All About Raw Food (Help!)

[lrmichelle]

Hey everyone,

I have two normal domestic cats (both about 7 years old), and I've been feeding them Kirkland Signature dry food their whole lives.

Now that Vienna will be coming home in the next few weeks, I've really realized how important diet is for cats (just never thought much about it before). I've talked to Mike Hale (the breeder) about food several times, and he doesn't recommend any dry food whatsoever. However, I'm leaning towards getting either the wet or dry versions of the EVO or Wellness brands, but they are several times the cost of the current cat food we buy (in other words, feeding three cats on that kind of food would certainly add up!).

I've thought about doing raw, but it just seems like such a hassle to me (buying good quality meat, grinding it up, adding supplements, storing it, etc.) I've decided I'd be willing to do it if it is more affordable (after the initial cost of buying a grinder, I guess) than buying a high-quality wet or dry food. We have a mini fridge that we could keep the raw food in.

I know there are probably several threads about raw food on here, but if you could indulge me by answering my questions, I'd appreciate it

1. I'm sure it varies depending on the cats, but roughly how much does it cost per cat per month (or whatever time frame you like) to feed raw? If you know how the cost compares to buying cat food, please let me know.
2. What are the other necessary supplements I need to add to the meat? Are those expensive?
3. How much do grinders cost, and which ones do you guys use?

I know that's a lot of information and questions, but if anyone on here can help me get some answers, I'd be so grateful! Two more weeks! : ))

 

[Jacq]

It costs me roughly $50-$60 a month to feed 4 cats and a basset hound on raw, but I also feed the dog Evo dry mixed with the raw, which is an added $35. I am not sure how much Evo the cats would go through in a month's time, but my guess is, the price would be comparable. I use a Tasin grinder which I bought at onestopjerkyshop.com.

 

[Dantes]

Hey everyone,

I have two normal domestic cats (both about 7 years old), and I've been feeding them Kirkland Signature dry food their whole lives.

I feed a premade raw (usually Primal) because it's easy and not a whole lot more expensive than regular cat food.

But just an FYI...Kirkland pet food was included in the Diamond pet food recall (most of the news says dog food only but that isn't true--and while the recall was originally geographically limited, they later expanded it)...you might want to check it out...

http://diamondpetrecall.com/

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm303034.htm

 

[lrmichelle]

I feed a premade raw (usually Primal) because it's easy and not a whole lot more expensive than regular cat food.

How many cats do you have, and how many pounds do they go through on a weekly or monthly basis? The Primal brand foods I saw online were about $28 for 4 lbs. Seems like that wouldn't last very long, and that's a pretty steep price.

 

[Dantes]

Primal in the store near me goes for $19-22, unless you're getting pheasant, which is more expensive.

I usually give them 4-5 oz (nuggets)/day and then supplement with treats (generally given during training) of Stella & Chewy or something similar.

It's not the cheapest, but I find the convenience of the nuggets preferable to cans. Dante can't eat *any* dry and he's a sneaky thief so if they get it it's as a treat, not as a meal.

 

[admin]

There is an entire forum on this topic with pricing, etc.: http://www.savannahcatchat.com/forums/savannah-cat-diet/

It may be easier to read through, so you get a better idea.

 

[MasternMargo]

We tried a lot of different combinations of raw, did the whole "ground veggie-chicken mix" thing and such. We used to prep up to 50 lbs at the time and freeze it (bought separate chest freezer for it). Once we ran into a problem of ending up with what I assume was not very fresh chicken livers, so we threw away a whole batch of food. However, we still feed them raw and our cats are very healthy. Here is a suggestion: chicken necks are their favorite, cost about 50c/lb. We buy a box of 40 lbs, pack them into smaller containers and freeze them. Thaw out as needed. You can sprinkle some supplements on it too. Between 2 of them ( 2y.o. male and female, about 17 lbs each), they eat maybe a pound a day. Soooo, 50 cents a day is cheaper than any food, dry or wet, I could find. In fact, we tried all kind of healthy, good dry and wet foods and they just look at me like I'm crazy! Also cornish hens. But those you'll probably need to cut at least a little bit. Neck are small enough and have very soft bones, so the are perfect.

 

[J.B.]

I only have Titus and i feed him raw. I bought a cheap-o hand crank grinder($20) off amazon which works just fine for me because i take a cleaver to the meat and bones like a madwoman before i toss it into the grinder. If you do buy a cheap-o grinder, i would recommend hacking before grinding lol. I buy about 5lbs of chicken thigh, and about a 1lb of heart and liver. The meat is maybe $6 combined and it lasts me with just Titus a little over two weeks. Much cheaper than wet food. The initial buying of the supplements and vitamins is around $20 or $30 but they last for a long time.

 

[admin]

J.B., can you tell us what supplements you use and how much of each? Thanks!

 

[J.B.]

Sure! I use this site recipe http://feline-nutrition.org/nutrition/making-raw-cat-food-for-do-it-yourselfers
which calls for Taurine, Lite Iodized salt, Vitamin B complex, Vitamin E, Fish oil, and egg yolks. Her recipe also calls for Psylium husk but i don't use it as Titus has no problems going potty I use chicken thighs, chicken heart, and chicken liver as my meats.