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raw pets

Hello friends. I’ve just rescued a homeless kitten who can’t be even 12 weeks yet. Of course I’m feeding her (Mila) replacement milk formula because she is malnourished and some kitten food until she gets back to health. I was wondering if beyond this anyone has tried an all or mostly raw diet for their cat or pet. What works and what doesn’t and would anyone recommend it at all? I’m interested in trying but I’m more concerned about Mila’s health. Thanks! Love. Jay

Comments

  • Hi Jbirdblue

    Try to think what cats will eat if they were in the wild: raw meat, they are felines and their teeth are designed to eat raw meat. I have a lovely burmese cat of 7 years I only feed him with raw chicken, beef and other meats

  • ZoeZoe Raw Newbie

    There’s a long and informative thread on here : http://www.goneraw.com/forums/2/topics/286 Raw food is the best food for cats. I have no doubt at all. If you are concerned for your cat’s health, you should never ever give it cooked or processed meat. It is the worst thing to do for their health. My cat has been raw for 2 years now and he is thriving on it. Apart from muscle meat, they need to have bone (raw bone is safe, cooked bone is lethal) and internal organs, like liver. That thread should have all the info you need, I know me and another raw cat feeder gave detailed instructions on what to do aswell as website and book recommendations. If you need any extra help email me at my website: http://www.purelyraw.com

  • I recommend Dr. Pitcairn’s book “Natural health for dogs and cats.” I think that’s what it’s called, I use the cat growth diet recipe for my cats. The first thing you’ll notice if you feed your cats raw is that you’ll need to clean the litter MUCH less often and it won’t smell bad. Yay!

  • Morning_theftMorning_theft Raw Newbie

    I’ve been feeding my cats raw for about a month now, only chicken breast and salmon so far though (all I managed to get, I’ll figure out how to get organs soon I hope) and at first I thought there was something wrong with them! They were barely pooping at all anymore, and rarely pee, and they stopped drinking water almost completely! We would’ve been worried about it if it weren’t for the insane amounts of energy they suddenly started having. One of my cats was completely lethargic after we had her spayed and now she won’t stop running around like a maniac. It’s like she’s a kitten again. Yay… hits head on table

  • blujett8blujett8 Raw Newbie

    my cat isn’t interested in raw meat….should I just keep trying? she’s open to eating birds out of the sky, just not raw chicken I put on a plate : (

  • Morning_theftMorning_theft Raw Newbie

    Well, our cats weren’t receptive right away either. Start her off slowly, cut the meat into very small pieces and mix it with cat food or cat treats. My cats go nutso for whiskas cat treats (ugh, awful) so I would bribe them into eating the meat with those. It seems wrong to do that, but eventually you don’t need them anymore and all will be better!

  • queenfluffqueenfluff Raw Newbie

    bluejett8 – my cats aren’t really going for it either. Well, one of them is. They are older so it is harder since they have been eating cooked kitty food for their whole lives plus they have always been free feeders which makes it even harder. My one cat loves wheatgrass – she gets mad if my bf moves it to water it – she starts chasing him around the apartment. :) The other two nibble at it everyonce and a while but not as interested as the first cat.

    I have the Natures Variety organic chicken frozen. I try to mix it in with salmon which makes them more likely to nibble on it. But I still keep dry out too – I am planning on getting some salmon oil to put on the meat because two of my cats love the water part of the canned salmon. I will add extra water and mix it up because they really enjoy it. I would just like it if they would get a good amount of the raw in for now.

    I haven’t been very consist with giving them the raw meat.

  • ZoeZoe Raw Newbie

    They love raw chicken liver, maybe if you try them with a little of that they’ll go for it? I find chicken liver to be the best “bribe” food! Cats love internal organs, they seem more drawn to liver than anything else. But I have read that it should only make up 10% of the complete meal…I find that pouring the blood the liver comes in all over the rest of the meal makes Tonka go crazy for it. He also goes crazy for bone marrow which I get by hammering chicken bones to mush. It is also extremely good for them.

    I know “they” put stuff in canned cat food to make the cats addicted to it. Also I found out that the only colour cats can recognise is purple, this is why Whiskas packaging is purple so you think your cat loves it so much she knows when the can comes out! Also they put a purple dye actually goes into the food for the same reason….nasty!

    I have been giving Tonka rabit recently, and he loves it. I found it in the freezer section of the local big chain pet store. They just mince it and freeze it. It is meant for working dogs which have always traditionally been fed raw meat. So he has been having a bit of that rabbit, his liver, a hicken drumstick, with chicken cut off and bone mashed up with a hammer and a chicken wing. And oh my, he is so pleased with himself!!

  • Hi Zoe. What amounts do you give your cat? I have 2 kittens I want to transition to raw, and I find some of the info online confusing. Some recommend that you buy extra amino acids(taurin) and add, but is that really necesarry? Imho the cats in nature doesnt get pills or powders but you want to give your pet the best option.

