Introducing new types of raw food to cats - a gradual approach?

[konuku]

I have two 9 month old kittens who are now able to eat a diet of mostly homemade raw rabbit. Hurrah! I still have to add a little commercial food on top to entice them since raw food has little odor, but I am overall pretty pleased.

I made some raw turkey and gave it to them as well. My female refused to eat it, but her brother did. When he ate it a second time though, he threw it up. Should I treat raw food like other food in that a new protein needs to be mixed with the protein they know, so they can digest it better?

And if that is the case, how would it work if I wanted to regularly alternate their raw food (one day rabbit, the next turkey, the next quail, etc.) or is that a bad idea, and I should feed them full batches' worth (about 2 weeks) before changing the protein?

Thanks for any imput.

 

[meowlifestyle]

Congratulations on the switch!

I feed home prepared raw chicken, turkey, rabbit and beef and a littler commercial canned food from time to time.

You sort of need to condition your cats to different foods. In the beginning mine were skeptical. But now they have been exposed to so many different proteins and food they will eat anything I give them. It really is good for them to get a variety of protein and it will strengthen their GI system in the long haul.

But if this is the first time you're introducing new foods you can go slower. Because they are only 9 months old it should be pretty easy.

I've never had my cats throw up after eating raw. They have throw up occasional hairballs (I have 2 persians) but never directly after eating.