New food for Ferris: Nature's Variety Raw Instinct

Thanks to some suggestions from some TCS members, I did some reasearch and found Nature's Variety Raw Instinct. It has probiotics already in it, and is completely grain free, made for easy digestion.

I bought one package through the mail, got it yesterday, and immediately offered it to my kits as their afternoon treat to see if they both like it, and boy, did they! Ginger wanted more, and she's my picky one!

So I've mixed it in with their Nutro, and am going to bring them both onto just the Nature's Variety Raw Instinct if all goes well with Ferris' bowel movements. I really hope it improves with this food!

Wish us luck with it!

Are there any other TCS users of this type of food? What's your feedback on it after using it for a while?

Mine dont do medallions but two do very well on raw ... NV medallions is a easy way to introduce raw

Originally Posted by sharky

Mine dont do medallions

but two do very well on raw ... NV medallions is a easy way to introduce raw

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It actually isn't a raw food, it is dry kibble, but is designed to satisfy the nutritional needs in the same way that raw does, if I read the package correctly.

I can't feed raw as I don't ever cook and food preparation is NOT something that I do. Besides, I work 9 hours a day, so I have to leave dry food out while I'm at work, or my babies would go hungry all day. Can't have THAT!

Ohh that aint bad stuff either ... my vet likes the tapicoa over potatos for the starch.. Zoey ate for a while and then gave up ... I found it quite expensive ( double the price )

I've actually been eyeing it like crazy at the local organic food store for a while. The third ingredient is tapioca which I have no clue if it's a good thing or a bad thing for cats. Does anyone know?

My kitty has been going through gradual food switches which have all been unsuccessful thus far. Nature's Variety Raw Instinct was the next one I was looking at. It's grain free and at least 50% protein like Innova Evo dry. I just learned about probiotics last night which is what my kitty is used to (Royal Canin Special 33). Not sure if Innova Evo dry has probiotics but kitty doesn't seem to be doing well on that or California Natural.

Originally Posted by jiazzi

I've actually been eyeing it like crazy at the local organic food store for a while. The third ingredient is tapioca which I have no clue if it's a good thing or a bad thing for cats. Does anyone know?

My kitty has been going through gradual food switches which have all been unsuccessful thus far. Nature's Variety Raw Instinct was the next one I was looking at. It's grain free and at least 50% protein like Innova Evo dry. I just learned about probiotics last night which is what my kitty is used to (Royal Canin Special 33). Not sure if Innova Evo dry has probiotics but kitty doesn't seem to be doing well on that or California Natural.

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DOnt rely soley on the food for probiotics... some dont make it thru the cooking process and it only aids it digesting that food possibley

Tapioca in humans is the only thing never proven to be an allergen according to my vet so she is hoping for the same in cats

Jamie has been eating it for about two weeks, and absolutely loves it. Here's the thread about it: http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...t=Raw+Instinct

Originally Posted by jcat

Jamie has been eating it for about two weeks, and absolutely loves it. Here's the thread about it: http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...t=Raw+Instinct

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Thanks for sharing. Ginger's reaction to it was a bit like Jamie's was. I had to store the bag away immediately, because she was trying to break into it, she liked it that much. And she is REALLY picky.

I admit though, I really don't like how crumbly it is - up to now Ginger has refused kibble crumbs, she only wants the whole ones, so I guess we'll see how it goes!

The big test, though, is in moitoring the litter box, because it's all about Ferris' poop, LOL. If we get nice firm poops on Raw Instinct, then it's a keeper!!!

for firm poops! I haven't noticed that the food is especially crumbly, but Jamie empties the bowl so quickly that it's hard to tell.

I fed it to Twitch & Lily for awhile. They got bored with it awfully fast. When I got down to the bottom of the bag(less than 1/4 left), there were a lot of crumbs in it & they both just plain refused to eat it.

I hope it works for Ferris...I really had hoped my girls would eat it long term!

Thanks for the info Sharky!

Originally Posted by GingersMom

The big test, though, is in moitoring the litter box, because it's all about Ferris' poop, LOL.

If we get nice firm poops on Raw Instinct, then it's a keeper!!!

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Please let us know how it turns out. My kitty sounds so similar to Ginger in having a very sensitive tummy. Good luck!

I feed Innova evo and frozen raw Natures varity Chicken turkey. Its wonderful and healthy but pricey- oh well you get what you pay for http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/ima...laughing02.gif

Hi Ginger's Mom. Did you have any luck with Nature's Variety Raw Instinct?

My kittens are on their second bag of Nature's Variety Raw Instinct. I mix it 50/50 with Innova Evo dry and give them a cup a day.

They haven't come close to getting tired of it!

Good luck that with Ferris's poops! (Really never thought I'd say something like that! )

Oaky I will be the one to ask .. How are Ferris s poops??

LOL, ok, the update:

Ginger attacked the Raw Instinct dry like it was kitty-candy, and Ferris liked it too, so I mixed the whole bag in with their dry food, and so far so good.

Ferris' poops have firmed up a bit, so I stopped giving the Bene Bac, and just when I thought that we were g2g, he proved me wrong by dropping a runny one.

Overall, it has improved the poop color/consistancy by about 85%, but I still have to give the Bene Bac every couple of days. And as they are not on 100% Raw Instinct for dry at this point (it is still mixed, it has only been a couple of weeks) it MAY be that one of the other dry foods in the mix is giving him issues.

I do like the Raw Instinct ingredients (especially as it is grain free) and will continue to buy it, but the one thing that I do NOT like about it (or rather, that the kits don't like about it) is that it is VERY crumbly, and Ginger will ONLY eat whole pieces, so I wind up with a bowl full of uneaten crumblies. Finicky kitty!

A point to make, however, is that between Dec-Feb, I was feeding canned wet to Ferris that included a number of brands on the recall list, and I have a stong suspicion that his runny poops MAY have been contributed to by the poisoned foods. The reason I suspect this is because he started having runny poops at the end of Dec, beginning of Jan.

He seems to be very healthy, so I'm not rushing him to the vet, but when I take him in for his next full check-up, I will be requesting some tests to check his kidneys, just in case, and just to give us a baseline of sorts.

Thanks for checking in and asking about my darling boy!

Thanks for the update! I'm glad your kitty is doing better!

I'm glad Ferris is doing better, I hope he continues to improve! We fed our kitties Nature's Variety Raw Instinct, and that's their main food - they get a little bit of wet in the evening, but only a small amount.

I found with 3 kitties we went through a bag so fast and it was very expensive to keep buying. We have since changed to Felidae dry which seems to fill them up faster and is better value for money.