Leonard - RIP
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I need some advice here. I recently switched to raw diet for my cat (Vital Essentials). He wouldn't touch the stuff so I called for some advice on how to get him to eat it. The lady I spoke to told me to not "give" in to my cat and that cats have a way of "training" their humans to give them what they want. She told me that if he wont eat it within 15 minutes, take it away and try again at the next feeding time and that if he won't eat just keep doing this until he does. She said it's normal for the cat to stop eating and lose weight. She told me that from her own personal experience, her cat stopped eating for about 3 weeks and finally started eating the raw. This doesn't sound healthy and I am HIGHLY concerned about the advice I have received from this company. Does anyone know if this is bad for cats? I don't think this is the right way to go about getting my cat to eat raw. Please help!
Hi everyone…I’m the person you are all looking for. My name is Leslie and I work for Vital Essentials. This morning my boss shared with me a post to our website by Lisa (Last name removed) who said that I had instructed her to starve her cat. I was truly hurt when I read this and even more hurt by some of the things posted in this forum about me. I felt it is best to share my side…the real story of the conversation that actually took place. Lisa called and said that she was having trouble transitioning her cat over to the raw diet. I shared with her my experience I had with my cat Sassy. I have two cats, Moe and Sassy and each are very different and have their own personality. Moe took to the food immediately I couldn't keep him out of it. Sassy was very different. It took me three weeks to transition Sassy from kibble to raw. NEVER DID I STARVE SASSY...nor suggest to Lisa that she starve her cat, nor have I ever suggested to anyone to starve their cat. Below is an account of our discussion. The first week of transition I mixed the raw with the food she was eating...Sassy went through and picked out the old food and left Vital Essentials behind. Each day subsequent day during the first week she was eating less. Concerned about the reduction of food intake, I contacted our pet nutritionist, a board certified, PHD in animal nutrition, and sought his advice. I explained the situation and he suggested that I stay the course. I also discussed the situation with my vet…and he concurred. Despite their feedback, I as a worried parent, gave in and gave her back her original kibble at the beginning of week two. Knowing that raw food was the best for Sassy…one week later I re-started the transition process. I went through the process again and much to my surprise…she took to the raw food and ate! Since then she has gotten over her food allergy and is healthier than ever before. She waits at my bedroom door each morning and sounds the alarm for breakfast time. I informed Lisa that every pet is different and ultimately, you need to do what you feel is right. I also shared with her helpful hints that my vet gave me. With the Freeze-Dried raw, he suggested putting it in a baggy, poking holes in the bag, hiding it and letting my cat hunt for the food. Or…Drop some on the floor and shoo the cat away, so they come back looking for what dropped. I want to say I am sorry to Lisa…there was obviously a misunderstanding and/or misinterpretation in what I shared with you...I would never want you to hurt your pet. Rest assured that everyone who works here has pets and we all have the well-being of pets as the highest priority. That’s why we do what we do…provide the healthiest food that we know of...second only to real-live prey. A quick side note about the website...please take a moment to review the transitional guideline of other raw diets…you will find that they are generally similar and consistent with each other. There is no one hard rule for feeding and caring for our pets as they are all unique…just like we as humans are unique. The key point to remember is that as pet owners and we always need to do what we feel most comfortable with…and regardless if it is Vital Essentials or another brand of raw (and there are many good ones available)…please consider a raw diet for your pet. I wish everyone a great Independence Day!