Raw Food

[MunnkieSphynx]

Does anyone know of a longer lasting or more cost efficient raw food brand? I have looked at natures instinct and at stella and chewys but the guy at the store seemed to think that the small bag would only last me about 5-6 days (the small bags range between about 21-32.00) I do not feel comfortable making my own. Any one know of any other brands that might last longer?? (I am in California if that helps!)

 

[zoinks]

A lot of the pre-made brands are pretty pricey, in the range you mentioned and usually the pack only lasts that long.

Some members here feed Bravo! Balance raw. A 3lb chub lasts a while and depending where you buy it you can get a good price. I think someone found 3lb for $17 or so. Personally I would be worried about this brand though after they recently had a re-call due to Listeria.

Depending on why you don't feel comfortable making your own, it might not be as tough as you would think. I buy a supplement powder (Better in the raw) and follow the instructions on the pack (mixing it in with water & ground beef) and make big batches at a time. it is definitely working out the cheapest for us.

I also feed Stella & Chewy's to one fussy cat I get 4 packs auto-delivered every 2 weeks. that's 8 x 25$ so 200$ a month.
Alfie gets my home-made raw which is around $100 a month, less if I go bargain hunting for cheap meat.

Hope this helps

 

[MunnkieSphynx]

Okay thanks. The other thing I still can't figure out is if you can mix raw cat food and kibble. I've asked about 5 pet stores and different people tell me different things. One guy told me I can if I separate the kibble and raw by at least a few hours? But the I just went on natures variety page and this is what they said:
Serving Tip: Instinct Raw can be served alone or mixed with any Nature's Variety Kibble.

I am so confused!

A lot of the pre-made brands are pretty pricey, in the range you mentioned and usually the pack only lasts that long.

Some members here feed Bravo! Balance raw. A 3lb chub lasts a while and depending where you buy it you can get a good price. I think someone found 3lb for $17 or so. Personally I would be worried about this brand though after they recently had a re-call due to Listeria.

Depending on why you don't feel comfortable making your own, it might not be as tough as you would think. I buy a supplement powder (Better in the raw) and follow the instructions on the pack (mixing it in with water & ground beef) and make big batches at a time. it is definitely working out the cheapest for us.

I also feed Stella & Chewy's to one fussy cat I get 4 packs auto-delivered every 2 weeks. that's 8 x 25$ so 200$ a month.
Alfie gets my home-made raw which is around $100 a month, less if I go bargain hunting for cheap meat.

Hope this helps

 

[zoinks]

I have always heard that it can cause digestive issues unless served many hours apart due to digesting at different rates, but I did see that nature's variety claims it can be fed along side their 'raw boost' kibble.

Personally I am feeding raw to avoid kibble.. I don't like the fillers that usually go in there, and the fake flavoring.. we like to feed what is most natural to the boys and with that there is no need to give the kibble. If you feed them regularly enough they won't go hungry and need to free-feed. (we do 3x a day, 9am, 5pm, 10pm) and they never cry for food.

 

[MunnkieSphynx]

I totally agree with you. I would love to avoid kibble but 30.00 for 5 days or so is just not going to work haha. So thats why I was thinking that part raw and part kibble would be better than no raw? I wish I could just feed raw but I can't figure out how that would work for my current budget. I would love to make my own but I honestly just don't feel comfortable. I don't know enough about meat. I read on another cat forum that someone goes and buys their cats meat from a chinese market for about 1.00 each chicken breast or something and that honestly sketches me out so much. AHH this is such a dilemma!

I have always heard that it can cause digestive issues unless served many hours apart due to digesting at different rates, but I did see that nature's variety claims it can be fed along side their 'raw boost' kibble.

Personally I am feeding raw to avoid kibble.. I don't like the fillers that usually go in there, and the fake flavoring.. we like to feed what is most natural to the boys and with that there is no need to give the kibble. If you feed them regularly enough they won't go hungry and need to free-feed. (we do 3x a day, 9am, 5pm, 10pm) and they never cry for food.

 

[MunnkieSphynx]

so you just mix ground beef with the supplement and water?? Thats it??

A lot of the pre-made brands are pretty pricey, in the range you mentioned and usually the pack only lasts that long.

Some members here feed Bravo! Balance raw. A 3lb chub lasts a while and depending where you buy it you can get a good price. I think someone found 3lb for $17 or so. Personally I would be worried about this brand though after they recently had a re-call due to Listeria.

