hi all, I am new and I have 3 cats - 2 adults and 1- 12 week old Manx kitten. I am fed up with the shop food and the hit and miss on whether it will give them the runs or tummy wind, stinky poo etc. So I have decided to buy only the best dry food ( please help me with the best brands for both adult and kitten ) and I am going to make their cooked food myself. So I need a good tried and tested recipe. I can use roo mince and chicken thigh, plus I would like to use rice and carrot if I can and also flax-seed oil? so please all and any help, advise, whatever will be grateful. Also the lactose free ( human milk ) vs cat milk??
Congrats on seeking better diet for your furballs.... What are they currently eating? Will they only eat dry? Have your tried canned food?
I know you are asking about cooked homemade diets, but since you posted in the raw feeding forum -- I'll encourage you to take a look at www.catinfo.org and catnutrition.org for starters, to get an idea on how to make some homemade raw diets.
You will find that these sites discourage the feeding of any grain or vegetable/fruit matter because a complete and balanced diet of meat, bone and organ is what cats need. Fish oil is generally preferred over flax seed oil, as again, cats are obligate carnivores and naturally should be deriving all of their nutrition through animal sources.
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Toby, Maine Coon mix/DMH
from: Maine, USA
born: 3/28/13
diet: raw - meat/bone/organ mixes from Hare Today (with Alnutrin), raw chicken hearts, fish oil.
I bought a 3kg bag of ready made dog/cat meat from my supermarket. it has raw meat ( all listed on the back ) plus some added vitamins and turine etc. lovely and fresh. I cooked up some rice and mixed up some of the meat with some cooked rice, raw free range egg and a little flaxseed oil, along with them getting dry food I will be giving them this as well as a little bit of cat milk. and my dog is getting it as well. so I think keeping it simple but correct is paying off, no runny poo's this morning very happy.
You might want to consider replacing the flax seed oil with salmon oil. Cats do better with animal-based omega 3s, because they can't convert the ALA into the usable stuff. They need the DHA and EPA pre-formed. http://www.chiro.org/nutrition/FULL/The_Essential_PUFA_Guide.shtml
Hi Bella Moon. As you are feeding roo, I'm assuming you are a fellow-Aussie. You need to be aware that we have a terrible problem with sulphites being added to 'fresh' pet meat, particularly those sold at supermarkets (and particularly roo). Sulphites 'kill off' thiamine, and cats die without sufficient levels - and we DO have deaths. Vets have made particular frustrated comment about this problem in submissions to govt over pet food regulations. More here - check out the linked Choice article too:
Lol, Ritz, if you DID happen upon roo over there, I'd be certain it was human grade and fit for everyone (cats included) to eat! Because we have export regulations...just no pet food regulations. grr.