is it cheaper than buying store bought cat food?

I have two cats, and they eat 3 canned foods a day combined (each cat eats 1.5 cans). So, i spend around $80-120 depending on the cat food.

I buy natural balance for $25 for 24 cans and $38 for wellness.

I dont have much money and its been tough buying food and litter for two cats. But i dont want to buy the cheapest cat food, as my one cat, Kitty is very sensitive and gets sick when i get her inexpensive cat food.

I am wondering, can i save money by making the food homemade?

Homemade is cheaper than some canned foods, but it does depend exactly what you're looking at doing.

If you're looking at raw feeding, then you can't use pre ground supermarket meat - its much, much safer to grind your own, or you can buy frozen pre ground that's sold specifically for raw pet food. Again, with raw feeding it's safest if the meat is as fresh as possible.

On the other hand, if you want to do home cooked food then pre ground or short dated meat is fine - its going to be thoroughly cooked anyway and that will kill the bugs just fine.

No matter what method you chose, be sure to stick rigidly to a balanced recipie. This is crucial to ensure your cats stay healthy.

I did the math for a friend and making homemade raw with chicken (assumed to be $2/lb)  turned out to cost around $35 per month for two cats. That was less than the price of even the least expensive canned food available at their warehouse store.

I made a spreadsheet with calculations for a few types of meat. My calculations are based on the prices from mypetcarnivore, not including shipping, because she can do local pickup. If you buy chicken from the grocery store, it will be less expensive than $2/lb.

I would be happy to send you more information by private message or to post here. It would help if I have the following information:

1. Do you cats have any allergies (say, to chicken)

2. How much does skin-on, bone-in chicken thigh cost per pound where you live? Leg quarters would work as well.

3. Do you own a meat grinder? If not, are you willing to spend around $100 to buy one? It would pay for itself within two months.

I have found that I use a lot less litter if I keep at least four inches of it in the box. The "deposits" rarely hit the sides or bottom, so with regular scooping, the box and litter never smell. You have to dump and replace all of the litter far less frequently and end up saving a lot of money.

Gosh , $2.99 per lbs ? Around here it is about $6.99 a lbs for chicken thighs. If I am lucky I can get it on sale for $3.99 a lbs.Ugh. I honestly get it cheaper from Hare-Today even with shipping.I tried to find Asian markets but the only one close to me is just filthy and I don't trust the quality.

The regular price for chicken thighs at our supermarkets is always less than $2/lb. Leg quarters were on sale for 49 cents a pound last week!

I have found the Asian/international markets to be more expensive than the regular supermarket. They have an interesting variety, but the price for meats that are otherwise available is higher.

Have you tried Costco? The regular price is $1.09/lb there. The packages are not gigantic - around ten pounds.

silverpersian said:

 
1. Do you cats have any allergies (say, to chicken)

2. How much does skin-on, bone-in chicken thigh cost per pound where you live? Leg quarters would work as well.

3. Do you own a meat grinder? If not, are you willing to spend around $100 to buy one? It would pay for itself within two months.

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Im not sure about the chicken price, but i do go to Bj's wholesale, and i love couponing, so i am sure i can save money there.

My family usually buys a huge bag chicken breasts fillets, would that be good?

Yes, I have a meat grinders. And no my cats dont seem to be allergic to anything so far.

You can PM me if it's easier. I appreciate the help, thank you so much! =)

Columbine said:

If you're looking at raw feeding, then you can't use pre ground supermarket meat - its much, much safer to grind your own, or you can buy frozen pre ground that's sold specifically for raw pet food. Again, with raw feeding it's safest if the meat is as fresh as possible.

On the other hand, if you want to do home cooked food then pre ground or short dated meat is fine - its going to be thoroughly cooked anyway and that will kill the bugs just fine.

No matter what method you chose, be sure to stick rigidly to a balanced recipie. This is crucial to ensure your cats stay healthy.

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Thanks for the advice! I have a grinder and dont mind grinding the chicken myself. I remember reading that its not good to cook the meat because i would take away all the nutrients. Is that true?

You don't remove ALL nutrients by cooking, but it does change things a bit. There are two schools of thought: one is that raw is best because the nutrients aren't diminished during the cooking process; the other is that cooking makes the meat more digestible and therefore the nutrients are more easily absorbed. No long term studies have been done to prove that one is better than the other.

