Raw Food Diet (for a cat)

Mark adds plain yogurt. The purpose behind this is to improve gut flora (bacteria). His cats like it so he sticks with it but recommends a probiotic acidophilus supplement. Acidophilus is a naturally occurring gut bacteria. This is good bacteria protecting the stomach from harmful microorganisms¹.

As for the cenral ingredient, meat or better described as animal flesh, Mark uses cheap chicken, ground turkey, 1/3rd of the mix is organ meats (livers etc.) and 1/3rd beef stew meat. The proportions are approximate.

Mark used Ziploc double zipper freezer bags to store the finished product. Mark’s daily expenditure on cat food is 1.56 a day feeding 13 adult cats! Astonishing for me in the UK. I think I spend about that feeding 3 cats and it is commercial food, which is inferior.

Jim’s Recipe

Jim uses chicken necks (or thighs from Wal-Mart in the USA) or thighs if making up a smaller quantity as the central ingredient in his homemade cat food.

He grinds up a tub of meat…probably between 10 and 15 pounds (the cheap grinder mentioned above is recommended in the USA, currently costing less than $100). He dumps in 4 taurine capsules, 4 L-lysine capsules, some beneficial bacteria (either 4 capsules, or around a half ounce of the bulk powder). He grinds up 4 calcium tablets (usually he gets the powder in bulk) and he adds around a cup and a half of dry oatmeal and 4-6 ounces of tomato juice. He mixes this well.

He grinds and mixes around 200 lbs at a time using plastic tubs (also from Wal-Mart) and covers the meat directly with Saran Wrap and puts the top on the tub, and freeze it. For two cats you would probably freeze in one pound baggies…maybe a pound and a half; enough for a feeding, anyhow, he says.

Thanks Jim

Maryll’s Recipe

Maryll uses homemade raw food diet recipes from the websites below, grinding her cats’ food as her cats like it that way. The other way, I presume is what she calls the “prey model”, replicating cat prey, which is in a whole or more or less a whole state:

» http://www.catinfo.org/

» http://www.catnutrition.org/ (link opens in a new window).

Maryll also offers dry Chicken Soup for Cat Lovers to her cats This seems to be high quality dog or cat food manufactured in the USA. The USA is well known for the variety, quality and quantity of its food products. She recommends the grinder referred to above.

Maryll buys human grade supplements, like Salmon oil, dry Vitamin E, probiotics, B-Complex, powdered taurine and L-Lysine (much easier to deal with than capsules), from The Vitamin Shoppe.

Update 5th April 2010: Maryll sent me this note:

I now prefer Taste of the Wild Rocky Mountain Feline Formula which I use in addition to my raw mix for my old dry-addicted cats instead of Chicken Soup. Here is the link info: Taste of the Wild. Keep up the good work.

Thanks, Maryll

Some Supplements Described

» L-Lysine is a necessary building block for all protein in the body. L-Lysine plays a major role in calcium absorption; building muscle protein; recovering from surgery or sports injuries; and the body’s production of hormones, enzymes, and antibodies (src: Wikipedia verbatim under license, see below)

» Taurine is an essential amino acid. Read about Bengal cats and Taurine (new window). “I use Taurine Powder from Now Foods, which is a human-grade supplement for my cat. It is completely tasteless.” and ” Kitty bloom has Taurine in it and they like that. I mix it into their wet food completely.” (quoted breeders)

“A requirement of 400 mg taurine kg diet is suggested for the growing kitten and for maintenance of the adult A minimal requirement for reproduction would be 500 mg taurine kg diet” — this comes from Nutrient requirements of cats By National Research Council (U.S.). Subcommittee on Cat Nutrition 1986.

» Probiotics are dietary supplements and live microorganisms containing potentially beneficial bacteria or yeasts. According to the currently adopted definition by FAO/WHO, probiotics are: ‘Live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host’.(src: Wikipedia verbatim under license, see below). This is why Mark above adds plain yogurt to his recipe.

» B-Complex is: Vitamin B1 (thiamine), Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), Vitamin B3 (niacin, includes nicotinic acid and nicotinamide), Vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid), Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine, pyridoxal, and pyridoxamine), Vitamin B7 (biotin), also known as vitamin H, Vitamin B9 (folic acid), also, vitamin M, Vitamin B12 (various cobalamins; commonly cyanocobalamin in vitamin supplements) .(src: Wikipedia verbatim under license, see below)

» Salmon Oil is added to strengthen immune systems. I also is claimed to increase fertility and reduces the risk of heart disease. (src: Active Pet Feeds)

Other recommended sources of supplements for homemade cat food are:

Taurine and Calcium from Kirkman Labs http://kirkmanlabs.com/ (thanks to Jean Danforth). A good all in one vitamin supplement recommended is http://www.platinumperformance.com/

Thanks Canie

Mara’s Raw Food Diet Recipe for Cats

Add powder (Instincts) to the raw meat mixture:

http://www.felinefuture.com/

Also, daily add salmon oil (keep refrigerated and add fresh daily to one
feeding of meat):

http://www.grizzlypetproducts.com/index.html

Recipe:

4 cups Instincts powder
10 cups water

Mix the above

Grind:

10 pounds turkey thighs (skinless and boneless)
6 pounds beef bottom round
2 pounds beef liver
4 tins sardines (water packed and add the liquid)

Mix in the Instincts powder.

Put it into freezer bags or Ziploc freezer containers and take them
out when needed.

It’s important to buy a professional quality meat grinder that way you will
save on grinding time. We purchased ours from a Fish & Tackle supply store (USA).

Twice weekly add egg yolks to a morning feeding (no whites).

This recipe gives cats perfect poops, no diarrhea, and on the raw there is
much less stool because so much of the food is utilized. Notice at
least twice as much urine though which is a good thing.

This is from Mara of Dazzledots Bengals— thanks Mara. I hope you don’t mind me publishing your great recipe here. I have provided a link in return. If you want anything else just ask.