Those of you that make the raw diet...

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yep, raw sure makes a big difference in the "smell" factor. just watch in case they get constipated. A few of mine have and then I give them 1/8tsp mirilax 2x a day until they go. only 2 out of the 8 ever had a problem.I also add extra water to mine. it is almost like a thick cake batter.
 
Well, the jury is out on whether or not raw is gonna work for my critters. I've been attempting to feed them raw for about 3 days along with FF. Their poop smell is already better. The thing is that they seem confused and aren't eating the same. It's weird. Trinket takes a bite or two and burries it and walks away. SHe comes back over and over and eats little nibbles. Merlin ate gizzards with gusto a couple days ago. It seems to have cooled off. I got chicken thighs tonight and cut them into small pieces. They ate some of it. I haven't bought the supplements for this VERY reason. Who knows how long it will be until they start refusing it. I had to pick the raw leftovers tonight up because I didn't want it to sit out too long. I'm just going to keep doing this to see if their poop and farting gets better. Already the gas is improved. I guess Friskies just doesn't agree with them.
 
What is gizzards? Lizzards?


Mine love, adores and worship fresh raw beef. I am the best mama in the world when I bring them that.
 
Ann & Scatcats said:
What is gizzards?
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Gizzards is an organ all birds have to grind up the food for easier digestion. It's a pretty tough organ so it's only good for a cat gnawing on for dental health. Goolgle Translation says the Swedish word for "gizzard" is muskelmage (?).

Traci and Boomer said:
Well, the jury is out on whether or not raw is gonna work for my critters. I've been attempting to feed them raw for about 3 days along with FF.
Click to expand...

Traci, I got my rescue civie to eat raw by first feeding her NV freeze dried raw along with canned food. Then I slowly introduced small pieces of the NV raw covered with freeze dried raw and canned food. Then I elminated the canned food and fed the raw/freeze dried raw. Then I fed straight raw. The whole process took just over a week. I think it also helped her her to see my other civie gobble his raw down (he was weaned onto raw) so she could see that it was food.
 
Nice to catch up on the 'raw' talk...

After purchasing the grinder, going slow w/ transistioning and throwing in some Nature Instince Rabbit, I have just yesterday purchased a duck! Frozen and will let thaw enough to cut into pieces and will freeze and add to the batch of raw that I fix. or just do as a side treat until they decide if they like it... They love the duck freeze dried so I thought I would try it. Darn expensive too, but if I am able to add a bit for a flavor change, that will make the invested amount go further (at least in my head).

MY girls (2 of the 3) eat this everyday. I am still feeding the canned but increasing slowing to more raw and less can....they are doing great on it and boy do they look better, feel better (coat), act better but the poooooo is much better :o

Good goin and nice to see the tas has been around for you at least 5 yrs...as that is what I bought. I did get the scrubbies and the disinfectant.
 
Not that my advice should be taken, but I transitioned them from adding raw gizzards/thighs with their canned to just raw with premix. Seriously, even after immediately cleaning the litterbox and carrying to the outdoor garbage can, the odor would linger in the house when on canned. It was awful. My cats had to feel yucky too, I know I do if I have liquid poo. Mine have improved dramatically since going straight raw. I understand others having a difficult time transitioning though, there is no way Grey would have done raw when diagnosed as diabetic a few years ago. No way no how. I barely got her to eat canned initially, and that was Fancy Feast BEFORE they changed the formula. So I certainly empathize with those trying to transition a cat. I'm lucky with these, the hardest one is only a little over a year old, and eats anything not nailed down.

That said, my supplements will be here before the grinder. Should I try just do raw chunked with supplements (and of course finding some bone meal) until the grinder gets here? Or buy more premix until it the grinder gets here?

I've already figured out my next investment, a deep freezer. I have no room to make 3 cats individual servings of food 3 times a day. Since I require a little help a few days a week for serving lunch (friend has a key and lives 1 block away), I like to keep things easy when dealing with free help. Not to mention, some morning all I have time for is ripping off lids as I run out the door.