My view is feed what the cat will happily eat - so long as you're using a BALANCED recipe both options are fine

Columbine said:

You don't remove ALL nutrients by cooking, but it does change things a bit. There are two schools of thought: one is that raw is best because the nutrients aren't diminished during the cooking process; the other is that cooking makes the meat more digestible and therefore the nutrients are more easily absorbed. No long term studies have been done to prove that one is better than the other.

My view is feed what the cat will happily eat - so long as you're using a BALANCED recipe both options are fine

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thanks for the help! Do you know where i can find good recipes? I agree, so long as my cats eat it, and they dont get sick thats my main concerns. lol

For cooked recipes, this is a great place to start: [thread="263751"]​[/thread]

For raw recipes, try [thread="272287"]​[/thread].

Columbine said:

For cooked recipes, this is a great place to start: [thread="263751"]Cooked Recipes Thread​[/thread]

For raw recipes, try [thread="272287"]Raw Recipe Thread​[/thread].

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thanks!

I have another question. I keep reading to buy meat fresh. I shop at Bj's wholesale because i can get great prices. But im not quite sure how to figure out if the meat is fresh. Does that mean i can only buy from the butcher, or is it okay to buy from the isle where the meat is?

Just trying to figure things out before i jump into this blindly.

I think buying from the meat aisle of a grocery store is just fine. Use the same standard you would apply for your (human) family. If the meat looks and smells fine and is not past its date, it most likely is fine. Where I live, the prices are cut significantly on the day or two before the meat "expires." I buy that and make and freeze the cat food quickly.

If you let me know what type of meat you will be using, I will send you a recipe appropriate for that type. I use one basic recipe and adjust it very slowly. I know that making your own cat food can be overwhelming at first, so I don't want to throw ten variations at you. So, questions:

1. What type of meat will you be buying? I recommend skin-on, bone-in thighs or leg quarters. They cost less than other chicken parts and have a higher meat-to-bone ratio.

2. What type of meat grinder do you have? I wouldn't try grinding bone with a Kitchenaid mixer attachment, for example. If you don't want to worry about the grinder, you can start with eggshell instead. I will explain how to do that if you prefer that avenue.

3. Do you plan to cook the meat? I don't. Nothing has happened in the nearly two years that I have raw-fed my cat. As far as I am concerned, cats don't cook what they hunt, so raw meat is probably best for them. It saves a step in the preparation process and some cleanup too. I like making cat food at home because I know exactly what goes in it, but I would prefer to spend as little time as possible doing it.

http://www.catinfo.org/ has a lot of good information, both about food and about litterbox cleaning and setup. You can see pictures of the preparation process for raw cat food preparation process at http://www.catnutrition.org/.

If you want to start the process and then gradually read all this information, I am happy to help. I am far from the most experienced person here, but I am reasonably certain that I have enough experience to start you off with a recipe that is balanced and safe for your cat. My cat is thriving, and so are my friend's two cats. She was not up to reading a lot of information at the beginning, so I started her off with a recipe that was safe and she gradually did the reading as she became more comfortable with the process.

silverpersian said:

 
1. What type of meat will you be buying? I recommend skin-on, bone-in thighs or leg quarters. They cost less than other chicken parts and have a higher meat-to-bone ratio.

2. What type of meat grinder do you have? I wouldn't try grinding bone with a Kitchenaid mixer attachment, for example. If you don't want to worry about the grinder, you can start with eggshell instead. I will explain how to do that if you prefer that avenue.

3. Do you plan to cook the meat? I don't. Nothing has happened in the nearly two years that I have raw-fed my cat. As far as I am concerned, cats don't cook what they hunt, so raw meat is probably best for them. It saves a step in the preparation process and some cleanup too. I like making cat food at home because I know exactly what goes in it, but I would prefer to spend as little time as possible doing it.

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1) whichever is fine with me. i will check Bj's wholesale to see what they have.

2) we have a machine called super grinder.

which is better the bone of the eggshell?

3) i had intended to feed raw, but now im not sure. i read in a website to try giving a piece of raw chicken to see how a cat reacts. Both cats licked it once and looked at me like i was crazy. lol Kitty even got up and went to check if her bowl had any wet food left to run away from the raw chicken.

i Tried again tonight with some cooked chicken, with nothing added. And they ate it all fast. I dont know if they could get used to raw food? especially Kitty who is almost 5 years old and has only eaten her canned food all her life.

