Raw feeding at last!

I finally ordered my electric meat grinder! So its official...as soon as it arrives my cats are going on raw. I've wanted to put them on it for the last eight months but couldn't afford to buy an electric one without dipping into my emergency vet fund, and a hand-cranked one is just a pain in the butt when dealing with bones. My dogs are already on raw, but I haven't been able to switch the Mew Clan over. Now I'll be able too!

They already eat raw hamburger and liver mixed in with their canned food on occassion, so the transition should be too much of a shock. I just have to phase out the canned food over time. I'm sooo excited!

Are you going to grind the bones with the meat, too?

Let us know how it goes!!

Yup, definately, bones and all. I wanted to feed them whole but the cats drag them around the house and hide them under things, and defend them from each other. The only way to do it is to either feed each cat one at a time in an enclosed space (which is very implausible with six cats to feed and clean up after) or to grind it all up to the consistancy of cat food. They do try and snatch the chicken wings and turkey necks out of the dogs' bowls when I'm preparing their food still, so I have to be vigilant or else I find a wing under my sofa. *eew*

what recipe are you following or do you have your own? i feed little raw just for variety, i'm not confident enough to go all the way.

I have my own that's basically a conglomerate of several different other diets. I feed what works for the animal and alter it as needed for their particular needs. Cats being obligate carnivores, they will get essentially all that the dogs get, save the vegetable matter. Liver, hearts, gizzards, chicken (with bone), ground beef, cod liver oil, fish, clams, oysters, duck, rabbit, some lamb now and again, eggs with shells, flaxseed oil, etc.

The dogs also get mustard greens, green peppers, some carrots, garlic, parsley, squash, bits of apple (seedless) and berries that are in season. Sometimes they get melon, or bits of orange, or banana.

My boxer dog is actually severly lactose intolerant (which I found only after some experimenting by me, so no yogurt or cottage cheese) and needs a higher amount of certain vitamins than most dogs (discovered when she got the strangest crusty growth on her ears), so I adjust the diet accordingly for her.

I already supplement my cats diet with L-Lysine to boost their immune systems. It really helps my one cat that has CRS and asthma.

A raw diet literally got rid of my border collie's arthritis, stopped her from going gray, and seemed to drop about six years off of her age. She was scheduled for a massive dental appointment and now no longer needs it. Her teeth are bright and gleaming white, and her bad breath is gone.

I'm hoping for the same boost in health with my cats (though only one has any 'real' problems). But we'll see what we see!

Could I ask where you're getting your grinder? Thanks....

I ordered it through www.sillypugs.com. They include shipping in the lower 48 in the price, and its still cheaper than a lot of other sites were selling it at without the shipping.

Thank you!!

Please keep us informed how your kitties are doing with their raw diet.