Author Topic: Introduction to Rad Cat Raw 9-1-12  (Read 29100 times)

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Offline Lola

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Re: Introduction to Rad Cat Raw 9-1-12
« Reply #60 on: October 17, 2012, 09:49:05 PM »
Quote
I hope they are complete anyway. Worrying about that will probably keep me from ever going 100% home made raw.

Yup that is me also.  Feed a variety and hope for the best!  

NOT being poopy to raw feeders, but ... mannnnny raw feeders have different opinions and such about ingredients, supplements, etc.  Who is right?  Hate to find out the hard way.  
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Offline Lola

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Re: Introduction to Rad Cat Raw 9-1-12
« Reply #61 on: October 17, 2012, 09:51:29 PM »
You're waiting for whenever you're ready to try it.  I see no reason to rush on anything, really.  I am taking this as slowly as I need to. I refuse to put any pressure on myself to make it a bigger deal than it needs to be. I started back in...was it May? with the Stella&Chewy's and Little Cat.  And I have progressed in little baby steps as I feel comfortable. You should, too. Anytime you want to share your experiences, we'll love to hear them!

The girls had steak tonight. Top Cat had a full one once, cut in a few strips. Little Cat had a half ounce, cut into smaller strips. (both had egg shell calcium with it) Struvite Kitty had two small pieces, heavily dusted with Vets-Best, she ate one of them.

TC and LC devoured their red meat and were looking around for more.


I don't see me ever being ready to go full blown raw.  For now... I THINK we have a good mix of commercial raw, canned, and raw "treats" from whatever meat I am using for our (people) dinners. 
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Offline Middle Child

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Re: Introduction to Rad Cat Raw 9-1-12
« Reply #62 on: October 17, 2012, 10:14:01 PM »
Me either Lola.  I'm looking at a combination of commercial raw (Rad Cat), home made raw and commercial canned, also. Since I can't get the Rad Cat locally though, the cost is so high that I had to turn to at least some home made complete meals, to balance things out a little. I'm still in the experimental stages, goal is a regular rotation of the Rad Cat, home made and canned, some of each, every day.  Dedicated prey model feeders mostly say that the diet should be balanced over a period of one week, not day to day, but that method doesn't seem to be practical for me.

I'm not planning to do home made ground raw at all, ever.

Struvite kitty is now getting AIRBORNE in her string on a stick leaps.  She hasn't gotten her hind feet off the ground on those leaps in years.  I am thrilled with what the one ounce a day of Rad Cat has done for her.  Just one ounce of commercial raw a day.

Offline Middle Child

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Re: Introduction to Rad Cat Raw 9-1-12
« Reply #63 on: October 19, 2012, 09:51:47 AM »
I've changed my mind about the bone for Top Cat I think.  I just butchered a cornish hen.  I know cats are carnivores, but man, even the rib bones and wing tips seemed sharp to me. And I do not care to repeat the butchering experience, LOL.  Though it was interesting to portion out single meals using all the parts (except the bones) of one animal.

I'll just keep on with buying my meat already cut up.   And already de-boned as often as possible besides.

 In the freezer, (in addition to the cornish hen complete meals) are:  steak, chicken thigh, turkey thigh, chicken breast, and chicken gizzard/hearts. Different parts of an animal have different nutrients, so it helps to vary not only the animal protein source, but the part used.  (all are one ounce chunks of muscle meat to be combined with .05 liver and .05 other organ, plus the supplements calcium, taurine and probiotic, fish oil 2-3 times a week):

I think I may have found a shop where I can get other meats, and hopefully kidney and pancreas, I am really in need of at least one more secreting organ. I'm going to vary the source of the liver too.  Right now I'm just using chicken liver, but I'm going to add other kinds, depending on what that shop I found has (if anything)

There is a complete supplement called Alnutrin (with or without calcium added) that can be added to meat and organ. While many raw feeders claim this type of supplement isn't necessary, I've ordered a free sample.  It may make me feel more confident to add this kind of "complete" supplement a few times a week, especially if I feed more than one meal a day home made (which I am still on the fence about) There are other supplements, and I have investigated most of them that I have seen recommended.   The Alnutrin seems to fit my needs the best, judging by not only ingredients used, but price.

