Overfeeding Raw?

[Trish Allearz]

HI Everyone,

SO I'm coming to the experts for their advice

Rocco is a 12 week old Savannah F2. He does NOT like kibble or canned. Won't touch it. He was nursing off his Mom and maybe nibbling at kibble- maybe. He was a skinny boy. So I introduced raw and he just LOVES it.

We've moved onto Blue Ridge Beef as of the last week and I'm trying to find an amount that satisfies him. I was feeding him about 3/4th a pound a day- he was still crying for more food. So now he's up to a pound a day and seems pretty content, although I am going to start breaking up his feeds into 4 times a day versus 3 (like I need more work- hahahah!).

Anyways- some dude told me I'm overfeeding him. I'm trying to go off of Rocco's cues- he is still hungry when I was feeding 3/4th a pound a day, but also he is filling out so nicely.

I've never fed a SV just raw- so any advice I'm open for it!

 

[Pam Flachs]

Trish, I am no expert on feeding raw; my cats are fed raw, canned and dry.

I did have a kitten here in the past who was much like your Rocco sounds. He was a large, a bit scrawny I thought, F4B baby...and was ALWAYS hungry from about age 12 weeks until he left for his new home at 16 weeks. From advice from another breeder, I began feeding him as much as he wanted...the amount and times of day be damned....he filled out, and stopped asking for food constantly. He also stopped the annoying nipping habit he acquired at the same time. When he left here, he had filled out nicely, a whopping 9 pounds at 4 months of age and as large or larger than most of my adults, and back to eating three times a day, rather than the 4-6 times per day at first. At a year old, he is now 18 pounds of lean, tall boy.

I found that raw beef...either steak or roast meat..in big chunks he could gnaw on for a while...seemed to fill him up more than chicken did. I gave him a variety of raw that included chicken breasts, drumsticks, thighs, and beef. He also had free access to dry Taste of the Wild and I made sure he ate alone.

I likened that stage that he went through as what my sons did as young teens and pre-teens. They were always hungry! The only difference is that I couldn't tell that kitten to go make himself a peanut butter sandwich like I did my sons

 

[Trish Allearz]

Trish, I am no expert on feeding raw; my cats are fed raw, canned and dry.

I did have a kitten here in the past who was much like your Rocco sounds. He was a large, a bit scrawny I thought, F4B baby...and was ALWAYS hungry from about age 12 weeks until he left for his new home at 16 weeks. From advice from another breeder, I began feeding him as much as he wanted...the amount and times of day be damned....he filled out, and stopped asking for food constantly. He also stopped the annoying nipping habit he acquired at the same time. When he left here, he had filled out nicely, a whopping 9 pounds at 4 months of age and as large or larger than most of my adults, and back to eating three times a day, rather than the 4-6 times per day at first. At a year old, he is now 18 pounds of lean, tall boy.

I found that raw beef...either steak or roast meat..in big chunks he could gnaw on for a while...seemed to fill him up more than chicken did. I gave him a variety of raw that included chicken breasts, drumsticks, thighs, and beef. He also had free access to dry Taste of the Wild and I made sure he ate alone.

I likened that stage that he went through as what my sons did as young teens and pre-teens. They were always hungry! The only difference is that I couldn't tell that kitten to go make himself a peanut butter sandwich like I did my sons

I feel better after hearing this story from you and a few FB comments... The guy made me feel like a complete dumbass, but well- I've fed raw here and there, but no one has demanded it like Rocco does! He absolutely loves it. It is beef- but it's well ground so he can inhale it and he really does- but he doesn't puke it up, doesn't have any poop issues (like if you overeat, I think it can cause diarrhea?), etc.

I'm ASSuming he'll cut back naturally on his own once he fills out. He's not scrawny- per se- but you can definitely feel him filling out so much nicer now that he's found something he loves!

 

[Becki]

Kovu is a vacuum and still eating all the time. My vet said to give him as much as he wants, so i feed him 4 times a day. He wont ewt kibble, will eat canned chicken cat food, but really just wants raw. He is tall and scrawny, I hope he starts to fill out a bit. He weighs 5lbs 3oz, and is now 14 weeks, but is still all legs.

 

[Kristin]

When Zeddie was a wee one she was like that too. I was feeding her about 2 hamburger patties of complete raw mix/day. When she was about 6 months she started cutting herself back, and getting just a wee bit chunky. Now she is down to the appropriate amount of food/day in accordance to her weight, and she is very slim. If it were up to her, she would be getting more food, but she helps herself to whatever she can find and it is a miracle she is still so slim

 

[Lori Greer]

It boggles the mind how much they can consume when they are in these growth spurts!

 

[Becki]

You know, I never listened to pediatricians either about schedules and keeping to a certain amount of food for my human babies either. If a baby is hungry, they should eat. I felt like a dairy cow there for a while, but in the end, I had happy, healthy babies. Our motto shall be No Hungry Babies!

 

[Trish Allearz]

You know, I never listened to pediatricians either about schedules and keeping to a certain amount of food for my human babies either. If a baby is hungry, they should eat. I felt like a dairy cow there for a while, but in the end, I had happy, healthy babies. Our motto shall be No Hungry Babies!

I THINK we've finally hit Rocco's happy tummy place- he isn't screaming for raw today.

 

[MattM]

I was always under the impression that you can't over feed a kitten.

 

[WitchyWoman]

Heck Trish, even my F6 ate like that when he was the same age and his adult weight is only 10 lbs. I suggest giving him some chunks rather than all ground and also giving a chicken or game hen thigh or leg for him to chomp on too. It will slow down his eating and give his brain and tummy time to connect and figure out that food is being eaten. I think that just as it is with us humans, the faster we consume the more we consume because our bodies take a while to understand that we are eating and feeling full.

And those chunks of meat and meat w/bone will help gums and teeth -- especially when they are teething.