need help in feeding a cat raw (meat that is)

[salsababy]

I have a 3 1/2 month old kitten that I adopted from the humane society. Besides for a cold that is not harmful to her (says the vet) she is very healthy. I've had her for a month and a half and feed her both raw meat (varied meat package for cats-natural) and just dry cat food from the pet store. She's a kitten so she eats ALL the time and I can't always feed her since I go to work. It's the dry food that will make her hungry more often.

I gave her cooked fish and she turned up her nose to it! She likes the raw meat but only if I add baby food or sweet potatoes to it. I don't know what her obsession with sweet potatoes are and I also dont' know if it is healthy for her. I have a few books but they talk more about dogs than cats and their needs are different.

Does anyone know of any reputable site for cats and the raw meat diet? I need all the help I can get!!! Thanks!!

[salsababy]

Bumping up. Anyone?? Any cat lovers out there???

[luckitri]

Don't know any sites. I used to feed cats raw meat but mostly chicken livers. I learned that they would not eat meat from animals that they would not be able to hunt and kill on their own. So it was mostly chicken and chicken parts. In recent years I think that the quality of the chicken and particulary livers has deteriorated so much (possibly from factory farming?) that the cats would not eat them. The cat we have now was adopted as full-grown and I purchased all kinds of little raw goodies for him when we first got him and he turned his nose up at all of it.

I think that the other problem with it for them is that if it is not a fresh kill the amino acids have oxidised and there is really no positive nutrional value I have been told. Animals in the wild only eat fresh kill for the most part and I suspect this may be another part of their rejection of the meat. Cats are so sensitive that they can taste it. So processed canned food is formulated to taste better and they go with that.

Dogs are much easier to please. They love the old meat from the store!

[salsababy]

Don't know any sites. I used to feed cats raw meat but mostly chicken livers. I learned that they would not eat meat from animals that they would not be able to hunt and kill on their own. So it was mostly chicken and chicken parts. In recent years I think that the quality of the chicken and particulary livers has deteriorated so much (possibly from factory farming?) that the cats would not eat them. The cat we have now was adopted as full-grown and I purchased all kinds of little raw goodies for him when we first got him and he turned his nose up at all of it.

I think that the other problem with it for them is that if it is not a fresh kill the amino acids have oxidised and there is really no positive nutrional value I have been told. Animals in the wild only eat fresh kill for the most part and I suspect this may be another part of their rejection of the meat. Cats are so sensitive that they can taste it. So processed canned food is formulated to taste better and they go with that.

Dogs are much easier to please. They love the old meat from the store!

That is a very interesting point! Hmm....I wish my cats would like soft food- but they don't. My oldest (5) likes just dry food. My kitten will eat raw meat if I add babyfood or sweet potatoes. And he devours cooked meat (except cooked fish- odd).

[lafsalot]

Here' a link you might want to check out:
rawfedcats.com ~ Cathy

[Stina]

I just got a book by a holistic veternarian by the name of Pitcairn. Haven't read it yet, but will let you know.

[northernstars]

Our cat is about 11 years old and absolutely refuses to eat anything other than dry catfood. I have tried several times to tempt her with raw meats and she looks up her nose at it and walks away. IT is so frustrating because cats are carnivorous by nature and you would think it would be a welcome change.

[diali36]

If you think about it cats fending for themselves hunt and eat birds, mice, and possibley the occasional rat. They might if lucky catch a fish. I think you have to be very careful of the source of the meat esp now with all the junk out there. You don't want to be feeding antibodies, pesticides, homones, worms, disease to your budddys.
I would check with a holistic vet and do some research on what safe pet food is out there that is raw and then indroduce a little at a time into their diet.