What to feed my F2?

[Candyce]

Candyce....muscle meat contains the most taurine and that's why it's important to include it in a raw diet.

Here's a general breakdown of proportions for those who don't feed whole prey (info from catnutrition.org):

• 80–85% meat (besides boneless muscle meat, this can and should also include things like fat, skin, sinew, tendons, cartilage and any other soft connective tissue etc.)

• 10% edible bone

• 5-10% organs (with half that amount being liver)

I think that is the site I used when I first got started. I use mostly thighs with bones because thighs have a higher meat ratio to bone than wings or legs. I just wish I could find organ meats other than liver.

 

[WitchyWoman]

Do you have any specialty butcher shops in your area? We have 3 and they'll try to get in stuff that I ask for. Supply isn't consistent though

 

[WitchyWoman]

P.S. Looooove your avatar!

 

[Jacq]

I think that is the site I used when I first got started. I use mostly thighs with bones because thighs have a higher meat ratio to bone than wings or legs. I just wish I could find organ meats other than liver.

Candyce, don't you have any Hispanic grocery stores anywhere near you? Those are a GREAT places to buy liver, kidney, tripe, whatever. I also sometimes buy beef feet for Razi to chew on.

 

[lrmichelle]

Hi,

There are many ways to feed raw. I am no expert but just like you, starting researching, asking questions and finally experimenting on my own. So, I started out with a dehydrated food called Prowl, by Honest Kitchen (have to put it on list). My boy loved it but it, but he was a kitten and needed supplementation with it. The good thing is that the company is great - you can call and speak with them. I have also tried Nature's Variety Dehydrated raw and both cats love it.

I then began ordering raw rabbit chunks or ground rabbit when I got my second Savannah from Hare-Today, as well as ground turkey and chicken. This has to be supplemented with taurine and perhaps salmon oil, etc. Hare-Today sold a supplement called Simply Raw and I love it - mixed it in with the ground and had 8 pounds of raw from 5 pound ground raw chicken.

Then I started grinding my own chicken (legs and thighs or combo leg/thigh) with skin and adding Simply Raw. I have used many different forms of supplements to find what my cats will eat from TC Feline to Mazuri - all are different but very good and all have wonderful customer service who will take the time to talk to you and help you.

Taj (my boy) decided he no longer wants to eat raw and I am not going to force him. Zuri, my F4 SBT, now eats whole prey...and I get that frozen from Rodent Pro.

I know I probably have confused you more, but perhaps I gave you something to think about? You have to do what you feel comfortable with.

I'm sure others will chime in here.

So, as I mentioned, I'm looking in to doing raw. You said Hare-Today is a reputable, quality place to order raw from? The prices don't look too bad. I saw that you mentioned adding the Simply Raw supplement, but I couldn't find it listed on their site.

My biggest concern is introducing my middle-aged kibble-eating felines to raw...not sure they'll go for it. Any suggestions?

 

[whitekickboxing]

Thank you! VERY informative!

 

[admin]

Hare-Today is reputable and you can order their frozen ground raw...they don't care simply raw anymore, so you can use Mazuri, which is also very good. I use Felines Pride now as well as Blue ridge Beef (Quail and Rabbit)...I am always experimenting.

My nine year old DSH, Cisco, will not eat anything but dry...I have tried to get him off of it and gave up...

 

[lrmichelle]

Hare-Today is reputable and you can order their frozen ground raw...they don't care simply raw anymore, so you can use Mazuri, which is also very good. I use Felines Pride now as well as Blue ridge Beef (Quail and Rabbit)...I am always experimenting.

My nine year old DSH, Cisco, will not eat anything but dry...I have tried to get him off of it and gave up...

Thank you!

 

[WitchyWoman]

My biggest concern is introducing my middle-aged kibble-eating felines to raw...not sure they'll go for it. Any suggestions?

I introduced 12 yr old & 14 yr old DSHs who were kibbleheads to raw by first slowly transitioning them to canned. First week, I added 1/4 tsp of canned to their kibble and then decreased the kibble by the proportion of the canned. Second week, I added 1/2 tsp and decreased kibble 1/2 tsp and continued adding canned & decreasing kibble until they were eating all canned. Then I started all over again adding in raw and decreasing canned. They really loved raw and transitioning from canned to raw went quicker than the transition from kibble to canned.

Sometimes kibbleheads will not transition. Sometimes they'll go straight to raw. Experiment a little bit but be sure to do a slow transition so their systems have time to adjust.

Don't be alarmed if they get to the raw food stage and for the first month or two eat twice as much as normal. This is a commonly reported occurrence when cats switch to raw but their appetites level off soon enough. Another typical result of transitioning to raw is that they drop a lot of stored fat and become sleeker with muscle.

 

[admin]

I would love to get Cisco off of ID...I will try the 1/4 tsp...I wonder if I should use ID for that...