I need some advice on starting raw(for a cat). please.

[RolandsMom]

I have decided im going to try Roland on raw (with kibble as well).
i am trying him on the Solid gold tuna canned at the moment to see how he react to the fish but am not sure where i should start with the raw. our pet supply store is great and has a bunch of different kinds for cats. considering his allergy to something,which is the least likely to be an allergenic to cats? turkey, bison, fish, beef or chicken? if he is okay on the canned tuna, he should be okay on the fish right? how do i start introducing the raw? do i just give it to him or start small?
any advice is appreciated!

[technodoll]

i say go "cold turkey"... fast him for a meal, then offer raw the next. cats can be notoriously picky though, and some take a while to want to eat a raw diet... others just dive right in though!

can you get little samples from your petstore? a few medallions of each? often an animal will be allergic to a cooked meat, but in raw form it's just fine, it's something you will only know by trial and error unfortunately. but to be safe yes do start with fish, then if he does well, maybe bison, beef, etc.

wishing you the best of luck!

[RolandsMom]

thank you technodoll. he is no fussy eater thats for sure! the medallions are pretty inexpensive (6.50 for 6 of them (cheaper than quality canned!) and i guess he would get one a day) so i dont mind getting a pack and trying. the idea of fasting him for a day kills me. he puts up a huge fuss!!!! do i just feed him that or keep the kibble around as well? hes gone off it abit, not surprised it being medi cal. i will try to change that once i have the other going well!!

[technodoll]

if he likes the raw food and does well on it, i would not keep any kibble around you might find after a few weeks that he poops less, sheds less, has overall less health and allergy problems...

i'm not sure how much to feed a cat though, what are the feeding instructions on the bag of medallions?... if you're feeling adventurous after a while, to cut the cost of food down, you can even feed him some raw meats in bigger pieces.. chunks of beef or chicken, some chicken necks for a nice crunchy treat, some whole smelts or sardines, or crack a raw egg into the mushed-up medallions, etc...

[RolandsMom]

oh he would love that! they dont have instructions but the girl at the store said she can work it out based on his weight. im excited to start!

[technodoll]

wonderful! please keep us posted!

[x.l.r.8]

This may help, we give the cats some cooked food (left over meat as an occasional treat) and it goes before everything else. I get a mix from our butchers of slip and organ meat and all the good stuff that humans won't eat (lung, trachea and other good stuff) and I mix it 50/50 with ground chicken necks and backs (it's like paste) for there morning meal.
The cats are very very picky, that eat holistic blend no problems, but feladie, SG, and Evo RM they turn there noses up at both wet and dry. So instead of wet they get left overs. So I put some of the dog mix (a teaspoon) on the bowl with the leftovers, 10 minutes later it was gone and nothing else was touched, later they returned for the rest of there food once they realized there was no more of the stinky stuff coming. It's been 2 weeks now and the raw mix goes down every morning and is gone within minutes, they might reject it after a while but for now they are accepting the new stuff happily. They are still eating the kibble but they clean up the raw first. So maybe start with some organ finly chopped (cheap at the grocery store) and some ground meat and see how that goes down, you can try this way cheap and it will give you some idea what they will and won't touch. Cats are so much harder to please than the woofers, good luck.

[Scott_B]

Thats great xlr8! I've tried and tried and my three wont eat raw. Right now I've got some ground mix and been trying to add the smallest amount to the two males wet food. They usually wont touch it. The female cat, i cant even get her off the kibble. They're all on Evo though.

PS We have a raw section

[dtbmnec]

Originally Posted by RolandsMom

I have decided im going to try Roland on raw (with kibble as well).
i am trying him on the Solid gold tuna canned at the moment to see how he react to the fish but am not sure where i should start with the raw. our pet supply store is great and has a bunch of different kinds for cats. considering his allergy to something,which is the least likely to be an allergenic to cats? turkey, bison, fish, beef or chicken? if he is okay on the canned tuna, he should be okay on the fish right? how do i start introducing the raw? do i just give it to him or start small?
any advice is appreciated!

