Changing To A Raw Food Diet

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Raw food diet for cats? I need more info about it?

So does anyone know what’s the deal with the raw food diet? I’ve read a lot about it on the Internet but still can’t make up my mind. Some experts claim it’s the best thing for your cat. This actually makes sense since it’s what naturally a cat would eat. However, some people, vets included, say it’s not a good idea bcoz of the risk of bacteria, parasites etc. Most vets actually recommend commercial foods such as Science Diet and Iams which really surprises me because those are not premium foods, they contain a lot of meat- by products, grains and all kinds of crap. So why do vets recommend them? Do they get paid to promote certain kinds of foods or what?

I don’t know if vets get paid to promote those foods. No clue. But I do know from personal experience (my vet) that Hills offers classes in “nutrition.” Not surprisingly they push their own products.

It’s obvious to me now that any vet who’s had adequate training in feline nutrition wouldn’t reach for a bag of anything, let alone a food food with more corn than meat.

I think the reason is they just don’t know any better. And they do what they’re told, and what they’re told is that Brand X is good. So they just parrot that info.

I feed one cat raw, the other canned. I’m hoping to transition #2 to raw someday, as it’s much less expensive and of course healthier. So I do have personal experience although I’m not holding all the answers.

But I did write this blog which may help you:
This blog is not intended to serve as your one-stop-shop for raw feeding. But hopefully it’ll help you focus on what you need to decide and give you ideas of where to look for more info. I personally chose to feed ground whole prey so I do not supplement*. I still serve some canned food for variety and likely will always have some on hand. I am feeding chicken, turkey and rabbit, and perhaps other meats when they become available.

(This ground meat does nothing for their teeth, so I also give the girls 1″ or so pieces of raw chicken neck to chew on. I do this a few times a week.)

*Unless you are truly feeding whole prey (e.g., a mouse) then it’s perhaps a good idea to do a bit of supplementation. The members of Whole Cat Health overwhelmingly favor the Nu-Cat multivitamin – either chewable or tablet. Note that their recommended dosages are half what the mfrs. suggest, so instead of 4 pills per day, give 2. Instead of 2 chewable, give 1. In addition, I add about 100mg of Taurine to each 2oz of meat – perhaps a bit more if it’s rabbit. On top of that, I add fish oil and probiotics. So to sum up, to each meal (2oz meat/bones/organs), I add one crushed multi-vitamin and the taurine. To every other meal, I add about 1/4 tsp probiotics. I add the fish oil at the time it’s served because I don’t want it to interfere with the flavor of the food.

So you’ve decided to feed raw. What’s next?

It’s actually pretty simple. You need to find a supplier. You need to decide on a method (ground, whole, etc.) You need to decide which meats to use. You need to know whether you need to supplement, and if you do, what supplements to use. And most importantly, you need to get your cat to eat it.

1. Finding a supplier.

A. Find a local supplier. If you’re in the midwest, I recommend Taylor Pond Farms. I buy my meat from them and it couldn’t be easier. They now rely mainly on local distributors who have the orders shipped to them (or keep some on hand), and they then make the deliveries. It’s much better this way because now there are no minimum orders, which was sometimes a problem when I was buying for just one cat. www.taylorpondfarms.com. They also have Yahoo groups for specific areas (http://groups.yahoo.com/search?query=taylor+pond+farms). You can also join http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/rawmeatsearch/, http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/CarnivoreFeed-Supplier, http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/WholeCatHealth/ and look through their list of links.

B. Buy online. One site used by many is www.hare-today.com. There are many other sites; the WholeCatHealth links above will help you find them.

C. Buy meat at the grocery store. Your choices will be limited but if all you’re going to feed is chicken, that’s fine. Just be sure that the meat is hormone and antibiotic free – or organic.

2. Choosing a method.

A. Whole prey. This may be either meat, bones and organs all ground together, or it may be chunks of meat and whole bones and organs. With this method you do not need to supplement; your cat will be eating a properly balanced meal (almost – see the above asterisked paragraph regarding supplementing.)

B. Just meat. Again, this can be either chunks of meat or it can be ground. If you do not include bones and organs, you will need to add supplements to ensure that the meals are complete and balanced.

To learn more about these methods, check out these Yahoo groups: (http://groups.yahoo.com/search?query=raw+feeding+cat)

3. Supplements. If you’ve chosen to serve meat without organs/bones, you will need to add supplements. There are a few different ways to do this. You can purchase a ready-made supplement such as Instincts TC (http://www.felinefuture.com/) or Wysong’s Call of the Wild (http://www.wysong.net/page/WOTTPWS/PROD/CALL_OF_THE_WILD). Or you can put together your own mixture. There are tons of recipes out there. One example is here (http://www.catnutrition.org/foodmaking.php). One of the raw feeding groups is dedicated to one particular supplement: (http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/felinefuturediet/).

