Raw Fed Cat

[Iwantakitten]

Does anyone have their cats on a raw fed diet? When I adopted my kitty (ftgh on Facebook) she was originally fed dry food, I kept her on this until I had her spayed when the vet gave me some science pouches after her operation, she's never looked back and now happily gobbles wet food. However I've always had it in the back of my mind that commercial cat food isn't particularly good for cats and have been interested in the raw fed diets. I've done a little research but it seems like a minefield and not really sure where to start! Any tips or advice?

 

[mandyroberts]

There are so many conflicting views that I feed half dry and half wet. I think the problem with raw is making sure they get a balanced diet. I used to feed raw beef once every other day

 

[Leo Walker]

I did and I tried very hard for nearly 18 months but it hasnt worked for us. Hes too picky, sometimes he eats it, a lot of times he doesnt. What he eats one day he wont eat the next. I tried everything from fresh supermarket mince to Natural Instinct balanced food.

I was worrying he wasnt getting enough variety or enough food and I was sick of throwing stuff out! So literally today I have been out and bought him Applaws dry food, I think its something like 80% meat, and some wet food, again very high percentage meat, all grain free. The cat is so, so happy and has been bouncing about like a kitten today, and I feel awful that he hasnt been for so long

My dogs are raw fed and I am very pro raw feeding, but Eric isnt, so if hes happy with good quality dry food and a pouch a day, then thats a compromise I can make

 

[webble]

I started looking into this and it got very complicated. I decided in the end to feed the more expensive meats such as applause and gourmet that are higher meat percentages. I still feed a few biscuits but my old man cat is prone to bladder crystals so needs*meat for the moisture content

 

[Exploding Chestnuts]

Not sure about raw, mine get a mix of foods, they won t always eat some things, even if they seemed to like it a week ago. I do give them raw fish and meat scraps, but they are not keen.
They have several dry feeds available, a bit less than ad lib, but they eat every time they come in from hunting expeditions!

 

[Possum]

Another one that tried it for a bit (probably 6-8 months). We fed chicken or turkey breast meat with the odd bit of kidney, and used felini complete to make sure the nutrients etc were right (plus, you don't add bone or liver to felini so it made it a bit less complicated).
But...we didn't notice any real benefit, there were weeks where I'd have to hand feed it to him else he'd leave it and he is such a food-obsessed cat normally that I felt awful I'd deprived him of one if his main joys in life. Even when he did eat it, he tolerated it rather than enjoyed it.

He's now back on high-quality commercial food (just discovered miaowing heads wet food - anyone else tried?) and although I'm pleased we tried raw, neither he nor I miss it!

Ps - raw eggs are still a favourite treat though!

 

[Leo Walker]

If I ever got a kitten again I'd do it, but I'd never do it again with an adult cat, and sadly for mine he was nearly 2yr old when I discovered raw feeding. Hes currently flat out on my bed giving me huge eye blinks, a sign of affection apparently! The change in him since we gave him the commercial food is amazing! Hes been out in the garden playing with a stick he found and has been charging about the house squeaking. His face when he took the first mouthful of the new food was amazing! Head down cramming it in as fast as he could. Even when he ate the raw food he used to fish it out with his paw and nibble at it. I feel awful Never again and thats coming from a pro raw feeder who accosts other dog owners in the park in the manner of Jehovahs Witnesses!

 

[Blanche]

I use to feed my cats raw but always had biscuits down ( this was before I found out that you shouldn't feed biscuit and raw at the same time, though mine never had a problem in the years I did it this way and always looked great.) I had a lot of cats at the time and used the frozen blocks you can get at many pet stores. They had a variety such as tripe ( everyone's favourite ) , beef, chicken , lamb , fish and mixtures that I can't remember . I used two blocks of one type in the morning and two of another in the evening . My darling cat 'Big Frank' refused to eat the meat for around three months and would sulkily eat the biscuits while everyone else ate the meat . One day I managed to get him to try a tiny piece of beef and he loved it and started knocking everyone off their bowls to have seconds and thirds! I don't feed raw at the moment as I have a couple of indoor and a few ferals so it wouldn't be as easy.

 

[Fransurrey]

Mine are all on raw. I buy from Nutriment or Natural Instinct. Both do a balanced mince which has the bone ground in with offal, too. It works better when you have more than one cat, but mine all love it, apart from the salmon Nutriment. They also don't like Venison, so I stick to chicken and beef and mixes thereof. I still keep Felix pouches and a quality dry food on stock. Partly this is because I'm forgetful so I always have something to serve if I've forgotten to defrost a pack. Secondly one of mine is 18 and so if she's looking constipated, commercial food softens things quickly.

 

[Embo]

Mine are raw fed. They get a mix of chicken legs/thighs along with the bone, white fish, chicken or lamb livers (they prefer the chicken!), lamb heart, beef mince, raw eggs and scraps/offcuts of whatever we're having.

Luna no longer eats the white fish due to the incident with MIL microwaving it, so she gets tinned tuna (in spring water, not brine) when Loki is having white fish.

Neither are keen on kidney, so they don't get it. Their food is defrosted overnight uncovered, so taurine builds up naturally.

The main differences I notice with them is their coats are so shiny, teeth are white and they poop a lot less!

It seems complicated at first, but once you get into a system it's a piece of cake. The biggest hassle is preparing the meat into portions before freezing, but if you buy in bulk you only need to do this as often as your freezer empties!

ETA: I've read on another forum that lots of people who raw feed their cats also offer up rats, mice and chicks (the frozen kind you usually get for reptiles). I've been wanting to give this a go, but am worried about the mess - the chicken bones make enough.

Has anyone here done this?

 

[Nudibranch]

Mine gets raw as the dogs are exclusively raw, so in the evening the cat gets a portion too. However he does have dried available too. I know there are arguments against mixing them but he is a nice healthy cat. Cats like to eat little and often so this way seems to suit. Having raw available ad lib would be a bit grim (and big dog would steal it anyway).

Re rats, mice and chicks - I used to buy them in as now and again I had baby owls to rear (and rehab back to the wild). The cat would sometimes take a chick or mouse but would refuse rat, as did most of the owl babies. The rats had a strong smell and tough fur so maybe it put them off. Pinkies might be different. The cat would only take mice and chicks if he was in the mood or very hungry though.

 

[PorkChop]

Mine are on raw exclusively because I feed my dogs raw, they are both 17 this year and look very well on it.

 

[pippixox]

I have been trying to feed my cat raw, as my dog is on raw and it has done him wonders she has always been on hills science plan as that's what she had since a kitten. but when i put the dogs food down & he is still out in the garden, she mews and rushes over. But have since found she will only eat turkey & when I ran out of the supply that I normally use and had to gets the pets at home natures mince turkey she did not like that brand! so as she is so fussy she still has her kibble but has a little bit of the turkey mince as well for breakfast.