drjsiems said:
I would love to cook my own cat food - my guys won't eat anything raw though. Does anyone have a nutritionally balanced recipe for cooked homemade food they would like to share. I am afraid if I "went for it" on my own, I would be missing some important nutrients, etc.
Have you tried "tricking" the cats into eating raw by mixing small amounts into canned food? For non-diabetics you can use gravy-based foods. Some cats won't go for frozen or homemade raw right away. In that case, trycommerical freeze dried raw pet food. It's kind of smilar to freeze dried meat treats in texture so many cats just think that they're eating yummy treats :smile: Just crush up a patty into small pieces and put on top of or mixed into the canned.
If you follow a good homemade raw recipie, you won't be missing anything important. Dr. Lisa has a good one on her web site that many people here use. The recipie lists all the vitamins and minerals you need and where to buy them.
There is a "frankenprey" model of raw diet that does not include any extra supplements. The theory is that if you feed a cat a diet that is 80% meat, 10% bone, and 10% organs no extra vitamins or minerals are needed. It's similar to what a cat would eat in the wild. You can Google it for more info.
Another option is to do a sort of semi-homemade raw. You use the raw meats of your choice and add in a pre-mix which contains all the necessary vitamins and minerals. TC Feline, Better In The Raw, and Alnutrin are three brands you can buy online. You do not cook the mixture.
There are good commerical brands of raw pet food out there, some even grain-free and low in carbs.
Here's a cooked recipie but it's only recommended to use as a transition diet:
http://rawmeatcatfood.com/2010/08/16/can-i-feed-my-cat-cooked-meat/ You ]must use the TC Feline pre-mix with this recipie so your cat gets all the essential nutrients.