I've been meaning to begin transitioning one of my cats to a raw diet, but am having trouble getting started. I've checked out some forums and raw pet food distributors but am left feeling a little lost. Looking at one website, the cost of getting just a sample size amount of cat food would cost $23 before shipping, so I'm inclined to prepare the food myself by purchasing the meat locally.

I would love some advice about where to start from you wonderful raw pet owners! Do you worry about salmonella at all? Do you buy frozen meat or fresh? Is a grinder really necessary, or are they primarily for grinding the bones and such?