how do i make my cats eat raw?

Re: how do i make my cats eat raw?

phantom — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 03:04:10 -0500

As a vegan, how do you work up the (heh) guts to prepare your cat raw meat?

I have this constant conundrum in my head: I know how amazing raw is, so any animal I care for absolutely must eat the best food!

Cats are my spirit animal, my heart yearns for one, as I am kittiless at the moment. Nothing like watching the WHOOSH of the neighbor's big grey cat swish its fluffy tail against my window... <3

I have never handled raw meat once in my life. The thought of touching it has always been like... ugh. I started learning to cook in high school, and as soon as I started cooking, I went straight to vegetarian. Never touched meat, was never taught to handle meat.

So what do you do? How do you do it? Do you go to the grocery store, and...? Wear gloves? How do you prepare it? I've seen packs of (uggh) whole chicken hearts, etc. from Chinese grocery stores.

How do you store it safely so it doesn't contaminate your beautiful raw vegan food? Do you have a separate cutting board?

Meat is not my thing... thanks. :)

(Oh my god, the pictures on the rawfedcats site are KILLING ME! :D )

Re: how do i make my cats eat raw?

BackAgain — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 16:12:38 -0400

Curator Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> they munch on plants, when they are sick, cats eat
> various plants for almost medicinal purposes, its
> usually to illicit a physical response, like
> puking, their digest tract cannot digest plant
> materials

Yeah, same with dogs. Healthy, raw fed dogs don't eat grass and plants. My cat has been raw fed for the past decade.. prey-model style and he will eat grass and he has health problems that are from vaccine damage. His diet is perfect. I blame his health issues on vaccines.

Re: how do i make my cats eat raw?

Curator — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 18:41:59 -0400

they munch on plants, when they are sick, cats eat various plants for almost medicinal purposes, its usually to illicit a physical response, like puking, their digest tract cannot digest plant materials

Re: how do i make my cats eat raw?

Alyssa37 — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 17:54:09 -0400

Duo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I also thought, maybe I should cut up some
> wheatgrass over it, then gave it a second
> thought..... its very obvious to me---- cats have
> fangs that will not grind greens

********************************
Cats do munch on grasses. As son as I let them out they start eating grass.
They do same at home to some of my plants. This is why I grow grass for my kitties.
Just sprout some grass or buy ready in Petco and watch your happy cat.

Re: how do i make my cats eat raw?

veghunter — Sun, 07 Nov 2010 17:19:06 -0500

Cats are varied in their tastes. Some take to raw immediately, some need some coaxing, and some won't convert. But, many people don't try nearly as hard as necessary to make the switch. Cats can be particularly fussy and stuck in their ways. It may take more than a little bit of coaxing to convince them, but the benefits can be enormous.

Several years ago my cat had hyperthyroid problems. When I switched her to raw food, her symptoms went away in 4 weeks and her blood tests have all come back normal in the years since. It's totally worth the weeks (and, yes, months) of playing games with your cat to make the switch. Some sites that offer tips for those that haven't run into them are:

[www.catnutrition.org] - scroll to the bottom for tips on fussbudgets

[catinfo.org]

Re: how do i make my cats eat raw?

hiddenfang — Wed, 12 May 2010 22:19:15 -0400

I have three kitties. They eat mainly kibbles. All three will go to the table and beg for meat whenever my husband is eating it.

And the one that I raised myself from a kitten will come running when he smells even a hint of cantaloupe in the air. I cannot crack one open without him purring around my ankles. He also eats soft tree fruit, spinach, and small amounts of green smoothie.

Cats might need meat, but I think they're more omnivore than carnivore.

Re: how do i make my cats eat raw?

rawfoods — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 20:37:55 -0400

I tried feeding my kitten a few chopped raw carrots this morning, it didn't take. I am going to check out this link now!

Re: how do i make my cats eat raw?

alight — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 22:49:31 -0400

Please do not try to feed cats a vegan diet. Cat's are true carnivores and may die without animal foods. They are unable to digest plant foods and will eventually starve to death. Get a rabbit or other herbivorous pet if unwilling to feed flesh, not a cat.

