Hi!

I have 2 Bengals, named Gin and Tonic. I've been researching the raw diet for quite a while now and would love to go raw! I just have a few more questions.

It has been about 2 weeks since we got Gin and Tonic and right now they only eat kibble we got from the cattery (they only ate kibble and 'baby paté', no real canned food) so we don't upset their stomachs. We already tried one can of 'healthy' tuna with chicken and they were very excited to eat wet food! So yesterday I gave 1 raw chicken heart to each of them, and they also responded very well! The 2 hearts were completely gone

So my question is: I bought some readymade raw minced meat (with bone and organs of course) for cats. Can I just give both of them a small or normal portion immediately? Or is this maybe too much to handle for their stomachs for the first time? Most tips for getting cats used to a raw diet are about mixing wet food (or even kibble...) with raw, but our cats aren't eating wet food at this moment so can I just start with raw 100%?

Thanks!!

Congratulations on your babies. I would only give them a teeny tiny portion - just like you did with the hearts. I would not exclusively go to the raw diet immediately. Transition slowly! Their tummies are sensitive right now and any sudden change can result in diarrhea. You should take at least two to three weeks to get them transitioned completely over to raw by increasing the portion of raw a little each day and continuing to also give them the kibble.

You will always try to introduce a new food gradually! See if they like it first! Variety in a cat's diet is good as well. Like children, you want to expose them to different foods. Many cat owners stick with the same thing that the cat will eat. I'm sure you will find something your cats will turn their noses up at. What you do not want is to upset their tummies, so increasing smaller portions and only giving them a tiny portion of something new is the best thing. Eventually, you can have them on full raw -- making sure they get all the proper nutrition from basically the entire animal, or purchase a supplement for cats that will have the taurine and calcium they require.

It's tempting to give your cat different types of protein to see what they like best. I did that and then my kitties developed skin sensitivities. I brought in the food I was feeding to the vet and she noted that I had them on too many different proteins which made it difficult to pin-point the problem. We had to find a protein they had never had and keep them on only one protein (not easy to do). One year later they are still on a venison only diet. When I introduce another protein they start to itch again.

Also check with your vet about feeding them raw fish. There is more to it than the mercury in their tiny bodies, I think the bacteria in raw fish can be harmful, but I am not an expert.

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The little monsters 3

Since I feed my bengal commercial cat food, I don't know how to go about feeding a cat a neck bone, unless you do like dogs -- give it them and let them chew on it. The bone can probably be crushed for calcium! I'm hoping someone who does raw feeding can weigh in on your question.

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The little monsters 3

Blondie gives me a scared look if i give her raw food. Grace will eat chicken necks but I always get scared that she will choke or that a bone will do damage in her digestive system. I used to chop them into chunks to make it easier to eat. I stopped giving them to her a while ago, but she used to crack the bones and devour the entire neck. Then she would take a long nap while it digested.

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The little monsters 3

re: feeding kittens raw food - Our breeder weaned all her kittens to raw. Quasar has never had anything but a raw diet and is the healthiest cat I have ever seen/owned.

re: variety in raw diet - I experimented with various meats and 95% of the time Quasar eats a total duck diet. The commercial brand I buy does not include taurine, specifically. Although it is probably inherent in the organ meat included in the food, I sprinkle a small amount on his food daily. Excess will not harm him. He will simply excrete it in his urine.

re: switching over to raw diet from kibble - If the cat will eat the raw diet, you can switch quickly. The raw diet is the most natural diet for a cat and you will find few, if any, problems with the switch.

re: making your own diet - I make a ground food diet using chicken gizzards and hearts. I sprinkle ground eggshells to substitute for bone calcium since my grinder is not amenable to bone without going on strike. Make sure all meats you buy are fresh. Quasar let me know quickly when a batch of hearts/gizzards was past its prime. I usually buy them still par-frozen. The ones that have thawed instore are questionable for freshness.

re: benefits of raw diet - easily digestible, fun to watch the cat when they are given bone-in treats, ie. wing tips or necks; overall great health, strong, clean teeth, and NO poo smell. Poops are once every day or two and have no odour. Others think I exaggerate when I say this but it's true

re: detractions of raw diet - cost, although a comparison to quality non-raw cat food will show that raw food pricing is competitive; inconvenience - camping has provided a challenge for us in that the best way to store the raw is frozen until ready to feed; vacations - pet sitters may be put off by the idea of raw feeding

The Facebook group Cat CRAP (completely raw and proud) is a valuable resource for raw feeding.

Good luck in having the healthiest cats ever!

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~ Kyenta

Thank you for weighing in, Kyenta!