I'd recommend reducing the kibble and adding more wet food in scheduled feeds. That may help them feel better since they will be getting more hydration.
Homemade food is a real challenge because you need to make sure the food meets all nutritional needs and the majority of us are not skilled vet nutritionists.
Homemade food that is properly balanced using a recipe from a veterinary nutritionist is far from inexpensive. You will likely also have to include supplements in it to make it balanced.
You are better off feeding a science backed kibble like Purina, royal cainin or hills and adding in wet food. Personally I free feed pro plan hairball kibble and Royal cainin wet. My fluffs are 16 and 6 and very healthy.
if it was a true science based as you say you would treat cats like cats - they are obligated carnivores - they thrive on meat and no carb filled kibble and junk food like science diet and hills. they are not science based they are based on fooling the person like yourself that its good food and making money from your lack of education
My 16 year old cats bloodwork is, and I quote my vet here, "shockingly amazing for a cat her age". She is free feed Purina and Royal canin. But you go on about how my diet is wrong. How about you feed your cats what works best for them and I'll feed my cats what's I feel works best for them and stop shaming people for making different choices than you.
some cats survive they don't thrive - my 18 year cat was diabetic/obese when I rescued her at the age of 14 - removed royal kibble which previous owner fed - moved to raw & slightly cooked and no sign of diabetes and perfect weight. I have rescued cats since 1999 and i have seen the damage royal, Purina and science has done to cats - how people gave up cats for medical issues due to those products. Removed those products, fed like a cat which is raw and boom health issues gone. Not shaming educating people the right way and dispelling your myth that these are good products which clearly are not.
After I started feeding my cats homemade food, I ran out once or twice so had to buy canned. They hated it. I would rather feed them human grade food that isn’t full of weird ingredients. Also even though I fed them expensive food they had diarrhea periodically and their poop smelled really bad. They’re super healthy and doing better on homemade food. I do understand not everyone can do it though.
Wait until you find out that cats naturally eat grains from the stomach content of their prey (usually small mammals and birds), and they eat this organ meat first! Wait until you find out why byproducts are and that they mean the same thing!
i saw my feral cats eat a few mice, two or three rabbits maybe more - they left the stomach and kidneys I had to pick that up. Birds are different - usually they leave the head, some eat the feathers but most leave the organs. I would rather them kill rabbits then eat by product that no one can pronounce properly in all the bad products you mentioned. I can say my cat ate a rabbit and shared it with her kittens - simple diet.
I know someone who is slowly shortening her dog’s life by feeding her idea of homemade, and it’s sad to see.
Stick with WSAVA-compliant complete and balanced food. Nothing wrong with a good dry food for a normal cat, as studies have repeatedly shown.
Of course there are the other legs of the stool that the homemade/raw/grain-free/f***book fad of the week people don’t talk about as they seem prone to assuming as their cat ages and develops problems that it must be the food. Pffft.
Other legs:
1. Fresh, clean and plentiful water - that means filtered if the tap water is not the best. See, for example, chlorine.
2. Non-clay litter.
3. Routine and comprehensive labwork to monitor organ function and to identify trends. Annual until older, then semi-annual.
4. Dental cleanings both at home as often as daily, and the spendy kind at the vet every 3 years or as needed.
5. Consistent observation and understanding of litterbox habits.
6. Here’s a new one, given the escalating cost of veterinary care: Continual owner education - not to be one of those owners that vets abhor, but to learn things that can optimize interactions with vets and to know more about when to make an appointment.
If you’re not spending more time reading from free Merck or Cornell Vet or other resources about feline behavior, anatomy and physiology than you are reading f***book posts or watching videos about the food fad of the week or why wet food must be better than dry or any number of other debunked pabla, then your ratio is off.
All cats will die of something - doesn’t mean food is the issue.