Depending on why you don't feel comfortable making your own, it might not be as tough as you would think. I buy a supplement powder (Better in the raw) and follow the instructions on the pack (mixing it in with water & ground beef) and make big batches at a time. it is definitely working out the cheapest for us.

I also feed Stella & Chewy's to one fussy cat I get 4 packs auto-delivered every 2 weeks. that's 8 x 25$ so 200$ a month.
Alfie gets my home-made raw which is around $100 a month, less if I go bargain hunting for cheap meat.

Hope this helps

 

[zoinks]

Yup, it's so easy, takes me about 15 minutes to make up 2 weeks worth. The instructions are all on the back of the Better in the Raw (supplement) bag.

It's good to go bargain hunting for the meat.. I think some people use costco, or a local butcher who does a deal for bulk. The bigger the freezer you have, the more you can make at once and save $$ We have a tiny freezer so that's why I only do 2 weeks at a time.

If you are not comfortable with making your own though, I think your best bet for a cheaper pre-made is to buy the big 3lb/5lb frozen chubs rather than freeze dried. Primal does those chubs and you can get a 5lb one for around $25 that will last a while. Sometimes they even go on sale to $15. I have never tried this brand though.

 

[MunnkieSphynx]

can i just use hamburger meat or does it need to be different? If it is really that easy I might be open to it. I just don't want to buy all these weird meats and start blending them in a blender and what not. But if I can mix it myself like you do, that sounds much more realistic and less gross!

Yup, it's so easy, takes me about 15 minutes to make up 2 weeks worth. The instructions are all on the back of the Better in the Raw (supplement) bag.

It's good to go bargain hunting for the meat.. I think some people use costco, or a local butcher who does a deal for bulk. The bigger the freezer you have, the more you can make at once and save $$ We have a tiny freezer so that's why I only do 2 weeks at a time.

If you are not comfortable with making your own though, I think your best bet for a cheaper pre-made is to buy the big 3lb/5lb frozen chubs rather than freeze dried. Primal does those chubs and you can get a 5lb one for around $25 that will last a while. Sometimes they even go on sale to $15. I have never tried this brand though.

 

[zoinks]

Yup you just buy regular hamburger meat/ground beef .. I prefer to get it at a butcher where it is freshly ground but I'm sure pre-packed ground beef would work too.

The supplement means you don't need to worry about adding organ and bone in the correct ratio. Just ground meat / water / supplement all mixed up.

You can also rotate in different meats too. Our cat likes ground turkey

 

[MunnkieSphynx]

I think I might actually have to do this! do you know any articles that explain the feeding in the raw with meat in depth?

Yup you just buy regular hamburger meat/ground beef .. I prefer to get it at a butcher where it is freshly ground but I'm sure pre-packed ground beef would work too.

The supplement means you don't need to worry about adding organ and bone in the correct ratio. Just ground meat / water / supplement all mixed up.

You can also rotate in different meats too. Our cat likes ground turkey

 

[zoinks]

Check this out: https://www.knowbetterpetfood.com/cat_food_better_in_the_raw

Here is another review & tutorial: http://therawexplorer.com/2013/06/06/better-in-the-raw-a-complete-raw-food-diet-supplement-for-cats/

 

[Condo commando]

I had the exact same reaction as you when I realized how much the raw food was costing me. My first Sphynx wasn't too bad but then when I got another one they were eating me out of house and home. After many trials and tribulations I got into making my own cat food and haven't looked back. I've now been feeding my own home-prepared food for about a year, and recently I took my 2 girls to the vet who did a complete blood panel on them, and everything came back normal so I'm satisfied that the food I"m preparing is fine.

FWIW I feed ground meats because I can prepare a big batch of it and I know that it is balanced nutrition. However, it's perfectly fine to feed whole prey or frankenprey, but you would need to keep track of what you feed to be sure it is balanced out over time.

Whatever you make at home, you save a lot of money compared to feeding the commercial raw food. It costs me about $2.50 per pound to make chicken. That's actually on the high side because I buy the chicken already ground and I buy a ready-to-mix supplement (Alnutrin). By getting the ingredients "ready to mix" all it takes me is 1 hour to make a 6 pound batch of food. Most of the hour is spent spooning the food into individual serving containers so I can take them from the freezer as I need them, and cleaning up.

