Raw Diet questions

[Xandria]

Thanks! I'll be picking up some of the Duck and pea, for sure... and not feeding him anymore chicken things, i guess. Is this pumpkin specifically a pet food product? or is it just like ground up pumpkin, in a can?

Super helpful suggestions, now to implement and hope for the best!

Pumpkin in a can, but not the pie filling. Just plain and simple raw pumpkin. Adding anywhere from a teaspoon to half a tablespoon or more usually sets the intestinal tract on the right track. I get mine at the grocery store in the baking section – again, make sure it's not the pie filling, but just plain pumpkin.

 

[Nicolemorgan]

Where do I buy raw?
I make it myself. I buy pre-ground meat from a cash and carry meat supplier to restaurants and boutique butchers. The ethics and quality of their meat is impeccable. I combine this with Better in the Raw mix.

What's it cost approximately weekly or monthly for raw?
The cost is approximately $4 per day (Canadian funds), $28 per week, $112 per month per cat. This is based on a cat eating a quarter pound (4 oz) per meal, 3 times a day.

Can I make larger batches and store/ freeze it?
Yes indeed! I convert 16 lbs. of ground meat into 24 lbs. of cat food. I place these into small widemouth Mason jars, each capable of holding approximately half a pound. This lasts approximately one month per cat.

What about raw bones, what kind and how do I add them to her diet.
I do not add any as the Better in the Raw contains the calcium necessary.

What brands have worked well for you?
Quality butcher/meat provider, and Better in the Raw have worked great.

How much should I feed an adult sphynx?
It's virtually impossible for a Sphynx to get fat on a raw. They will also find raw more filling, and long-lasting. Let them eat as much as they want within 15 minutes or so 3 times per day. This usually equates to anywhere from a quarter pound to a half pound per meal.

How much should I feed a sphynx kitten?
See above. The only difference is feeding them 4 times per day. In growth periods, their food intake will very much more wildly than when they are adults.

Do I need to add supplements to my raw, if so what type of supplements and where do I get those?
If you use Better in the Raw, no further supplements need to be added. However, their current recipe does require egg yolks (no egg whites).

My cat is not taking a liking to the raw, she won't eat it, how do I entice her?
You can try adding a little of their old food on top and then slowly reducing the amount added every couple of days. You can also try mixing in some FortiFlora, which is basically kitty crack. The older they are, the harder they will be to convince that raw food is a good thing for them. Most commercial produced cat food is laden with scent additives to be appealing to them.

Can I produce my own raw or can I buy it pre-made, ready to go out of the box? Where do I purchase it?
What I do involves producing your own with meat and the add-in, Better in the Raw.

Please also see my information here:

• 
  
  
  • Raw Cat Food Information (the PDF)
  • and the accompanying Excel Spreadsheet.

What is the name of the store you buy your meat from in BC? We are in Alberta, and I would love to look into a few different places to buy our raw meat from (get some different price quotes). I've never heard of a cash and carry meat supplier, so I'd like to look into it further. Probably doesn't help that I was vegan/vegetarian for so many years...learning about all this raw meat for the sphynxes has been a learning curve! Hah

 

[Xandria]

What is the name of the store you buy your meat from in BC? We are in Alberta, and I would love to look into a few different places to buy our raw meat from (get some different price quotes). I've never heard of a cash and carry meat supplier, so I'd like to look into it further. Probably doesn't help that I was vegan/vegetarian for so many years...learning about all this raw meat for the sphynxes has been a learning curve! Hah

Certified Organic Meats, Game Meats, Specialty Products - Alligator, Bison, Elk, Beef, Chicken - Hills Foods

They're great. They are all about ethics, quality meats etc. They supply to restaurants and moo-tiques around the city. I wish they'd carry horse and rabbit, but alas...

 

[Shanebakertat2]

Excellent! good to know!

 

[Shanebakertat2]

Pumpkin in a can, but not the pie filling. Just plain and simple raw pumpkin. Adding anywhere from a teaspoon to half a tablespoon or more usually sets the intestinal tract on the right track. I get mine at the grocery store in the baking section – again, make sure it's not the pie filling, but just plain pumpkin.

So, once a day? with every meal? I picked some up, and different foods.

 

[naomi]

So, once a day? with every meal? I picked some up, and different foods.

I would start with once a day and see how it goes. If you find that every second poo isn't as nice do it twice a day. If it doesn't help at all I would collect a stool sample and head to the vet.

 

[Shanebakertat2]

Thanks! will do!

 

[Shanebakertat2]

So, Dobby had a bloody stool, and we had a fun trip to the Emergency Vet office. Dobs got hooked up with some IV fluids, anti-vomitting meds, antibiotics and some probiotics.

