help with raw food menu

allison319

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Hi, I came across this site researching raw food diets for my 13wk old kitten, Cocoa. I feel like I understand everything, I'm just stumped when it comes to making the menu for frankenprey. I did all the math according to the 80/10/5/5 rule. Weekly she needs 259.09 g of meat, 32.38 g bone, 16.19 g liver, and 16.19 g non liver organs. The confusing part for me is firguring out how much bone to meat ratio in meats. 

I have never seen raw diets in pet stores and living in Alaska shipping is out of the question as most places consider us "international" and prices are way high. 
 

ritz

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First, thank you for researching raw feeding thoroughly. Better to be overinformed than under.
Yes, a lot of us struggle with bone to meat ratio, particularly if your cat has to watch their phosphorus level.
Here is a thread that might help you.
Most of the bone I give Ritz is from quail and rabbit. She loves quail and rabbit, and they yield a lot of bone for the amount of meat I get from them. I freeze the extra bone and give it to her when she's eating beef/pork/turkey, etc.
Bone from most other animals such as beef, deer and pig is too hard for cats to chew.
I calculate that Ritz needs around two ounces of bone a week. I give her bone three times a week, around .7 ounces. Honestly, I give her a little more than .7 oz, allowing for the amount of meat still on the bone and for her tendency to get constipated if she eats too much bone.
You can buy a supplement instead of giving bone. It's dry (i.e., not frozen), doesn't weigh much. You might consider Alnutrin from Hare Today. You can simply sprinkle it onto the prey model raw/frankenprey. I don't know how much Amazon would charge to ship these nifty teaspoons to you; they may help you with measuring the correct amount of supplements.
Another option is to use egg shell in lieu of bone, if eggs aren't too expensive for you.
Out of curiosity, being in Alaska, what meats do you have access to? Some members in Australia have access to meat we in the USA will never have access to, such as Kangaroo.
 
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allison319

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Thank you Ritz, that thread helped me a bit. I guess I will also need to just figure out what works good for her. I have given her some chicken breast chunks and she goes crazy over them!
In Alaska, we have the same meats in chain stores I'm sure. The usual chicken, turkey, pork, beef, and variety of seafoods. Occasionally there will be commercial raised buffalo but I can tell you it is NOTHING compared to wild buffalo. I haven't eaten red meats or pork in over 8 years but buffalo was definitely my favorite over moose meat. The local butcher/meat shops and markets will usually have wild salmon, halibut, reindeer, lamb. I don't think I have seen moose, bear, or ptarmigan or other wild game in stores, I don't think they aren't harvested commercially.
 

ritz

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Yes, every cat is different, with different taste preferences.
My nephew is a hunter and sometimes he gives me venison, which Ritz loves.
I live in a retirement community, lots of trees. And deer. And Peter the Rabbit who Ritz is quite fascinated by.
I tell her, it's not polite to eat your friends.
 
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allison319

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I was thinking of having my dad bring me back some grouse/ptarmigan next time he goes road hunting, after all hunting season is coming up and he will need to sight his guns :)
Although I'm not too sure about possible diseases or parasites living in those birds :/ I know we used to eat them and our dogs we had retrieved them so I'm thinking they should be okay.
 

ritz

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I have heard that out of an abundance of caution you should freeze wild game for three(?) days before eating.
 
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allison319

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So far this is what I've come up with:

Day 1

Turkey Breast

1/2 Chicken liver mixed with thigh meat

Chicken wing

Day 2

Chicken thigh

Kidneys

Chicken Heart

Day 3

Chicken leg meat

Gizzards

Turkey breast

Day 4

Chicken Breast

1/2 Chicken liver and leg meat

Gizzards

Day 5

Chicken thigh

Kidney and gizzards

Chicken leg meat

Day 6

Chicken Breast

Hearts

Turkey Breast

Day 7

Chicken leg meat

Turkey Breast

Chicken thigh

Does this sound right?
 
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allison319

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I know I only have birds on there and that is because I cannot bring myself to buy red meats or other pet type animals, at least not now, maybe in the future..
 
 

ritz

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The rotation sounds okay. Ideally you'd feed at least three different proteins, but cats are okay on one or two.
Would you consider pork, "the other white meat" if you believe the advertisements.
Oh, and I've been feeding raw for over three years and I still don't eye ball amounts, although I know others who do. I always weigh the food before packaging it into plastic containers and then freezing.
 
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allison319

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Would egg be considered meat? I have given her some kind of egg (scrambled, easy over, sunny side up..) probably once or twice a week since she turned 10 weeks as a breakfast. It's usually egg mixed with a tiny dab of cottage cheese or plain yogurt.
I'm hoping to get some small game next month to add to the protein list.
 

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I have been researching raw food for my kitten. As I will like to incorporate it. My little one will eat almost anything of course preferring better quality canned food. I think it's the perfect time to introduce him and will continue checking out this and other threads with great information. Thanks you all are so helpful
 
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