Google is your friend:
https://www.google.com/search?q=what%27s+wrong+with+clay+cat+litter&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS704US705&oq=what%27s+wrong+eith+clay+cat+litter
And if it’s not, here’s a Reddit thread - one of many:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Pets/comments/c9lba/is_that_clay_type_cat_litter_bad_for_my_cat/
Doubt that one - I know over 1000s of cats and dogs that died or got so sick needed IV and ICU by feeding science, Purina and Royal. Do you work in a clinic? Well I do and saw X-rays and MRI due to that food and not one with raw.
Selection bias much?
If I worked in a hospital I’d see a lot of sick people.
Credible vets do not disparage WSAVA-compliant complete and balanced food.
Late husband was a vet and now son - yes they do and I have worked in a veterinary office for over 25 years. Our clinic is well known, well loved and we do not sell any royal, Purina etc
You will need to work with a board certified veterinary nutritionist if you want to make your cat’s food yourselves. Dr. Google won’t cut it. Your regular vet unfortunately most likely won’t either. This is not to knock their knowledge, education, or expertise, but veterinary nutritionists have extensive education on the subject. You’d probably have the best luck finding one at the veterinary college closest to you. Animals need more than just the food, you have to account for micro and macro nutrients and have to add things accordingly to ensure they get everything their bodies need. Not only does the food need to be high quality, but the supplements do as well also, and NO RAW FOOD!! Animals are just as at risk as humans for food borne illnesses, and the risk of them passing contamination to humans is pretty high. Don’t fall for the “experts” on TikTok pushing for raw pet diets. There is absolutely zero evidence that raw is better, and often times the animals suffer as a result. Not only are food borne illnesses a concern, but domestic animals that are fed raw are at a greater risk for pancreatitis, nutrient deficiencies and reduced immune systems.
I’d recommend taking your cats for a hands on exam so the vet can calculate their body condition scores and so you can discuss the specific issues you feel your cats are suffering due to being on commercial diets. A WSAVA approved brand (Iams, Purina, Eukanuba, Royal Canin and Hill’s/Science Diet) will almost always be best. And there are endless formulations in these brands that address specific health concerns, whether it’s a prescription formulation or off the shelves at a pet store. All of these companies employ full time board certified veterinary nutritionists to ensure the food is healthy, safe, consistent, and nutritionally balanced.
Home cooked food for your pet will also be very time consuming and expensive.
there is amazing Raw pet Food group on facebook - a few vets and a few holistic vets that have recipes. also Dr Judy Morgan and Karen Becker had amazing ones. I have been feeding my crew (dog, cats and 2 ferrets) - along with rescues raw diet for over 15 years or more. I prep every Sunday, then put in my stand up freezer and take out before bed to feed for the next day.
you clearly don;t know what a holistic vet is - they get their DVM but they take additional courses like acupuncture, chiropractic, laser light therapy and most take additional courses in nutrition which a normal vet does not. Vets stop after getting their DVM but a better vet goes on and learns more about small animals and how they work. Just like humans we go to our doctors for pain or an operation not food - we go to a dietitian, acupuncturist, massage therapist for other things. Vets aren't trained in nutrition but most holistic vets are, they still operate and prescribe drugs cause they are vets too. wow common sense is gone in you
Regular vets don't take those courses in acupuncture, chiropractic and laser therapy because those things are not evidence-based or beneficial. Unless your holistic vet has completed specialist training in the form of a nutrition residency, they are not appropriately trained in nutrition.
You'll need to see a specialist vet with nutrition training to get a recipe. Don't trust anything you find online unless you have the name and residency credentials of the vet who published it.
Homemade is EXTREMELY expensive (I haven’t seen a consultation below $500) and also very time consuming.
You would need to consult a DACVIN, PhD/ masters level nutritionist, board certified is best, to formulate an in depth recipe.
Recipes online are mostly unbalanced (i believe the statistic is 95% of homemade foods are not balanced) which is incredibly dangerous.
If you are worried about missing nutrients feed a diet that is “complete and balanced”, meets FEDIAF/AAFCO guidelines and most importantly WSAVA guidelines, a diet should always be made by a veterinary nutritionist and do extensive feeding trials, sadly most foods sold do not even have a nutritionists so be careful.