Once you know they like eating raw, another option is to buy pre ground raw meat that is made specifically for raw pet food. I'm not sure of US suppliers, though I know Hare-Today is one. The pre ground gets shipped to you frozen. All you have to do is defrost, mix in the extras and re freeze in portions. The advantage of this method is that there are higher standards placed on raw feeding meat than on meat for cooking (on the basis that all the bugs get killed in the cooking process anyway). You also have the option of buying bone-in ground meat, which makes things even simpler.

Terestrife, you certainly have a lot of good information to sort through!

The prices in this article are outdated, but you may find this interesting:  http://catcentric.org/nutrition-and...y-cat-or-i-can-afford-to-feed-commercial-raw/.  Basically any of the options below are going to save a lot of money over what you've been paying - $1 per 3 oz can IMHO is outrageous given what those cans contain.  That's a base cost of $5-$6/lb, not counting the fact that your cats will eat less food by weight on a raw or homecooked diet. 

If you can get poultry for less than $3/lb, your cheapest option is going to be the catinfo.org recipe - either the raw or partial-baked methods, depending on your comfort level.  Be prepared to buy the recommended grinder as grinding bone is probably going to overtax the one you have.

Feeding "frankenprey" is another option that can be almost as cheap as the catinfo method, but that takes significant planning and freezer space, and transitioning may be an issue.  Grinder not required.

Ordering from Hare Today or MyPetCarnivore and making it up using the supplements in the catinfo recipe is the next cheapest option.  Since chicken in my area is almost as expensive as what Maureen reports, it's the cheapest option for me.  I also think it's the healthiest & freshest option and it allows me to give my cats a good variety of foods, so it's my feeding mainstay.

Another alternative for you, especially if you're not completely comfortable with jumping into homemade, is the Nature Variety Raw Instinct 5 lb chubs.  They are marketed for dogs, but if you add your own taurine it's fine to feed cats.  I buy these from a local store for $20 per chub, plus a 10% store discount.  It works out to be about the same price as the Hare Today food, after you factor in shipping. 

As far as litter, you may end up using less once your cats are on a raw or homemade diet.  And you certainly won't need things like litter deodorizers.  If you scoop religiously and spot clean areas that get hit with pee as needed, you don't need to empty & refill the box.  I think the idea that you have to change the litter once a week is a plot to get people to buy more litter, because clearly my cats are perfectly happy with my lazy & frugal method.

The pre-ground meat that sophie1 has suggested make the food preparation considerably easier. You may want to transition to them after a while. I wouldn't start out with them, despite the convenience, because you would have to place a large order to make the shipping cost worthwhile. If the shipping cost is not a concern and you would like to proceed with that route, let me know.

You seem to have quite a variety of chicken cuts available to you. I would start out with bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (or leg quarters if thighs are not available). If I were you I would start out with a small package - at most 3 lbs. You should be able to easily find chicken liver as well. Buy the smallest package possible. Organic is preferable, but anything you buy from a grocery store is almost certain to be better than what they put in commercial canned food.

I should have asked you this earlier, but forgot. Sorry! In addition to muscle meats (thighs or leg quarters) and liver, you will need to add a number of supplements. I will list them below. It may be easier for you to start out with a premix, which is basically a mix where someone else mixed up all the supplements for you. TCFeline and Alnutrin are two brands that are mentioned often on this forum. I have never used a premix, so I can't tell you if one is better than the other. If your mind is set on feeding homemade food, I would suggest that you go ahead and purchase the supplements. If you have any doubts, buy a premix so you won't get stuck with the supplements. If you buy the premix, read the label carefully. It may include, for example, liver, so you would have to omit the liver from the recipe below. I buy my supplements from amazon, but you will be able to find them at any health food store or pharmacy and the better-stocked grocery stores. Dr. Pierson explains each supplement and suggests sources for it at http://catinfo.org/?link=makingcatfood. I STRONGLY suggest reading the whole page before you start.

I add canned pumpkin to my cat's food. It helps prevent constipation and diarrhea. You can skip it if you prefer. If you add it, use canned 100% pumpkin, not the type that has pie spices added in.