Re: how do i make my cats eat raw?

HeatherLA — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:56:05 -0400

I just transitioned to the raw meat diet for my cats in the last few months and they LOVE it. What didn't work years ago when I tried were the diets in all the holistic pet books - like Pitcairns, the alltime guru that most holistic vets today trained with at some point... What I have been told by my homeopathic vet is that they are all - pitcairn, anitra frasier, etc. - revising their original recipes to NOT include grain. Once I did that they ate it with no transition. The current thinking is to add something like 7% veggies for cats and 20% for dogs (don't remember the exact amount), the logic being that in the wild they would eat an animal and the contents of their bellies, so a bird would have some berries, grass, etc, in their belly.

I find that one of my cats (the one raised on science diet - I know, I know, I didn't know then what I know now and it seemed better than Purina since you could only get it at the vet back in the day...) will only eat birds, so I rotate between chicken, turkey, quail and cornish hens. My other cat who ate only good canned food from the beginning will eat lamb, beef, organ meats, etc.

If you are having trouble transitioning try a pound of ground chicken with just 2 Tablespoons veg - organic pumpkin and a spinach leaf for minerals and 1/3 cup water and a little salmon oil and cod liver oil. you have to experiment because different cats like different veggies. And for the person who said a cat wouldn't eat a carrot in the wild, try a little organic pumpkin puree, you may be surprised. for some reason squash doesn't do it but cats tend to love pumpkin (which is great if they've not been well as it has a lot of moisture).

In the meantime I've been told that Petguard is the best canned food for cats (dogs have more options) and that EVO dry which is something like 95% protein is the best dry food. I give them a tablespoon or two a day as a treat but an all dry diet is not the best for cats. If so make sure they have lots of water, otherwise my vet says they should only want to drink water twice a week as they will get it thru their food if eating canned or raw meat.

If you live in the LA area, Harmony Farms in La Crescenta is a butcher that has frozen 1 lb containers of whole ground chickens, and turkey with turkey necks, any meat you could want, etc. it is all hormone and antibiotic free. they work with several different holistic vet diets and you can get it with the veggies already in it and then add fish oil, raw egg yolk, or whatever diet you follow (I use the one on Holisticat's website). It's about $3 a pound. Until I found them I was having the meat counter at Whole Foods grind a whole chicken for me - including organs and bones - but it became a big production and they didn't want to do it anymore although technically they pride themselves on doing whatever teh customer needs at the meat counter... They charged for the whole 4 lb chicken but after grinding it you would lose a pound so that $3 in essence became your grinding fee. At Harmony Farms he does huge batches at a time so can keep costs low. I'm sure you can get any butcher to grind whole fowl for you if you are patient. They have to grind it 3 times on a fine blade. You should not be able to feel the bones. With Whole Foods it was hit and miss and sometimes I'd have to take it back.

Their coats have improved, you can barely notice the cat box smell, they don't fight over their food and are not as anxious before feeding. It has made the world of difference and they only eat 2 or 3 Tablespoons each 2 x day. It's the same thing I realized when eating nutrient dense food - you don't need as much.

Hope that helps!

Re: how do i make my cats eat raw?

LikeItOrNot — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 11:06:56 -0400

> Actually, that's not true either.
> Dogs are omnivorous and can survive on a plant
> based diet as long as their protein needs are met.
> It's not the most natural diet for them, but as
> long as they get their supplements, they're fine.

Sure. Just like saying...Humans can survive on a meat diet as long as their protein and nutrient needs are met. It's not the most natural diet for them but as long as they get supplements, they're fine.

Anyone want to go eat some BBQ ribs with a side of green superfoods and vitamins?

Re: how do i make my cats eat raw?

Duo — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 01:50:04 -0400

that website--- thank you! Makes me sick with all that flesh and meat talk, but I am so happy to have this information!

Re: how do i make my cats eat raw?

Duo — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 01:33:20 -0400

I dont recall ever reading that Dr. A Wigmore owned cats.... she definately had a monkey, and that is much different. She was ahead of her time and behind ours in my opinion... with respect, we advanced past her, THANKS to her work.

