Raw Food Feeders:What do you feed?

cc12

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I was thinking about raw food since it has been a hot topic on the board and wondered about what other raw feeders were feeding their cats? Why did you decide to take the plunge? How did you discover it?

I discovered it by researching before I got my cat 3 years ago. I did not go to raw immediately but it was in my mind. I switched vets and they are strong advocates of it so it made it easy to do because I had support.
I do a mix of homemade and premade. I use duck, chicken and turkey. I use muscle meat, some livers a premade mix http://www.felinefuture.com/payments...hipping_to=USA

Does anyone use a grinder? I may get one but was wondering if anyone had a recommendations?
 

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Originally Posted by CC12

I was thinking about raw food since it has been a hot topic on the board and wondered about what other raw feeders were feeding their cats? Why did you decide to take the plunge? How did you discover it?

I discovered it by researching before I got my cat 3 years ago. I did not go to raw immediately but it was in my mind. I switched vets and they are strong advocates of it so it made it easy to do because I had support.
I do a mix of homemade and premade. I use duck, chicken and turkey. I use muscle meat, some livers a premade mix http://www.felinefuture.com/payments...hipping_to=USA

Does anyone use a grinder? I may get one but was wondering if anyone had a recommendations?
What do you use as a source of meat for your homemade?

I'm not currently feeding raw. I'm just beginning my second attempt to get them to eat it. Just this weekend I ordered some raw from Felines Pride. I choose it because it is one of the few premades that doesn't contain any fruits or veggies. It's awfully expensive though.

I'm not really sure how much the fruits and veggies should be an issue. I definitely don't like them included but there is probably so little that it doesn't matter. Even though it has fruits and veggies I might try Natures Variety. I can get it locally and it is cheaper even before taking shipping into consideration.

I'm trying again because I am convinced raw is the best diet for them. I think the high rate of diabetes and other diet related diseases in a species of carnivores is absurd. My Jeta was recently had a bout with struvite crystals and Coco has always had trouble digesting commercial cat foods. Coco's problem was easily solved but I'm sure a raw diet would be a better long term solution for her. Finding foods that Jeta will eat that won't result in crystals and which have ingredients I approve of has been difficult. I'm pretty sure she wouldn't have crystals if she ate a raw diet.
 

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I make my own, I don't like ground so I feed it in chunks so they have to chew and tear the meat.

Mine get chicken, turkey, beef, pork, kangaroo, lamb, fish - pretty much any meat. Also liver, heart and kidney.
With wings, necks, chops etc. for bones.

It's very common over here for vets to recommend feeding at least a few meals a week of raw meat and chicken necks used for cleaning teeth.

One of my favourite sites is http://www.rawfedcats.org/
 
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cc12

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Originally Posted by mschauer

What do you use as a source of meat for your homemade?

I'm not currently feeding raw. I'm just beginning my second attempt to get them to eat it. Just this weekend I ordered some raw from Felines Pride. I choose it because it is one of the few premades that doesn't contain any fruits or veggies. It's awfully expensive though.

I'm not really sure how much the fruits and veggies should be an issue. I definitely don't like them included but there is probably so little that it doesn't matter. Even though it has fruits and veggies I might try Natures Variety. I can get it locally and it is cheaper even before taking shipping into consideration.

I'm trying again because I am convinced raw is the best diet for them. I think the high rate of diabetes and other diet related diseases in a species of carnivores is absurd. My Jeta was recently had a bout with struvite crystals and Coco has always had trouble digesting commercial cat foods. Coco's problem was easily solved but I'm sure a raw diet would be a better long term solution for her. Finding foods that Jeta will eat that won't result in crystals and which have ingredients I approve of has been difficult. I'm pretty sure she wouldn't have crystals if she ate a raw diet.
Yes, you are right about the crystals. I had a long talk with my vet today about raw feeding. I had to take Seldon in because he is spraying right now. Anyway, he has cats of his own and is a total cat person with a lot of years of training. He told me that the fruits and veggies some companies add with the thinking that it would equal what would be in the stomach of prey.
My cats don't want fruit or veggies in theirs. I tried Primal and they were unimpressed.
I get my meats from a healthfood market butcher section or from a store here that sells mostly meats for making your own or the packaged.
I think in the long run raw food ends up cheaper. The cats eat less of it. Less litter is used.
 
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cc12

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Originally Posted by missymotus

I make my own, I don't like ground so I feed it in chunks so they have to chew and tear the meat.

Mine get chicken, turkey, beef, pork, kangaroo, lamb, fish - pretty much any meat. Also liver, heart and kidney.
With wings, necks, chops etc. for bones.

It's very common over here for vets to recommend feeding at least a few meals a week of raw meat and chicken necks used for cleaning teeth.

One of my favourite sites is http://www.rawfedcats.org/
I agree about the chunks. I chunk most of mine but add ground. I am trying to get my cats to eat the necks but I think they may take to wings better. Like drumettes. Kangaroo would be hard to come by here.
 

mschauer

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Originally Posted by missymotus

I make my own, I don't like ground so I feed it in chunks so they have to chew and tear the meat.