Thanks everyone for their questions and input. This thread has made a huge difference in my cats. They are healthier, even more active, and look incredible. They want more attention than ever too, which stinks since I have less time! Oh well, they have each other right? ;-)
 
i buy those disposable containers form aldis (although i do not dispose of them). I freeze in those and take out 1 (well , i take out more than 1 since I have 8 cats) and put in fridge to thaw. with 3 cats, you could have 2 days worth of food. just spoon what is needed from there and put back in fridge for next day
 
I'm still holding out for ice cubes!!! :-D Though with a grinder you can do a whole lot more at one time...

Mom and I went halvsies into a stand alone freezer- 7.5 cu at Home depot for $169 or something like that back in November. It was on sale cheaper than the 5.0 for $179. I have it at my house and it happens to be my feeding/testing/shooting station for Sneakers- that way I don't kick her food in the night :lol: . When the income taxes come the grinder will probably be one of the purchases I make.

Glad to see you heading that way- Sneakers is back on the chicken (mixed 1:1) after a week of FF- I couldn't handle the poo smell :oops: !
 
I have been wanting a deep freezer anyway, I like cooking and freezing and didn't have enough space for it even before these guys. These guys just give me a handy excuse. ;-)

But, back to one of my thoughts, I won't have my grinder until some time after 2-24-12, do you think I'll be ok following Dr. Pierson's recipe but with chunked chicken until the grinder gets here? That is, if I find any bone meal locally (herb store maybe).
 
If you look and follow the recipe it looks like the only things she grinds is the meat, liver, eggs- everything else is chunked for dental health and then mixed. Then, when you look at the picture with the bowl it all looked ground and ready for supplements- and a cat at the ready to eat it.

I just wanted to grind it all for sneakers- easier to soup and the supplements mix better.
 
meat, liver, eggs, bones and some skin is what is ground. I also just toss my pills in the grinder also. looks like ground meat when done and then you add water and stir everything really well. then I add my chunks and mix well again. I always add more water than what is called for
 
Thanks everyone! Yall confirmed my thoughts. I'm going to order more premix and use it to transition them to Dr. Pierson's recipe.

My new 14.1 cu. ft. upright freezer will be delivered Monday afternoon...I'm so excited!!! Spring break I'll be making a ton of food, provided the grinder gets here by then.

Thanks everyone for the advice, this has been a bit of investment but in the end my cats look and feel incredible, I go through less litter, and other than the initial investment of the grinder and deep freezer my cat food expenses will be lower!

Suzanne
 
Suzanne
I lost track in this thread of everything...so what did you do that seems to have now made their diarrhea go away and their poop less smelly?

One of my cats has smelly diarrhea and it's the worse.

By the way, I started using Worlds Best Cat Litter and it's much easier to scoop and doesn't crumble and stick to the pan or scooper. I never have to clean the litter box now since the waste just comes out without spreading/crumbling.

best
Martica
 
Thanks for asking Martica! No diarrhea from any of the three! Gadget dropped the little bit of excess fat that he had left, all three have been putting on muscle, have really glossy coats, and they're even more active and loving. I can't tell you how thrilled with putting them on raw! Oh, and the litter box still has no odor and is so much easier to clean. Even the pee spots are easier to clean, I didn't expect that one. As far as initial investment, it will pay itself off in less that a year when I figured litter costs then vs now, at some point I would need to take all three to a specialist to sort this out, plus the cost difference once I get my grinder in to do Dr. Pierson's recipe compared to canned food costs. My cats health and costs are a win-win in less than a year. I'm truly amazed!

Get this: they love getting into this one set of cabinets which drives me nuts. I first used the vacuum cleaner to block it off, but then I personally witnessed them move it out of the way. So I took a large container of unopened bleach and wedged it against the vacuum cleaner to make it harder to move it. They moved the vacuum cleaner anyway. Put a second unopened large jug of vinegar for even more difficulty, and so far they can only move the vacuum cleaner a little, but not enough to enter the cabinet. Problem is, it's 9 month old still-filling-out Mason. He's going to be big, so I may have to just give in or go to steel padlocks! But he has extra jointed thumbs and knows how to use them! Friends have laughed that one day I'm going to come home from school and find a crazy cat party complete with my liquor, house in more disarray than normal, and who-knows-what in the guest bathroom! :lol:
 
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