Today I found that the neighbor cat had a litter in a shed next to my home. I went to the store and bought a salmon filet, which she ate up SO Quick! I also thought, maybe I should cut up some wheatgrass over it, then gave it a second thought..... its very obvious to me---- cats have fangs that will not grind greens

Re: how do i make my cats eat raw?

Dulset — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 14:07:54 -0500

Mindy,

Thanks for the tip on Urban King. I would like the cat on raw too like the dogs.

Re: how do i make my cats eat raw?

mindy_r — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 09:32:31 -0500

hi everyone,

i have done A LOT of research on this as i want my cats to be their healthiest. i am currently trying to switch them to a raw MEAT based diet and they are fighting a little. it is just taking a little extra time.

i just wanted to stress like the others who have posted that cats CANNOT be vegan or even vegetarian!!! Cat will die if they are fed this way. cats also should not have thier food taken away from them as was suggested. cats are not like dogs, they will not "eat when they are hungry enough". cats will stop eating and eventually they will die. When a cat gets to the point that they stop eating they must be force-fed to get their bodies working again. please do not do this to your cat.

a book that i read that i found wonderful in helping me understand the healthiest diets for cats and dogs is Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats. there are lots of recipes for food as well as treats in this book. he lists many natural cures using herbal remedies and Bach's flower essences, and swears by homeopathic cures. there is a whole section on common pet ailments and their natural treatment. he also talks about natural cleaners, flea control, etc that will not harm your pets. this book is a must read for any pet lover.

i have been so far unsuccessful trying to switch my cats to a raw food diet using pre-made diets. unfortunately i cannot list what ones i have tried since i have since forgotten the names (oops!) but they were bought frozen. even a quarter of a teaspoon put in their favourite food would make them turn up their noses. one cat is 10 1/2 and the other is 6 1/2 so they are not young, but they are not too old to switch. i have just found food that they love! it is called Urban King and it is a powder that you mix with ground meat. the cats love it but see it only as a treat so far. i am feeding them orijen (which is a kibble that is 75% meat protien and completely grain free) as well since they are not eating enough of the other food yet. orijen is made in alberta, canada and i am not sure if it is available in the states. the Urban King food is great because you don't have to buy and measure all of the suppliments that the cats need, that is already done for you. if you would like to buy a whole chicken (or rabbit, or other small animal) and grind it all, organs, bones and all that is a great diet. i do not have the heart to do that to an animal. that is why i prefer the urban king. i have been cooking the food for about 30 min in the oven before feeding it to them since then it resembles a little more the can food that they love. the directions suggest cooking the food at first and then gradually cook it less and less until it is completely raw. this is my plan.

oh, on a side note, i think that maybe my cats a having a little bit of detox since switching to the orijen from wellness kibble (which is all human-grade food - no tumours/animal hair - which pet food companies like to call protien!!- but it is not grain free) . they both seem to be shedding more and they both have dandruff. dr. pitcairn says that dandruff is the first sign that something is happening in your pets body. it is a warning that there in something that is not healthy. the further the dandruff is from their head it is the less serious it is. i believe this dandruff is detox as they are acting quite normal and maybe a little more energetic than before!

anyway! sorry for such a long post. i am VERY passionate about animals, especially my own! i have read a lot about this topic and i used to work at a humane society so there were plenty of vets to ask opinions of. i highly recommend the book and the food. i will attach a link to a website that i also found helpful:

[www.holisticat.com]

good luck in switching your cat to a raw food diet. i only suggest that you do more research for yourself before changing your cats' diets as you are messing with something pretty serious when you change their food - their health!!!

take care,

mindy

Re: how do i make my cats eat raw?

coco — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 16:45:29 -0500

sorry i got a little passionate there, i guess i feel strongly about it since the kitties themselves can't voice their opinions.
the research is there. i'm sure that anne only had the best in mind for her cats but they just don't have the same needs as us.