I wouldn't buy a grinder yet if I were you. See if you are up to continuing with homemade food, then make the investment. I have the Tasin TS-108 recommended by Dr. Pierson. It works well. I bought it from http://www.onestopjerkyshop.com/tasin-ts-108-electric-meat-grinder-1/.  Someone I know bought this one (brand new) from ebay: http://ebay.to/1EhTMxm. It seems identical to my grinder in every way, for less than half the price. I have seen both grinders up close and have used both of them. I can't tell the difference.

Another investment that is worth making later is a box of mason jars. Since you have two cats, the 16 oz size would be what I recommend. The wide-mouth version is easier to use. For now, zip-top freezer jars would be just fine. 

Other supplies that you need: a big mixing bowl (stainless steel is best) and a rubber spatula (or large mixing spoon). A wide-mouth funnel of the type used for canning is a very useful addition, but you can do without. Poultry shears are very useful. Regular kitchen shears would work just fine. Even a sharp knife would do. You also need a set of measuring spoons.

I am assuming that you will use powdered eggshells, at least initially.

In summary, you need the following supplies:

Large mixing bowl (stainless steel is best)

Rubber spatula or large spoon

Quart-size zip-top freezer bags

Measuring spoons

Wide-mouth funnel (optional)

16 oz wide-mouth mason jars (optional)

The ingredients you need are:

3 lbs skin-on chicken

4 oz liver

1.75 tsp. powdered eggshell

Premix (amount per directions on label) or supplements listed below

2 egg yolks (optional)

7.5 ounces of canned pumpkin (optional)

Supplements:

4000 mg taurine

1.5 tsp lite salt (NOT regular salt) http://www.mortonsalt.com/for-your-home/culinary-salts/food-salts/3/morton-lite-salt-mixture/

50 mg B complex

400 mg vitamin E

5 mg manganese (optional)

5000 mg fish oil

Instructions:

1. Heat your oven to 350F.

2. Set aside a medium bowl or a measuring cup (easier to use). Add about half a cup of warm water. Drop in the fish oil capsules so they will soften. If you use fish oil from a bottle, you don't need this step.

3. This part is a very slightly modified version of the web page I suggested that you read. I feed raw, so I don't need this step.

• 
  Bake (at 350 degrees) the chicken/turkey thighs and liver leaving ~50% of the thigh meat raw.  (The time needed varies depending on how thick the thighs are but is usually ~15 minutes, give or take.)  I use a Pyrex dish since I will be using all of the fat drippings so I can add them to the ground meat/bones/skin/liver/eggs. The liver will be cooked more than the meat which is fine.
• 
  Remove from the oven and put in cold water to stop the cooking process.
• 
  Remove meat from the bone for chunking.
• 
  Cut the meat into chunks the size of a die (~1/2 inch cubes) or a bit smaller at first and then larger (size of your thumb) once your cat gets the hang of chewing on them. You can use a kitchen knife or scissors.

4. If you used fish oil capsules, squeeze them against the sides of the bowl until all the oil is released into the water. Remove and discard the capsules. Some capsules completely dissolve in water, so you can skip this step.

5. Add the egg yolks (if you are using them) to the water and whisk until smooth.

6. Add the supplements to the water and whisk until smooth again.

7. Add the drippings from the chicken, the chunked chicken, the pumpkin (if you use it), and the water-egg-supplement mix to the large mixing bowl and mix very well. You may need a little more water to make the mixing easier.

8. Remove enough food for a day or two, and freeze the rest in zip-top bags. You can defrost the frozen food in the refrigerator, or in a bowl of warm water. I doubt that the world will end if you defrost it in the microwave.

Let me know if you have any questions. Good luck!

I am glad I found this thread and glad I read about Ustew here. 

I have a question for those of you who actually tried it. Has any of you made a batch with Ustew and your cat HATED it and refused to eat it?

I really want to try it, but would like to hear more about personal experiences people had with this. 

tissa said:

 
I am glad I found this thread and glad I read about Ustew here. 

I have a question for those of you who actually tried it. Has any of you made a batch with Ustew and your cat HATED it and refused to eat it?

I really want to try it, but would like to hear more about personal experiences people had with this. 

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Not Ustew but i tried Better in the Raw (made by the same company) and my cats hated it. When i made the same food again with Alnutrin they loved it. I would just make sure you buy the sample packet and make a small batch of food to see if they like it.