Which pet supply store? Which medallions?

You must tell me and I'll see if maybe PetValu near where I'm going to live can order them in for me. If they're as cheap as you say and all they need are the medallions (ie. one/cat a day) then that would save a ton of money for me (and less mess ).

Might even be able to coax Leo to cut back on his food intake :P he's a bit of a fat kitty right now...eats any of the leftover food in the other dishes.

Megan

[Maya]

Originally Posted by dtbmnec

If they're as cheap as you say and all they need are the medallions (ie. one/cat a day) then that would save a ton of money for me (and less mess ).

Thats neat. I didn't even know you could get this sort of thing for cats.

[technodoll]

oh for sure you can get raw medallions for cats, who are the "ultimate carnivores"

just google "raw diet cats" and you'll come up with a bunch of info and products... for example, Nature's Variety has some nice frozen raw medallions for felines

[Maya]

Yummmy, this made me hungry.

Nature's Variety Raw Frozen Diets are a convenient, complete, and natural way to feed your pet the way nature intended. Wholesome raw meat provides the greatest source for bio-available nutrients, including unaltered proteins, enzymes, and amino acids. Made in a USDA inspected processing plant, these natural diets are 95% meat and 5% fruits and vegetables. Raw Frozen Diets are easy to feed! Diets are available in convenient 8 oz patties and 1 oz medallions.

Natural, Wholesome Ingredients

Each diet is 95% meat, organs, and bones, from USDA inspected plants. Together, these quality meats, organs, and bones are rich in Vitamins A, B2, B3, B5, B6, B12, C, D, E, K, Biotin; Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids, protein, fats, zinc, manganese, selenium, iron, calcium, phosphorus, sulphur, copper, and the essential amino acids. Also, 5% of each Nature’s Variety Raw Diet contains human edible fruits, vegetables, and cold processed Norwegian Virgin Salmon Oil. All diets contain over 50 trace minerals from montmorillonite clay, which also sequesters toxins.

Pet owners have reported the benefits of better skin and coats, better weight control, fewer allergy symptoms, less backyard clean-up and better overall health due to the feeding of our wholesome and balanced diets.

Raw Diets are also available in Freeze Dried form for convenience in handling. Find out more about Freeze Dried Diets.

Nature Does It Best!

Heat processing, which is standard in the pet food industry, changes or destroys many important nutrients. Doesn’t it make sense to stay as close to food’s natural state as possible?

Many pet owners have been convinced that so-called corrective diets (a special regimen for allergy, digestive troubles, obesity, etc.) are the best way to improve health problems. They may help certain symptoms simply by providing a change, but may not be treating the underlying causes. By feeding your pet a diet rich in raw or fresh foods, you’re letting nature provide the best, naturally balanced nutrition.

Why Is Raw Better?

Some Benefits of Raw Foods
Minerals better assimilated
Vitamins more bioavailable
Beneficial antioxidants present
Amino acids more bioavailable
Natural digestive enzymes still present
Probiotics spared
Amino acids such as taurine are not destroyed


Some Negative Effects of Heat Processing
Loss of up to 100% of certain vitamins
Loss of up to 60% of certain amino acids
Enzymes destroyed
Probiotics destroyed
Loss of up to 10% of certain fatty acids
Fats can become toxic or rancid
Oxidation of cholesterol

http://www.naturesvariety.com/content.lasso?page=1308

[RolandsMom]

dtbmnec our store is called purley pets (not sure if its a chain). they have Petsgoraw (six medallions) totalling 1.5 pounds ($6 for the chicken and beef,6.5 for the fish) and they have Arusha which is organic patties (include bison) they are in packs of 3 pound patties although i am not sure of the price. hope you find it! i hvae to dealay the raw feeding till roland has not had runny poop for a while. i want his system to have a bit of a break before i start something new again!