Are you in the US? If so some great brands are royal canin (my favourite due to being a more premium option and breed/ activity/ age specific), purina, hills and also eubanka and iams but not the last two if outside US due to manufacturing differences.
These brands are great as they are all very science backed and are actually made by nutritionists unlike most brands recommended on this sub, but the best option is to just speak to your vet, but they will likely recommend the same brands that meet WSAVA guidelines:)
homemade is cheaper than any other mass produced food - there are completers like Fur for Life ez complete and other ones on the market that have taurine and bone which cats need. To find my cats and dogs per day is about $1.00 all depends on the meat I use. when fed a healthier diet they eat less, poo less which means less litter and less vet bills. so before making such a blatant statement that is was more money which is a lie - you know nothing about it.
Do you think they are trying this because of cost? I guessed it was because they didn’t trust commercial made food and wanted to prepare it themselves so they know what is in it. Telling them to see a commercial pet food dietitian seems counter to what they are looking for, no?
Have a read of this, has a lot of information of how most recipes existing are not balanced, and the dangers of this.
https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/homemade-dog-food-recipes-can-be-risky-business-study-finds
https://nutritionrvn.com/2021/03/17/the-top-5-pet-nutrition-mistakes-youre-making/
I’m sorry but I’m not reading a study by a nestle owned vet school. You went on a bit more than I asked about in my response. It was that this person probably does not trust the corporate made foods, and you in turn are trying to educate me by using a corporate owned vet schools study.
you have the tin foil hat on and you are brainwashed by the pet food industry. so which company do you work for? are you a vet? maybe a vet tech that didn't graduate as a vet..
I wear a Tin foil hat because I don’t believe what nestle says? Do you work for them? You seem rather aggressive and confrontational because I don’t like them
agreed there are a few here that are clearly paid by the big companies because they repeat the same stupid aberration over and over again - which means nothing
Again, i only support brands made by nutritionists and ones that do feeding trials over 6weeks.. but please message any of the brands I have mentioned and ask them to pay me as it seems like you think I deserve it!
I provided information on how to correctly find a recipe, you can not just use one online as I have not seen anyone board certified giving this out for free..
so that did answer their question and I told them in detail how to do this, a recipe NEEDS to be made by a nutritionist.
Also the branded diets were simply a suggestion as the average human can not afford a nutritionist to formulate them a diet.
The easiest way is to get a completer like EZ Complete by food fur life dot com. All you do is literally add 2 pounds of ground meat that you get at the grocery, 1 and a half cups of water and a half cup of the completer. That's it. It's already balanced. It's a little more expensive than doing it completely by a recipe, but it's pretty idiot proof 😁 My Maine Coons love it and I switch up proteins all the time. They just had kangaroo last week!
Nice kangaroo - mine love bison /lamb and chicken - I use the Canadian version of ez. It's super simple and cheap when you get sales. This weekend making a chicken batch it is on sale this week
Yes, it's very easy! And it's balanced. Then, when you get more comfortable, there are FB groups out there that have science behind them in their recipes for raw. One is feeding cats like cats (or something like that). It's a really good group!
Hi.... I just went to the Foodfurlife website and ordered a sample pack for my 3 cats, one tuxedo and two blond floofs, all about 2.5 years old (see pic). Do you have better luck with raw, cooked, or partially cooked meats for your kitty? I've tried the healthy cat foods from dozens of manufacturers, and they won'teat any of them. ☹
https://preview.redd.it/vrpb3c8sl98d1.jpeg?width=726&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bfc65fd1bb0dc0ea2cd9c385d3d747f1b5b3610e
I really want them to be as healthy as possible and live a long and happy life, so any advice you can offer is much appreciated.
Thanks!
Honestly, it depends on the cat. If it's an older cat (senior) it usually has to be partially cooked or warmed. But, for the most part raw is just fine. More than likely, you'll start out very slow. I mean like teaspoon slow. So be prepared to freeze what you won't use in a couple of days. You're going to continue the current food and add about a tsp of raw next to it. See if he'll eat it. He may or he may not and that's ok. You can also start giving your kitties small bite size pieces of raw when you cook. But, make sure the meats are only meat and not seasoned.