I am continuing to feed Struvite Kitty and Little Cat one ounce of Rad Cat a day.  LC is going to get her first complete home made meal tonight.  Up until now she has had small chunks with calcium and taurine added, but she has not had any liver.  Tonight she gets liver. I hope she will eat it!

All three cats also continue to receive canned food.   Where we're at:

Struvite Kitty is 1/4 commercial (Rad Cat frozen) raw, 3/4 canned, plus .2 (2/10) ounce of muscle meat in small pieces. 

Top Cat is 1/4 home made raw complete meal (muscle, organ, supplements) and 3/4 canned.

Little Cat is 1/2 commercial raw (Rad Cat Frozen, Stella&Chewy's freeze dried re-hydrated) and 1/2 canned.  That is about to change, as tonight she will be getting her first full home made raw meal. That will put her at 3/4 total raw and 1/4 canned.

Offline Middle Child

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Re: Introduction to Rad Cat Raw 9-1-12
« Reply #64 on: October 19, 2012, 10:46:44 AM »


Little Cat is 1/2 commercial raw (Rad Cat Frozen, Stella&Chewy's freeze dried re-hydrated) and 1/2 canned.  That is about to change, as tonight she will be getting her first full home made raw meal. That will put her at 3/4 total raw and 1/4 canned.

I forgot that TC does not always want the Stella&Chewy's every night and my original plan was to alternate the S&C with the home made meal.  Which will keep her at 1/2 raw (combination of commercial and homemade) and 1/2 canned.

Offline Shadow

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Re: Introduction to Rad Cat Raw 9-1-12
« Reply #65 on: October 19, 2012, 11:50:34 AM »
Can you smash the bones with a hammer/mallet?  :-\
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Offline Middle Child

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Re: Introduction to Rad Cat Raw 9-1-12
« Reply #66 on: October 19, 2012, 01:36:21 PM »
Can you smash the bones with a hammer/mallet?  :-\

Well, technically I could.  But do I want to.......not really  funny2 Raw with egg shell calcium added is certainly superior to commercial canned so, for the time being I guess I'll stick with that.  I can always change my mind some other time if I want to.  funny2

Do you feed bone?  How do you do it, if you do?

Offline Shadow

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Re: Introduction to Rad Cat Raw 9-1-12
« Reply #67 on: October 19, 2012, 04:45:05 PM »
MC the premade raw that I feed has bone in it already. though some of the pieces are kinda big, and they just leave those. Shadow is not on 100% raw yet, she is still being stubborn with some of the flavours. (Elk and chicken) she will however eat the lamb and rabbit, and sometimes chicken. Need to get some more pretty quick.
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Offline Middle Child

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Re: Introduction to Rad Cat Raw 9-1-12
« Reply #68 on: October 19, 2012, 05:53:06 PM »
Little Cat gets bone in her Stella&Chewy's and the pieces are very small, she eats it all with no trouble. Are you the using the Carnivora?

Oh well there is no rush on deciding on feeding bone.  I can change my mind at any time, after all.  :)

Offline Shadow

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Re: Introduction to Rad Cat Raw 9-1-12
« Reply #69 on: October 19, 2012, 08:57:05 PM »
Yes we are feeding the Carnivora
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Re: Introduction to Rad Cat Raw 9-1-12
« Reply #70 on: October 19, 2012, 08:59:51 PM »
Tonight everyone had a version of a Prey Model meal:

Top Cat had:
1 ounce of chicken gizzard/thigh combo
.10 ounce liver
calcium, taurine and probiotic

She ate it all, well everyone already knows TC loves her raw chunks.

