2-3 times a week.

Here are some safe fresh "treats" or meals that can be given at your own discretion, in conjunction with your cat's current diet:

*cottage cheese
*a couple of tablespoons of plain unflavored yogurt.
*a raw egg (you can grind the shell up in it also...great calcium source...and feed the yolk and white as well!)
*organ meats...such as chicken hearts, liver, etc. Great source of taurine! Use sparingly at first, as the richness doesn't always agree immediately with certain kitties.
*muscle meats...raw, NOT cooked. To ensure that bad bacteria is elimated, freeze for 3-4 days before serving. Chicken breasts, chopped rabbit (check out www.haretoday.com) meat, chopped mutton or lamb, duck, are wonderful muscle meats for kitties. Don't be afraid of the stuff at the grocery store. You can find some cheap and perfectly good meat sources at your local supermarket...chances are even the store-bought stuff is healthier than the stuff in your cat's commercially prepared food.
*skip the veggies, they're entirely not necessary. Cats are carnivores, and the only grains they would truly eat on their own, are the stomach content of their prey, such as the few grains found in a mouse's stomach, for example.
*Don't be afraid to offer your cats a treat of a raw meaty bones...such as turkey necks, chicken backs, chicken wings. And I mean bones, and all. DO NOT COOK THE BONES. Bones are safe, chewable, and digestible as long as they are raw, and not cooked.
*A bit of fresh cheese is not so bad occassionally.
*Try to avoid feeding a lot of canned meats that contain seafood...such as tuna. NOT healthy in the long run, but fine for an OCCASSIONAL treat.

Hope this kind of points you in the right direction. Your cats would love it if you offered any of these items just 2-3 times a week.

Wookie
You are mostly right .. EGG white should not be consumed raw or cooked as it destroys biotin... Cottage cheese really shouldnt be given as most are lactose intolerant and for some reason many are allergic .. veggies are nessary the debate is how much...

I hope you working with a vet with nutrtional background not just reling on what books are out there

oppps double post

Originally Posted by sharky

Wookie
You are mostly right .. EGG white should not be consumed raw or cooked as it destroys biotin... Cottage cheese really shouldnt be given as most are lactose intolerant and for some reason many are allergic .. veggies are nessary the debate is how much...

I hope you working with a vet with nutrtional background not just reling on what books are out there

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I don't actually feed raw myself. I've done A LOT of research, and I've been considering it for quite a while, but need to do quite a bit more reading. Unfortunately, it's not easy to find a raw-friendly vet (especially around here), and the other down-side is that there seems to be a lot of variances between holistic-veterinary practices and how they agree on how to prepare raw diets...some say this, others say that. It's a very tricky thing, and I'm not sure that I'm ready.

I have offered a bit of all of the above as treats at one point or another, but not with any regularity or consistency, including the cottage cheese (sparingly) and whole egg. I know this is a rather weak arguing point to offer either of these food items to my cats, but they're just a couple extra sources of protein that I've offered, and many commercially prepared foods actually include both of these ingredients (in small amounts). Now, I also realize that many commercial diets include A LOT of things are less than what we need our cats to be eating, but again, my experience in using these two items has been sparse, and uneventful with my own cats.

Originally Posted by wookie130

I don't actually feed raw myself. I've done A LOT of research, and I've been considering it for quite a while, but need to do quite a bit more reading. Unfortunately, it's not easy to find a raw-friendly vet (especially around here), and the other down-side is that there seems to be a lot of variances between holistic-veterinary practices and how they agree on how to prepare raw diets...some say this, others say that. It's a very tricky thing, and I'm not sure that I'm ready.

I have offered a bit of all of the above as treats at one point or another, but not with any regularity or consistency, including the cottage cheese (sparingly) and whole egg. I know this is a rather weak arguing point to offer either of these food items to my cats, but they're just a couple extra sources of protein that I've offered, and many commercially prepared foods actually include both of these ingredients (in small amounts). Now, I also realize that many commercial diets include A LOT of things are less than what we need our cats to be eating, but again, my experience in using these two items has been sparse, and uneventful with my own cats.

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you are lucky... if they tolerate the cheese reg and cottage then give it ... But for safety please only give the yolk....