It's worth noting that cats on a raw diet don't eat as much, so you'd be surprised how far your food goes. My 2 sphynxes that weigh about 10 pounds each only get 5 and 1/2 ounces between the 2 of them, twice a day. That's 11 ounces per day for both cats. I don't leave any food out for them.

To help you with your question here is some info on why we should not include kibble and raw in the same diet:
http://feline-nutrition.org/answers/answers-feed-raw-and-dry-at-the-same-time

Important - I'm one of the people that thinks you should avoid buying meat from the grocery store. Even though it is human grade food, grocery food is meant to be cooked, not served raw. Once it's thawed it starts growing bacteria, and you have no way of knowing how long that meat has been sitting there. Also, grocery meat doesn't include organs and bones because humans don't eat that stuff, but for our cats that is part of their natural diet. This is why people like me recommend buying from a local butcher. My local butcher will grind meat, organs and bones for pets.

A note about supplements - if your meat includes bones, the supplement should NOT include calcium. If your meat does NOT include bones then you need calcium in your supplement. Bones provide calcium. It is very important that you don't double up on calcium because the ratio of calcium to phosphorus is critical.

There are some good web sites that you might want to check out as you find time:
http://feline-nutrition.org/index.php
http://www.catinfo.org
http://www.catnutrition.org

Best of luck!

 

[MunnkieSphynx]

Thank you so much for all this information! It was very helpful. I agree with you and would not be buying meat from a grocery store either. Glad to know that you also took your cats in for full blood work. That shows that this diet is obviously good for them, it is nice to hear results. I would love to see a photo of two of your cats! Mine will be around 10 lbs full grown as well so the amount you feed is great for me to know, very helpful.
Thank you!

I had the exact same reaction as you when I realized how much the raw food was costing me. My first Sphynx wasn't too bad but then when I got another one they were eating me out of house and home. After many trials and tribulations I got into making my own cat food and haven't looked back. I've now been feeding my own home-prepared food for about a year, and recently I took my 2 girls to the vet who did a complete blood panel on them, and everything came back normal so I'm satisfied that the food I"m preparing is fine.

FWIW I feed ground meats because I can prepare a big batch of it and I know that it is balanced nutrition. However, it's perfectly fine to feed whole prey or frankenprey, but you would need to keep track of what you feed to be sure it is balanced out over time.

Whatever you make at home, you save a lot of money compared to feeding the commercial raw food. It costs me about $2.50 per pound to make chicken. That's actually on the high side because I buy the chicken already ground and I buy a ready-to-mix supplement (Alnutrin). By getting the ingredients "ready to mix" all it takes me is 1 hour to make a 6 pound batch of food. Most of the hour is spent spooning the food into individual serving containers so I can take them from the freezer as I need them, and cleaning up.

It's worth noting that cats on a raw diet don't eat as much, so you'd be surprised how far your food goes. My 2 sphynxes that weigh about 10 pounds each only get 5 and 1/2 ounces between the 2 of them, twice a day. That's 11 ounces per day for both cats. I don't leave any food out for them.

To help you with your question here is some info on why we should not include kibble and raw in the same diet:
http://feline-nutrition.org/answers/answers-feed-raw-and-dry-at-the-same-time

Important - I'm one of the people that thinks you should avoid buying meat from the grocery store. Even though it is human grade food, grocery food is meant to be cooked, not served raw. Once it's thawed it starts growing bacteria, and you have no way of knowing how long that meat has been sitting there. Also, grocery meat doesn't include organs and bones because humans don't eat that stuff, but for our cats that is part of their natural diet. This is why people like me recommend buying from a local butcher. My local butcher will grind meat, organs and bones for pets.

A note about supplements - if your meat includes bones, the supplement should NOT include calcium. If your meat does NOT include bones then you need calcium in your supplement. Bones provide calcium. It is very important that you don't double up on calcium because the ratio of calcium to phosphorus is critical.

There are some good web sites that you might want to check out as you find time:
http://feline-nutrition.org/index.php
http://www.catinfo.org
http://www.catnutrition.org

Best of luck!

 

[Condo commando]

Here are my 2:

 

[Condo commando]

I guess I need to put a picture on my profile if I can figure it out. I only found this web site recently so I'm new here. Anyway here is a picture.......

