Basics and Raw feeding Options For Cats
Written by Sandy/booeymom
While still not enough is known at this time about a cat's exact nutritional requirements (such as the exact ideal ratio of Omega 3 fatty acids to Omega 6), this much we do know - they have always been, and continue to be obligate carnivores with carbohydrate requirement of no more than 5%.
What little carbs a cat needs, it gets from the digested food in their prey animals' stomach. Some cats eat the stomach contents, and others do not. To hedge my bets I give my cats 95% meat (including organs and bone) and < 5% hi-moisture low-glycemic index veggies.
Grains are not only not necessary in a cat's diet, they can actually cause irritation in the gut. If nothing else, please consider removing grains from your cats' food whether you feed commercial or a home-made diet. In particular, grains are really problematic for cats with Irritable/Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).
While still not enough is known at this time about a cat's exact nutritional requirements (such as the exact ideal ratio of Omega 3 fatty acids to Omega 6), this much we do know - they have always been, and continue to be obligate carnivores with carbohydrate requirement of no more than 5%.
What little carbs a cat needs, it gets from the digested food in their prey animals' stomach. Some cats eat the stomach contents, and others do not. To hedge my bets I give my cats 95% meat (including organs and bone) and < 5% hi-moisture low-glycemic index veggies.
Grains are not only not necessary in a cat's diet, they can actually cause irritation in the gut. If nothing else, please consider removing grains from your cats' food whether you feed commercial or a home-made diet. In particular, grains are really problematic for cats with Irritable/Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).
Some health problems can be alleviated by adding certain supplements to the kitty's food. Use basic hygiene principles when storing and handling meat. My cats eat all their meat within about 30 minutes, but if they didn't I wouldn't leave meat out for more than 30 minutes or so especially during warm weather. In 11 years on my list with thousands of (whole prey and ground-mix) raw-fed cats, we have had 2 problems - in both cases, liver was the culprit, and in one case it was several days old.
3 Basic Options:
1. Grind animals or birds with as many of the original parts included as possible. In other words, grind chicken meat and bones plus liver, heart, kidneys, spleen, gizzards, etc.
Pros: No worries about the Ca: Phos ratio; can run veggies through the blender thus making them easier for a kitty to digest; feeding is easy - spoon out just like you would commercial wet food.
Cons: Investment in a grinder; grinding can be a pain and on average takes about 2 hours for 20 lbs of meat; larger animals and birds are difficult to grind.
2. Buy muscle meat, organs, and as much of the animal/bird as possible from the store and add calcium/bone meal + trace minerals to prepare a balanced raw diet.
You can purchase raw food already ground up...here. ~ H.O.P.S.
3 Basic Options:
1. Grind animals or birds with as many of the original parts included as possible. In other words, grind chicken meat and bones plus liver, heart, kidneys, spleen, gizzards, etc.
Pros: No worries about the Ca: Phos ratio; can run veggies through the blender thus making them easier for a kitty to digest; feeding is easy - spoon out just like you would commercial wet food.
Cons: Investment in a grinder; grinding can be a pain and on average takes about 2 hours for 20 lbs of meat; larger animals and birds are difficult to grind.
2. Buy muscle meat, organs, and as much of the animal/bird as possible from the store and add calcium/bone meal + trace minerals to prepare a balanced raw diet.
You can purchase raw food already ground up...here. ~ H.O.P.S.
Pros: No grinding required; can use either ground meat or chunks which can be ground in a food processor; can feed larger animals such as beef (not saying this is always a good thing because it's not part of a cat's natural diet); feeding is easy - much like wet commercial food.
Cons: Need to figure out for each type of meat and organ what the Calcium and Phosphorus levels are so as to determine how much additional Calcium, collagen, and missing trace minerals to put in the food; limited menu options (pretty hard to find pheasant chunks or mice at the store:); easiest to screw up Ca: Phos ratio.
3. Feed whole prey animals and birds that a cat would naturally eat in the wild e.g. quail, mice, pheasant, cornish game hen, rabbit etc.
