Feeding kittens tuna

[deb richard]

Have been feeding my 2 kitties Nature Variety chicken plus Solid Gold Tuna for cats.  Does that thin out the high bone/calcium content of Nature Variety?  I feed them teh tuna because they won't eat straight raw.  they seem to require the strong flavor of the tuna.  

I was just wondering, not because they seem constipated (not sure how I would know) but because there was such a dramatic decrease in poop in the litter box.  

Deb Richard

 

[vball91]

Hi Deb Richard! I have asked a moderator to split your post into its own thread so that you can get replies specific to your situation.

It sounds like you are feeding the NV raw chicken plus the Solid Gold tuna together? How much of each would you say? If you are just using the tuna as a topper to get the kitties to eat the raw, it may be ok as it shouldn't be a lot (less than 10% hopefully). However a lot of fish, especially big fish like tuna, is not good for cats due to higher levels of toxins like mercury. There are other fishy toppers you can use instead. A good one is bonito flakes. You really just need a little bit crushed and sprinkled on top.

As for the reduced poop, this very common with raw fed cats, because the raw is so much more bioavailable to them, there is far less waste. Also, you probably have noticed your cats pooping less frequently. And there's little or no odor, right? All good things.

As for the higher bone content, some cats may not have a problem. Signs of constipation would include straining to go in the litter box, going in the box but then not producing anything, etc. It would be better to thin the bone content with extra muscle meat if you can.

Also, just like with canned, it is a good idea to rotate different brands and flavors (i.e. Proteins). Different animals offer different nutritional values, so variety is good.

 

[deb richard]

Hi Deb Richard! I have asked a moderator to split your post into its own thread so that you can get replies specific to your situation.

It sounds like you are feeding the NV raw chicken plus the Solid Gold tuna together? How much of each would you say? If you are just using the tuna as a topper to get the kitties to eat the raw, it may be ok as it shouldn't be a lot (less than 10% hopefully). However a lot of fish, especially big fish like tuna, is not good for cats due to higher levels of toxins like mercury. There are other fishy toppers you can use instead. A good one is bonito flakes. You really just need a little bit crushed and sprinkled on top.

As for the reduced poop, this very common with raw fed cats, because the raw is so much more bioavailable to them, there is far less waste. Also, you probably have noticed your cats pooping less frequently. And there's little or no odor, right? All good things.

As for the higher bone content, some cats may not have a problem. Signs of constipation would include straining to go in the litter box, going in the box but then not producing anything, etc. It would be better to thin the bone content with extra muscle meat if you can.

Also, just like with canned, it is a good idea to rotate different brands and flavors (i.e. Proteins). Different animals offer different nutritional values, so variety is good.

Sorry about not posting this where it should go.  I am new at this and feeding the kitties raw.  right now I am feeding each cat two medallions of the chicken and 1/2 can of the Gold Star Tuna each day.  so that is more than what you said. But from where we started, a all day/all night kibble buffet, with one cat begging from tuna (human cans) every time my husband comes in the door.  He usually caved and gave her a tablespoon or so several times a day.  When I started introducing the raw, i had to mask it with a majority tuna and have reduced it to the tuna intended for cats and a lot less than before.  At this point they are not accepting change very well.  

I am thrilled that they like and look forward to their meals as they are.  for a long time Kiki thought for sure I was trying to poison her.  if she saw me touch her plate, she would just walk away even tho I knew she was very hungry.  I would have to fix her meals when she was not looking and my husband would show her that he was putting tuna from the can on her plate... then she would eat with gusto.  Now she will let me feed her, happily.

But I want to eventually go to a frozen ground, chicken/bone mix that I can buy at my local store, Meat for Cats and Dogs.  I only have the kitchenaid mixer attachment for grinding meat, not bones.  And I will add the organ meat etc.  I expect that I will still have to add the tuna.  I will ask at Meat for Cats and Dogs  if they have any non-tuna fish that tastes strongly to see if the finicky missies will eat it.    I am intending to start what I just described, this weekend after the chicken runs out.  

I am glad the reduced poop isn't constipation but normal.  thank you for replying and clearing that up.  I think that no matter how far the kitties let me take them down this path of new food, it will be much much better than when they were eating kibbles all the time with salty intended-for-human tuna as a treat.    

and yes, in the littler box there is much much less and no odor at all.  

Deb Richard

 

[deb richard]

Hi Deb Richard! I have asked a moderator to split your post into its own thread so that you can get replies specific to your situation.

It sounds like you are feeding the NV raw chicken plus the Solid Gold tuna together? How much of each would you say? If you are just using the tuna as a topper to get the kitties to eat the raw, it may be ok as it shouldn't be a lot (less than 10% hopefully). However a lot of fish, especially big fish like tuna, is not good for cats due to higher levels of toxins like mercury. There are other fishy toppers you can use instead. A good one is bonito flakes. You really just need a little bit crushed and sprinkled on top.

As for the reduced poop, this very common with raw fed cats, because the raw is so much more bioavailable to them, there is far less waste. Also, you probably have noticed your cats pooping less frequently. And there's little or no odor, right? All good things.

As for the higher bone content, some cats may not have a problem. Signs of constipation would include straining to go in the litter box, going in the box but then not producing anything, etc. It would be better to thin the bone content with extra muscle meat if you can.

Also, just like with canned, it is a good idea to rotate different brands and flavors (i.e. Proteins). Different animals offer different nutritional values, so variety is good.

Thanks for your information.  My cats are not kittens however.  when the moderator moved my post (since i put it in the wrong place.... sorry) she put Kittens in the name.  Tilly is 10 lbs and 2 yrs old, kiki is 13 lbs and 5 yrs old.  

right now, in this process of moving from eating kibbles at the 24/7 buffet to each cat eating two chicken medallions of Nature Variety plus 1/2 can of Gold Star Tuna mix.  I am trying to reduce that, but the fact is that they love the flavor of the tuna.  It took most of a month to get Kiki from only accepting cans of tuna for humans in her food.  I will ask at Meat for Cats and Dogs to see if there is something non-tuna that would be acceptable to Kiki.  Tilly doesn't care as long as there is something mixed in with the raw. 

Kiki takes to change with difficulty.  this last month, if she saw that I was preparing her plate, she would just walk away and not eat it at all.  It was as if she thought i was out to poison her.  i would fix it when she wasn't watching, then my husband would give it to her, showing her that he took her favorite tuna and placed it on the plate.  then she would gobble it down.  Now she eats what I prepare as long as the tuna is part of it.  

I want to move to purchasing from Meat for Cats and Dogs, some frozen ground chicken with ground bones included, and adding chicken hearts, liver and gizzards that I grind.  and then adding what else needs to be added (still in the discovery stage on that one)  I hope that moving thru the next stage won't be as hard as it was from kibble to wet food.  

and yes there is much less in the litter box and it has no odor at all.  I am glad that is normal.  I was worried that they were not going enough.  

 I have som Nature variety beef, in the freezer that I will try.  See if the finicky missies will tolerate change in meat at all.  

thanks for your help.

deb richard