Homemade Cat Food

xman

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I used to feed my last cat, basically chicken salad from a recipe taken from Anitra Frasier's book The New Natural Cat. I have a new friend now, Bella, and I want to do as much as I can for her health and happiness as I reasonably can. I know that a well developed raw food diet is the best for cats, but I don;t think that's practical for me to do. I don't have a bone grinder and I am quite concerned about salmonella and other bacteria, not just for Bella, but for my pregnant wife and growing family. The cooked chicken seemed to be fine for Twiggy, but I only had the opportunity to do that for a few years, but after her bladder infection from the dry food I put her on to make it easier for the cat sitter while I was on the other side of the country for a few months, I could never get the vet to tell me what the proper PH levels were and how I could achieve it with a homemade diet. Instead they insisted that I put her on a controlled PH diet which they of course sold me. Without the information i need ed to be sure about Twiggy's health on a homemade diet, I chose to trust the vet and give in to their sales initiative.

Bella arrived eating Iams Indoor Weight and Hairball Control Formula. She was used to food all day and only coming out to eat after dark, but that stopped quickly. She now get as much as she likes for about an hour, twice a day and I'm ready to make the next step for her. I've ordered that book for my own bookshelf and will have the recipe in hand again, but I hope some of you will be able to offer me more to consider and perhaps answer my concerns from your collective wisdom, notably;

1. Will a long term cooked homemade diet have issues attached which I should be aware for Bella's best health?
2. How could I consider going raw easily and safely for my whole family?
3. What are the best homemade cat food recipes, both raw and cooked that you know of and why?

Thanks for any assistance you can provide.

X
 

sharky

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RAW and HOMEMADE should ideally be undertaken with a VETS help.... Most can do a homemade diet ... some are willing to learn raw with you...

I have done both with my vets help.... my CRF cat did very well on 50 raw 25 homemade and 25 canned... my dog with liver issue s is best on homemade ...Homemade takes ALOT MORE work but is easier to balence since like canned switching meats is routine ... RAW is easy if you have guidence but the supplementing can be trickier , ie finding the one you like and the cat does that covers everything needed....Tofu is in several of my UTI recipes

WET food is the easiest way for UTI health
 

sharky

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sent you a basic homemade diet PM... DO talk it over with a vet ...
 
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xman

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Ask and ye shall receive. I might as well field some questions in public then.
1. I thought the taurine was in the liver or organ meat in general. Why do we need to add more?
2. I've used bone meal in the past. I'm guessing that the calcium is its substitute?
3. How long have you used this recipe?

X

homemade recipe
this can be raw, lightly cooked or fully cooked.. Obviously you cook the grains

Recipe one

1/2 lb chicken( try for a white dark mix ( cooked.. boiled or fried seems to be tasty)

1/4 cup livers in this case chn

1/2 cup of cooked rice or oatmeal

1/2 oz to 2oz clams with juice( ie canned)

1/2 cup cooked sweet potato ( can increase to 3/4 to 1 cup and not use grain if desired)

1/4 cup ie 2oz olive soybean canola oil... i use olive

if this is sole food add

1/10 th of a human taurine supplement( most are 500mg)
1/10th b vitamin supplement
1/4 multi vitamin
600 mg of cal ( most capsule s are about this )


Ways to add variety

alternate brown , white , jasmine rices ... mine like brown

use beef venison lamb mutton or a cooked fish like salmon

add in some cooked potato s , carrots

for those needing extra cal s add less sweet potato and more meat

put all cooked parts into blender or food processor till either chunky or canned conscitancy


any questions Pm me again
 

sharky

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Kandie used that and variations for about 2 yrs.. Gigi get s a variation on this now and on and off for over 2 yrs ( she was strait raw at one pt)

Taurine is more of a safey net issue as most are going to cook the organs
Bone meal is a CA+ substitute ...
 
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xman

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Originally Posted by sharky

Taurine is more of a safey net issue as most are going to cook the organs
I'm guessing that destroys the Taurine then.
How many servings is that recipe?

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dawnofsierra

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I agree that any diet should only be undertaken with the assistance and/or approval of your Vet, and, also, adequate supplementation is essential. Imho, Anitra Frasier's The New Natural Cat is the all time best cat related book! Sierra has been eating only homemade for going on a year now, a special diet for her kidneys, and since beginning this, her labs are back within normal limits and she has gained 3 pounds!
 

moggiegirl

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Here is another option. www.balanceit.com

They provide you with a recipe. You choose one protein and one carbohydrate source and they even have low carb options. Then you add the supplement mix. It's a home cooked diet I must stress though that this is a diet for cats without medical conditions so you will need to talk it over with your vet if your cat has uti issues.

I tried to purchase the recipe and the supplement but was denied. The website has a safety feature. It will ask you about your cats body condition. My cats are somewhat overweight so I received a message stating that their diet is only for cats of normal weight and they advised me to talk to my vet. I could not understand why and I e-mailed them and they just explained to me that homemade diets are just not effective for weight loss, they are energy dense and extremely palatable. What I don't understand is why they don't have a reduced calorie diet?
 
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xman

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Originally Posted by DawnofSierra

Imho, Anitra Frasier's The New Natural Cat is the all time best cat related book!
I agree. I borrowed the book from a friend years ago for the nutritional information and ended up reading the whole thing. It's very informative and easily accepted wisdom for those who know cats.

In response to everyone's excellent and helpful advice on consulting a vet; the last time I did this I was told in no uncertain terms that they would not help me and only sell me their own PH control diet. This time I will do my research, make the change and INFORM the vet that this is what my cat eats. If they won't help, I'll find a vet who will.

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sharky

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NO NO Find the vet while researching... I tried the other way and spent $$$ and still wasnt doing it right...
 
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