Raw Food Guidance Sought for my Kitties

[realfire]

Hello
My name is Betina and I am the proud mamma of three cats who are about one year now .
I have been spending alot of money at Frizelle's and Sebastopol Pet Store buying their raw meat in the freezer . Today I went to a butcher at Oliver's and purchased chicken livers and sme chunks of raw meat. When I did some research on raw vs cooked there was a great deal of controversy. As was there regrading how to much to feed them . I am looking for people who know the real deal on this . I gave them some of the raw liver today and they were ecstatic.

ALso wondering if there are good dry food that have raw diet.

Any and all guidance is appreciated
MEOW
Betina

[Shandi]

Hi Betina,

I've also done a lot of research on cat food, and what to look for on labels.
I don't believe that there's anything definitive, except that there's basic
things to look for in prepared food, wet or dry. As with most things, doctors
and vets have personal preferences which may be influenced by salespeople.

Things would be so much easier if we could look to one entity to tell us what's
best for us and our pets. But we have the gift of choice, which means combining
research and what resonates with us on various levels. And of course, kitties
seem to have preferences also.

As for raw food, consider that ferals eat anything they can find, including birds,
mice, lizards, etc. Cats, being hunters at heart, are made to eat raw meat, but
I don't think that cooked meat is harmful.

I tried some of Oliver's frozen raw food, and my cat liked it at first, but later didn't
want it. I think many cats would like raw liver, but I would think it need some
supplementation. Also it can get costly if you're on a budget.

There are lots of recipes for homemade cat food online, if you want to try that.

As for how much to feed, I think it depends on the cat. I feed my cat a half a packet
of Wellness formula twice a day, (she's only 7lbs) but they recommend a full pack
twice a day, which would mean spending more money, and not needed for this cat.
A larger cat may require more food.

I also leave out a good brand of dry food. (Evo or Ennova although there a others)

When I had cats years ago, I used to feed them the cheapest cat food, and fortunately
they lived long lives, with few vet trips. But I wouldn't do that now that I've studied
a little bit about cats. I want to give her good nutrition, even though it costs more. I
can find other ways to cut costs from my budget.

A larger cat may require more food, but can also be overweight which may cause
health problems. A vet can usually determine a healthy weight for individual
cats.

At the animal shelter, there are times when we put cats on a diet because they get
too fat, without enough exercise.

There are some great books I've read, and recommend. One is
Your Cat: New Secrets to a longer stronger Life. by Hodgkins and
Cat Body, Cat Mind, Exploring your cat's consciousness......by Fox

Although there are many ways that point to the definitive answers,
you still have the "gift" of choice, as in everything.....

Wishing you healthy choices,

Sandy




Hello
My name is Betina and I am the proud mamma of three cats who are about one year now .
I have been spending alot of money at Frizelle's and Sebastopol Pet Store buying their raw meat in the freezer . Today I went to a butcher at Oliver's and purchased chicken livers and sme chunks of raw meat. When I did some research on raw vs cooked there was a great deal of controversy. As was there regrading how to much to feed them . I am looking for people who know the real deal on this . I gave them some of the raw liver today and they were ecstatic.

ALso wondering if there are good dry food that have raw diet.

Any and all guidance is appreciated
MEOW
Betina