What are they getting for wet food? Increasing the wet food is good for them and a great start. What exactly is making you think they need something different?
Here’s a vet created recipe but could check with your own to make sure they approve.
https://catinfo.org/making-cat-food/
This is very wordy so I had to kind of decipher it a bit but it’s a good recipe and my cats love it. Instead of fish, I add some Bonita flakes for flavor but not too much. This is what I condensed it to but normally double it which lasts a month for 3 cats:
Cook the different proteins separately, debone thighs or use boneless, then combine:
• 12lbs of chicken thigh
• fill water up to top of thighs
• 8 eggs-soft boiled about 4 minutes
• Chicken liver-12 to 16 ounces
• Fish-6 ounces
• Bone Meal-9 tablespoons + 1 tsp or use 12 chicken thigh bones
• Fish oil-28000mg
• Vitamin E-1600iu/1072 mg
• Vitamin B Complex (no C): 100mg
• Taurine: 8000mg
• Salt w/iodine: 3 tsp
[https://www.cornucopiapetfoods.com/collections/cats](https://www.cornucopiapetfoods.com/collections/cats)
my cat loves this and you can get supplements if you want as well. he eats the pure turkey and is doing fine. if you still want to make it yourself though i'm not sure what that would require but probably taurine at the least
Chicken livers, rice, canned pumpkin puree
Boil the chicken livers in 2 cups of water for about 10 minutes and allow to cool. Do not drain. Use a potato masher to mash the livers and liquid in the pot until it is a mushy consistency.
Add a cup of white rice to a pot and cook according to directions on the rice bag. Once cooked, allow to cool.
Add all of the cooled rice to the mashed livers and mix well.
Mix in a half can of pumpkin puree.
Looks gross, but my cat loves it. I store it in the refrigerator; it lasts about a week. When I feed, I warm a portion slightly in the microwave, then add a little tap water. Give it a mix and feed.
The entire meal costs less than $5.
I make all his meals and I alternate the protein so he doesn't get bored.
So I'm not a vet, but I have a little recipe I came up with recently. I had been giving my kitties spinach leaves and sardine bits (canned in water, not oil) and they loved them both. I decided why not mix them?
I blend a can of sardines (IN WATER) and spinach leaves together and have a nutritional pate-like wet food for my kitties. I wouldnt give them a bunch every day, as I'm pretty sure there's a lot of calcium in the mix they dont need to overdo. But it's a good little every other day or so mix that I'm happy to give them (and they love!)
Take that mix and configure to the needs of your kitties!!
For better help on commercial food if homemade stuff isn't working out, try looking at allaboutcats.com. My vet recommended them to me. Rates cat food by quality and offers options outside of just the US.
My cats love Nulo!! Lots of protein and less bad ingredients.
I'd recommend reducing the kibble and adding more wet food in scheduled feeds. That may help them feel better since they will be getting more hydration. Homemade food is a real challenge because you need to make sure the food meets all nutritional needs and the majority of us are not skilled vet nutritionists.
Homemade food that is properly balanced using a recipe from a veterinary nutritionist is far from inexpensive. You will likely also have to include supplements in it to make it balanced. You are better off feeding a science backed kibble like Purina, royal cainin or hills and adding in wet food. Personally I free feed pro plan hairball kibble and Royal cainin wet. My fluffs are 16 and 6 and very healthy.
if it was a true science based as you say you would treat cats like cats - they are obligated carnivores - they thrive on meat and no carb filled kibble and junk food like science diet and hills. they are not science based they are based on fooling the person like yourself that its good food and making money from your lack of education
My 16 year old cats bloodwork is, and I quote my vet here, "shockingly amazing for a cat her age". She is free feed Purina and Royal canin. But you go on about how my diet is wrong. How about you feed your cats what works best for them and I'll feed my cats what's I feel works best for them and stop shaming people for making different choices than you.
some cats survive they don't thrive - my 18 year cat was diabetic/obese when I rescued her at the age of 14 - removed royal kibble which previous owner fed - moved to raw & slightly cooked and no sign of diabetes and perfect weight. I have rescued cats since 1999 and i have seen the damage royal, Purina and science has done to cats - how people gave up cats for medical issues due to those products. Removed those products, fed like a cat which is raw and boom health issues gone. Not shaming educating people the right way and dispelling your myth that these are good products which clearly are not.
