How To Feed Your Cat a Raw Meat Diet

SUPPLEMENTS - example from www.iherb.com Before ordering, you may want to check other suppliers.

If you are using ground meat with bones and organs, you do not need the bone meal and gelatin.

A cat can not live on meat alone it needs to eat bones to provide the necessary calcium and phosphorus level. It is important to not add more bone meal to the recipe because it will not have the optimal calcium to phosphorus ration and can lead to a diet too high in calcium which causes constipation or other medical problems. Cats also are unable to make their own Vitamin A, Niacin, Arginine, Arachidonic Acid because they do not have the necessary enzymes. They need to get these important elements supplied in their meat source. These supplements are IMPORTANT

1 bottle of Taurine - Brand: Jarrow 1000 mg - 100 caps @ 7.77 (for 50 batches) or NOW 1000 mg. powder 8 oz

1 bottle of Salmon Oil - Brand: Carleson Norwegian 1000 mg - 220 caps .@ 11.31 (enough for 55 batches)

3 bottles of Bone Meal - Brand NOW 1 pound @ 5.76 each - 17.28 (enough for 27 batches)

1 bottle of Vitamin B complex- Brand Natural Factor 50 mg. - 90 caps. @ 6.26 (for 22.5 batches) or NOW B 100

1 bottle Vitamin E dry - Brand Jarrow 400 IU. - 100 caps. @ 10.50 (enough for 50 batches) or NOW 400 softgel

1 bottle Gelatin - Brand NOW 1 pound - @ 9.96 (enough for 32 mixes)

1 bottle Kelp - Grand: Natures Way 600 mg - 180 caps. @ 5.75 (do not know how much equals 1/2 tsp.)

1 bottle Dulce - Brand NOW 4 oz. @ 6.29 ( do not know how much equals 1/2 tsp.)

Anne's RAW MEAT DIET WITH BONES AND ORGANS

5 pounds frozen chicken, turkey, rabbit: ground with bones and organs from Hare Today, Gone Tomorrow or fresh chicken legs and thighs that you will grind after you remove the skin.

7 oz. Chicken liver (if not using meat with ground organs included)

4000 mg of Taurine - 1 tsp. NOW powder

2 cups of water - see note below

4 raw Egg yolks

4000 mg of Salmon oil - 4 caps of 1000 mg each

200 mg Vitamin B complex - 4 caps of 50 mg each

800 IU Vitamin E - 2 caps of 400 mg each

1/4 teaspoon of Kelp and 1/4 teaspoon Dulse (1/2 teaspoon total) Do not use more!

Add water mixture with supplements and eggs to meat, package in plastic containers and freeze. I use Rubbermaid "Take Along" containers. The packaged meat will keep in refrigerator for two days.

NOTE: I open the B complex capsule and put powder into 1 cup of water along with salmon oil and E - cut the capsules, drain the capsule and then snip into small pieces before putting into the water.

OPTIONAL: Not all cats require additional fiber (psyllium) in their diet. Can add 4 tsp. Psyllium husk powder or 8 tsp. whole Psyllium husk to mix. Some cats get constipated without additional fiber and some with the fiber. (approximately 24 - 4 oz servings)

COST based on 40# order of ground meat from Hare Today, Gone Tomorrow - costs may increase….

Shipping cost via Fed X: 20# for $19.70, 25# for $20.94, 30# for $22.10, 35# for $23.10. 40# for $24.81, 45# for 25.53

Packaging charge: box $10.00, $7.00 dry ice/freezer packs

GROUND CHICKEN: $8.95 for 5#, $4.60 delivery, $1.20 supplements/eggs, $14.75 for 6# of food - $.59 - 4 oz.

GROUND RABBIT: $13.95 for 5#, $4.60 delivery, $1.20 supplements/eggs, $19.75 for 6# of food - $.82 - 4 oz.

You have invested a lot of money for this baby and you want it to be healthy and live a long time. Remember in the "old days" when cats went outside and hunted bugs and prey. They lived to be 20 or so without the health issues we face today. Why are cats dying younger with kidney disease, liver disease, diabetes, tooth decay, urinary crystals, etc? We are what we eat and so is this kitten. Consider this: CATS are CARNIVORES - meat eaters.

As consumers we have been sold a bill of goods by the big cat food companies. Our vets have been taken in also. Cats need only raw meat with very low carbohydrates and dogs can be feed raw meat, vegetables and fruits. You can't run an engine on poor fuel and you can't keep a cat healthy on poor food. Read the ingredient labels on bags and cans of cat food. What do you see? Most have by products, corn, rice, wheat, oats, soy flour, cellulose, fruit and vegetables. Cats don't eat that stuff but we are forcing them to and they are rewarding us by dying young and giving us big vet bills along the way. CATS EAT MEAT AND THEY NEVER COOKED THEIR MICE. As cat owners, we need to WAKE UP and start feeding cats as carnivores. Stop trying to make the cat eat like you do from all the different food groups.

Here is a book about providing your cat with the proper diet and care for a longer, stronger life. It is a must read book by Elizabeth M. Hodgkins, DVM, Esq. YOUR CAT.

