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Thanks so much for the input!!!
I am no fan of crunchy cat food either, I would love to find a solution that I could control (meaning: make myself.)
I wondered if Anitra's diet could use some tweaking. I do experiment with different vegetables, both cats are fond of many: cooked broccoli, asparagus, greens, corn, potatoes, zucchini, peas. I feed them ground chicken alternating with ground turkey and beef from the butcher. But I can check to see if the bones can be ground in as well. I read Dr. Pierson's recipe and it makes good solid sense to me. I do add a taurine supplement occasionally, though my vet said that they have minimal requirements for taurine and that the raw food should do it.
My calico girl, Freda, came to me as a stray, she is a skilled hunter. She was used to eating prey. Unfortunately she is very bold (not afraid of cars) and we lived on a busy street. I turned her into an indoor cat six months after she moved in with us. Since that time, she has been very needy, literally hangs around me and my every move, which is fine by me. She's good company. She became more emphatic about food about that time. If I am home in decent time, I make sure to give her a third meal and that takes the edge off her hunger. Often I work some very long hours (I am self-employed) and I don't have the chance to do so. My husband sometimes fed her, usually didn't even though he was home at a regular (early) hour everyday.
The other cat, Elvis, was a rescue from a terminally ill man from an assisted living facility. Elvis was a bored and active one year old (on a kibble diet) who LOVED Freda's company instantly. They get along famously and play like crazy. He has better manners but is egged on for sure by his unruly house mate, Freda.
I don't think either cat had any issues with food deprivation. I tend to think that it is something that is lacking in their diet or perhaps a personality issue. I will try eliminating the barley and see if the greater concentration of protein helps.
Edie
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