  • Thanks for all of the advice guys! So far Mila cat really loves the mashed down lamb bone and I picked her a raw crab yesterday which she loves. She does have really bad gas now but I guess that is just from the change in diet-from no food to getting fed! I think the organs are a good idea. There is a local butcher who works with huge cuts of meat so I may be able to get him to save me some fresh organs. I’ll let you know how she does on everything in case anyone is thinking of trying this. Her energy level is up and she is already looking so much healthier than when she was getting the kitten chow all the way to her coat. I recommend a raw unproccessed diet for your pet already. Thanks again! Jessica

  • Morning_theftMorning_theft Raw Newbie

    Keeping dry food out while trying to transition your cat to raw is a very bad idea! If they’re not hungry, they won’t even consider the raw meat. Also, cats are naturally drawn to eating grass because they need it to clean the hair out of their stomachs.

  • ZoeZoe Raw Newbie

    Hi Lushpapaya, Tonka is a large Siamese cat. He eats about 1/4 cup minced rabbit, 2 drumsticks, one wing and about a tablespoon of liver. Some days he eats the lot, other days he leaves a lot on his plate. I think it depends on how active he has been that day. Personally I don’t believe taurine is needed as an extra supplement, if you are giving your cat liver. I believe it is present in liver. I believe that if you give them bone and liver you are covered for the essentials.

    Wow jbirdblue, crab for your cat!Lucky kitty that is so cool, bet she is out showing off to all the neighbourhood cats how well taken care of she is :)))

  • I feed my cats a strictly raw diet. They eat Natures Variety Organic Chicken/Turkey/Beef/Rabbit Diet. I buy several put them in my frez. and then give them a variety each day. They come in nice little patties which each kitty gets one in the morning. I defrost them by putting them in the frig at night or using the microwave. They have orcanic chicken meat and bone, liver, hearts, gizzards, eggs, bok choy, carrots, apples, pears, persimmons, flaxseed oil, montmorillonite clay, yogurt, alfafa sprouts, parley, blueberries.

    My cats LOVE IT! They also get a freeze dried dry mixture that is freeze dried raw that says out all the time they can munch on. They are not as crazy about this mixture but they still eat it. Of course they get snacks too.

    Since I’ve put them on this the upchucking has diminished, their coats are shinny and full etc. I’ve got two old ladies who run around like they are kittens and one male and all of them are as healthy as can be.

  • BTW, don’t feed tuna to your cats, I’ve read that they can’t digest it.

  • queenfluffqueenfluff Raw Newbie

    Hi morning_theft -

    Yeah, I know it is not a good idea to leave the dry food out but right now, my one cat who tend to lose weight easily as she is old and having some health problems is not going for the raw food. So, I would rather have her eat something than nothing. I might start just putting a certain amount of dry food out a day instead of filling up the bowls as I normally do. None of them overeat.

    Another thing is that my kitchen is very “handicapped” right now. My freezer is about the size of a shoebox (I only have a compact frig right now) so I don’t have room for alot of raw meat – the frig part is small to and my bf isn’t too keen on the idea of me keeping the thawed meat in there with our raw vegan food. :) We hardly have enough room in there for our food – let alone organcs and raw meat. But otherwise, I would love to give my cats organs and stuff – I am sure they would love it.

    Plus, my kitchen sink isn’t working very well so I wash my dishes in the bathtub – which makes it difficult to get into a good routine with the cats of feeding them the raw food and being able to wash and disinfect the dishes. So, until I get into a more fully functioning kitchen I am kind of limited right now.

    Funny that my long haired cat doesn’t go for the wheatgrass and I am sure she has the most grass in her stomach of my three cats. I have heard others say that their cats don’t go for it either.

    My cats do eat the raw meat when I put it out – but two of them just nibble at it and one wolfs it down. If I have the salmon on it, they are more attracted to it.

    Bellasera – I think the tuna is not recommended because it is apparently addictive to cats. I don’t know if that is both the raw and the canned or not.

    Oh,also, which brand of freeze dried raw do you give to your cats? I tried giving my cats the Wysong brand of freeze dried raw (which is the same brand of dry them get) and they seemed to like it but my one cat just threw it all up – I tried several times and she still kept throwing it up ( she threw it up immediately too – so it wasn’t a hair ball or anything – and she rarely throws up) but my other two cats didn’t throw it up – The cat that threw it up is the one that likes the raw meat the best too.

  • I know most of you are talking about cats. But these two books are awesome and refer to both cats and dogs.

    SuLuLu mention one of them…... Dr. Pitcairn’s Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs & Cats

    The other book is an Awesome book I love….. The Whole Pet Diet (Eight Weeks to Great Health for Dogs and Cats) by Andi Brown

    I know if your dog or cat is older and use to eating dry or other types of pet food, they will not eat raw meat right away. From experience and others I know, who have made the switch with their pets, it takes about a week. It took our 12 yr. old cocker spaniel about a week to get use to eating raw meat. But now she just gobbles it up. Our 2 yr. old puppy just gobbled it up right away, when we switch their food. I am using my experience with my dogs as an example, but the same is true for cats as well.