Pros: Nothing will keep tartar buildup at bay like chewing on bones; closer to a cat's real diet in the wild; cats less likely to gobble down their food; fun to watch them growl and tear apart the meat.
Cons: Acceptance issues are a real barrier - a lot of cats simply will not accept a whole mouse as food but this can be overcome with patience and persistence; some cats (e.g. my 2 boys) make a royal mess so daily clean-up can be a hassle.
At our house, the Fab Four (formerly known as the Mountain Cats) eat 3-4 meals of ground followed by 3-4 meals of whole prey birds and animals, and then back to ground. So we feed about 1/2 whole prey-1/2 ground mix. The reason for this is to be able to add taurine to the ground meat and give the kitties some fiber in their diet from the veggies. Feeding whole prey has not been easy with our girls but rubbing crushed dried liver over the prey animal/bird usually convinces my girl cats that I am indeed offering them real food. Our boys took to whole prey like.. well cats to real meat!
Cons: Need to figure out for each type of meat and organ what the Calcium and Phosphorus levels are so as to determine how much additional Calcium, collagen, and missing trace minerals to put in the food; limited menu options (pretty hard to find pheasant chunks or mice at the store:); easiest to screw up Ca: Phos ratio.
3. Feed whole prey animals and birds that a cat would naturally eat in the wild e.g. quail, mice, pheasant, cornish game hen, rabbit etc.
Pros: Nothing will keep tartar buildup at bay like chewing on bones; closer to a cat's real diet in the wild; cats less likely to gobble down their food; fun to watch them growl and tear apart the meat.
Cons: Acceptance issues are a real barrier - a lot of cats simply will not accept a whole mouse as food but this can be overcome with patience and persistence; some cats (e.g. my 2 boys) make a royal mess so daily clean-up can be a hassle.
At our house, the Fab Four (formerly known as the Mountain Cats) eat 3-4 meals of ground followed by 3-4 meals of whole prey birds and animals, and then back to ground. So we feed about 1/2 whole prey-1/2 ground mix. The reason for this is to be able to add taurine to the ground meat and give the kitties some fiber in their diet from the veggies. Feeding whole prey has not been easy with our girls but rubbing crushed dried liver over the prey animal/bird usually convinces my girl cats that I am indeed offering them real food. Our boys took to whole prey like.. well cats to real meat!
This combo of 50% whole prey and 50% ground is working for our cats because with 100% ground plus daily chicken necks and wings for chewing, they still required dentals. With half their meals consisting of whole prey, their teeth are sparkling white. All we do is hack up the animal/bird a bit so the pieces are a bit more manageable especially for tiny Pigpen. Line the feeding area with a tarp or butcher/wax/parchment paper. John and I feed only small animals/birds so each of our cats can eat these in entirety in just one sitting or at most in about 3 meals. Leftover meat is labeled and brought out again at the next meal
Since Option 3 (feeding whole prey) is fairly uncomplicated - freeze in airtight glass containers, thaw by placing said container in hot/warm water or soak prey in warm water/broth, and feed, let's talk about the other two options.
Option 1: Ground raw meat mix
Because of our IBD-cat Pigpen who is allergic to poultry, we grind rabbits and deer. The other 3 cats eat cut-up cornish game hen (CGH) but at times prefer ground so we also grind CGH, chicken (guinea fowl from local farms), and turkey (at Thanksgiving). However, I am going to discuss chicken here because it is more readily available for most people.
This recipe should provide enough for 3 weeks' worth of food for four cats. Our beasties just to give you an idea, range from 8.5 lb Pigpen to Puma the 18lb bruiser with the two middle ones weighing around 10.5-12lbs each.
Since Option 3 (feeding whole prey) is fairly uncomplicated - freeze in airtight glass containers, thaw by placing said container in hot/warm water or soak prey in warm water/broth, and feed, let's talk about the other two options.