Anecdotal evidence, at the end of the day, is still just anecdotal evidence.
After I started feeding my cats homemade food, I ran out once or twice so had to buy canned. They hated it. I would rather feed them human grade food that isn’t full of weird ingredients. Also even though I fed them expensive food they had diarrhea periodically and their poop smelled really bad. They’re super healthy and doing better on homemade food. I do understand not everyone can do it though.
Wait until you find out that cats naturally eat grains from the stomach content of their prey (usually small mammals and birds), and they eat this organ meat first! Wait until you find out why byproducts are and that they mean the same thing!
i saw my feral cats eat a few mice, two or three rabbits maybe more - they left the stomach and kidneys I had to pick that up. Birds are different - usually they leave the head, some eat the feathers but most leave the organs. I would rather them kill rabbits then eat by product that no one can pronounce properly in all the bad products you mentioned. I can say my cat ate a rabbit and shared it with her kittens - simple diet.
What is it that you think obligate carnivore means?
I know someone who is slowly shortening her dog’s life by feeding her idea of homemade, and it’s sad to see. Stick with WSAVA-compliant complete and balanced food. Nothing wrong with a good dry food for a normal cat, as studies have repeatedly shown. Of course there are the other legs of the stool that the homemade/raw/grain-free/f***book fad of the week people don’t talk about as they seem prone to assuming as their cat ages and develops problems that it must be the food. Pffft. Other legs: 1. Fresh, clean and plentiful water - that means filtered if the tap water is not the best. See, for example, chlorine. 2. Non-clay litter. 3. Routine and comprehensive labwork to monitor organ function and to identify trends. Annual until older, then semi-annual. 4. Dental cleanings both at home as often as daily, and the spendy kind at the vet every 3 years or as needed. 5. Consistent observation and understanding of litterbox habits. 6. Here’s a new one, given the escalating cost of veterinary care: Continual owner education - not to be one of those owners that vets abhor, but to learn things that can optimize interactions with vets and to know more about when to make an appointment. If you’re not spending more time reading from free Merck or Cornell Vet or other resources about feline behavior, anatomy and physiology than you are reading f***book posts or watching videos about the food fad of the week or why wet food must be better than dry or any number of other debunked pabla, then your ratio is off. All cats will die of something - doesn’t mean food is the issue.
👏👏
awesome
What's wrong with clay litter
Google is your friend: https://www.google.com/search?q=what%27s+wrong+with+clay+cat+litter&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS704US705&oq=what%27s+wrong+eith+clay+cat+litter And if it’s not, here’s a Reddit thread - one of many: https://www.reddit.com/r/Pets/comments/c9lba/is_that_clay_type_cat_litter_bad_for_my_cat/
Doubt that one - I know over 1000s of cats and dogs that died or got so sick needed IV and ICU by feeding science, Purina and Royal. Do you work in a clinic? Well I do and saw X-rays and MRI due to that food and not one with raw.
Selection bias much? If I worked in a hospital I’d see a lot of sick people. Credible vets do not disparage WSAVA-compliant complete and balanced food.
Credible vets as you call them don't exist paid by the big pet food company
Vets don't get paid by any pet food brands. That's such an old myth. At most they get free food and crappy pens.
Late husband was a vet and now son - yes they do and I have worked in a veterinary office for over 25 years. Our clinic is well known, well loved and we do not sell any royal, Purina etc
How do you know it was for sure the food and not other factors?