Re: how do i make my cats eat raw?

rubyjewel — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 13:50:17 -0500

I understand your point, and personally havent done enough research on the topic to really form an oppinion myself. I was just pointing out that Dr. Ann wigmoore fed her animals vegan. My cats are old and when hey do pass Im getting plants instead of pets, maybe fish.. :) While feeding them vegan sounds perfect to me because I rather not handle meat, it does not mean that I would feed them something that didn't benefit them but only myself.

Re: how do i make my cats eat raw?

coco — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 11:27:03 -0500

"As for feeding your pet vegan which sounds perfect to me!"

no No NO! cats can NOT be vegan. NOT! please, this is animal abuse, it is cruel. as cruel as it would be to make a human being exist solely on animal flesh and nothing else. that isn't my "opinion", that is scientific fact.

cats bodies, their teeth, their digestive tract are all designed to eat flesh foods. cats instinctively hunt. they need the taurine in meat, it is essential to their bodies and without it they suffer horribly and die a painful death.

if the aim for humans in eating a vegan diet is in following the most natural path, why would we try to do the opposite for our pets?

cat's can't be vegan. Can Not, i can't stress that enough.

if you would like a vegan pet there are many out there. birds, gerbils, hamsters and the like. not dogs and definately NOT CATS!

Re: how do i make my cats eat raw?

rubyjewel — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 00:24:43 -0500

Hello,not sure if this has been mentioned before or not, but there are prepared raw food meals out there that you can purchase in the store or online like 'Aunt Jennies' & 'Natures Variety'. My cats like both brands, not sure they they like them as much as they liked fancy feast which they don't get anymore. Try the different variety meats, see which your cat or dog favors most. My cats switch back and fourth with what they will eat but we've gotten them to eat them all. By the way they did not take to the raw food right away. They never minded Natures variety chicken medallions here and there but when we started feeding them aunt jennies we had to mix it in or serve it side by side with their old food to get them to eat it. As for feeding your pet vegan which sounds perfect to me! since that's what we are practicing in the household, some say it is possible and believe that your animal will live longest on this type of diet. Dr. Ann Wigmore recommends this type of diet, and talks about it in her book 'Our Precious Pets'. She even fed her animals energy soup! Anyhow it's probably best to go step by step and our animals just got off canned so we'll start with raw meats and see if vegan is an option in the future. I personally like being able to purchase the food already prepared and it seems like it would take some work to prepare the vegan meals. Not to mention our cats are all over ten! so it may be too late for a vegetarien diet, but one never knows. Best of luck to you and your furry companions =)

Re: how do i make my cats eat raw?

Delphine Hano — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 20:05:29 -0500

My website site is: www.EmotionalSerenity.com : )

Re: how do i make my cats eat raw?

Delphine Hano — Sun, 09 Dec 2007 20:02:10 -0500

Hi Flowerstar,

It has been my experience that the older the cat is, the slower you need to go, same thing for dogs. Kitten & puppies instinctively go for the rawfood when given the choice. A 1/2 teaspoon, well mixed in their regular food is plenty for the 1rst week. If they do not eat their food, reduce the amount, if they eat it, then increase 1/2 teaspoon at a time each week until they eat 100% raw.

For more info. I would like to invite you to visit the "links" page of my website as I list various resources on the subject.

May this be helpful to you : )

Re: how do i make my cats eat raw?

coco — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 14:39:39 -0500

no kidding. if you want a vegan pet go for a hamster. my new kitties are ok, right now i'm working really hard an trying to get one to only pee in the litter box and it's taking up a lot of time. between them and the kids i'm pretty darn busy right now! i'm in a teeny little town with no access to organic anything so i might try giving them bits of non-organic meat mixed with their regular food to at least get them used to it until i can find organic meat. ugh, i can't believe i'm buying any kind of meat at all but i guess that's what happens when you take on responsibility for rescue kitties. i'd go to any lengths for my kids, i suppose the same applies to my fur babies too!

Re: how do i make my cats eat raw?