Option 1: Ground raw meat mix
Because of our IBD-cat Pigpen who is allergic to poultry, we grind rabbits and deer. The other 3 cats eat cut-up cornish game hen (CGH) but at times prefer ground so we also grind CGH, chicken (guinea fowl from local farms), and turkey (at Thanksgiving). However, I am going to discuss chicken here because it is more readily available for most people.
This recipe should provide enough for 3 weeks' worth of food for four cats. Our beasties just to give you an idea, range from 8.5 lb Pigpen to Puma the 18lb bruiser with the two middle ones weighing around 10.5-12lbs each.
Ingredients:
4 whole young (not roaster because those are older) chicken fryers approx. 4 lb. each
Giblets/organs that come with the 4 fryers - liver, kidneys, heart, gizzards, but not neck (saved for cats to chew on while human slaves are grinding)
*1 lb. veggies - preferably high-moisture low-GI index squash, zucchini (all lightly steamed), and home-grown oat/barley/rye/wheat grass from seeds. Depending on the water content of the veggies, this can be as low as 1 cup or as high as 2 cups in volume. For cats with CRF, pumpkin can be beneficial because it functions as a nitrogen-trapper. IBD cats too can be helped by the moderately fermentable fiber in cooked/canned pumpkin. For some reason, my cats love a steamed broccoli and cauliflower mix; do not use in raw form unless you have a cat with an overactive thyroid gland.
5 egg yolks (increase to 8 during shedding season) - can also add lightly cooked egg whites if you wish or make frittatas for yourself instead:)
13,500 mg L-Taurine or 5 tsp. L-Taurine powder - based on the fact that 1/4 tsp of L-Taurine powder = 675mg (Source Naturals brand)
32oz spring water or home-made chicken broth (check my book for recipe) - the moisture doesn't hurt kitties, and you'll also find it makes the whole mix easier to handle.
4 whole young (not roaster because those are older) chicken fryers approx. 4 lb. each
Giblets/organs that come with the 4 fryers - liver, kidneys, heart, gizzards, but not neck (saved for cats to chew on while human slaves are grinding)
*1 lb. veggies - preferably high-moisture low-GI index squash, zucchini (all lightly steamed), and home-grown oat/barley/rye/wheat grass from seeds. Depending on the water content of the veggies, this can be as low as 1 cup or as high as 2 cups in volume. For cats with CRF, pumpkin can be beneficial because it functions as a nitrogen-trapper. IBD cats too can be helped by the moderately fermentable fiber in cooked/canned pumpkin. For some reason, my cats love a steamed broccoli and cauliflower mix; do not use in raw form unless you have a cat with an overactive thyroid gland.
5 egg yolks (increase to 8 during shedding season) - can also add lightly cooked egg whites if you wish or make frittatas for yourself instead:)
13,500 mg L-Taurine or 5 tsp. L-Taurine powder - based on the fact that 1/4 tsp of L-Taurine powder = 675mg (Source Naturals brand)
32oz spring water or home-made chicken broth (check my book for recipe) - the moisture doesn't hurt kitties, and you'll also find it makes the whole mix easier to handle.
*For cats allergic to veggies e.g. some IBD cats (FWIW, mine - Pigpen - is allergic to psyllium, but not to veggies or rice bran), substitute with rice bran or psyllium - 1/8 tsp mixed with 2 Tbsp water added each day to food, not to the whole mix. Pumpkin has a low GI-load though is moderate on the GI index, so if you have a diabetic cat, use either rice bran or psyllium or lo-GI index veg e.g. fresh grasses, which are more likely to show up in a mouse's tummy than anything else. I have not found any blood glucose spike with using a small amount of grass vs rice bran vs psyllium, but YMMV so please check for yourself how your cat responds and feed accordingly.
Optional Supplements (not necessary if you feed a variety of fresh whole animals):
Note: These can be tossed in the grinder along with meat and veggies. Softgels such as for Vit A, D, cod liver oil, and E can be pierced with a thumb tack and squirted into the mix. Alternatively, these can be added to each meal at feeding time. If using the plate with small holes, they can even be added in as-is interspersed with meat to prevent squirting.
