Wondering About Raw Feeding . . .

Alicia88

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I'm sure there are tons of threads about this.  I'm not trying to be lazy, but I honestly don't have time to sift through dozens of threads.  I have work, I take online college classes, and need time to play with my boys.  Sorry!

I've seen a lot of posts mentioning raw feeding.  What are the benefits?  Pros/cons?

I definitely want to give my boys the best I can.  If that is raw feeding, I want to look into it.

How much would it cost to feed 100% raw?  I have 2 male kittens about 6 months old.  I'm not sure how much they weight.  Connor is very muscly and bulky and seems to weight at least twice as much as Murphy though they are the same size.  I guess Murphy just has a less solid build.  They are also very large for their age.  Their father is a very big cat and it would seem that my babies are following in his footsteps.  They appear to be the size of a full grown cat at this time.

I was glancing through an article about raw feeding and it mentioned getting whole animals like mice, rabbits, etc.  Is that more beneficial than buying meat from the grocery store?  More expensive?

I am not rich.  Far from it.  I make enough to pay my bills and keep everyone fed, with not much left over.  Currently, they boys are eating Purina Kitten Chow and a can of Fancy Feast Classic every day.

Basically, I haven't decided to switch.  I'm not sure I will.  I just want more information.
 

missmimz

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If you want to feed raw you're going to have to do some research, so while there are tons of threads to sift through, that's part of the learning process. Here are some sites with good info. How much it costs depends on several factors like where you source meat from and how much your cats eat. 6 month old kittens will eat a lot. 

http://www.catinfo.org/

http://www.foodfurlife.com/learning-center.html

Good luck. 
 
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Alicia88

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I'm sure I will have to do a lot of research if I actually decide to go through with this.  Right now I'm just wondering if it's something I should do.
 

missmimz

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I'm sure I will have to do a lot of research if I actually decide to go through with this.  Right now I'm just wondering if it's something I should do.
I mean this is the raw feeding thread so everyone is going to tell you it's the best possible thing you can do for your cats. It's the most natural diet and it will help them thrive. Its worth the time and effort, absolutely. Most of us have busy lives and have no issue making it work. 
 
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Alicia88

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I've been doing some googling and reading.  One big thing that keeps popping is that it's easier to transition kittens than adult cats.  Where would 6 month kittens fall?
 

missmimz

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I've been doing some googling and reading.  One big thing that keeps popping is that it's easier to transition kittens than adult cats.  Where would 6 month kittens fall?
A lot depends on the cat, on whether or not they're kibble fed or not and how much wet food they've been eating. It's typically easier to transition from kibble to wet to raw, or wet to raw, but i transitioned my 12 year old cat, at the time, straight from kibble to raw. 6 month olds should transition very easily. 
 
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Alicia88

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Do you feed whole animals - mice, rabbits, etc - or just raw meat?  How expensive is it?  A big issue is whether or not I can afford it.  Feeding them raw won't be much help if we all end up homeless.
 

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I feed mainly Nature's Variety Instinct frozen raw food. I also use ground meat with a pre-mix and give a spoonful with each meal.

Commerical raw cat foods are an option if you don't want to make food yourself
Thre are four types: frozen, freeze dried, dehydrated, and air dried. Besides NV, other popular brands of commerical raw foods are rad Cat, Primal, and Stella and Chewy's. Most frozen raw is a complete balanced diet. Freeze dried raw can either be complete diets or supplemental / treat only. Be sure to read the label. Dehydrated raw is powder so you have to rehydrate it in water for a few minutes before serving. Air dried raw is hard and crunchy like dry food and can be very expensive.

The next easiest step IMO is to use a pre-mix with ground meat. The pre-mix contains all the essential vitamins and minerals a cat needs. The basic instructions for most pre-mxies are measure the powder and put in a bowl, measure water and add to the bowl, add in the ground meat, mix to combine, portion into serving size or daily meals, and freeze. It takes me no more than 15 minutes to make up a batch with 2 lbs of meat. Oh, never use supermarket ground meat. That may contain bacteria mixed throughout it (cooking kills the bacteria). Use only whole cuts of meat that you chop or grind yourself (and make sure the meat hasn't been enhanced with broth or flavorings as some packaged meats do) or buy meat that is specifically for pet food use. Hare-Today.com is one popular place where many raw feeders buy meat from. Independent pet stores often sells chubs (rolls) of meat afor pet food use.
 
 One big thing that keeps popping is that it's easier to transition kittens than adult cats.  Where would 6 month kittens fall?
I adopted my DMH at 6 months old and got her eating raw food within two weeks
I think it helped her seeing my Aby (same age) eating raw food and kind of figure out that the lump I ws giving her was food. I had to use freeze dried raw first and then when she ate that, mixed little amounts of NV into her canned food.

Every cat is different so you just go at their pace and not rush things.
 
Do you feed whole animals - mice, rabbits, etc - or just raw meat?  How expensive is it?  A big issue is whether or not I can afford it.  Feeding them raw won't be much help if we all end up homeless.
It depends on what kind of raw diet you want to do. Those who do whole carcas feed the entire animal (usually in pieces). Those who do frankenprey may include some small carcasses with the meat.

Starting out with just raw meat is probably the easiest if you're not going to do commercial raw cat food. Raw meat by itself is not a complete diet so you need to use a pre-mix with it or add in other supplements.

Cost varies depending on the type of raw you feed. Commerical raw foods can be expensive. Making raw from scratch is usually the least expensive. These TCS threads discuss cost of raw feeding:

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/249593/raw-feeding-costly

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/282354/how-much-does-the-raw-diet-cost-you

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/308855/cost-of-feeding-exclusively-commercial-raw

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/199174/suprised-at-the-cost-of-feeding-raw
 
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Alicia88

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I'm beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed with all of this.  One of the articles I was reading was saying that feeding ground raw wasn't a good idea because cats need to use their teeth and if they don't use them, they could end up with major dental issues.

I wouldn't mind making it myself.  I just don't want to end up doing something that would be even worse for them than if I just left their diet alone.
 

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I'm beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed with all of this.  One of the articles I was reading was saying that feeding ground raw wasn't a good idea because cats need to use their teeth and if they don't use them, they could end up with major dental issues.
I wouldn't mind making it myself.  I just don't want to end up doing something that would be even worse for them than if I just left their diet alone.
You can give your cat small chunks of meat and gizzards and raw bones and such for dental health. I just brush my cats' teeth :teeth:
 
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Alicia88

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Would it be possible or ok to use venison in a raw diet? Not exclusively, of course. I live in northeast Missouri and deer hunting is a HUGE thing. I'm thinking it might be possible to buy certain organs and scrap meat for a pretty good price around deer season. We also have a Western's Meat Market. I wonder if I could get some stuff more cheaply there.
 

LTS3

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Vension is fine if your cat will eat it :nod: Some cats don't like vension. I've heard of people buying raw meat and organs and such directly from hunters. I'm not familiar with Western's Meat Market but as long as the meat sold hasn't been ehanced with anything, it should be fine.
 
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