Homemade vs. Commercial Raw food???

[Gabby K]

Hi All!

I am getting a new Sphynx kitten (Max) in 4 wks time and want to make sure I am set up with the food for Max from day 1.

Unfortunately, my boy Ronnie (Sphynx , 6yrs old) passed away a couple months ago due to HCM. He was fed wet food - Applaws & dry kibble Royal Canin Sphynx... My vet never said anything about unsuitability of grains in cats food or that he may be lacking taurine etc...
However, speaking to the breeder from where Max will be coming from, she said that he is going to be raw fed and will also have Orijen kibbles available- she would definitely recommend to continue with this diet at least until 6 months old, but also said that raw food is much better than cooked...And she experienced with cats that they had stomach issues once swapped to cooked food...

So my question is- is the commercially prepared raw food equally as good as homemade?
If so, are there any recommended websites you came across in UK please?

Alternatively, if preparing raw food at home (the breeder has advised she uses 80% meat, 10% bones, 10% organs (at least 5% heart) - does it entail same ‘danger’ to bacteria and parasites as if you bought commercial raw food?

Finally, what are your thoughts on getting a raw meat (chicken brest or tights or beef cuts) and adding TC Feline premix? Would that be equally same quality ?

Thank you
Gabby

 

[Condo commando]

Hi there, I'm very sorry for your loss of Ronnie. I feed raw and I'm happy to share what I've learned and possibly help you in your quest to make food for Max.

I started with commercial raw diets but it's much cheaper to source the meats and make food at home. Just consider, every recipe has water added, so when you buy the food already made you are paying for the water weight also.

Another benefit of making food at home is I get to control exactly what goes into it.

As far as hygiene, you have to be mindful just as when you buy raw foods to make your own meals. For food that's to be eaten raw, always keep it frozen as long as possible. You can keep it in the refrigerator for maybe 3 days, but remember that bacteria starts to grow when the meat thaws out. When you serve it in Max's food bowl, after 30 minutes if it's not eaten throw it out. Remember that our cats don't have a choice but to eat what we put in front of them, so we have to be careful for them.

To make this process easier for myself, I use a powder supplement so I don't have to go out and buy each and every vitamin and mineral. Here is the important part - when you use a premix you should stick to their instructions. Don't improvise. They know what their supplement has and what it doesn't have, and they are telling you exactly what you need to add. For example, I use a supplement that requires me to add liver. That's because the supplement doesn't have vitamin A so the liver supplies it. You can see, if I take out liver I would not be meeting a cat's nutritional requirements.

Hope this is enough to get you started....happy foodmaking :cat:

 

[MollysMom]

We use a premix as well... if you are at all concerned, you can always get a blood panel test done yearly to see if there are any deficiencies. Mine have been on home made raw with premix powder for 6 years, not once have they or I gotten sick from bacteria. Just use common sense and make sure to wash dishes well and wipe counters and the surface where they eat.

 

[Gabby K]

Hi there, I'm very sorry for your loss of Ronnie. I feed raw and I'm happy to share what I've learned and possibly help you in your quest to make food for Max.

I started with commercial raw diets but it's much cheaper to source the meats and make food at home. Just consider, every recipe has water added, so when you buy the food already made you are paying for the water weight also.

Another benefit of making food at home is I get to control exactly what goes into it.

As far as hygiene, you have to be mindful just as when you buy raw foods to make your own meals. For food that's to be eaten raw, always keep it frozen as long as possible. You can keep it in the refrigerator for maybe 3 days, but remember that bacteria starts to grow when the meat thaws out. When you serve it in Max's food bowl, after 30 minutes if it's not eaten throw it out. Remember that our cats don't have a choice but to eat what we put in front of them, so we have to be careful for them.

To make this process easier for myself, I use a powder supplement so I don't have to go out and buy each and every vitamin and mineral. Here is the important part - when you use a premix you should stick to their instructions. Don't improvise. They know what their supplement has and what it doesn't have, and they are telling you exactly what you need to add. For example, I use a supplement that requires me to add liver. That's because the supplement doesn't have vitamin A so the liver supplies it. You can see, if I take out liver I would not be meeting a cat's nutritional requirements.