Mine get chicken, turkey, beef, pork, kangaroo, lamb, fish - pretty much any meat. Also liver, heart and kidney.
With wings, necks, chops etc. for bones.

It's very common over here for vets to recommend feeding at least a few meals a week of raw meat and chicken necks used for cleaning teeth.

One of my favourite sites is http://www.rawfedcats.org/
I'm jealous! IMHO you are giving your kitties the best possible chance for a long and healthy life! I'm hoping I can work some chunks into their diets eventually. I wonder if they can get the knack of tearing meat though given that they are already adults (2-3 years old). I'm afraid they'll choke trying to swallow a chunk. Maybe if the chunks are big enough that they won't try to swallow them whole.

Originally Posted by CC12

I get my meats from a healthfood market butcher section or from a store here that sells mostly meats for making your own or the packaged.
I've wondered if it is OK to use just any meat from the grocery store. I'm a little nervous about using something that hasn't been handled as tough it is intended to be consumed raw. I wouldn't use grocery store ground, I know about the problems with it. I guess a whole roast from the grocery store would be OK though??

It's been a while since I researched the hows of raw feeding. I need to do it again from the beginning to refresh my memory.

Last night Zara ate 2 oz of raw, 1 oz of chicken and 1 oz of rabbit! Jeta wasn't interested in either last night but this morning she scarfed up about 1/2 oz of raw chicken. I don't want to get too excited, I know how cats can be. Just because they like it today doesn't mean they will like it tomorrow. It's an encouraging start though.
 

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My chunk eater was 16 yrs old when first given raw food my others have all prfered grd
 
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cc12

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Originally Posted by sharky

My chunk eater was 16 yrs old when first given raw food my others have all prfered grd
My girls love the chunks but my boys...
Little Pampered Princes want it ground.

The grocery store where I buy my meat is aware that raw feeders use their meat so they make some ground just for raw food. They are also VERY strict about handling. I have a good relationship with the head butcher. I also go to a butcher shop sometimes to get some cornish hen or quail.
I am lucky because raw feeding is very big here so I have options. I can order what I want and have people order it in for me. One pet store only sells raw food.
I did not realize that cats can eat pork. Mmmmmm.
 

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I feed my cats all kinds of raw meat I can get: chicken bones, chicken gizzards, liver and heart from various kinds of animals, minced beef, chopped pork, moose meat etc.

I try to feed as much bones and chunks as possible but some things my cats won't eat if it's chopped up. Liver is such a thing. I have to grind the liver and mix it with minced heart if they're going to eat it.
 
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cc12

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My new cat that was a stray, Lucia loves chunks and loves livers. I give her some organ meat daily since she had kittens. I know Mary would like Beef.
She loves steak.
 

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My two don't like to eat bones at all .. and they only eat small pieces of meat and not a big chunk !!! so use grounded bones and little pieces of meat to feed them ....
 

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My mother feeds our two cats all raw meat. I think right now she's feeding them a mixture of turkey meat and chicken necks (one bit of neck per serving). We also use some dry food at night, but none of the cat food brands that most people get - it's the most natural/raw dry food we could get.

Here's something that, although not proven, is pretty interesting nonetheless. A couple weeks ago we took in a stray, quite friendly to humans so we thought it must have been with another family (but we couldn't find them). It was quite a hyperactive little kitten, and almost skin and bones at that! Today we notice that he's positively mellow compared to when we found him, although he still annoys our first cat Ginger to death.

We use small wood-fuel pellets for their litter. They like it just fine, and it's perfectly functional as litter (gross, but the urine breaks apart and is absorbed by the pellets).
 

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I am a new cat owner (will be soon), and I currently feed my dog a raw diet, and would like to start my cat on it once he comes home.

I've done some reading on the subject, but I havent found anything really mentioning ratios. Like with my dog it is 60% RMB, 30% muscle meat & 10% organ meat.

Are there ratios like that for cats? Do they do RMB's (raw meaty bones)?

RMB's includes chicken, turkey & duck necks, etc...bones that have lots of meat on them.

Thanks for any help!
 

sharky

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Originally Posted by KrissyK79

I am a new cat owner (will be soon), and I currently feed my dog a raw diet, and would like to start my cat on it once he comes home.

I've done some reading on the subject, but I havent found anything really mentioning ratios. Like with my dog it is 60% RMB, 30% muscle meat & 10% organ meat.

Are there ratios like that for cats? Do they do RMB's (raw meaty bones)?

RMB's includes chicken, turkey & duck necks, etc...bones that have lots of meat on them.

Thanks for any help!
cats basic is higher


75% muscle
10% bone
10-15% organ
3-5% veggies

RMB are good snacks
if your will eat them
 

missymotus

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Originally Posted by sharky

cats basic is higher


75% muscle
10% bone
10-15% organ
3-5% veggies

RMB are good snacks
if your will eat them
Except they don't need the veggies, you can add them if you want but they are not required.
 

sharky

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Originally Posted by missymotus

Except they don't need the veggies, you can add them if you want but they are not required.
BY nearly all of the reading and consulting with vets I have done ONLY one said there is NO need for any veggies ... and that one said to use a green powder supplement.. ie the veggies do need to be prepped right
 
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