trying to make an old cat go raw

[Kilico]

Cats are true carnivores and cannot thrive on a vegan diet.

Yes, in fact they can suffer serious illness (with some dying or going blind) unless fed meat. I always tell vegans who are uncomfortable with the diet necessary to maintain the health of an obligate carnivore such as a cat that they should get a bunny instead. (I say this as a vegan myself, one with several cats).

[Kilico]

Hey,
I've been transitioning my two adult cats (approx ages 2 & 3 but who really knows!) to raw over the period of about a month - 6 weeks now. I use Aunt Jeni's (www.auntjeni.com) - it's all organic and not expensive. It's made in NJ (which for me is pretty local) and sold frozen in 1 lb. tubs. Anyway, I tried my cats on just raw chicken, raw fish - wouldn't touch any of it. When I tried Aunt Jeni's, I put a little hot water over it and then covered it with their kibble (organic, healthy kibble) they'd been eating. They ate it all.

Slowlly, I've been moving away from the kibble - now I use more raw, and just a sprinkling of kibble over it. Now, it's been 6 weeks or so, and if I don't put any kibble they won't eat it...but if I put just like 8 pieces of kibble, they'll eat it all! Nutty girls, they are!

So, transition time is key. And some cats just won't go for it ever, in which case I recommend (I'm a professional pet sitter) switching to a very high-quality, grain-free kibble, such as Innova Evo. And you can always wet the kibble to "rehydrate" it a tiny bit (for what thats worth) and/or use wet food (again, high quality, grain-free).

Always keep in mind that cats are one of the most pure carnivores out there, so grains are ENTIRELY UNNECESSARY, and veggies should be kept at a minimum. Fowl and other winged animals are most natural to a cat, and, of course, if you are like me and live in an old house in an old city...your cats might be lucky enough to catch mice! ;)

Good luck!

It's true that cats are strict carnivores who need no grains or vegies. A Cat-kins (the kitty equivalent of Atkins) diet is great for them. However, you need to be careful when feeding cats raw diets to provide a good balance of bones and organ meats as well as flesh for optimum nutrition and dental health. A meal for a cat in the wild would be something like a whole mouse - that includes fur, bones and organs (plus the remains of the unfortunate mouse's last meal as they lie in the stomach). That's about the balance they need. Something to keep in mind.

[k8sl8]

Are you really sure you want to mess with the diet of a 16 year old feline?? They are pretty set in their ways... also if you disrupt her enough that she quits eating, it could spell disaster. Slow change is the only safe way.

Sixteen isn't ancient as many live into their twenties, but it is certainly geriatric. (All from my Veterinarian husband.)

[vexvelour]

Thanks to the poster that suggested Hare Today. I'll be ordering from them within the next few days.

I too went from butcher to butcher, asking about grinding the bones, and was met with various forms of "Are you crazy?". I gave up, but thanks to this thread and the info in it my 5 (!) cats will be transitioning to a raw diet soon!

BTW- to the poster that said something about her dad trying to feed cats lettuce: my oldest, about 10 now, LOVES greens. Anytime I open the fridge to get out greens for a salad or smoothie he's crying to get some like I'm opening up a can of tuna! I gave him a dandelion green last night and he went wild. The other cats look at him like he's crazy, lol.

[lovenlife]

My cat is raw for three weeks or so. She is doing well. It takes a bunch to keep her going.

I found "Omas Pride" in my town. It is frozen and I get rabbit and chicken with veggies. She seems way too hungry to me for raw eating. For humans we eat less eventually. But maybe she needs to fill up after not having nutrition for a long while. Not sure.

I didn't want to give her grain but I want to stretch her meat.
I tried adding a bit of soaked flax meal and she didnt eat it so I had to toss it! ugh.

Today I added brown rice, ground up with the meat. I am hoping she will eat it and not hurt her health. I am up for filling her belly a little more reasonably priced.

Veggies not a go yet.

Any ideas.

[RawLibrarian]

My boyfriend wants to transition the kittens to just eating the kibble, enzyme powder and green mush. Transition them to a vegan diet. Everything I read here is saying that cats should not be vegan.

I don't understand why your boyfriend is trying to make an animal that is an obligate carnivore into a vegan. Cats need meat and bones, not mixtures of soy and taurine. There is no way that I believe that cats can thrive on vegan kibble and I would expect that the company who makes this stuff should be able to provide some studies on long-term use of the product.

Why would your boyfriend want to feed a cat unnatural mixtures when cats get all their nutrients from meat so much more easily? If it is because he doesn't want to deal with a meat-eating animal, he should get a rabbit or a guinea pig or a cow. Or a dog--dogs are omnivores. That's a lot better than trying to force a naturally-carnivorous animal to be a vegan. Cats are the animals they are and if a vegan can't accept it, he or she shouldn't own cats.

[Maddy]

I have 6 cats and gradully transitioned them onto raw food - they now love it so much I have to be careful with the smallest one as she still tends to pick all day like they all used to. trouble is the others don't pick anymore so she has gotten a bit too skinny so I keep some seperate for her and she is getting better again

I did this after one cat got ill with a digestion complaint I figured that our pets health is going the same way as ours and guess what we normally feed them - processed crap!!

Sadly he didn't make it but he was the beginning - raw fish to start with as the vet thought hat best for the sick one. The first time I used rabbit was horrible, the blood made me feel abit ill but it doesn't bother me anymore

Now they thrive and it works out cheaper than tined food

[peppermintpatty]

I don't understand why your boyfriend is trying to make an animal that is an obligate carnivore into a vegan. Cats need meat and bones, not mixtures of soy and taurine.

Agreed. Makes no sense to me why humans want to change the nature of animals. First, we domesticate them, then we "try" to get them to eat as we want them to ~ not as nature intended.