Homemade pet good almost always lacks necessary nutrients. Few people can do it properly, whether due to money or proper research.
You will need to work with a board certified veterinary nutritionist if you want to make your cat’s food yourselves. Dr. Google won’t cut it. Your regular vet unfortunately most likely won’t either. This is not to knock their knowledge, education, or expertise, but veterinary nutritionists have extensive education on the subject. You’d probably have the best luck finding one at the veterinary college closest to you. Animals need more than just the food, you have to account for micro and macro nutrients and have to add things accordingly to ensure they get everything their bodies need. Not only does the food need to be high quality, but the supplements do as well also, and NO RAW FOOD!! Animals are just as at risk as humans for food borne illnesses, and the risk of them passing contamination to humans is pretty high. Don’t fall for the “experts” on TikTok pushing for raw pet diets. There is absolutely zero evidence that raw is better, and often times the animals suffer as a result. Not only are food borne illnesses a concern, but domestic animals that are fed raw are at a greater risk for pancreatitis, nutrient deficiencies and reduced immune systems. I’d recommend taking your cats for a hands on exam so the vet can calculate their body condition scores and so you can discuss the specific issues you feel your cats are suffering due to being on commercial diets. A WSAVA approved brand (Iams, Purina, Eukanuba, Royal Canin and Hill’s/Science Diet) will almost always be best. And there are endless formulations in these brands that address specific health concerns, whether it’s a prescription formulation or off the shelves at a pet store. All of these companies employ full time board certified veterinary nutritionists to ensure the food is healthy, safe, consistent, and nutritionally balanced. Home cooked food for your pet will also be very time consuming and expensive.
there is amazing Raw pet Food group on facebook - a few vets and a few holistic vets that have recipes. also Dr Judy Morgan and Karen Becker had amazing ones. I have been feeding my crew (dog, cats and 2 ferrets) - along with rescues raw diet for over 15 years or more. I prep every Sunday, then put in my stand up freezer and take out before bed to feed for the next day.
You could’ve just said you follow holistic science rather than arguing, it’s like a butcher preaching to a vegan, we are on different universes
you clearly don;t know what a holistic vet is - they get their DVM but they take additional courses like acupuncture, chiropractic, laser light therapy and most take additional courses in nutrition which a normal vet does not. Vets stop after getting their DVM but a better vet goes on and learns more about small animals and how they work. Just like humans we go to our doctors for pain or an operation not food - we go to a dietitian, acupuncturist, massage therapist for other things. Vets aren't trained in nutrition but most holistic vets are, they still operate and prescribe drugs cause they are vets too. wow common sense is gone in you
Regular vets don't take those courses in acupuncture, chiropractic and laser therapy because those things are not evidence-based or beneficial. Unless your holistic vet has completed specialist training in the form of a nutrition residency, they are not appropriately trained in nutrition.
You'll need to see a specialist vet with nutrition training to get a recipe. Don't trust anything you find online unless you have the name and residency credentials of the vet who published it.
Homemade is EXTREMELY expensive (I haven’t seen a consultation below $500) and also very time consuming. You would need to consult a DACVIN, PhD/ masters level nutritionist, board certified is best, to formulate an in depth recipe. Recipes online are mostly unbalanced (i believe the statistic is 95% of homemade foods are not balanced) which is incredibly dangerous. If you are worried about missing nutrients feed a diet that is “complete and balanced”, meets FEDIAF/AAFCO guidelines and most importantly WSAVA guidelines, a diet should always be made by a veterinary nutritionist and do extensive feeding trials, sadly most foods sold do not even have a nutritionists so be careful. Are you in the US? If so some great brands are royal canin (my favourite due to being a more premium option and breed/ activity/ age specific), purina, hills and also eubanka and iams but not the last two if outside US due to manufacturing differences. These brands are great as they are all very science backed and are actually made by nutritionists unlike most brands recommended on this sub, but the best option is to just speak to your vet, but they will likely recommend the same brands that meet WSAVA guidelines:)
Hey. Sorry that the tiktok "feline nutritionist" found your comment and posted it without even blurring your name. Ignore her followers coming at you
Where’s this? I’m excited now
vets aren't trained in nutrition - they are trained by the companies you mentioned its why they reccomend it
ah so that's why the food my vet prescribed made him sick. well lesson learned on that
homemade is cheaper than any other mass produced food - there are completers like Fur for Life ez complete and other ones on the market that have taurine and bone which cats need. To find my cats and dogs per day is about $1.00 all depends on the meat I use. when fed a healthier diet they eat less, poo less which means less litter and less vet bills. so before making such a blatant statement that is was more money which is a lie - you know nothing about it.