So in addition to possible food issues, the little menace learned he could jump from the floor to the stove/kitchen counter, and polished off a pan full of bacon grease last week. Yep. Whole pan. The Doc said that could be enough to throw off the PH of his whole gastrointestinal system - hence all the meds. Hopefully they do the trick!

Through all of this, his energy level has been pretty good, and he's still very affectionate... so the Docs don't think its anything more serious, like cancer or IBD.

Thanks for all the advice and support, and advice!
Dobby and I appreciate it!

 

[Xandria]

So, Dobby had a bloody stool, and we had a fun trip to the Emergency Vet office. Dobs got hooked up with some IV fluids, anti-vomitting meds, antibiotics and some probiotics.

So in addition to possible food issues, the little menace learned he could jump from the floor to the stove/kitchen counter, and polished off a pan full of bacon grease last week. Yep. Whole pan. The Doc said that could be enough to throw off the PH of his whole gastrointestinal system - hence all the meds. Hopefully they do the trick!

Through all of this, his energy level has been pretty good, and he's still very affectionate... so the Docs don't think its anything more serious, like cancer or IBD.

Thanks for all the advice and support, and advice!
Dobby and I appreciate it!

Holy Bacon Grease, Batman! Yeah, that'll throw his system for a loop. Poor Dobby. Sending Dobby healing vibes!

Counter surfing is a hobby for these guys. Even though I've been adamant in disciplining Max about getting on the kitchen counters, he leaves telltale signs that he's up there at night. If I don't have a chance to load the dishwasher, I at least rinse all dishware and stack aside or in sink for next day transfer to the dishwasher. And in a real pinch, I throw a heavy dish or cutting board over top of anything that contains potential "edibles".

Hugs.

 

[Nicolemorgan]

So, Dobby had a bloody stool, and we had a fun trip to the Emergency Vet office. Dobs got hooked up with some IV fluids, anti-vomitting meds, antibiotics and some probiotics.

So in addition to possible food issues, the little menace learned he could jump from the floor to the stove/kitchen counter, and polished off a pan full of bacon grease last week. Yep. Whole pan. The Doc said that could be enough to throw off the PH of his whole gastrointestinal system - hence all the meds. Hopefully they do the trick!

Through all of this, his energy level has been pretty good, and he's still very affectionate... so the Docs don't think its anything more serious, like cancer or IBD.

Thanks for all the advice and support, and advice!
Dobby and I appreciate it!

Hope Dobby feels better soon! Sending positive thoughts your way!

Holy Bacon Grease, Batman! Yeah, that'll throw his system for a loop. Poor Dobby. Sending Dobby healing vibes!

Counter surfing is a hobby for these guys. Even though I've been adamant in disciplining Max about getting on the kitchen counters, he leaves telltale signs that he's up there at night. If I don't have a chance to load the dishwasher, I at least rinse all dishware and stack aside or in sink for next day transfer to the dishwasher. And in a real pinch, I throw a heavy dish or cutting board over top of anything that contains potential "edibles".

Hugs.

I know what you mean, they are pro counter surfers, and will try and give into anything. But on a positive note....our whole house has never been cleaner since we brought Loki & Gatsby home! Haha...now everyone who comes over just thinks we are clean freaks since our place is kitty proof and so clean all the time.

 

[Toa and Ross]

So, Dobby had a bloody stool, and we had a fun trip to the Emergency Vet office. Dobs got hooked up with some IV fluids, anti-vomitting meds, antibiotics and some probiotics.

So in addition to possible food issues, the little menace learned he could jump from the floor to the stove/kitchen counter, and polished off a pan full of bacon grease last week. Yep. Whole pan. The Doc said that could be enough to throw off the PH of his whole gastrointestinal system - hence all the meds. Hopefully they do the trick!

Through all of this, his energy level has been pretty good, and he's still very affectionate... so the Docs don't think its anything more serious, like cancer or IBD.

Thanks for all the advice and support, and advice!
Dobby and I appreciate it!

A whole pan of Bacon grease? Wow! Dobby dobby dobby!! But I'm happy to hear it's not something serious. Hope he will feel better soon now.

 

[naomi]

Yikes! These guys are rascals. Hopefully everything will sort itself out soon. This reminds me of the time Frida ate a whole pan of sausages that my brother in law left on the stove. Lol. Luckily she was fine after but it definitely made me realize that I can't just leave anything on the counters.

