We recently found out that one of our dogs (Bransen, almost 3 year old n/male Pit Bull mix) has a heart irregularity. It is unknown to us right now exactly what the condition is but our vet suspects it is a valve issue and may be an early sign of Heart Disease.
This has given us that extra "push" to take the plunge into raw feeding that we've wanted to take for some time now. We are in the process of getting a deep freeze and filling it with meat for the pets but I need to do more research about feeding cats raw. As you may have guessed, I'm a dog person.
We are trying to avoid red meat entirely (two of the dogs have digestive issues and one a heart problem) so we would be feeding mainly Chicken, Turkey and (if we can get it) Rabbit. From what I've researched (about dogs) the simplest way to achieve a balanced raw diet is to feed whole prey. To me, this only makes sense. The carcasses we feed will probably be skinned with heads and feet removed, for the most part.
The dogs will likely be fed each 1/2 of a carcass (weighing 1-1.5lbs) per day, as well as raw scraps for treats. The cats on the other hand I am not so sure about. Would feeding each cat 1/8 of a carcass (weighing about 0.5 lb) each day be a good idea?
For the cats' treats, I will be farming live crickets. To add variety for them (down the road when I'm more experienced/comfortable feeding raw) I was thinking of adding things such as small fish and maybe the occasional frozen mouse (from a breeder/pet shop) would be good.
To me, the idea of feeding whole (self-portioned) carcasses seems to make more sense than other raw feeding methods in terms of both nutrition and convenience. I am just looking for any input, advice, etc from people who are more knowledgeable/experienced in feeding cats raw.
This has given us that extra "push" to take the plunge into raw feeding that we've wanted to take for some time now. We are in the process of getting a deep freeze and filling it with meat for the pets but I need to do more research about feeding cats raw. As you may have guessed, I'm a dog person.
We are trying to avoid red meat entirely (two of the dogs have digestive issues and one a heart problem) so we would be feeding mainly Chicken, Turkey and (if we can get it) Rabbit. From what I've researched (about dogs) the simplest way to achieve a balanced raw diet is to feed whole prey. To me, this only makes sense. The carcasses we feed will probably be skinned with heads and feet removed, for the most part.
The dogs will likely be fed each 1/2 of a carcass (weighing 1-1.5lbs) per day, as well as raw scraps for treats. The cats on the other hand I am not so sure about. Would feeding each cat 1/8 of a carcass (weighing about 0.5 lb) each day be a good idea?
For the cats' treats, I will be farming live crickets. To add variety for them (down the road when I'm more experienced/comfortable feeding raw) I was thinking of adding things such as small fish and maybe the occasional frozen mouse (from a breeder/pet shop) would be good.
To me, the idea of feeding whole (self-portioned) carcasses seems to make more sense than other raw feeding methods in terms of both nutrition and convenience. I am just looking for any input, advice, etc from people who are more knowledgeable/experienced in feeding cats raw.