 

[Condo commando]

Thank you so much for all this information! It was very helpful. I agree with you and would not be buying meat from a grocery store either. Glad to know that you also took your cats in for full blood work. That shows that this diet is obviously good for them, it is nice to hear results. I would love to see a photo of two of your cats! Mine will be around 10 lbs full grown as well so the amount you feed is great for me to know, very helpful.
Thank you!

Happy to share what little I've learned! I want to mention something important about "quantifying" the food we give our cats. When I buy the meat, I add water to it. I add a half cup of water for every pound of meat. With the water weight, we are adding approximately 25% weight. So for example, 4 ounces of meat becomes 5 ounces once the water is added (4 x 125% = 5). When you buy commercial foods, the water content can be quite high because water costs nothing; you may not be getting as much quantity of meat as you think you are. Just be aware when you are comparing pure ground meat to a commercial raw diet. Put another way, a pound of commercial cat food does not contain a pound of meat, because the manufacturer added water.

If you followed all that - the 5 and 1/2 ounces that I said I feed each meal are only 4 and 1/3 ounces of meat.

 

[MunnkieSphynx]

aha! Okay I get it. Had to read that twice but I think it makes sense! Haha!

Happy to share what little I've learned! I want to mention something important about "quantifying" the food we give our cats. When I buy the meat, I add water to it. I add a half cup of water for every pound of meat. With the water weight, we are adding approximately 25% weight. So for example, 4 ounces of meat becomes 5 ounces once the water is added (4 x 125% = 5). When you buy commercial foods, the water content can be quite high because water costs nothing; you may not be getting as much quantity of meat as you think you are. Just be aware when you are comparing pure ground meat to a commercial raw diet. Put another way, a pound of commercial cat food does not contain a pound of meat, because the manufacturer added water.

If you followed all that - the 5 and 1/2 ounces that I said I feed each meal are only 4 and 1/3 ounces of meat.

 

[5poraroku]

I feed my girl with raw meat from the butcher. That's what my breeder advise me to do and thats what I do almost a year now. She is getting raw meat twice a day (she mainly likes beef, kangaroo meat, liver), I'm giving her fish 2-3 times a week and she has mixture of dry food, so she can snack on it whenever she feels like it. So far so good. I haven't had any episodes of diarrhoea (touch wood), and she is fine

 

[Condo commando]

I feed my girl with raw meat from the butcher. That's what my breeder advise me to do and thats what I do almost a year now. She is getting raw meat twice a day (she mainly likes beef, kangaroo meat, liver), I'm giving her fish 2-3 times a week and she has mixture of dry food, so she can snack on it whenever she feels like it. So far so good. I haven't had any episodes of diarrhoea (touch wood), and she is fine

I too shop at my local butcher although not 100% (for example, my rabbit comes from a local farm). Where I won't shop for pet food is the grocery store because grocery store meats have been sitting unfrozen and the risk of bacteria is very real. Oh and absolutely under no circumstances would I buy anything from China.

My 2 little carnivores eat 2 times per day. They lick the bowl so clean you would think they haven't eaten in a week. No need to leave anything else out for them.

If somebody had told me years ago I'd be buying this much meat and feeding it raw I would have thought they were crazy, but in reality when I was a kid we would let the dog eat leftovers especially bones with meat on them and the only thing that happened is the dog loved it. Then somewhere along the way the big pet food companies convinced me that I had to feed pets highly processed cereal with mystery meat. Never again though.

 

[Spockthesphynx]

I have been feeding my Spock Blue Ridge beefs kitten mix and he loves it although when I catch him eating the dog kibble I give him blue buffalos indoor mix mixed in. His poop and urine have little to no smell when eating just raw but when i add the kibble there is definitely a smell you can go to blue ridge beef and find a dealt close to you and they come in 3 lb tubes and I buy a case and keep it in the freezer then thaw the day before we are out. Let me know how it turns out for you

 

[lapril]

I thought we were trying to avoid store bought meats for the kitties consumption??

 

[MunnkieSphynx]

I thought we were trying to avoid store bought meats for the kitties consumption??

As far as I know, mostly what I have read says that we should only be buying raw meats from butcher shops and not from grocery stores.

 

[captain_tinky]

I usually buy from the health food store since they get their meats from the actual farms. All meats at our's stay frozen so you have to thaw them yourself. If I'm in dire need I'll break down and buy them from a grocery store, but even then I tend to go when they get their shipments in since we got their delivery schedule lol.