These are drawn from AAFCO's daily adult maintenance requirements, and based on the recipe above so meant to be added into the mix at grinding time. Meat contains most of the nutrients cats require, so these should be considered maximum amounts so as not to lead to overdosing problems.
Please adjust if you are planning to only include these at meal time (which is ideal, BTW) e.g. less B is needed if it will be added fresh at meal time because freezing causing loss of B vitamins. Also, if using Nordic Naturals cod liver oil rather than soft gels, add at feeding time.
Optional Supplements (not necessary if you feed a variety of fresh whole animals):
Note: These can be tossed in the grinder along with meat and veggies. Softgels such as for Vit A, D, cod liver oil, and E can be pierced with a thumb tack and squirted into the mix. Alternatively, these can be added to each meal at feeding time. If using the plate with small holes, they can even be added in as-is interspersed with meat to prevent squirting.
These are drawn from AAFCO's daily adult maintenance requirements, and based on the recipe above so meant to be added into the mix at grinding time. Meat contains most of the nutrients cats require, so these should be considered maximum amounts so as not to lead to overdosing problems.
Please adjust if you are planning to only include these at meal time (which is ideal, BTW) e.g. less B is needed if it will be added fresh at meal time because freezing causing loss of B vitamins. Also, if using Nordic Naturals cod liver oil rather than soft gels, add at feeding time.
Vit E is the only item higher than AAFCO levels because of the addition of fish oil and to account for Vit E lost in the freezing process; AAFCO's recommendation would come to a total of only 600 IU for 80 meals! This OTOH comes out to 100IU per cat per day at least what's left of it post-freezing.
Total amounts based on 80 meals - a 20 day supply for 4 healthy adult cats:
Vit A - 100,000 IU
Vit D - 10,000 IU
OR
Cod Liver oil in lieu of Vits A and D - Nordic Naturals brand softgel
Vit E - 20 400IU softgels of Carlson's Gems, Natural Factors, or NOW Dry E capsules
Vit B-complex - 8 capsules of Jarrow B-Right Low Odor B-complex
Wild salmon oil - 10,000 mg
Additional supplements for cats with IBD and other digestive issues best added at meal time, not into the whole mix:
Digestive enzymes
FOS
Probiotics
There are other optional additions that can be made such as:
Trace minerals - key word here being "trace" so only teensy amounts please.
Egg yolk lecithin (during hairball season) - there was a study at UT Austin suggesting its use for hairball control.
Kelp -some concerns due to kitties being prone to hyperthyroidism, so very small amounts are best.
Nutritional yeast - okay as a bribe food but is high in Phosphorous so over time, can lead to imbalance.
In other words, please use these judiciously.
Total amounts based on 80 meals - a 20 day supply for 4 healthy adult cats:
Vit A - 100,000 IU
Vit D - 10,000 IU
OR
Cod Liver oil in lieu of Vits A and D - Nordic Naturals brand softgel
Vit E - 20 400IU softgels of Carlson's Gems, Natural Factors, or NOW Dry E capsules
Vit B-complex - 8 capsules of Jarrow B-Right Low Odor B-complex
Wild salmon oil - 10,000 mg
Additional supplements for cats with IBD and other digestive issues best added at meal time, not into the whole mix:
Digestive enzymes
FOS
Probiotics
There are other optional additions that can be made such as:
Trace minerals - key word here being "trace" so only teensy amounts please.
Egg yolk lecithin (during hairball season) - there was a study at UT Austin suggesting its use for hairball control.
Kelp -some concerns due to kitties being prone to hyperthyroidism, so very small amounts are best.
Nutritional yeast - okay as a bribe food but is high in Phosphorous so over time, can lead to imbalance.
In other words, please use these judiciously.
I would not use Cod liver oil. Instead I would use high quality fish oils such as sardine/anchovy oil.~ H.O.P.S.
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