    Bellasera is right though….... it is not healthy to feed your cats tuna.

    Pet foods containing fish and fish by-products may contain high levels of mercury, a risk for cats addicted to seafood.

    Andi Brown (author of The Whole Pet Diet) recommends against feeding tuna because it contains high levels of mercury, as well as mineral salts that can form into urinary crystals and lead to urinary tract infections. It also robs the body of vitamin E and creates additions.

    Dr. Pitcairn says the same thing but goes on to say….. Excessive mercury intake can damage the nervous system, causing tremors, irritability, anxiety, loss of appetite, inflammation of gums and looseness of the teeth, and difficulty sleeping. It can also damage the kidneys.

    Here are some healthier alternatives…..for helping the switch to raw. Andi Brown calls them Mother’s Little Helpers: Treats as Bribes

    - meat silvers (chicken , turkey, beef, lamb, or fish; avoid pork and tuna products) - a few small pieces of cooked organic liver - a few drops of natural tamari - a spoonful of oil from jar of olives - a finely chopped olive - a raw or soft-boiled egg - a few shakes of natural Parmesan cheese - a dollap of tomato sauce - a teaspoon of organic plain yogurt - a dollap of cottage cheese - a dollap of meat-based baby food.

    Quoting Andi Brown here…. These functional foods can entice your pet, but most of them are also healthful and serve as supplements, providing extra vitamins, proteins, or other nutrients. A heartier cat will love the meats, eggs, and cheeses, while a cat under the weather will greatly appreciate the eggs, olive oil, or yogurt. Any of the above can be mixed into their food or sprinkled on top.

    These can also be used for cats or dogs.

    We add sesame oil and kelp powder to our dogs food. We were using the dehydrated food by “Honest Kitchen”. They have food for both cats and dogs. However, two weeks ago, we put them on a two month food allergy diet. So, on Sunday we make their food and put some in the refrigerator and some in the freezer. It gets both dogs through the week.

    I apologize for the length…...but I hope it gave some helpful information.

  • Here is a website for American Holistic Veterinarians

    http://www.ahvma.org

    We have taken our oldest dog to see the one nearest us. She is saving dogs from all kinds of health issues naturally. But most people are going to see her, because she is saving dogs from all levels of cancer. (Even those the conventional vets say need to be put down). One of the main things she does is make all of her clients switch to a RAW Diet. She says it is the only way to feed our pets. If you cannot find a holistic vet near you I am pretty sure you can e-mail some for help on switching your pet to a truly RAW Diet. Just check out the list for Holistic Vets. Most holistic vets I have found know the RAW Diet is key to a happy and healthy pet!!!

  • queenfluffqueenfluff Raw Newbie

    Questions to cat owners (or anyone who has gotten their pets fur shaved):

    Today my kitty Fluff went in for mat shaving – she ended up with a “lion” type of cut and is basically all thin and bald now with just a fluffy face and tail. (I am changing her name to “un-fluff” until her fur grows back – ha ha!).

    She has some flakey skin now – not too bad – which is has always had under all her fur. One little area of skin got a bit red from the shaving (not bleeding but looks raw – hopefully it will be better tomorrow). Is it safe to rub a little oil (like coconut oil) on her skin now to help with the dry and make her skin feel less irritated? She is really bathing herself right now which she hasn’t been doing because of the mats so she is getting herself nice and clean.

    Has anyone given their pets any coconut oil? Not sure if she will like it but..

    What about salmon oil? She is not raw yet (I am trying to transition) but I am wondering if the salmon oil will help her coat and skin as I heard it is supposed to be good for coats and skin. She does like salmon oil (at least, out of the canned salmon she gets sometimes). I was wondering if I could a dab a bit on her skin and she might lick it off now.

    My other two cats don’t seem to have the dry skin problem really but they are short hairs so no mats either. She is only one who has coat problems.

  • Hi Queenfluff! I put coconut oil on my moms dogs feet every day when I was dog sitting. His alergies are gone as far as I know. It turns out the puppy that died had west nile virus. The secretary in the Spanish dept also died of west nile when I was taking Spanish a couple years ago. So it’s a pretty scary thing out here.

    But PomPom has gotten into raw meat since she was pregnant. On several occasions she has jumped into the car when my mom was taking the groceries in and eaten the hamburger or what ever else she can get a hold of. She would like to be raw!

    Salmon oil should be really good or your cats coat. They make it supplements for pets. Our cat won’t eat fish. He wants dog food!

    I hate to think of the whole industry killing animals for dog food. But I think\hope a lot of it is byproducts that would be thrown away anyway. But I did have an idea that fish could be grown in tanks that were connected to natural water purification. Then it would be a win win situation (well not for the fish).

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