Hope this is enough to get you started....happy foodmaking :cat:

Thank you so much! It is really helpful to get an advice as I have read many many articles online, but I feel that more I read, more confused I got!

So if I were to get a supplement premix which only requires to dd a meat part, then I don’t need to add liver/ bones or hear to it? And I assume that’s as good as other alternatives?

Thank you again

 

[Gabby K]

We use a premix as well... if you are at all concerned, you can always get a blood panel test done yearly to see if there are any deficiencies. Mine have been on home made raw with premix powder for 6 years, not once have they or I gotten sick from bacteria. Just use common sense and make sure to wash dishes well and wipe counters and the surface where they eat.

That is great! So you basically just mix meat (do you have any specific you would recommend? I.e. chicken tights or breast or anything else?) and then the premix and that is it? How long would you freeze the meat before you would feed it to your cats?

Thank you, I feel less stressed about the food for Max now!

 

[MollysMom]

I feed whatever is cheapest, just pay attention to how fatty it is and if it has sodium added to it. Store ground meat is iffy, as there is a greater chance of bad bacteria. Chicken thighs, breasts, giant pork loin, deer, elk, moose... if it is raw game meat, I grind it and feed it raw. I cook the chicken and the pork in tbe crock pot and then shred it and mix it. We use the UStew by Know Better Pet Foods, which has added digestive enzymes for cooked meat. If you are worried about parasites, freeze it 2 weeks before they eat it. It is fine to thaw and refreeze too. I have giant pails of meat scraps in my freezer, then I thaw, grind, mix, and refreeze until they are ready to eat.

 

[Gabby K]

I feed whatever is cheapest, just pay attention to how fatty it is and if it has sodium added to it. Store ground meat is iffy, as there is a greater chance of bad bacteria. Chicken thighs, breasts, giant pork loin, deer, elk, moose... if it is raw game meat, I grind it and feed it raw. I cook the chicken and the pork in tbe crock pot and then shred it and mix it. We use the UStew by Know Better Pet Foods, which has added digestive enzymes for cooked meat. If you are worried about parasites, freeze it 2 weeks before they eat it. It is fine to thaw and refreeze too. I have giant pails of meat scraps in my freezer, then I thaw, grind, mix, and refreeze until they are ready to eat.

Thank you

 

[Condo commando]

Thank you so much! It is really helpful to get an advice as I have read many many articles online, but I feel that more I read, more confused I got!

So if I were to get a supplement premix which only requires to dd a meat part, then I don’t need to add liver/ bones or hear to it? And I assume that’s as good as other alternatives?

Thank you again

That's correct. Liver is for vitamin A and bones is for calcium so I assume your premix has enough vitamin A and calcium. You can just check the label to be sure.

Good advice given above to stay away from grocery store meats; the thing about them is they are not frozen and that is when bacteria grows. If you buy frozen meat and thaw it out when you are ready to use it, that is the way to go.

There is an ingredient that doesn't come in premixes - omega 3's. So you might consider adding this in addition to the meat. Most foods don't have adequate omega 3's so even if someone buys commercial pet foods they should do something else for omega 3's. When I started, I used to buy canned sardines packed in water and that was the omega 3 source lol. Nowadays I buy raw herring or sardines and mix it in the food. Do whatever works for you

 

[ameliabrooks21]

Commercial raw or balanced homemade raw diets are both fine as long as they meet full nutritional requirements, and you can also use homemade wet food for cats as a gentle, cooked alternative if raw does not suit Max’s stomach. For easy UK options, many people use Nutriment, Natures Menu, or Bella & Duke, and TC Feline premix added to fresh meat can also create a complete, safe diet.

 

[Yoda mom]

@ameliabrooks21 , welcome to the lair family. thank you for sharing this information on this older post that members may be following. love to see an introduction post when you get a chance. glad you joined this fun friendly bunch and your knowledge and UK food options. very helpful to the community.