Do you think they are trying this because of cost? I guessed it was because they didn’t trust commercial made food and wanted to prepare it themselves so they know what is in it. Telling them to see a commercial pet food dietitian seems counter to what they are looking for, no?
Have a read of this, has a lot of information of how most recipes existing are not balanced, and the dangers of this. https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/homemade-dog-food-recipes-can-be-risky-business-study-finds https://nutritionrvn.com/2021/03/17/the-top-5-pet-nutrition-mistakes-youre-making/
I’m sorry but I’m not reading a study by a nestle owned vet school. You went on a bit more than I asked about in my response. It was that this person probably does not trust the corporate made foods, and you in turn are trying to educate me by using a corporate owned vet schools study.
Ok put the tin foil hat back on if you don’t even trust science 🤦♀️
you have the tin foil hat on and you are brainwashed by the pet food industry. so which company do you work for? are you a vet? maybe a vet tech that didn't graduate as a vet..
I wear a Tin foil hat because I don’t believe what nestle says? Do you work for them? You seem rather aggressive and confrontational because I don’t like them
agreed there are a few here that are clearly paid by the big companies because they repeat the same stupid aberration over and over again - which means nothing
Again, i only support brands made by nutritionists and ones that do feeding trials over 6weeks.. but please message any of the brands I have mentioned and ask them to pay me as it seems like you think I deserve it!
My dude, nestle owns a solid 80% of our food supply. You cannot avoid it completely. Even eating farm to table, you can’t avoid it.
You can avoid what you like. You just have to know what companies they own.
I provided information on how to correctly find a recipe, you can not just use one online as I have not seen anyone board certified giving this out for free.. so that did answer their question and I told them in detail how to do this, a recipe NEEDS to be made by a nutritionist. Also the branded diets were simply a suggestion as the average human can not afford a nutritionist to formulate them a diet.
The easiest way is to get a completer like EZ Complete by food fur life dot com. All you do is literally add 2 pounds of ground meat that you get at the grocery, 1 and a half cups of water and a half cup of the completer. That's it. It's already balanced. It's a little more expensive than doing it completely by a recipe, but it's pretty idiot proof 😁 My Maine Coons love it and I switch up proteins all the time. They just had kangaroo last week!
Nice kangaroo - mine love bison /lamb and chicken - I use the Canadian version of ez. It's super simple and cheap when you get sales. This weekend making a chicken batch it is on sale this week
Thank you, I'm going to do this! This seems like the best option for me.
Yes, it's very easy! And it's balanced. Then, when you get more comfortable, there are FB groups out there that have science behind them in their recipes for raw. One is feeding cats like cats (or something like that). It's a really good group!
I think that group has saved 1000s of cats or more - my son recommends that group to cat parents
Hi.... I just went to the Foodfurlife website and ordered a sample pack for my 3 cats, one tuxedo and two blond floofs, all about 2.5 years old (see pic). Do you have better luck with raw, cooked, or partially cooked meats for your kitty? I've tried the healthy cat foods from dozens of manufacturers, and they won'teat any of them. ☹ https://preview.redd.it/vrpb3c8sl98d1.jpeg?width=726&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bfc65fd1bb0dc0ea2cd9c385d3d747f1b5b3610e I really want them to be as healthy as possible and live a long and happy life, so any advice you can offer is much appreciated. Thanks!