4. Meats. Most meats are appropriate but you may want to avoid pork. The most commonly used meat is chicken. My vet suggested feeding a variety, so my choices are chicken, turkey and rabbit. If it becomes available I’ll also try venison. Lamb and duck were rejected. It’ll be up to you and your cat what to feed.

5. Converting your cats. If you’ve got a kibble junky on your hands, it might be easier to first convert him or her to canned food, and then try the raw. This has been a tried and true method for many including myself. Once the cats are happily eating canned food, start slipping a bit of meat into it. Just a speck to start with. Gradually increase that amount. If the cat balks, back down a bit but keep at it.

When you’re ready to try it alone, you may need bribes. Raw meat has little scent so it can be helpful to add something stinky your cat likes. Crush some kibble and sprinkle it over the top. Try fish or liver flakes, parmesan cheese, a drop of soy sauce, meaty baby food (with no added onion or garlic), whatever it takes.

Note that you do not have to start with canned. You may be able to toss down a hunk of chicken and your cat will devour it. You never know until you try.

If you join any or all of the above groups, you’ll find many more tips as well.

Patience and perseverence is the key. I was surprised at how readily Poppy took to the chicken after being on canned food for a year, but Sophie who is not normally picky has been resisting. What she doesn’t know is that she’s getting a bit of chicken along with her Wellness. (NOTE: Mushier canned foods may do better to hide the meat than the denser varieties such as Instincts).

Last but not least – relax! If you’re researching this you may become overwhelmed at the tons of info out there, and all the conflicting opinions about what is best. What you need to do is choose the method that will work for YOU and your cats. And while it is important that your cat eat a balanced diet, it is not the end of the world if you don’t get it exactly right your first time out, or if you forget to add a supplement one day. As my vet said, do you eat a balanced diet every day?

I don’t mean to downplay the importance of proper supplementation, but this shouldn’t be viewed as rocket science. It CAN be done.

The biggest lies about “raw food” products / #14 The Rawfoodfamily TV-Show

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If you thought about a healthier diet a good way to do this is by substituting some raw food recipes for some of the food recipes cooked a day is used now. This is just another way to look at the recipes for imitation.

Although most people think that a raw food diet is to eat fruits and salads and maybe a handful of nuts and seeds, raw food diet is much more than that. You can prepare dozens of recipes for imitation, that mimic the standard American diet fare that probably used to eating.

For example, one of the best recipes of raw food that is easy to do is almond milk. You can easily make your own almond milk cheaply, at home, to replace cow's milk and soy products harmful in cash and rice. Milk soy and other milks are highly processed boxed. Although milk is a better alternative to cow that does not have health benefits you get from a nice tall glass of milk homemade almond.

Making almond milk is relatively easy and requires no unusual ingredient. You can use the dates, honey or agave nectar for sweetener and still keep it in your life or state of life.

To make almond milk only need about a cup of almonds raw. Be sure not to purchase or use toasted almonds. You absorb these overnight in pure water, drain and put in a blender with 3 cups of pure filtered minutes or spring water and mix for about 2 1 / 2. Then pour the milk in a bag of nuts, seeds germinated bag or fine mesh strainer. Tighten if you are using a bag. Pour into a glass jar, add your sweetener and refrigerate.

Almond milk will keep for up to five days or less. Use sliced strawberries and bananas in a bowl, drink as is, add the nutmeg for an eggnog flavor so it wherever you would use other milks.

Of course that can be used on cereal, muesli, cereal in a bowl if you still eat those. At least try to incorporate it into their diet. Much help improve your health. This is especially true if you eliminate cow's milk and other dairy products. Raw food diets are healthier diets and help you lose weight naturally.

There many other imitation raw food recipes you can make with live foods, which will replace the cooked foods in your diet. If you are a mother with young children or teenagers, you will be a great addition to the diets of their children with almond milk and other food recipes of life. They will never know the difference and your overall health will benefit. There are many other simple and easy raw food recipes you can set for breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner.

About the Author:

For more raw food recipes, raw food diets, losing weight with raw foods, curing breast cancer, arthritis, fibromyalgia, sinus, digestive and sleeping issues, acid reflux, headaches, allergies, etc. see a nurse/raw food expert’s: http://www.RecipesRaw.com

Article Source: ArticlesBase.com – Copy Cat Raw Food Recipes – How To Make Almond Milk

Healthy Raw Food Recipes : Raw Food Products for a Healthy Living

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