A raw moist diet is BEST for your cat. Yes, RAW. Cats have a shorter intestinal track than us and the enzymes to digest raw meat, so they are equipped to eat this diet. You may want to start with the raw food recipe given below which closely parallels the nutrition of an adult mouse or you can jump right in and start grinding meat and bones, add the supplements and reward your cat with the BEST balanced diet. YOU CAN DO THIS! IT IS EASY and you will be feeding your kitten the food that most resembles the wild prey. You will need to purchase some supplements to add to the raw chicken, turkey, lamb, rabbit, etc. This information is given below. You can also purchase ground meat/bone from Hare Today Gone Tomorrow and add the supplements. If you do not want to mess with making the food, you can purchase it ready to use from Feline Pride or Nature's Variety frozen raw. All the details to make your cat food along with helpful hints are on Anne's web site.

An alternative to the raw diet is a high quality canned food. Again, you want low carbs, no meat by products, grains, and no wheat gluten with the dangers it can cause. I feed canned EVO Cat and Kitten as a taste treat along with the raw. What to look for to find QUALITY COMMERCIAL CANNED FOOD. This site also includes a list of quality canned foods.

There are dry foods with high meat protein and no grains: Innova EVO, Wellness CORE, and Nature's Variety Instinct Chicken are lowest in carbohydrates. If you choose to use dry, use it as a supplement and not the main course. Dry food can cause a cat to become dehydrated so a bowl of fresh water is very important. It is best to not use dry food.

More references: cat nutrition, canned food comparison, dry cat food comparison, the importance of taurine

Carbohydrates in the diet of a heavy or lean cats can lead to diabetes. How to manage diabetes and diet.

Nutritional requirements of a cat

RAW MEAT DIET WITHOUT BONES - Anne's Raw Diet - slightly modified

3.88 - 4 pounds raw Muscle Meat: debone and skin chicken thighs and drumsticks and turkey or use fresh or frozen ground chicken or turkey (best to have some chunks of meat for the cat to chew)

Put in food processor and grind

7-8 oz. raw Liver - preferably from the same source as raw meat.

MIX in large mixing bowl:

2 cups of water - see note below

4000 mg of Taurine - 4 caps of 1000 mg each or 1 tsp. NOW taurine powder

4 Tablespoons Bone Meal (the kind meant for human consumption - not for gardening)

4 raw Egg yolks

4000 mg of Salmon oil - 4 caps of 1000 mg each

200 mg Vitamin B complex - 4 caps of 50 mg each

800 IU Vitamin E - 2 caps of 400 mg each

1/4 teaspoon of Kelp and 1/4 teaspoon Dulse (1/2 teaspoon total) Do not use more!

2 Tablespoons unflavored Gelatin - add after above ingredients have been mixed.

ADD to supplement slurry:

Meat/Liver, stir, package in plastic containers and freeze. I use Rubbermaid "Take Along" containers.

The packaged raw meat diet will keep in the refrigerator for two days.

TIME is a consideration. The quickest is to use raw meat diets already to eat but they are very expensive especially if you have several pets. Preparing the food from scratch using frozen meat and added supplements or using already ground meat either frozen or fresh from your grocery store and adding the supplements are alternatives. The most time consuming is purchasing whole chicken legs and thighs and grinding them. The cost of the Tasin TS 108 grinder will quickly pay for itself. I am able to make Anne's raw diet in 45 minutes using 10 pounds of raw chicken legs and thighs (hormone free and not fortified with broth or other additives). I have 12 pounds (48 4-oz servings) of beautiful food which my cats LOVE.

Remember cats are carnivores and a high carbohydrate diet is not healthy for them. With a raw diet, you are providing all the trace nutrients that are lost in the processing of canned food. If you choose to use canned | dry, select the quality ones without grain, wheat gluten, by-products, and animal fat.

With the proper diet your pets will reward you for years to come.

TRANSITIONING YOUR CAT to the RAW MEAT DIET

The raw meat diet is beneficial for any cat except those with kidney failure.

Begin by offering a small amount of the ground chicken raw diet. Some cats welcome the food immediately. You can then slowly increase the amount you give each feeding. Go slowly, so you do not upset the digestive system. If a cat gets soft stools, you can add some Psyllium to the mix.

For those who resist, you will need to do it slowly and be patient. You can mix a teaspoon of the new raw ground chicken diet into the canned food your cat has been eating. If your cat accepts the addition, you can slowly increase the amount of raw diet while decreasing the original canned food. Transition time depends on the cats acceptance of the new food……

The MOIST food is BEST for the cat because it has about 75% liquid compared to the dry cat food with perhaps a moisture content of 10%. If the cat does not drink adequate water, the dry will dehydrates the cat leading to kidney and bladder problems.

There is a correlation between the consumption of a high carbohydrate diets and the formation of struvite crystals, Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Diabetes, and Obesity, so check the labels of your current cat food for grains.

It is time to transition your other cats to a healthier diet without grains, vegetables and fruits that they can not utilize.

If you have any question about feeding your cat, you can contact: Lois Koblizek or Sally Gaetjens.