 

[Zab]

I have little to add... Tried raw on Ossi earlier. We bought it in pet stores. It's like meatballs for cats, very clean food, this particular brand from Finland. I'm guessing you have a bigger market in the rest of the world...The changes was incredible, Ossis poo hardly smelled at all and there was not a lot of it! Then came a day when he decided he didn't want it no more so we stopped. But we always had dry kibble on the side for him.

 

[AMEDooley]

I thought about going to the raw diet, but I haven't had any issues with Anubis and the Blue grain free formula in the slightest. But I do think that he would love the raw diet, as when I feed him the wet food he gobbles it down in about 30 seconds lol.

 

[Lynkas]

Athena is 3 and I have been feeding her 1/2 a medallion (instinct raw - I had been using the dog one since the beginning and I switch flavors) and about 1/8 cup of dry instinct cat food. Oh and she has this 2x a day. I was feeding her 1/4 cup and she began to get "saggy boobies"" and the vet said it was because I was prob feeding her too much. She was also close to 10 lbs. so I cut her down and I think she has lost some weight. Her boobies look smaller. I also just started her on feline dinovite and the omega/fish oil supplement. She has never had skin problems and I bathe her after a coconut rub about every 2-3 weeks.

 

[naomi]

Athena is 3 and I have been feeding her 1/2 a medallion (instinct raw - I had been using the dog one since the beginning and I switch flavors) and about 1/8 cup of dry instinct cat food. Oh and she has this 2x a day. I was feeding her 1/4 cup and she began to get "saggy boobies"" and the vet said it was because I was prob feeding her too much. She was also close to 10 lbs. so I cut her down and I think she has lost some weight. Her boobies look smaller. I also just started her on feline dinovite and the omega/fish oil supplement. She has never had skin problems and I bathe her after a coconut rub about every 2-3 weeks.

How much veg is in the mix? It is unusual for cats to become overweight if they are not eating grains or vegetables. The varieties of raw made for dogs will often have a higher concentration of vegetables because dogs handle vegetables better than cats. This is often why they are cheaper too. Also dog varieties won't have the extra taurine because dogs don't need it so a vitamin or supplement with taurine is a good idea. She looks like a healthy girl to me though.

 

[Shanebakertat2]

Thanks for the concern everyone! Dobby has made a full recovery, and is back energetic, curious, and mischievous. He's testing doors, drawers and jumping to everything he can reach. His bowels seem to be back on track, normal solid, fairly stinky poops again!

 

[Catzzzmeow]

Great update @Shanebakertat2

 

[Toa and Ross]

Thanks for the concern everyone! Dobby has made a full recovery, and is back energetic, curious, and mischievous. He's testing doors, drawers and jumping to everything he can reach. His bowels seem to be back on track, normal solid, fairly stinky poops again!

Great update!

 

[Iwanna Sphynx]

Re: Raw diet and Sphynx cats

Quoting Susi794
"You can buy dry mixes that you add to ground meat and water. This was the first kind of raw my cats would eat--and they LOVED it! I ordered "My Natural Cat" from a place called feline instincts out of Texas. I bought the powder which contained all the vitamins, minerals, etc. my cats needed, then added that to water and ground meat of my choosing--I either had to add raw liver or buy the liver powder already added to the mix, and also a small amount of salmon oil to every recipe, which I could also order directly from feline instincts. I used ground turkey and it was not too bad as far as cost went, but then they raised their prices and I got more cats, so it felt cost prohibitive to me, so I stopped. The only con for me with this was the cost. It was easy to prepare, took only about ten minutes to make a two or three week supply and I froze it into individual servings in flattened freezer baggies in my freezer, so it didn't take much room.

Then I visited a site called Mystre Bengals and they had a recipe for raw with some great videos on how to prepare it and gave the recipe. They use meats they buy right from Wal-Mart, so I wasn't having to import all kinds of hard to find meat. I bought the grinder, the meat cleaver, the cutting board, a gazillion baggies, all the meat and sat down to make my first batch. I had about ten whole chickens, several packs of leg quarters, heaarts, gizzards, liver, tripe, etc. etc. and got started chopping and grinding. Chopping whole chickens and leg quarter for hours at a time is extemely painful after awhile if you're not used to it--I had ground raw meat in my hair, on my ceiling and walls, all over the floor--from stem to stern. But, by gosh, I had a freezer full of individual packs of raw meals. This recipe called for beef to be added, and didn't say that many cats can't eat beef until they are quite used to raw...so mine immediately gobbled up the food and then promptly vomited it all over my house! After awhile, they didn't want to eat it. I contacted the guy on the bengal site and he told me to try making a smaller batch without the beef and try them again...this time it was better, and this method was way cheaper. But the labor of it was just too intense for me. This old body of mine ached for a week after I chopped all those chickens and the mess was not good. I have subsequently read that you should buy a meat hammer and smash the bones before you grind them and that makes the whole process so much easier than trying to hack through them with a meat cleaver like I did. To this mixture I added a vitamin/mineral supplement called Kitty Bloom which took care of the taurine and vitamin requirements my cats needed."

