RAW Cat Food?

[walnutty]

I am adopting a cat and I want to start him on as much raw as possible.

Are there any foods that are dangerous for a cat to eat?

Are there any raw cat food recipes out there?


ANY help would be appreciated...thanks!

[lovenlife]

I buy my kitty raw meat and feed it to her.
Omas Pride
Some raw dehy food at the pet store
Frozen raw at the pet store
Ground meat at the health food store

As a result, she has had increased health and also wants more raw fresh foods!

[RawLibrarian]

I am adopting a cat and I want to start him on as much raw as possible.

Are there any foods that are dangerous for a cat to eat?

Are there any raw cat food recipes out there?


ANY help would be appreciated...thanks!

Cats are obligate carnivores--they really have to have meat. That's about the most important thing to know. They also have to have taurine or else they will go blind--all commercial food has taurine added. If you make your own, you might have to add it--it is not hard to find (you can order it online).

There is a superb website (http://www.catinfo.org/) by a veterinarian that is packed with info about cat nutrition. She feels her cats raw food (homemade) and gives suggestions for commercially prepared raw cat food, if you don't want to make your own. Click on the "Making Cat Food" link on the right side of the page for more info.

I really agree with Lisa Pierson (vet who maintains the website mentioned above) about dry kibble. Kibble is a convenience for owners and it is just not good for cats--even the high quality, no-grain organic brands. The biggest reason is that kibble does not provide cats with enough protein, essential fatty acids, and (really important) WATER. Cats really need moisture, since their thirst drive is so low. It is very easy for cats to get dehydrated on a diet that is primarily kibble. Wet commercial food, or adding some water to the raw food, gives cats extra moisture aside from what they get from drinking water. It's really important to keep cats well-hydrated since they don't drink a lot of water.

Here (http://cats.about.com/od/catfoo1/tp/rawfreezefood.htm) are some other suggestions for commercially prepared raw cat food.

Don't feed your cats canned tuna. I give my cats tuna juice from time to time as a little treat, but canned fish for humans does not have enough nutrients in it for it to be part of the cat's diet. (I don't eat the tuna, of course! :) Cats fed a diet containing excessive amounts of tuna can develop steatitis (yellow fat disease).

If you are going to feed your cats commercial wet food, look for brands that do not have grain--it will say "No grain" on the can. Cats do NOT need grain--a high-carbohydrate diet in cats is a factor in feline diabetes. The number of cats who have developed diabetes has skyrocketed, just like diabetes in people, and the biggest reason is low quality food with grain in it.

Hope this helps.

[lovenlife]

I fed my cat the "best of the best, grani free, top healthy canned food. She got sicker and sicker.

I have fed her raw for over a month and she is doing well.

Had fed her a bit of similar quality kibble. Dry yes and cats need moisture in their food!

Taurine, why wouldnt they get this from raw meat? Where in nature do they get tuarine?

[walnutty]

Thanks for all your help!

[lovenlife]

Its funny, I feed ME raw and know why and yet I just didnt see to feed her raw. Silly me. Once I did, she became a kitten. Makes sense.

[walnutty]

To lovenlife: I agree!

So, another question...other than cacao are there any other raw foods that are dangerous for a cat to eat.

For example, can I let him try the things I eat, especially the fresh organic fruits and veggies or is there something that I SHOULD NOT let him try?


p.s. I pick him up this afternoon. So excited! He's a beauty!

[Bookish Lass]

raw cat food = mice :)

[lovenlife]

good idea bookish.
no mice here
no outdoor cat
indoor cat have no mice
she starve
so I feed her purchased raw meat
she feel better now
although still want mice
poor kitty
only has fake mice to play with
and they taste awful
she says

[LovelyYue]

I buy my cat raw meat. Its really good for cats (I think it tastes good to them) :eat

[green goddess]

I found my cat as a starving stray and immediately started feeding her homemade raw meat, made with a meat grinder. I've fed her mostly this over the past two years, except for a few months when I didn't have access to a meat grinder, until I bought my own.

With the raw meat, she quickly gained weight (she was just skin and bones!) and her fur filled in from being really ratty. She is energetic, pleasant, has a gorgeous, thick, silky coat, and her contributions to the kitty litter box don't stink! ;)

With the health-food store kibble I temporarily fed her, her personality became a little more erratic, her coat became a little dandruffy, her breath smelled kind of bad, and her poopies stunk. She is definitely healthier with raw food!

That said, as a vegetarian, it sure is weird buying meat for my cat. Wish I could feed her the same things I'm feeding myself, but that's what happens with having a carnivore for a pet!

[RawSar]

one of my cats loves fresh curly kale!

[green goddess]

one of my cats loves fresh curly kale!

How do you feed the kale to your cat? I'm thinking of growing some cat grass for my kitty to nibble on... but kale might be even healthier!

[RawSar]

Haven't tried cat grass or wheat grass yet..

I will grab a kale leaf and basically feed her like I would a rabbit, I hold the kale by one end and my cat rips off pieces from the other end.
My cat likes it best when I've torn pieces off in nice bite size pieces in her dish with her raw meat on top. Oh yes, she is spoiled, likes her raw meat on a fresh bed of kale....:eat
My other cats are not interested in it though.

After using some kale some times I will throw the stem on the floor for the cats to chew on and play with.

[green goddess]

Aw, that is so cute! I like the idea of sneaking in bits of kale in the bottom of the kitty food dish - I'll have to try that! Might be a really good idea to add a bit of greenery to my cat's diet since she doesn't get to nibble on any greens outside in the winter...

[NuMystic]

Taurine, why wouldnt they get this from raw meat? Where in nature do they get tuarine?

It comes from fresh live meat. Unless you are feeding your cat live prey, you need to supplement taurine. Even if you are feeding raw meat you need to supplement because Taurine is lost in both grinding and freezing.

For all those that are feeding a 100% raw meat diet, you also can't just feed ground turkey/chicken/beef without including organ meat and bone which are critical for a cat's health. Google "hare today" for a fantastic source for ground meat WITH organ meat and bone included.

For supplementation of raw meat Google alnutrin which is an already prepared supplement made specifically to add to fresh raw ground meat. They offer two varieties. One to add to just ground meat (providing what is missing due to the lack of organ and bone) and one to add if you are getting ground meat/bone/organ.