Little Cat had:
.65 ounce of chicken gizzard/thigh combo
.10 ounce of liver (that would be too much with this amount of meat as a regular thing, but just this once won't hurt her)
calcium, taurine (she gets her probiotic in the morning)

LC dove right in, but needed a little Vets-Best dust to finish her chunks of gizzard.

Struvite Kitty cat had:
.25 ounce combo gizzard and liver
a tiny bit of calcium and taurine, to get her used to it, she gets her probiotic last meal of the night.
heavily dusted with Vets-Best. 

SK gobbled the liver, but needed another dusting of Vets-Best to finish the bits of gizzard.

They all seem to love the liver, which is strange, because apparently most cats need a lot of coaxing to eat raw liver.

I have Liver Lovers, LOL!

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Re: Introduction to Rad Cat Raw 9-1-12
« Reply #71 on: October 22, 2012, 08:58:23 AM »
Struvite Kitty is rejecting all red meat. It doesn't matter how small I make the pieces or how much I dust them. Rad Cat Lamb and the steak I bought for them, she says no. Well at first she would try them, then puke them up.  Now she just says NO.

I'm wondering if I should try pork with her.  I have a weird aversion to pork for myself, so the idea of feeding it raw to the cats kind sticks in my craw.

I may just have to be satisfied with different poultry for SK's rotation. Chicken, turkey, and hopefully the cornish hen. So far they're only getting the thighs of the chicken and turkey, but I'll be adding some breast soon, just waiting someone to have a good sale. And she'll eat the gizzard if it's cut small enough.

Top Cat is now getting one and a half home made raw meals a day, the rest of her food is canned.

Little Cat gets her Rad Cat meal every day, plus either a Stella&Chewy meal or a home made raw meal (on alternate days) on the days she eats the Stella&Chewy's she gets a half home made raw meal.  The rest is canned.

Struvite Kitty continues on 1 ounce of Rad Cat raw, chicken or turkey, her canned food, and about .15 (point one five) ounces of small pieces of whatever the other two are having in their home made raw that day, (unless it is a beef day.)

The home made portions for rotation are: chicken gizzard, chicken thigh, turkey thigh, cornish hen, and beef.  Soon to be added, chicken breast, and turkey breast.  Chicken liver is still the only secreting organ being used, I am hoping to find some kidney soon.

Supplements are Alnutrin egg shell calcium ( added, in proportion, to every home made raw serving) probiotic (everyone gets one, every day) taurine (added in proportion to every raw meal, though I have been told it's not really necessary) Krill oil small amounts, twice a week (just starting with that)

Top Cat gets her pumpkin every day, and the other two are getting the egg yolk lecithin, so far just twice a week, to see how it goes for hairball control.  They all love the egg yolk lecithin!

So far all is going well, litter box habits are normal, stool is all normal, so I must be doing the calcium proportions correctly, that is a comfort.

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Re: Introduction to Rad Cat Raw 9-1-12
« Reply #72 on: October 28, 2012, 10:51:24 AM »
Turkey thigh is a HUGE HIT!  Even Struvite Kitty barely needed any incentive dusting to eat her bits of raw turkey thigh! bananamiddlechild

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Re: Introduction to Rad Cat Raw 9-1-12
« Reply #73 on: October 28, 2012, 06:23:23 PM »
Tonight Struvite Kitty had .3 ounces (point three) of raw pieces.  Gizzard and heart and a teeny bit of liver.  Even though it was a small amount I added a few grains of egg shell powder calcium to it. With a small dusting of Vet's-Best she ate it all up and was looking for more!  She still needs her pieces to be very small.

Top Cat had the same meal, but larger (1.1 ounce) and as you know, she is eating big chunks.

Little Cat also had the same meal, but .8 ounces, and her chunks, while not as big as TC's, are quite a bit larger than SK's.

Offline Shadow

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Re: Introduction to Rad Cat Raw 9-1-12
« Reply #74 on: October 28, 2012, 06:56:50 PM »
 thumbsup1  MC you have a lot of patience....I would find it very hard to feed all the different cats, different things.
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