I am seriously thinking about raw diet. Here what I quote on Susie is what it seems I would be doing. Susie, are you still doing raw diet? I have 2 adult cats and Zelda should be home soon. She is about 14 weeks. Should I wait a little after she is home so I dont add to the stress that they all will be dealing with?

Re: Raw diet and Sphynx cats

There are lots of places you can buy commercially prepared raw--you can buy online and have it shipped to you from any number of sources, or can buy it frozen from many pet stores. It comes in patties and medallions with the feeding amounts listed on the packages. One of these is called Nature's Variety I believe. Pros: It's easy for you--just take out the desired frozen amount then thaw and feed. It isn't messy. Cons: Expensive and my cats refused to eat it.

You can buy dry mixes that you add to ground meat and water. This was the first kind of raw my cats would eat--and they LOVED it! I ordered "My Natural Cat" from a place called feline instincts out of Texas. I bought the powder which contained all the vitamins, minerals, etc. my cats needed, then added that to water and ground meat of my choosing--I either had to add raw liver or buy the liver powder already added to the mix, and also a small amount of salmon oil to every recipe, which I could also order directly from feline instincts. I used ground turkey and it was not too bad as far as cost went, but then they raised their prices and I got more cats, so it felt cost prohibitive to me, so I stopped. The only con for me with this was the cost. It was easy to prepare, took only about ten minutes to make a two or three week supply and I froze it into individual servings in flattened freezer baggies in my freezer, so it didn't take much room.

Then I visited a site called Mystre Bengals and they had a recipe for raw with some great videos on how to prepare it and gave the recipe. They use meats they buy right from Wal-Mart, so I wasn't having to import all kinds of hard to find meat. I bought the grinder, the meat cleaver, the cutting board, a gazillion baggies, all the meat and sat down to make my first batch. I had about ten whole chickens, several packs of leg quarters, heaarts, gizzards, liver, tripe, etc. etc. and got started chopping and grinding. Chopping whole chickens and leg quarter for hours at a time is extemely painful after awhile if you're not used to it--I had ground raw meat in my hair, on my ceiling and walls, all over the floor--from stem to stern. But, by gosh, I had a freezer full of individual packs of raw meals. This recipe called for beef to be added, and didn't say that many cats can't eat beef until they are quite used to raw...so mine immediately gobbled up the food and then promptly vomited it all over my house! After awhile, they didn't want to eat it. I contacted the guy on the bengal site and he told me to try making a smaller batch without the beef and try them again...this time it was better, and this method was way cheaper. But the labor of it was just too intense for me. This old body of mine ached for a week after I chopped all those chickens and the mess was not good. I have subsequently read that you should buy a meat hammer and smash the bones before you grind them and that makes the whole process so much easier than trying to hack through them with a meat cleaver like I did. To this mixture I added a vitamin/mineral supplement called Kitty Bloom which took care of the taurine and vitamin requirements my cats needed.

Fast forward to now: I stopped feeding raw altogether for awhile, but decided to go back to it. I use a service called "My Pet Carnivore" that offers many kinds of whole animal proteins already ground or chopped. With this, I can approximate what would be a natural cat diet in the wild. I buy the rabbit, chicken, turkey, goose, whiting, and am going to try some of the pork this time. The meat is already ground or chunked and the animal has been ground whole--so the organs and bone to muscle ratio is as nature intended it to be. They bring the meats packeaged in deli containers to various drop off points around a several state radius and then I pick it up at the drop off points--the cost for the delivery is $10. I buy about 50-70 lbs. a month. But I have 8 cats. I add Kitty Bloom to this also--just to make sure I have all my bases covered. This is by far the easiest way for me, is most healthy, and believe it or not, more economical than kibble and canned. I have eight cats, and am presently feeding 10-12 cans of wet food a day plus at least 20 lbs. of kibble a month. Even if I use the cheap kind of wet food--at 50 cents a can, that's $6 a day for the wet food alone--that's $180. a month right there. Add to that the $40 I spend on the dry food, that's $220. a month. I just made out my order for this month--51 pounds of meat and the cost will be $148.63 including delivery fee to the pick up place. That is a saving of $80 a month for me this month and my cats will be the healthier for it.

I will post another post to answer the other questions as best I can, as this one is getting long.

God bless you, darling! Nearly wet myself reading your adventure, but you sure gave me lots of great info!!!

