For Those Who Feed Raw...

[Brigitte Cowell]

I'm the new owner of a Savannah - 12wk. old male F2B. We're really excited and finding him fascinating but... he's a picky eater. I'd like to feed him a partial raw diet supplemented by quality kibble for grazing. I've mixed raw similar to the breeders mix although it's not 'exactly' the same. I've also tried some of the pre-mixed meals with a variety of meat types so that there is some rotation in his diet. Typically, he's refusing to eat these. I've tried a few tricks such as mixing in powdered milk with the raw mixture and although he was marginally more intersted, this still hasn't done the trick.

Does anyone have any suggestions or 'tricks' that might help us to encourage him to eat the raw mixtures? I've also seen a kibble that appears to be made largely out freeze dried meats + supplements. Would you consider this a good alternative if he refuses to eat raw?

Thanks!

When you say "not exactly the same" as your breeder's mix, have you thought about WHAT is different? That might be the key. But so saying that, I've also seen cats that happily ate a food at one place totally refuse it when at a new home. Sometimes I think it is what the other cats like to eat that influences what they want to eat for example...for some cats.

Have you tried just meat, no mixtures or anything else added? Just try and see what raw meats he might or might not like. Then try adding supplements and other stuff... I've had some cats refuse certain supplements so it can be a matter of finding something both of you are happy with...

 

[DChap]

When Matojo came he would not eat the kibble the breeder was feeding him so I offered him the prepared raw I was planning on switching him to and he ate it immediately. I went straight to that then and after a month, have not given him any kibble yet.

 

[Jacq]

When Matojo came he would not eat the kibble the breeder was feeding him so I offered him the prepared raw I was planning on switching him to and he ate it immediately. I went straight to that then and after a month, have not given him any kibble yet.

That's what I did with all my cats. Switched them as soon as they arrived. Oh yeah, and the dog too.

 

[F/3]

Not just because it was rabbits, just that what cats eat in the wild might actually not be the BEST we can feed. When cats live in the wild they die earlier of all sorts of things... we get the opportunity with our indoor only pets to maximize everything for them including nutrition

For simba's main meal he gets a mixture of 50% rabbit 50% goat both are course ground with bone and organs with Alnutrin as a supliment which contains,

Ingredients: Egg yolk powder, taurine, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, vitamin E, iron amino acid chelate, copper amino acid chelate, manganese amino acid chelate, zinc oxide, potassium iodide, vitamin D3, folic acid, vitamin B12, thiamine hydrochloride.

Contains no preservatives, sugar, yeast, starch, artificial flavors or colors.

Shelf life of frozen product mixed with supplements:
The freezing process itself does not destroy nutrients.
There is almost no change in nutrient values during freezer storage. However, prolonged freezing could affect the quality (odor, taste, water retention) of the diet.
Taurine is water soluble and defrosting meat will release some water, so the actual meat might end up with a little bit less taurine when thawed.
But this loss of taurine is not caused by freezing but water release with some taurine dissolved in it.
In case of homemade cat food, if this released water is mixed back into the diet you should end up with the same amount of taurine you had before freezing.


For his second meal he gets chicken breast.

Does this sound ok?

 

[Jacq]

Sure sounds good to me. The only thing I would add is chunks of meat or whole chicken legs, or even whole fish. Something they can sink teeth into.

 

[F/3]

Sure sounds good to me. The only thing I would add is chunks of meat or whole chicken legs, or even whole fish. Something they can sink teeth into.

I keep the chicken breast in about 3 bite size chunks. I really give him anything else with bone because in poop is already white, we call them ghost poopies, he is not constipated nor has any problem going to the bathroom

 

[Jacq]

Sounds great!

 

[admin]

Sounds great, Mark! where do you get the goat? Also, remember that rabbit is a very lean meat, so you may need to add something like duck or chicken thighs...the breasts are also very lean...

 

[F/3]

Sounds great, Mark! where do you get the goat? Also, remember that rabbit is a very lean meat, so you may need to add something like duck or chicken thighs...the breasts are also very lean...

I get the goat from haretoday gone tomorrow. Shipping to west coast is expensive but we do what we do for our babies.

Are chicken thighs dark meat? He loves chicken but won't eat dark meat. Funny how they can be so fussy sometimes.

 

[admin]

Wow, I had no idea that hare-Today had goat...I get their rabbit pieces and grind myself Yes, thigh meat is dark, but if you mix it in with the rabbit and goat, it may work...or...try duck...I get Feline's Pride rabbit and mix some duck in with it.