Switching to raw diet(hopefully!)

[sherrylynne]

Hi, I've got 4 cats I'd love to transition from kibble to raw, but I really need some help. My oldest(14 yrs) is a kibble addict, will only eat in the bedroom(on the bed), next(10yrs), and youngest(4yrs) are most amenable to canned. One (8yrs) sleeps in the basement most of the time (his choice), and generally will only eat at night, or early morning! Can anyone help me with this quandry?

[Bonkers]

 Hello sherrylynne and welcome to the Pet Food List Forum! First let me start by saying that patience and persistance is the key when it comes to transitioning kitties to a healthier diet. First I would attempt to get all the kitties accustomed to eating in the same area. The ones who eat canned food may be the easiest to transition. Have any of them ever eaten plain raw or cooked meat? There are a few websites that contain valuable info pertaining to this subject. http://www.catnutrition.org/index.php                                            http://www.catinfo.org/      http://www.littlebigcat.com/index.php?action=library&act=show&item=switchingfoods 

[sherrylynne]

Thanks . They have been eating in the bathroom, on the counter, since we've had them. We started them there because they've always been free fed and we had dogs(who have since passed over the bridge). One started being fed in the bedroom because he no longer tolerates the other cats very well, and the feeling is mutual. Healthwise, everything checks out. He simply preferred the dogs, and they are gone. We've tried to reintegrate him, but at his age, he's having nothing to do with it ! I've tried putting the food up at night, and set a schedule, but then the night feeder simply starves himself(very timid and highstrung Siamese).
As to the two who will try canned, I have tried them on raw, and yes, they'll eat a bit , two or three bites, but at least it's something . Now you know why I wrote "hopefully" in the title !

[Bonkers]

  Then I would say that where they are fed is not of great importance at this time. Just could not fathom the idea of one eating raw on your bed Lol! The two that eat canned should be very easy to transition since they have eaten bits of raw before. Cats are creatures of habit and any changes pertaining to that is often met with resistance. There are many members here who feed raw to their pets and I am sure they will provide you with some valluable insight on this subject. Mine was eating canned first and was fairly easy to transition to the raw. What I did was place a little raw beside his canned food on a plate. Others recommend mixing it together. You will need to experiment to see what will work for you.

[kaffe]

While it would be very ideal to have all cats eating in the one area at the same time, I understand that there are situations where that may not be possible or that to force it would place the cats into a stressful situation where the transition to a new diet will be met with more confusion and resistance.  What I would do is to allow them each to eat where and when they are accustomed to eating for now as you gradually GRADUALLY introduce the new food - just a little at a time, served with their normal food.  The cats need to understand and accept that the new food IS food.  Unless they are starving, most cats will not eat something unfamiliar to them --- this instinct guards them against accidental poisoning in the wild.  So, present a little of the new food with their more familiar diet.  As for the timid siamese who eats only at certain times, what I found worked for my two who liked to nibble at food in the wee hours of the morning was to freeze small portions of raw in ice cube trays and then leave out a frozen cube or two on a plate on top of more ice for them to nibble at at will.  You'll find that by the time the raw cube thaws for eating, the cat is ready to eat.  Raw food can remain good this way for at least 2 - 3 hours - more if the weather is cold. 

[sherrylynne]

I'm tired, so just to make sure I have this clear, Kaffe. I should give them a kibble sized bite or two of raw in with their kibbles. And for Herne(the timid one), give him an ice cube of frozen raw for the night. Would that be next to his kibble dish? Please bear with me. I switched 4 ferrets to raw, but they were easy compared to the kitties  !

[Perseus]

It took me between 4-6 weeks to get my 3 adult kitties transitioned from various types of (bad) canned and kibble over to a raw diet.  I started by slightly cooking the raw and transitioned them to that version first.  I then started cooking it a little less and less each week, until they were used to the raw flavor.

I feed two types of commercial raw foods from smaller manufacturers that have great testing and quality control. I did feed the semi-cooked and raw wherever they were used to eating, which was a few different spots in the house.  I still do that today, too.  Raw everywhere.  However, I only leave it out for about half an hour and whatever isn't eaten (which never is very much if any), I throw away.

I had a male kibble addict kitty who never had any other type of food pass his lips, and he took a good 6 weeks to fully transition.  But now he loves his raw, and he is more beautiful than ever.  He's also not "mean" or "bitey" any more since he's not eating kibble.  I have heard from others that kibble makes a cat irritated so this was a plus in getting him on the raw.

[Perseus]

I should add that for my kibble addict, I actually ended up transitioning him from kibble to canned first, then to cooked raw and then to regular raw.  I tried going from kibble to raw and he just protested terribly.  I also didn't want to mix the kibble with the raw because I've also read that kibble should not be wet when they eat it.

Any other opinions out there on mixing kibble with raw during a transition period?? 

