#1
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The switch is beginning
Hi!
I'm starting to switch my cats to raw. I can already tell there are going to be varying degrees of difficulty. I put down a piece of beef rib for them to try (they seem to like beef). Chinook started licking and nibbling right away, Erin sniffed it and licked a bit then lost interest, and Mimi was looking at me like I'd grown a second head. The funny thing is that chinook is the oldest one (11 years old). She switches food without a problem. I'm doing taste tests for now to see if the switch will be easier with certain meats. Chinook likes beef and sardines, Erin likes Sardines and Mimi...well... is being difficult. It took me three months to switch Mimi from kibble to canned, so I expect the switch from canned to raw will take a similar amount of time. I'm trying chicken tomorrow. We'll see how that goes. I have a butcher shop nearby; I'll see if I can get whole carcasses from them. Otherwise I'll go with the frankenprey model. I know fish is not the best stuff to give, but the fish store keeps whole fish, so I don't have to worry about balancing the bone-meat-organ ratio. I'm scared of getting it wrong. I'm hopping that by switching my cats to raw I'll also be able to convince my mother to make the switch for her three dogs. They have serious teeth problems, so I think a raw diet would help them. The only problem is that I lack credibility with her since my cats don't eat raw yet. At least, my three cats will eat as well as they can. They have bad teeth too. I'm hoping the food switch will solve that problem. Wish me luck!
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Jenny, the one I grew up with Shani, the one who brought me the greatest joy Casimir, who left far too soon |
#2
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Sure are showing their different purrsonalities aren't they?
Interesting how some take to change so easily & others are more comfortable in the routine they are used to. Time & patience and it will happen
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Avoid biting when a simple growl will do The Spirit Lives As Long As Someone Who Lives Remembers You - Navaho Saying |
#3
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Good luck
__________________
Cat maid to: Rose semi feral, a cpietra rescue, female tabby (approx 13 yrs) Jasper RIP (2001-2018) Sweet Pea RIP (2004?-2014) Puddles RIP (1996-2014) Snowball RIP (1991-2005) In a cat's eye, all things belong to cats.-English Proverb “While we are free to choose our actions, we are not free to choose the consequences of our actions.” Stephen R. Covey |
#4
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Woohoo!!!
Beef ribs may not be a good idea unless you're stripping the meat off the bone for them. Cat's teeth are way too delicate and it's a surefire way to crack or break them if they do start gnawing on bones of that density. Quote:
Strike One: Low calcium levels. Good luck!!! Keep us updated on their progress.
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"To close your eyes will not ease another's pain." ~ Chinese Proverb “We must not refuse to see with our eyes what they must endure with their bodies.” ~ Gretchen Wyler |
#5
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Oh I will.
__________________
Jenny, the one I grew up with Shani, the one who brought me the greatest joy Casimir, who left far too soon |
#6
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Stick to chicken necks, wings, and maybe some backs/ribs, but be very cautious with the legs. If you can find some quail, that might be a better choice for feeding "whole prey model" (which to be honest, I think is better suited to dogs than cats). Quote:
Just some stuff to think about on your raw journey.
__________________
"To close your eyes will not ease another's pain." ~ Chinese Proverb “We must not refuse to see with our eyes what they must endure with their bodies.” ~ Gretchen Wyler |
#7
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Thanks for the input Sugarcatmom.
Don't worry, all my cats are scheduled for a teeth clean-up soon. Chinook this week, Mimi next week and Erin the week after that. I want to switch to raw to prevent teeth and other health issues in the future (as much as it can anyway). Okay, I didn't think pork ribs would work, just asking. I thought it was better to provide a variety of protein sources? Should I stick to just chicken? Is rabbit okay? As far a organ meat goes, should I try to provide different animal organs? My local grocery store is pretty good for that. I can get chicken liver and hearts, pork kidneys and other types of liver (veal, beef and pork.) I also have a butcher shop nearby where I can get brain (sheep, I think) and other organs with strange names They even sell ox testicles! On another note, Chinook was very interested in the chicken wing I put down this evening. She chewed off some of the meat, but she mostly licked it. Erin and Mimi were not really interested. I'm just doing taste trials this week. I'll start putting some pieces of meat (no bone) with their wet food this weekend to get them used to it. After that I plan to move on to bigger chunks and organs so they get chewing practice, then I'll put in meaty bones. Is that a good plan? What else should I do?
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Jenny, the one I grew up with Shani, the one who brought me the greatest joy Casimir, who left far too soon |
#8
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All of my cat's favourite is pork, and their least favourite is beef. I agree with SCM, chicken leg bones are probably still too big for a cat to handle. I stick with the rib bones. I also give them whole chicken hearts for their chewing practice, they seem to like those. I would love to find some chicken necks, but I can't find them anyplace .
One thing I did find out when changing my cats diet, the hungrier they are the more apt they are to try new food .
__________________
Cat maid to: Rose semi feral, a cpietra rescue, female tabby (approx 13 yrs) Jasper RIP (2001-2018) Sweet Pea RIP (2004?-2014) Puddles RIP (1996-2014) Snowball RIP (1991-2005) In a cat's eye, all things belong to cats.-English Proverb “While we are free to choose our actions, we are not free to choose the consequences of our actions.” Stephen R. Covey |
#9
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No problemo!
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Ground raw is another option. There are some decent commercial products, or you could get a butcher to grind the meat of your choice and mix in supplements (like Feline Future's Instinct TC) to balance it. Then chicken wings or necks can be fed for their dental benefits (gizzards, too), if the kitties go for them. There are some cats that will never crunch through a bone no matter how hard you try to convince them. Aztec is like that. He loves his raw more than anything, but he only gets as far as licking the meat to death if it's attached to a bone. You can try, but let me warn you that organs are probably the least favourite parts for most cats. Maybe yours will be weirdos and actually go for some variety, but I think you might have the best luck with poultry organs (chicken livers in particular). That's where ground raw is better, you can usually sneak in more organ meat than would otherwise be acceptable to a cat. But you won't know till you try!
__________________
"To close your eyes will not ease another's pain." ~ Chinese Proverb “We must not refuse to see with our eyes what they must endure with their bodies.” ~ Gretchen Wyler |
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