Author Topic: Home-cooked info  (Read 5123 times)

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Offline Pookie

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Home-cooked info
« on: March 12, 2012, 02:57:12 PM »
Just for fits and giggles, I checked Dr. Hofve's site, www.littlebigcat.com, and she has an article about homemade recipes:  http://www.littlebigcat.com/nutrition/easy-homemade-diets-for-cats-and-dogs/.  I really recommend reading the comments as well as the article, as Dr. Jean provides additional useful information there.  She recommends several books, and also has a couple of recipes there which, if I read the article correctly (I zipped through it quickly, sorry) can be fed cooked or raw.  If you have additional questions, you can post comments there--she's very responsive.

For those who may be on Catster, there is a forum there for Home Prepared Food & Recipes, and there may be more suggestions there.  Non-members can view the forum as well, and sign on as a guest if they want to ask questions.

I haven't been on this forum in a while (http://www.itchmoforums.com/) but there's a forum there for Making Your Own Pet Food.  They may be willing to answer questions as well.  But I would really do my homework before using any recipes there.

(On a side note, I'm wondering if adding a supplement like Alnutrin to cooked meat would be a simple, balanced way to do home-cooked?  Anyone?)

I hope this helps!   :)
« Last Edit: March 12, 2012, 03:03:03 PM by Pookie »
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Offline Middle Child

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Re: Home-cooked info
« Reply #1 on: March 12, 2012, 07:40:46 PM »
Thank you Pookie!  Hi ho, back to the research I go.  I so appreciate you doing all this.

Offline BK

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Re: Home-cooked info
« Reply #2 on: March 13, 2012, 03:54:54 PM »
Hey Pookie!  I think Alnutrin is safe and balanced, but I would do as little cooking as possible.  And to add powder you would have to grind the meat.

I've checked out a few home cooked recipe sites and some of them are absolutely appalling.  You would not believe the things some people are feeding their cats!  As long as people are really careful and do their research into a species appropriate, balanced diet they should be ok.

Offline Pookie

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Re: Home-cooked info
« Reply #3 on: March 14, 2012, 01:00:37 PM »
Thanks, BK!  Do you know of any good home-cooked recipes that you could post/link here?

Just for fun I checked Alnutrin's site (http://knowwhatyoufeed.com/alnutrin_supplements.html) and their supplement can be used in "low-fat cooked meat formulations" as well as raw.  Good to know!

They also have a Recipe Library on their site, mostly for raw, but there is one for home-cooked called "Hydrogen's Gourmet Chicken Stew."  They also include nutrient profiles for each recipe.   :)
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Offline BK

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Re: Home-cooked info
« Reply #4 on: March 15, 2012, 01:37:01 PM »
I don't know of a specific recipe, but if you follow the ground raw rules, and add a complete supplement like Alnutrin I think you'd be ok.  I almost said follow the ground raw and lightly cook it, but you have to be careful with the bones.  When I was first switching BK and Teddy to raw and they were unenthusiastic, I did lightly (very lightly) cook the ground recipe from Dr. Pierson's site and they were fine.  I used the cooking just to get the "meat" smell going so they'd be more interested and over time I cooked less and less until they were eating the raw.  Is Pookie not going for raw and that's the reason you want to cook? 

Offline Pookie

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Re: Home-cooked info
« Reply #5 on: March 15, 2012, 02:51:54 PM »
Hi BK!

No, I'm not asking for Pookie but for any folks on here that might not be ready or able to feed raw, but want to do better than canned.  Check out this thread:  Parenting-Furkids > Cats > Cat Food And Nutrition > Nutrition > It just keeps getting better (getting off the c/d saga continued)
I was wondering if you knew of some good home-cooked recipes so MC would have more options if she decides to go that route.

I might consider it for Pookie, though, as his rotation is limited (since he's fussy) and I'm not sure I could handle going all raw with him.  It would be nice to have other options.

Thanks!
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Offline Pookie

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Re: Home-cooked info
« Reply #6 on: April 06, 2012, 05:42:20 PM »
I was standing on line at the supermarket and saw the latest Reader's Digest had a piece on 50 things your vet doesn't tell you.  Long story short, one vet mention home-cooked foods and how they have to be balanced.  The vet suggested this website:  https://secure.balanceit.com/index.php and there's an article about it here from 2009:  http://vetmedicine.about.com/od/nutritioninformation/a/BalanceITinterview.htm.

I haven't looked at it, so it may be worthless, but I thought it couldn't hurt to post it.  Enjoy!
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Offline Auntie Crazy

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Re: Home-cooked info
« Reply #7 on: April 13, 2012, 07:22:16 AM »
Just throwing my two cents out there - you really don't want to cook your cats' food.

Cooking destroys many of the nutrients and enzymes that make raw foods so incredibly beneficial to cats. Unfortunately, scientists have not yet identified all of the nutrients present in the various prey items cats eat, or even all of the nutrients cats actually utilize, never mind in what combinations. Without having the information that defines "100% complete and balanced" it is impossible that any supplement can be guaranteed to make up for whatever is cooked out.

If we feed in the raw form, we don't need this information because all of the nutrients are naturally provided. When you start messing around with those nutrients, however, you run the risk of not providing something.

Best regards.

AC
AC's Crew: Allen, Rachel, Meghan, Spencer, Heather & Ralph

CatCentric.org: A feline nutrition, raw feeding, cat care, health & behavior blog & resource site.

Offline Pookie

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Re: Home-cooked info
« Reply #8 on: April 13, 2012, 08:46:07 AM »
Thanks, AC.  Not everyone is ready or able to feed raw, so I started this thread for those folks.  Canned food is also cooked (and supplemented), but since so many brands seem to change formulas, quality of ingredients, or have ingredients like spinach or carageenan that are a problem for cats, home-cooked may be an option for those folks who want to have more control over the quality/ingredients of their fur-kids food but aren't ready or able to feed raw.
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Offline Amber

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Re: Home-cooked info
« Reply #9 on: August 03, 2012, 03:52:33 AM »
I did alnutrin with cooked meat (or mostly cooked, anyway) for a while. Personally I think its great for people who want to get their feet wet without plunging in, and while I will always think raw is best, even as a permanent solution using alnutrin with cooked, clean, human grade meat and no fillers/additives/carcinogens is infinately superior to most, if not all commercial foods. But then I am a control freak when it comes to Hissyfluff.

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