[Perseus]

sherrylynne, what raw food diets/recipes or commercial raw are you planning on feeding your crew, if you don't mind me asking?  I'm using two commercial raw foods, made by small manufacturers that have really good quality control and excellent sources for their meats:  www.felinespride.com and www.auntjeni.com.  I haven't even attempted to make home made raw yet, I don't even eat meat myself!  It's still painful to have to scoop out the raw food from the storage containers onto their plates....

[kaffe]

I'm tired, so just to make sure I have this clear, Kaffe. I should give them a kibble sized bite or two of raw in with their kibbles. And for Herne(the timid one), give him an ice cube of frozen raw for the night. Would that be next to his kibble dish? Please bear with me. I switched 4 ferrets to raw, but they were easy compared to the kitties  !

Don't I know how "tired" feels like Sherrylynne!  No need to apologise!  Like Perseus, it took me about a month to transition Kaffe and Cato to raw and I had to do a lot of experimentation and creativity!  I never mixed the raw food into kibble or canned food.  Instead, I presented the raw either beside or under the old food.  Let me explain:  Kaffe liked wet food, so on transitioning, I wold give about 1 tsp of ground raw and top that generously with his old wet food.  He gets started on the old food which is on top and by the time he gets to the raw beneath, his digestive juices are flowing andhe just keeps on eating.  With Cato who was a kibble addict, I presented a tsp of ground raw topped with water ('coz this guy likes sauce) on a plate beside a tsp of his normal kibble in a separate bowl.  He of course begins with the kibble, gets his juices flowing and when he realizes he is still hungry after he's eaten all his kibble, he moves on to the raw dish beside his kibble bowl.  At first both cats never finished the 1 tsp raw, but later they did.  The I just gradualy cut back on the commercial food.  Mind you, it was one step forward, one step back at times.  The key is patience.  You may also have to experiment on what type of meat your cats like best - some prefer chicken, some turkey, some lamb or beef.

About the ice cube raw, yes - present that on a separate plate. 

It is strongly recommended that after the raw has thawed that you pick it up after 30 mins.  I found though that my cats will not eat raw food that has spoiled - in fact, will not eat any food that has gone off.  Cato for example is so fastidious about this that he will eat wet food only if it is spooned out of a freshly opened can - wont touch it even if it has been refrigerated!  As for his raw food plate at night - the frozen cube - he tends to lick at that while it is still cold.  These days about half of it remains uneaten by morning... I think it may have something to do with Kaffe not being around anymore. 

[sherrylynne]

First, let me say, thank you for all the interest in my brats and myself . This is such a pleasant change from some of the other cat forums I've been on!
Perseus- Ideally, I would like to get at least some of them on RMB, like the ferrets. Other than that, maybe a frozen commercial ground.
Right now, Watson(4yr old, eats on the counter) loves canned, has a few bites of some muscle meats when the ferrets eat, and wants access to his kibbles.
Herne(8yr old, night time eater) will have a bit of canned as a treat once in a while, but relies on kibbles.
Ligiea(10yr old, eats on counter), wants canned in the a.m., wants kibble rest of day.
Mr. Stubbs(14yr old, eats on bed), will only eat kibble, with the odd lick at canned.
One thing I have found- they all prefer Evo 95% meat canned.
All that said, I have tried feeding schedules. Even after a week, the cats will only nibble at the food for both sessions, then squawk all day for the kibbles to be put down. After a week, I was really getting concerned that my kibble addicts were not eating nearly enough to sustain them. I have to admit, the idea of putting the raw up after 30m-1hr will take some getting used to! With the ferrets, since they digest, and then poop it out withing 3hrs, you can leave the raw out for 24 hrs with no ill effects .
I'm going to try putting it beside their respective dishes for now, and see what they do. Wish me luck!

[Bonkers]

   I too use Aunt Jeni's raw food. I believe it is also known as Oma's Pride in Canada and the cat food can be fed to ferrets. As kibble seems to be the hardest food to wean a cat off of, I would try to decrease the amount of dry and try to encourage them to eat more wet food. Various food toppers can be used to entice them, such as tuna juice, tuna, freeze dried treats or parmesean cheese to name a few. Bits of crumbled up kibble can be used also. In my experience, as long as there is kibble around, it will be much more difficult to completely transition them.

[kaffe]

I'm going to try putting it beside their respective dishes for now, and see what they do. Wish me luck!

Wishing you and your kitties lots and lots of good fortune!  Keep us posted how the transition project is progressing!

[sherrylynne]

First, the good news. Ligiea mostly prefers the canned, and Watson will actually eat some kibble sized pieces of raw, including most of a chicken heart last night ! Herne and Stubbs however, still won't touch anything but kibbles. Tried putting a bit in their food, and both left it. Oh, well. I'll just keep trying

[kaffe]

   Well, there's progress, at least with some of the kitties!  Congrats for that!