 

[Nettie]

i know this is a dumb question, but do you cook the raw food? please don't laugh lol

No, it is meant to be eaten raw...

 

[moodyxmoon]

Where do I buy raw? I buy my raw food from naturalinstinct

What's it cost approximately weekly or monthly for raw? As Tak is a Kitten the food is lasting longer, we are in our first month and spent £30 inc postage for essentially 6KG of raw food. (the website makes you order a minimum of 6KG for frozen shipping.

What about raw bones, what kind and how do I add them to her diet. ! Im going to offer my kitten some chicken drumsticks as a treat. I was advised to offer her bone only after a few months of eating just raw food. Apparently it gives their tummies a chance to get used to digesting the raw meat first, and only to offer her something bigger than her head - so I wont have to worry about her swallowing chunks - just let her have a good gnaw first!


What brands have worked well for you? Natural Instinct

How much should I feed an adult sphynx? I'll be following the feeding directions on the Natural Instinct packaging that will roughly mean when Tak is old enough she will be getting what the website recommends.

Kittens need to be fed little and often. Feed your kitten around 4 times per day and let them eat as much as they want.


When a kitten reaches 5-6 months in age, this can drop to 2 meals per day, totalling 4-5% of their body weight.


How much should I feed a sphynx kitten? As much as they want !

Do I need to add supplements to my raw, if so what type of supplements and where do I get those? I got a general multivitamin powder from Viovet -
Vionate Mineral Vitamin Supplement

My cat is not taking a liking to the raw, she won't eat it, how do I entice her? My breeder said she liked raw beef but was trying to swap her ONTO kibble to make it easier for mainstream pet owners - so luckily the switch back wasn't difficult for me. But Tak isn't too keen on venison ( but tough because its defrosted now haha), so she'll wait until shes super hungry and then she will eat - but sometimes I will sprinkle some of her weaned kibble onto to get her going and shes alright!

 

[Anita Eccleston]

Where do I buy raw? I buy my raw food from naturalinstinct

What's it cost approximately weekly or monthly for raw? As Tak is a Kitten the food is lasting longer, we are in our first month and spent £30 inc postage for essentially 6KG of raw food. (the website makes you order a minimum of 6KG for frozen shipping.

What about raw bones, what kind and how do I add them to her diet. ! Im going to offer my kitten some chicken drumsticks as a treat. I was advised to offer her bone only after a few months of eating just raw food. Apparently it gives their tummies a chance to get used to digesting the raw meat first, and only to offer her something bigger than her head - so I wont have to worry about her swallowing chunks - just let her have a good gnaw first!


What brands have worked well for you? Natural Instinct

How much should I feed an adult sphynx? I'll be following the feeding directions on the Natural Instinct packaging that will roughly mean when Tak is old enough she will be getting what the website recommends.

Kittens need to be fed little and often. Feed your kitten around 4 times per day and let them eat as much as they want.


When a kitten reaches 5-6 months in age, this can drop to 2 meals per day, totalling 4-5% of their body weight.


How much should I feed a sphynx kitten? As much as they want !

Do I need to add supplements to my raw, if so what type of supplements and where do I get those? I got a general multivitamin powder from Viovet -
Vionate Mineral Vitamin Supplement

My cat is not taking a liking to the raw, she won't eat it, how do I entice her? My breeder said she liked raw beef but was trying to swap her ONTO kibble to make it easier for mainstream pet owners - so luckily the switch back wasn't difficult for me. But Tak isn't too keen on venison ( but tough because its defrosted now haha), so she'll wait until shes super hungry and then she will eat - but sometimes I will sprinkle some of her weaned kibble onto to get her going and shes alright!

Hi there did you formulate this yourself or was it a question and answer thing ?
Either way it’s really good and very informative thank you
Xxx❤️❤️

 

[Monkeylover]

NEW QUESTION/situation?

Right now I’m feeding my 14week kitten RC Mum & baby which is out all the time and 4 times a day I’m putting out Nature’s menu frozen chicken mince.

I want her to eat as much as she wants as she is so young.

I was told that you should’nt feed raw and kibble together as this may cause bloating.

What to do?

 

[Anita Eccleston]

NEW QUESTION/situation?

Right now I’m feeding my 14week kitten RC Mum & baby which is out all the time and 4 times a day I’m putting out Nature’s menu frozen chicken mince.

I want her to eat as much as she wants as she is so young.

I was told that you should’nt feed raw and kibble together as this may cause bloating.

What to do?

Hi sorry I can’t answer your question but I am sure with there being plenty members who do raw feed you will get an answer soon
Xxx❤️❤️❤️