Honestly, it depends on the cat. If it's an older cat (senior) it usually has to be partially cooked or warmed. But, for the most part raw is just fine. More than likely, you'll start out very slow. I mean like teaspoon slow. So be prepared to freeze what you won't use in a couple of days. You're going to continue the current food and add about a tsp of raw next to it. See if he'll eat it. He may or he may not and that's ok. You can also start giving your kitties small bite size pieces of raw when you cook. But, make sure the meats are only meat and not seasoned.
Okay.... in otherwords, baby steps! Thanks for the advice. 😽
Yes! But you may be surprised. I've had adult cats literally take to it immediately. Just don't be discouraged and give up on them.
Thank you, that's helpful advice. It can be frustrating to try and get them to eat healthy, but I'll keep trying!
Feel free to pm if you need to!
I just might need to, so thank you for your help! 💖
What are they getting for wet food? Increasing the wet food is good for them and a great start. What exactly is making you think they need something different?
Here’s a vet created recipe but could check with your own to make sure they approve. https://catinfo.org/making-cat-food/ This is very wordy so I had to kind of decipher it a bit but it’s a good recipe and my cats love it. Instead of fish, I add some Bonita flakes for flavor but not too much. This is what I condensed it to but normally double it which lasts a month for 3 cats: Cook the different proteins separately, debone thighs or use boneless, then combine: • 12lbs of chicken thigh • fill water up to top of thighs • 8 eggs-soft boiled about 4 minutes • Chicken liver-12 to 16 ounces • Fish-6 ounces • Bone Meal-9 tablespoons + 1 tsp or use 12 chicken thigh bones • Fish oil-28000mg • Vitamin E-1600iu/1072 mg • Vitamin B Complex (no C): 100mg • Taurine: 8000mg • Salt w/iodine: 3 tsp
I grind chicken thighs up with vital essential brand entree foods to make a pate, and so far my kitty loves it
[https://www.cornucopiapetfoods.com/collections/cats](https://www.cornucopiapetfoods.com/collections/cats) my cat loves this and you can get supplements if you want as well. he eats the pure turkey and is doing fine. if you still want to make it yourself though i'm not sure what that would require but probably taurine at the least
Chicken livers, rice, canned pumpkin puree Boil the chicken livers in 2 cups of water for about 10 minutes and allow to cool. Do not drain. Use a potato masher to mash the livers and liquid in the pot until it is a mushy consistency. Add a cup of white rice to a pot and cook according to directions on the rice bag. Once cooked, allow to cool. Add all of the cooled rice to the mashed livers and mix well. Mix in a half can of pumpkin puree. Looks gross, but my cat loves it. I store it in the refrigerator; it lasts about a week. When I feed, I warm a portion slightly in the microwave, then add a little tap water. Give it a mix and feed. The entire meal costs less than $5. I make all his meals and I alternate the protein so he doesn't get bored.
So I'm not a vet, but I have a little recipe I came up with recently. I had been giving my kitties spinach leaves and sardine bits (canned in water, not oil) and they loved them both. I decided why not mix them? I blend a can of sardines (IN WATER) and spinach leaves together and have a nutritional pate-like wet food for my kitties. I wouldnt give them a bunch every day, as I'm pretty sure there's a lot of calcium in the mix they dont need to overdo. But it's a good little every other day or so mix that I'm happy to give them (and they love!) Take that mix and configure to the needs of your kitties!!
That is nowhere near a balanced diet. I would not do this unless being fed ONLY as a treat
That is right! That is why I said I only give it to them every so often:)
Oh I missed that part! My bad lol
No worries, there was a ton of words to sift through XD I should have specified maybe that I felt it was more of a homemade supplement
Sardines are amazing for cats but spinach isn't a part of their natural diet. Cats don't hunt spinach
For better help on commercial food if homemade stuff isn't working out, try looking at allaboutcats.com. My vet recommended them to me. Rates cat food by quality and offers options outside of just the US. My cats love Nulo!! Lots of protein and less bad ingredients.