Feeding raw

I wish I had the confidence to feed raw but I'm not sure I'd get it right and I need my cats to eat commercial food when they go to the cattery etc. I was thinking of perhaps feeding them an occasional raw meal (maybe building up to once a day if I felt confident) - if it was just the odd meal would I need to pay as much attention to getting it right since they would still be getting a commercial complete cat food the rest of the time? And what about if I just gave them some raw meat now and again - would that alter the balance of their diet in a bad way? If it was just muscle meat? I sometimes give them a pice of raw chicken or beef if I'm cooking and they love it. Would there even be any point (from a nutritional point of view) in feeding just the odd meal raw? Any suggestions on how to dip a toe into feeding raw? Any meats I should avoid? Sorry about all the questions!

I actually am thinking of doing something like this as well. I cannot afford the amount of meat it would take to feed raw all the time, plus I'm queasy about meat in general (don't worry, Zissou gets to eat as much meat as she wants! Just not for me) but I'd like to give her some raw or homemade sometimes.

So I'm very interested in replies plus I have all the same questions, though I can't do it more than once or twice a week.

I found this site: http://www.catnutrition.org/ what do the raw feeder experts think about that?

that is a good easy to read site
I started with some muscle meat but I would suggest a little organs as they have more taste and extra viatimins./..

I STRONGLY urge anyone considering Raw or Homemade to consult a holistic vet or a conventional vet willing to listen and help with research .,..

My raw girls eat two very different diets as one is canine and one is feline...

That looks like a good site, Zissou's mom - thanks!

I was thinking I might get some chicken wings or something for them to eat as that would provide bones for their teeth too.

When I take Jaffa to the vet for his vaccinations at the beginning of september I'm going to discuss this with them, although I have no idea of their take on nutrition as I've never really discussed it with them before.

i won't comment on the whole raw meat thing, just don't feed them bones. especially chicken bones.

What's wrong with chicken bones? I do mean raw bones and not cooked - I know cooked bones shouldn't be fed as they splinter.

I've been reading up on it for awhile, and you have to feed raw, ground bones or else use bone meal (food-grade) or you are doing wrong because they won't get enough calcium. Cooked bones are very bad, but some of the best bones (according to what I've read, I know a raw feeder will be along shortly to explain it better!) are chicken neck bones-- uncooked of course!

Yes - someone on another forum I use mentioned chicken neck bones - I think she fed them cut into 1 inch pieces. I've read in various places that chicken wings are ok, but I wouldnt feed them until I got confirmation from my vet or an experienced raw feeder confirmed that it was ok.

Feeding raw requires extremely careful attention to the preparation and storage of the meat as well as ensuring the proper balance of nutrients for the optimal health of our cats.

I've found a couple of commercially prepared raw diets (frozen) that I'm going to introduce gradually.

Originally Posted by urbantigers

Yes - someone on another forum I use mentioned chicken neck bones - I think she fed them cut into 1 inch pieces. I've read in various places that chicken wings are ok, but I wouldnt feed them until I got confirmation from my vet or an experienced raw feeder confirmed that it was ok.

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I give my kitties chicken necks and wings (both whole, the kitties do all the work!), as well as quail peices all the time They're good chews (just make sure they dont try to swallow too big a piece!) and they love them!