Woohoooooo. And some questions

snake_lady

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So I did try feeding the kitten a chicken wing. I beat it a few times with a rolling pin (don't have a mallet) to crush the bones since it was their first try and took it in for them.... Both sniffed at it and immediately went for it
I ended up having to cut it up though, instead of feeding it whole.

One of the kittens tried to take off with it....(getting blood and stuff from it on the carpet), and also they had a hard time biting off chunks to chew.

It was neat to watch them chew away at it. They really seemed to like it.

(the next day they gobbled up a plate of cooked chicken meat)

Questions:

1. Is there any harm in chopping it up like I did? (chopped it into smallish pieces that they didn't have to rip apart)

2. If I feed them a plate of raw 2 or 3 times a wk, do I need to supplement? They still have dry and canned foods. (free fed dry, canned 3x day right now...on the day they get raw, it would take away 1 of the canned foods)

3. Anyone in Canada: where do you buy the prepackaged raw foods and are they chopped up?

4. To chop it up, would it be ok just to use my food processor? (it has a meat blade....not a grinder) I mean, I guess I worry about too small of bones getting stuck in their throat.

My issues/limitations in feeding raw:

- I don't want raw meat on my carpet (the kittens are in a carpetted room temporarily, for another few weeks)

- I have very messed up hands and a back injury... physical limitation on preparing the raw (and no, noone else would do it. My husband thinks its gross and is worried bout salmonella, etc. etc. and my kids wouldn't be able to chop the bones) (so if they do drag it off the plate, I have a difficult time cleaning up after them)

- they would only get poultry, and maybe some lean ground beef (ETA: and mice/rats). We don't eat alot of beef....mainly poultry and fish (plus hamburgers, sausage, ham occassionally) BUT... if they seem to like the ground beef, I would be willing to pick up some steak or something (whatevers cheapest in the beef department) during grocery shopping. I would also be willing to try a pork chop (my one daughter likes them, but we don't buy them normally since only 1 out of 4 eats them... but I could buy one for the kitties, if they don't like it, my DD will eat it)

- I don't want them to be finicky eaters like Kizzy is....I'd like them to eat everything available, so if I do end up parting with them, their new owners can feed however they chose.... plus with recalls, its making it hard for those finicky cats when their food is recalled.

- if there comes a point in my life that I can invest the $ in a meat grinder, and have better use of my hands, I would highly consider switching them to raw with dry food for when we go away, etc.

Thanks for any thoughts/answers/comments.
 

auntie crazy

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Originally Posted by Snake_Lady

1. Is there any harm in chopping it up like I did? (chopped it into smallish pieces that they didn't have to rip apart)

2. If I feed them a plate of raw 2 or 3 times a wk, do I need to supplement? They still have dry and canned foods. (free fed dry, canned 3x day right now...on the day they get raw, it would take away 1 of the canned foods)

3. Anyone in Canada: where do you buy the prepackaged raw foods and are they chopped up?

4. To chop it up, would it be ok just to use my food processor? (it has a meat blade....not a grinder) I mean, I guess I worry about too small of bones getting stuck in their throat.
1. No. In fact, it's a good idea until your cats gain the necessary jaw strength to chew through raw meat chunks.

2. I wouldn't. If you're concerned, though, throw in a little slice of liver or kidney with their raw meal once in a while.

3. Can't help you there.
(Although, for me at least, it's definitely more cost effective to purchase in bulk and cut and package myself.)

4. If the bones aren't cooked, there's no need to worry about choking. (NEVER feed cooked bones.) I used a blender when I first started, but eventually it wasn't necessary and I got VERY tired of cleaning and sterilizing the equipment, so I stopped after only a couple of weeks.

Originally Posted by Snake_Lady

My issues/limitations in feeding raw:

- I don't want raw meat on my carpet (the kittens are in a carpetted room temporarily, for another few weeks)

- I have very messed up hands and a back injury... physical limitation on preparing the raw (and no, noone else would do it. My husband thinks its gross and is worried bout salmonella, etc. etc. and my kids wouldn't be able to chop the bones) (so if they do drag it off the plate, I have a difficult time cleaning up after them)

- they would only get poultry, and maybe some lean ground beef (ETA: and mice/rats). We don't eat alot of beef....mainly poultry and fish (plus hamburgers, sausage, ham occassionally) BUT... if they seem to like the ground beef, I would be willing to pick up some steak or something (whatevers cheapest in the beef department) during grocery shopping. I would also be willing to try a pork chop (my one daughter likes them, but we don't buy them normally since only 1 out of 4 eats them... but I could buy one for the kitties, if they don't like it, my DD will eat it)

- I don't want them to be finicky eaters like Kizzy is....I'd like them to eat everything available, so if I do end up parting with them, their new owners can feed however they chose.... plus with recalls, its making it hard for those finicky cats when their food is recalled.

- if there comes a point in my life that I can invest the $ in a meat grinder, and have better use of my hands, I would highly consider switching them to raw with dry food for when we go away, etc.

