Raw food diet- what can I add that will be tasty?
So, I’ve been feeding raw food to my cats lately. 2 of them absolutely love it and the other 3 just smell it and walk away. Is there anything that I can add to it to make it smell more appetizing to them?
I buy the food frozen from a very reliable store near my home. I want to get them used to the raw diet before I start making it myself.
Thanks
Ocimom- I do let it thaw out and make sure that it is completely defrosted before I give it to them. I also stick it in the microwave for about 15 seconds to take the chill out of it!
Natalie, I know what needs to be in the raw food.. thanks though.
Tagged with: cats • chill • microwave • natalie • raw diet • raw food
Filed under: Raw Food Diet
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I know that cats are big meat eaters, so try adding some more tender meat such as lamb in small quantities. Mix it in well so that the lamb juice spreads over the rest of the food. It is an expensive option but just see how it goes.
If you prefer a cheaper option, my cat loves a little bit of cheese every now and then, so feel free to add small amounts to the food. A lot of people say it gives cats diarrhea, but like milk if it’s fed sparingly and every two or three days it does no damage.
If you have the time add a little gravy to the feed (both cats and dogs love this) which can be mixed from shop-bought powder as long as it has no traces of pepper in it as it is lethal to cats and makes them suffocate. Either that or make a little meat stock from meat juice and fat (not too much as it can make them put on weight).
I would suggest you find out what your cats like and add different titbits to their food at different times during the week to make mealtimes more interesting. That way even if you picky cats don’t eat the majority of the main meal they have eaten something.
Hope this helps.
Our weekly newspaper,Creative Loafing, has an article on raw food so I’m about to get educated.
How about tuna or salmon? Please let us know how this works out.
Try warming the raw meat up first – put it in a plastic bag and run some hot water over it (or let it soak in hot water for a minute or so. Some cats don’t like the raw meat cold or frozen.
We feed ours some raw beef and they seem to like it better with the chill taken off. I do take out the package and let it thaw overnight in the fridge before they get it the next day.
Our little cat will eat anything, but the bigger one is pickier. We mushed in some dry kibble with his raw food and he gobbled it right up.
Please consult a veterinarian or veterinary nutritionist before creating a homemade diet. Cats with compromised immune systems or chronic infections should not be on a raw diet due to bacteria present in raw meat. Vitamin and mineral supplements are absolutely necessary unless you want a very very sick kitty. Human supplements may not include an adequate amount of taurine. Tuna and salmon added to the diet may make it more appealing, but some cats will simply refuse a change of diet. They may not like the texture or flavor or both. When you change to a home made diet you will have the same problem. Also watch for diarrhea and vomting, a sign the cats aren’t adjusting well.
Although I sell commercial raw food, I have found my cats like home prepared better. There are many sources on the internet about feeding home prepared raw and one link to get you started is here: http://www.catinfo.org. Some things you can sprinkle on food to get your cats started are liver powder, a quality brewers yeast, clarified butter, bonito flakes. Here is a more extensive list : http://www.holisticat.com/bribe.html. Chicken liver powder from Feline Instincts and brewers yeast have worked well for my cats. Don’t buy the fear mongering about the dangers of raw. Of course you need to be careful and educate yourself on the various aspects and potential hazards of raw feeding, but cats have been living on raw for thousands of years and only eating manufactured "food" for a few decades and more cats have been killed and sickened by the human created version of food. Do not take your vet’s advice as gospel unless that person has done nutritional study outside of their veterinarian school. The pet nutrition programs in those schools are run by the pet food industry. There are many prominent veterinarians such as Lisa Pierson (catinfo.org), Michael Fox, Karen Becker and Elizabeth Hodgkins that promote a raw diet.