Raw Food Feeding Suggestions?
I switched my cats to a raw food diet. I’m following the guidelines of 20 to 25% of their body weight is what is given to them in food and they seem to be happy.
Before the raw food diet I left the suggested amount of dry food out for them all the time and they ate when they wanted to, usually never finishing what was in the bowl during the day.
I prepare their food at the kitchen counter all the time and ever since they’ve been on raw they seem to whine more when I’m cooking, and they follow the dishes I have in my hand because they think it’s food for them. I can’t tell if they’re hungry, or if they’ve got nothing better to do. I don’t want to leave any dry food out for them because I read that their stomachs can’t handle both types of food. What I want to know from raw food enthusiasts is:
- What guidelines do you follow to feed your pet?
- Do you feed your pet more than once a day?
- Do you leave any food out for your pet?
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated.
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20-25% seems awfully high. Dogs usually require 2-4% of their body weight and with cats it runs around 3-5% (assuming they’re not kittens, anyway).
My cats eat twice a day – morning and evening. I don’t leave food out for them. Raw meat gets gross pretty quick and the dogs would eat it anyway.
You might want to try to get them used to a special signal associated with their meals vs. your meals. My cats are fed on ceramic saucers that I keep under the kitchen sink. When they see me going into that specific cabinet and they hear the clinking of their dishes they expect food, however, they don’t react the same way when I get dishes from different cabinets for myself. You could try something like that or you could make your own signal (like a dinner bell that you ring before you put their food down).
Sorry to say-but I think you spoiled the heck out of those cats- I would have just stuck to a normal cat diet myself- good luck
I don’t feed raw, although I too researched it quite a bit. But if you go to my 360 page you’ll see links to some raw groups I belong to. It’s no big deal to sign up with them – and if you do you’ll have great resources for other questions that may come up. Just note that some of them have different philosophies as to what to feed/supplement, but I would imagine quantities is something they’d agree on! FWIW, I recommend Whole Cat Health as being the best overall group, even if it isn’t totally raw-focused.
Giving your cat a raw diet can give your cat risks of getting Salmonella,worms,or even e-coli.
I leave cat food out for my cat in a cat feeder.
mine as breakfast lunch and dinner, he as a 100g pouch every time 3 pouches is equal to one can of food. He sometimes as a can of tuna or mackerel in place of one of his pouches. When i go to work, i leave him dry biscuits to nibble on, he copes just fine with both types of food…he watches me cook our evening meal and sniffs the air, but i coincide my cooking with his dinner time, so he eats when we do…
Hi,
Raw is the best food for your cats if prepared properly with correct portions of nutrients and/or supplements.
What guidelines do you follow to feed your pet?
You can gauge your cats’ appetite by offering a bit more than what they can eat. Allow 5 to 10 minutes to pass and see how much has been eaten. Repeat for the number of meals intended in a day and you will get a pretty good idea. Serve the amount equivalent to what’s eaten at each meal henceforth.
Do you feed your pet more than once a day?
Raw diets are digested within 3 to 4 hours, thus leaving your cats hungry faster. Therefore, it’s best to serve 2 or 3 meals as your schedule permits.
Do you leave any food out for your pet?
It is not necessary nor recommended to leave raw food out for your cats. Cats in the wild do not have access to food all the time and they do not have to eat all the time to be healthy. Raw food at room temperature spoils quickly and this may cause undue harm when ingested.
One final point > find out what the optimal weights for your cats are and monitor their weights accordingly. Don’t worry about the “hungry” meows too much. They’re just tugging on your heart strings.
All the best.
i think its great that you are feeding raw! i have 6 cats. 1 of them has ibd so he cant have regular cat food, he has to eat certain proteins (right now he is on duck). so, my cats are fed at night and we feed salem separate from everyone else. since we cant leave food out all the time my cats really just eat once a day. now as far as a balanced raw diet for kitty…natures variety makes a frozen raw diet that is a complete meal, and yes they make it for cats as well as dogs. you could always try that. raw people will tell you that its a bad idea to feed both raw and kibble, but its not going to hurt anything if you do.
raw food contains little nutrients due to being dead for periods of time. cats require an amino acid called taurine, this is an important amino acid and a cat can only get it from there food….raw food losses this amino acid. they can become very ill without this in there diet. there bodies are unable to make this themselves.
cats are also natural grazers so by feeding once a day they will be hungry. cats do not generally eat one meal then be happy for the day, they go backwards and forwards during the day to eat. this is a natural behavior. raw food is not appropriate for this natural behavior as the meat will become gross after a period of time.
dry food is ideal for cats to graze and is a complete meal with all minerals/vitamins needed for a healthy cat. it will not hurt a cats digestive system to have wet and dry food. if anything its more natural – dry to help with healthy teeth and meat as they would in the wild.
qualified veterinary nurse UK