Thanks for any thoughts/answers/comments.
- Giving each cat adequate space during feeding time makes them feel more secure and lessons the chance they'll run off with food, but "adequate" is defined by the cats.
There's really not much you can do to contain the wee beasties unless you crate them or put them in a small room - the bathroom perhaps?

- Since you're only feeding them raw part-time, pretty much anything you choose to give them is good. If you don't want them finicky, it's best to feed the greatest variety you can.... BUT there's never any guarantee and cats are renowned for their persnickety attitudes.


Also, I wouldn't worry so much about chopping bones. Since you're feeding raw only two or three times a week, bone-in meals aren't necessary, and even if they were - let the kitties do the work, it's good for them!


Hope this helps!

A.C.
 
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snake_lady

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Originally Posted by Auntie Crazy

Also, I wouldn't worry so much about chopping bones. Since you're feeding raw only two or three times a week, bone-in meals aren't necessary, and even if they were - let the kitties do the work, it's good for them!


Hope this helps!

A.C.
Thanks soooo much for your entire response... The reason I chopped it up is because with bite size pieces (of chicken wing) they would eat over the plate... so no worries bout raw meat on my floor.

I appreciate the answers, I know some of the ?'s have prolly been asked before, so thanks for your patience.

(off to thaw some mousies and see what they think of that)
 
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snake_lady

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Well, mousies were kinda a success


I gave them fuzzy mice, so fairly small, in hopes that they could eat them whole. Pax was able to break it apart and eat pieces, Sox stole the piece he dropped LOL. The second one, I had to cut into 3 pieces.....

Some serious growling going on with Pax.... he seems to really like the raw, and would growl at Sox when he came over to sniff if.
 

jcat

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Originally Posted by Auntie Crazy

1
4. If the bones aren't cooked, there's no need to worry about choking. (NEVER feed cooked bones.) I used a blender when I first started, but eventually it wasn't necessary and I got VERY tired of cleaning and sterilizing the equipment, so I stopped after only a couple of weeks.
...

Also, I wouldn't worry so much about chopping bones. Since you're feeding raw only two or three times a week, bone-in meals aren't necessary, and even if they were - let the kitties do the work, it's good for them!

A.C.
In other words, you're feeding largish, jagged bone fragments to animals that don't chew? It's not just choking that one has to worry about, but perforations of the esophagus and intestines. That can and does happen. I suggest that you talk to several vets who've treated such injuries and or had to euthanize due to them before continuing to "cut corners".
 
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snake_lady

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Originally Posted by jcat

In other words, you're feeding largish, jagged bone fragments to animals that don't chew? It's not just choking that one has to worry about, but perforations of the esophagus and intestines. That can and does happen. I suggest that you talk to several vets who've treated such injuries and or had to euthanize due to them before continuing to "cut corners".
Thanks for the info.

that's again one of my worries... I always thought bones can get stuck
(choke, stuck, etc) and that's why we were always told not to feed bones to our pets. I didn't realise that it was just cooked bones.
 

jcat

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Originally Posted by Snake_Lady

Thanks for the info.

that's again one of my worries... I always thought bones can get stuck
(choke, stuck, etc) and that's why we were always told not to feed bones to our pets. I didn't realise that it was just cooked bones.
I believe you misunderstood my post. Jagged uncooked bones can also cause serious injury. A cat adopted from our shelter died of a perforated esophagus after being fed BARF by the adopter. I talked to several vets following that incident, and was told that such injuries are common, also among wild animals. Many raw feeders therefore only feed commercially prepared raw, or are careful to thoroughly grind or remove all bones (and supplement accordingly).
 
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snake_lady

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Originally Posted by jcat

I believe you misunderstood my post. Jagged uncooked bones can also cause serious injury. A cat adopted from our shelter died of a perforated esophagus after being fed BARF by the adopter. I talked to several vets following that incident, and was told that such injuries are common, also among wild animals. Many raw feeders therefore only feed commercially prepared raw, or are careful to thoroughly grind or remove all bones (and supplement accordingly).
sorry, I meant to type "wasn't"


Thanks again for the info.
 

auntie crazy

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This info reference uncooked bones being dangerous is incorrect. They are safe to feed as long as you DON'T cook them. They aren't "brittle and jagged" - get a chicken wing and bend it and see what happens.


Cooked bones, on the other hand, DO become brittle and can cause injuries all the way through the digestive track. Never feed any amount of cooked bone.

And if you feed 100% raw, you MUST include bone in your cat's diet. Ten percent of total food fed is the suggested amount. Bones are good for dental health, but they are NECESSARY for digestive and nutritional reasons.

Some folks grind their bones, for a variety of reasons - that's perfectly acceptable. The method of delivery is not as important as a balanced diet. I alternate feeding fresh chicken ribs and ground chicken wings throughout the week.

The rawcats yahoo group is a huge pool of long-term raw food feeders and a great resource for in-depth info on naturally feeding cats. I highly recommend it if you're new to raw food feeding and/or you're nervous or concerned about any part of it.
 
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