getting a new kitten today which has been fed on a raw diet.

[kaylasmum]

hi i'm picking up my 15 week old kitten today. I was talking to the breeder last night about what to feed the kitten and she informed me that he is on a raw diet as he is a fussy eater. I have to admit that i don't like the idea of feeding him raw food. I'm very squeamish about that kind of thing. I already have a 2 yo cat who eats wet and dry food and she's beautifully healthy on it.

Just wondering if anyone else feeds there cat on a raw diet. I'm also concerned that it will cost more.

[issey6cats]

have never fed mine raw diet, its supposed to be more natural but like you i wouldnt fancy doing it, all i can suggest is start her on raw diet with tiny amount of the food you feed your other cat mixed in and then over the next couple of weekes increase the amount of tinned food till she is off the raw diet

[issey6cats]

he sorry

[SimplyTes]

I feed mine a raw diet, they love it, two bengal boys, I bought a book which explains everything and includes a recipe, the breeder should provide you with exactly what they include in diet at the mo.

Book = Raising Cats Naturally by Michell T Bernard

Is more expensive than tinned but far cheaper than vet appoitments for an unwell cat. Good Luck

[Nigglenaggle]

No need to do it if you dont want to. Pet food manufacturers put masses of nutritional research in. Buy a good quality brand Hills or Royal Canin for example. It would be better to start feeding raw if thats what your kitten is used to, and switch over gradually, but ultimately your cat will not starve himself to death.

[Fluffycloudland77]

You have to very careful doing this, you cant just feed them raw meat it has to be prepared in such a way that the taurine doesnt get removed ie it is destroyed by exposing the meat to air or by cooking.

A study in the USA minced up whole deer (and rabbits?) and fed it to cats and they developed heart conditions which killed some of them caused by the mincing destroying the taurine.

The only ingredient I avoid is cereals. I never understand why it's ok to give cereals to a carnivore when feeding meat to vegetarian animals is actualy quite abhorrant. (sp).

[Paiviaso]

I feed raw. I do make it myself from ingredients I just pick up during the weekly shop (I follow a recipe from a raw-feeding group online), but you can buy pre-made raw online. If you make it yourself it does not cost more than buying tinned food.

I also have a fussy eater - one of my cats will not touch tinned food of any sort. He will eat dry, but this is not an acceptable diet for a cat. I would feed them raw anyway, as I believe you should feed your pet the kind of diet it was meant to eat, but I don't actually have a choice either thanks to fussy cat!

[dikkertjedap]

I adopted a cat who was fed on raw meat. I took him to the vet for his check up and vaccinations and the vet was adamant that I should wean him off the raw meat as quickly as possible. He gave as reason that raw meat is not a complete diet for a cat. It would only be complete if you could give him whole mice, whole rabbits etc (including skin, bones, liver, kidneys, brain etc.).

My cats get dry Dr Hills food (was recommended by other vet) and they do very well on it.

[Paiviaso]

dikker, did the previous owner not explain how the diet should be prepared?

"Raw" is not just feeding muscle meat. You must feed organs and bone as well, which are easily purchased at any grocery shop, but you need to feed them in the correct proportions. However, you can purchase a complete nutrient mix for cats, which you can mix in with muscle meat to make a complete diet if you don't fancy chopping up hearts, livers, and kidneys.

How sad this vet had you change your cat's diet! Vets are notorious for not having a clue about feline (or dog) nutrition, many still recommending that cats be on an all dry diet :(

[Nigglenaggle]

While it is better for pet food fed cats to have a mixture of wet and dried food, unless your cat has a urinary problem, dried food alone IS an acceptable diet. (it may or may not be the best diet, but it is acceptable) While some cats have an issue with it, most will do quite well.

Unless you are feeding a balance of raw rodents and birds which have eaten the balanced diet for their species in the wild, you are not feeding a natural diet. It is also natural for most species to die way before the age they can live in captivity. Natural isnt always good.

The OP doesnt want to feed a raw diet if they dont have to. They dont have to.

I'm open minded about raw food really, if you want to do it and have researched it properly then knock yourself out. But it is not easy or desirable for many people and for those people they really are not going to do any real harm feeding commercial cat food. Their cat will have the same life expectancy as any other.

Am sure all are only out to be helpful really. Just dont think we know enough (as regards scientific, published studies) to say raw is as good as people would like to believe it is. I have researched other small carnivore diets and proper hard evidence is not out there for all to see. So raw food lovers - fine, but if people want to feed cat food then fine. I may be wrong of course and just not have found the evidence, but still think your cat will be fine eating cat food OP.

I suspect the breeder wants you to feed raw food and has told you he is fussy so that you do it :)