Kat Eyes — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 12:19:03 -0500

Actually, that's not true either.
Dogs are omnivorous and can survive on a plant based diet as long as their protein needs are met. It's not the most natural diet for them, but as long as they get their supplements, they're fine.
Cats, on the other hand, are 100% carnivore and have no way to process or digest carbs. They need a 100% protein diet and cannot survive on a plant based diet. (well, I guess they could if they were given all their enzymes and amino acids in additive form, but you would still be dealing with issues like diabetas, liver and kidney problems, weight issues, and the list goes on.)
A Vegan diet for a cat is not only ignorant and rediculous, it's just plain stupid.

Re: how do i make my cats eat raw?

coco — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 23:40:18 -0500

-------------------------------------------------------
> There's a vegan pet food that's supposed to be
> very good. Dont remember the name now.

why would anyone try to feed a natural carnivore a vegan diet?

you know the arguement that humans are not meant to eat meat (or cooked food) based on our digestive systems and how we Can adapt to a omnivorous (or cooked) diet but it's not the best for us and leads to ill-health? well, that arguement is the SAME in reverse for cats and dogs. some of them may be able to live on a vegan diet, or even a partly plant based diet, but they will Never thrive on it. it's totally wrong for them. dogs and cats shouldn't even have vegetables mixed into their raw meat based foods, i know lots of people do this but you would Never find a dog out in the wild digging up carrots so why would anyone think that's an ok thing to feed their dog or cat? it just plain old isn't.

Re: how do i make my cats eat raw?

flowerstar — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 10:01:46 -0400

I'll try that!!!:)

Thanx!!!

Flowerstar

Re: how do i make my cats eat raw?

gina — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 09:39:17 -0400

Hi,

I was feeding 3 cats last week and I got them all to eat mainly raw including one who is very fussy. I mixed some tinned tuna fish in spring water into the food and then mixed in loads of raw meat and some grated carots.

Warm wishes,
Gina

Gina Shaw DSc MA AIYS Dip Irid Dip NH
[www.vibrancy.homestead.com]

Re: how do i make my cats eat raw?

flowerstar — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 17:42:36 -0400

ty sunshine, my one cat (Sassy) always cetches things in the woods & eats them so she thinks it's perfectly natural & eats the raw stuff. But my other cat (Pepper) cetches stuff to but has never eaten it & is still LEARNING to like/eat raw. My 14 month old kitten (Holly) as taken to raw more easily. I'll try the organs & hope for the best.

Thanx again:)!

Flowerstar

Re: how do i make my cats eat raw?

sunshine79 — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 23:15:55 -0400

Our kitty wouldn't touch raw at first, so we cut up a few tiny pieces of raw meat and blended it with canned food, then transitioned to 50/50 - one bowl of canned, one bowl of raw meat, side by side (it took a trial & error of various meats to see which one he would eat)... and now he's a full fledged raw kitty - I just hack off a chunk of raw chicken and he loves it. He definitely prefers the grosser, bony, sinewy, bloody whole chunks that he can drag across the kitchen floor and pull apart as opposed to neatly cut up pieces arranged in a bowl.

They say cats in the wild eat the organs first, so I buy whole chickens, which come stuffed with organ meats. Also raw bones are essential, I read (unlike cooked bones which are very dangerous).

Re: how do i make my cats eat raw?

flowerstar — Sun, 27 May 2007 20:31:16 -0400

yes, i know that cats catch & eat things, my one cat catchs something almost every day! the younger one as taken to rawfood but, the others not really.
thanx for the info, i'll try giving them what i want... I HOPE THEY EAT IT... lol :)

thanx again!!! :)

Flowerstar

Re: how do i make my cats eat raw?

Prism — Sun, 27 May 2007 16:00:16 -0400

Cats already eat raw food if they are outdoor/indoor cats because all cats will hunt to some extent and eat some of what they catch.

I fed my cat (I started him when he was over 10 years old) raw chicken, beef hearts and livers. He took to it right away, and he lost weight, got healthier and had more energy. Just feed them what you want them to have, and they wont' starve..they will eat. In fact you might try going a day without food, then introduce the raw foods the next day..I bet they don't turn up their noses at it.

Love,
Prism

Re: how do i make my cats eat raw?

elnatural_1 — Fri, 25 May 2007 13:55:59 -0400

There's a vegan pet food that's supposed to be very good. Dont remember the name now.

elnatural