Not Eating

[DumaLove]

Sorry, this is the correct link for raw info http://www.catinfo.org/?link=makingcatfood.

 

[LEM91]

No, if you are going to do homemade raw long term you need to use a balanced recipe including 80% muscle meat, 10% bone and 10% secreting organ. However it would be a good test to see if he is just bored with his food. You can try stew beef and boneless chicken thighs to start with. If you decide to start making homemade raw then you can pursue a more balanced diet. There are groups on FB for this and also information on http://www.catinfo.org/?link=cannedfoods.

I was under the impression that I could use the mazuri slab meat supplement that way, but was unsure so was sticking to the commercially prepared.

I will definitely try some chunks of meat to see if I can get him eating again though!

 

[DumaLove]

I was under the impression that I could use the mazuri slab meat supplement that way, but was unsure so was sticking to the commercially prepared.

I will definitely try some chunks of meat to see if I can get him eating again though!

You can use Mazuru for slab meat to replace the bone content, but I think you will still need organ. Maybe someone who uses this supplement can weigh in. I've only used the Maxuri for whole prey.

 

[Rafiki]

If he is teething, are his gums sore and inflamed?
If so, some human baby food (Beechnut or Gerber chicken or turkey & broth) may be more palatable. On the flip side, he may need something harder to chew on to help his molars cut thru.

Is he getting enough to drink to stay hydrated?

 

[Rafiki]

Mazuri Slab differs from Whole prey in that it has increased amounts of calcium. The first ingredient of Slab is calcium carbonate and that adds significantly to the bulk. Basically, you use 4x the amount of Mazuri slab per lb of meat than you do Mazuri whole prey.

My pixie bob likes chunks of meat so I use Mazuri slab. I add in taurine to compensate for the lack of organ meat. Taurine is water soluable so what the cat does not absorb will get peed out so you do not need to overly worry about adding too much. I do make sure that the taurine is sourced from the US as most of it comes from China. These chunks are mixed in with ground meat that is supplemented with Mazuri whole prey.

 

[LEM91]

If he is teething, are his gums sore and inflamed?
If so, some human baby food (Beechnut or Gerber chicken or turkey & broth) may be more palatable. On the flip side, he may need something harder to chew on to help his molars cut thru.

Is he getting enough to drink to stay hydrated?

I've tried to look in his mouth, but he's pretty wiggly. I'll grab some meat and baby food and see how it goes, I hope that works.

He has increased how much water he is drinking and the vet wasn't concerned with him being dehydrated so I think he's compensating well on that aspect.

 

[LEM91]

Mazuri Slab differs from Whole prey in that it has increased amounts of calcium. The first ingredient of Slab is calcium carbonate and that adds significantly to the bulk. Basically, you use 4x the amount of Mazuri slab per lb of meat than you do Mazuri whole prey.

My pixie bob likes chunks of meat so I use Mazuri slab. I add in taurine to compensate for the lack of organ meat. Taurine is water soluable so what the cat does not absorb will get peed out so you do not need to overly worry about adding too much. I do make sure that the taurine is sourced from the US as most of it comes from China. These chunks are mixed in with ground meat that is supplemented with Mazuri whole prey.

Okay, so slab meat with Mazuri slab and taurine added is all he needs to be balanced?

I might give that a try after I get him eating again.

 

[Rafiki]

He has increased how much water he is drinking and the vet wasn't concerned with him being dehydrated so I think he's compensating well on that aspect.

Great! I would hate to add dehydration into the problem.

 

[Rafiki]

BTW, I think that most people do not add more taurine to Mazuri slab. I think that that supplement is pretty well balanced. I add it primarily because my breeder did. Fel-o-taurine by Thomas Labs is US sourced.

 

[Rafiki]

Do you have anything for him to chew on to get those molars to come in, assuming that that is the problem? I tried numerous teething chew toys but my cats snubbed them. If he likes the freeze dried chicken, he may like the freeze dried chicken necks.