Rotating proteins - how often?

[JenFid]

Ok, so here is my next raw feeding question!

I know it's good to rotate proteins - right now I've got fresh some fresh frozen orders of chicken and turkey. This is what we're sticking with now since it's more affordable ($12 for chicken vs $30 for rabbit ), I will likely add a 3rd somewhere down the line though when the kits are fully out of the transition phase.

How, and how often, should we rotate proteins? Can we, for example, one day give turkey, then switch to chicken the next? Or should it be a slow transition (mixing the two gradually like dry food)? What is a good timeline for switching them up? Weekly? Monthly?

I realize this is probably more dependent on the individual cat, but any insight would be welcome

 

[MelissaAlice]

Elfie loves her raw, I switch her between chicken, turkey, beef, tripe, duck and hare.
Our raw comes in half pound container and one of those last her about a day and a half (she eats just over 4oz a day)
I keep them all mixed up in the freezer and just rotate them as they come out. I take out a new one every day to start thawing. I haven't had any issues with her at all.

 

[MelissaAlice]

(Toothless is a whole other story .. )

 

[Calicocious]

Since they are just starting I wouldn't be too concerned with switching. If they are reliably eating it you can introduce another protein in a month. I usually mix up a months worth of raw to freeze. Next order I'll go with another protein. But I've gone two months in a row on turkey because that's what fit the budget. That's okay too. The idea is that if they have the exact same protein everyday for months on end they can develop an intolerance to it. Of course there are some that eat the same protein always with no issues. It's also to balance out any deficiencies nutritionally that one protein may have over another. Switching it up can make sure it all balances out in the end.

 

[Xandria]

It's been a few months with Max (the first month or so I stuck to one protein... the one he has an intolerance to :cry. Once I got his diet sussed, I settled on camel, kangaroo, and venison. I make equal batches of each, stored in 1/2 lb. (8 oz) glass jars. Max eats between 1 and 1+ 1/2 lbs. (16 - 24 oz) per day, so that's 2 -3 jars a day. I rotate between proteins with each jar.

So some days he'll have up to 3 different proteins in one day. He seems quite happy with this arrangement so I'm not changing it!! LOL

 

[JenFid]

Thanks for the replies! Right now I have two tubs of chicken and one of turkey. They're on the chicken now and the turkey is defrosted. They have actually been pounding the chicken down without us having to mix wet in! Good to know they can handle switches pretty easily with the raw

 

[KitKat26]

It's been a few months with Max (the first month or so I stuck to one protein... the one he has an intolerance to :cry. Once I got his diet sussed, I settled on camel, kangaroo, and venison. I make equal batches of each, stored in 1/2 lb. (8 oz) glass jars. Max eats between 1 and 1+ 1/2 lbs. (16 - 24 oz) per day, so that's 2 -3 jars a day. I rotate between proteins with each jar.

So some days he'll have up to 3 different proteins in one day. He seems quite happy with this arrangement so I'm not changing it!! LOL

Do you feed that much because camel, kangaroo and venison have lower calorie content than chicken or is it just as much as he can eat?

 

[Xandria]

I'm not sure if those proteins have a lower calorie count, but he just eats and eats. Now, that's not to say he bugs me for food (only once in a blue moon), or will eat continuously. He knows when to stop. I let him eat as much as he wants in each sitting and he's usually done within 5 minutes... except for breakfast.

He's a hobbit for breakfast (he gets two). He gets one meal at 6 AM, upon waking, then I shower and he keeps me company, and then he has his second helping at about 6:30 AM.

He eats anywhere from 3-5 oz per meal, four meals per day. Sometimes he eats very little or not at all, and that's usually when he's going through a growth spurt and sleeping non-stop... then he wakes up and makes up for it.

 

[KitKat26]

I'm not sure if those proteins have a lower calorie count, but he just eats and eats. Now, that's not to say he bugs me for food (only once in a blue moon), or will eat continuously. He knows when to stop. I let him eat as much as he wants in each sitting and he's usually done within 5 minutes... except for breakfast.

He's a hobbit for breakfast (he gets two). He gets one meal at 6 AM, upon waking, then I shower and he keeps me company, and then he has his second helping at about 6:30 AM.

He eats anywhere from 3-5 oz per meal, four meals per day. Sometimes he eats very little or not at all, and that's usually when he's going through a growth spurt and sleeping non-stop... then he wakes up and makes up for it.

Oh wow, I was just asking because I ordered the raw food and it should be here next week and I'm trying to find out how much to feed each cat. Booey is like 14 lbs and Piper is only 3 lbs. I guess I"ll let her eat as much as she wants but put Booey on a diet because he started eating her kitten food and he looks like he's been taking sterioid, lol.

 

[Xandria]

Oh wow, I was just asking because I ordered the raw food and it should be here next week and I'm trying to find out how much to feed each cat. Booey is like 14 lbs and Piper is only 3 lbs. I guess I"ll let her eat as much as she wants but put Booey on a diet because he started eating her kitten food and he looks like he's been taking sterioid, lol.

LOL. Poor Booey. Every cat is different too. Some people need to regulate their food intake and others not. I'm happy I don't have to... yet. So here's hoping Piper is a self-regulating kind!

 

[Baby Luna]

Thanks for the replies! Right now I have two tubs of chicken and one of turkey. They're on the chicken now and the turkey is defrosted. They have actually been pounding the chicken down without us having to mix wet in! Good to know they can handle switches pretty easily with the raw

Do you order from your local butcher? I'm uncomfortable giving my kitten canned meat all the time and have been trying to find the best way to change that! I wouldn't give my son canned meat so my kitty shouldn't have it either lol!

 

[JenFid]

Do you order from your local butcher? I'm uncomfortable giving my kitten canned meat all the time and have been trying to find the best way to change that! I wouldn't give my son canned meat so my kitty shouldn't have it either lol!

No, fortunately here in Mpls there is a local specialty pet food store that makes their own raw and cooked foods. So generally I buy 20lbs of bulk chicken with their supplement mixed in and divide it out into 5lb tubs that I've saved from them as well. I'll also buy a couple 1lb containers of rabbit, pheasant, venison...stuff that is usually too expensive to buy a lot of but good for a 1 day protein switch from their chicken staple

 

[Jenna Meow]

Of course it depends on the cat. If it is an older cat who was eating the same food all its life and just switched to raw you may have more problems. Since my cats were kittens they have been eating raw and various other canned wet food.

It's a myth that cat's food should never be changed. I continuously change my cats food raw and commercial to strengthen their GI system so they can handle different foods. They can switch foods daily with no issues. When I first started preparing raw for the first 6 months I only made chicken because it was what I was comfortable with, easy to find and inexpensive. I quickly realized how important it is to give variety.

Now I prepare chicken, turkey, rabbit and beef. But it is still about 50% chicken due to the availability, price and ease. In between batches, about once a month, I give canned food for a couple days. When I buy commercial canned food I buy a higher quality food and never buy chicken as that is what they eat most in my raw. So if they have turkey, duck, or lamb I buy that. I also only buy complete cat food, not complementary.

When I first started with raw I thought I would never feed commercial wet food again. But now my cats get about 2 -4 servings of commercial cat food a month. And I think the variety is good. If ever I can't make the next batch quick enough, or if I have a cat sitter and its easier for them to give the canned food. Or for any reason, I have the piece of mind I have readily available food they will eat.