Wellness Wednesday - How I put my cats onto a raw meat diet - Part 2

A small disclaimer: This is not for everyone and there are some who will still think that it's too much protein and nothing I have said will change that and that's fine. They're YOUR animals and you need to do what you think is best for them. This is just how I do things and I feel it's best for my babies. This is giving you a different viewpoint and you can do what you want with it. So please don't send comments or emails telling me I'm killing my cats, or talking about stuff I don't know enough about and, in return, I won't judge how you raise your pets;) I've had the guilt trips from the conventional vet already but I've got the advice of a holistic vet as well as my own research. For me, the proof is in the health of my cats so this is how WE do things. Thanks:)

On Monday I spoke about why pet food is so bad for your pets. As you now know, I don't have dogs so I can't speak too much for them except to say that they love real food JUST as much as cats do. I have friends who have their dogs on a raw food diet so perhaps I will ask them to do a guest blog about that as I know a LOT of you are dog owners. But, whether you are a dog or a cat owner, you want the best for your kids pets, I'm sure. I can tell you that real, healthy food is THE BEST thing you can do for  them. The tricky part is transitioning them from pet food to real food.

So, how did I go about it? It wasn't easy, I can promise that! Cats are nothing if not creatures of habit. They love their routine and they hate change. That's why, when you move house, you have to gradually introduce them to their new habitat. Well, try and change their food after 13 years...

For starters, I had to get rid of the 24/7 buffet. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. You leave a bowl of kibbles down all the time so that they can graze whenever they want to. If you have a chubby cat, that is never going to be a good thing. Most cats only need to eat twice a day and some only need to eat once a day. Their digestive systems are designed to slowly move the meat through which keeps them full for a lot longer than humans. Also, if you are going to feed them raw meat, it can't stay out for hours on end or it will go off and make them sick. That means, getting them used to eating at certain times is going to be the first step.

I started by lifting their bowls during the day and only putting them down in the morning and the evening. Because of the addictive nature of their kibbles I had to not only LIFT the bowls, but HIDE the bowls. They can smell that stuff from a mile off I tell you! They weren't happy with being on rations but eventually they started to adjust to that. That was the easy part because they generally only ate when they were awake anyway! The problem is, they had to get used to eating ENOUGH to keep them going for 12 hours and that was hard for them. Then I decided it was time to try them with some canned food...

Because they had been on dry food for so long, they didn't want to KNOW wet food of any kind. Ironically, I was always quite proud of the fact that my cats had zero interest in human food or even canned cat food and so NEVER begged at all. They always knew when it was MY dinner time and they would keep their distance during that time, they never begged, never jumped on counters, never misbehaved and all got on so well. I've come to realise that they kept their distance during MY dinner time because they were, quite literally, addicted to their kibbles and nothing else appealed to them! Did you know that they actually coat the kibble with animal digest sprays which are IRRESISTIBLE to a cat. You'll really see it when you take it away from them. Suddenly I had a houseful of cats going through withdrawal! It's like a drug for them, kind of like fast food for cats. Imagine a houseful of permanently PMSing women and you'll have an idea of what our house was like...

You dare to keep my food and me apart?!

Because of the addictive nature of their kibbles, the first thing I had to do was actually to remove them from the house altogether. I put the bag in the garage and sealed it up. Then I went shopping for some canned food and tried it out with them. They sniffed it, looked at me in confusion, and walked away, coming back every few minutes to check if I'd put down some REAL food;) It didn't even register as food on their radars! I persevered and kept carrying them back to the bowls but they weren't even remotely interested. The next few days were spent watching my cats starve themselves as they rebelled against such a terrible injustice.

You have to be REALLY careful with cats. They can't go longer than about 24 hours without food. If they lose weight too fast they can develop a condition called Hepatic Lipidosis or Fatty Liver Disease. Basically, if a cat loses body fat too fast, the liver can't process it fast enough and the cat is left with a poorly functioning liver which can be fatal. This can happen really fast which is why you HAVE to make them eat. It's even worse if the cat is fat and loses weight too fast. So it's really important to watch them. If they are not eating at all, it's better to just give them some of their kibbles to make sure they get some food within the 24hour window period.

When they simply refused to eat the canned food, I used the pestle and mortar to grind up their kibbles and then I sprinkled them over the canned food. It actually worked and eventually they started to nibble on it because it tasted familiar. They don't need to eat huge amounts to prevent Hepatic Lipidosis so as long as they eat SOMETHING, you're ok. They are STILL going to lose weight though and that is pretty normal since they aren't eating as much AND canned foods are generally a bit higher in protein and water content which means their bodies will be functioning more normally than they would if they were on the kibbles.

Sebastian, who I've always called Fat Boy, with good reason, was the toughest nut to crack and, before long, the name Fat Boy became obsolete. He went on a hunger strike!

I'm not leaving this cupboard until you feed me what I want!!

He's the biggest of our cats and he's the boss. We ALL have to bow before his mighy-ness, both humans and cats alike. As long as nothing in his life changes, he will be happy. Unfortunately life is never that simple and so he's seldom happy;) Sadly, for the other cats, that means a grumpy boss and a whack or two around the head, or worse, for simply deigning to be in his space. For us it means him jumping on counters and stealing any available food, walking around the house in the wee hours meowing repeatedly and just basically acting out. He was, in short, a monster and everyone tip-toed around him in fear of what would come next.

This was a nasty shock to me because I've always taken great pride in the good behaviour of my cats. GLM would casually mention that perhaps the diet wasn't working in hopes that I would give in and life would go back to normal;) I refused. Partly because I'm a virgo and I CAN'T fail (I admit) and partly because I KNEW it was the best thing for them. Cat's don't always know what's best for them anymore than kids do. That's why you have to be the grownup and make the decisions for them.

What you have to remember is that your cat IS a carnivore. They've just forgotten that they actually LIKE meat. Especially if it's been so many years of only kibble. You have to spend every day reminding them until the penny drops and they find their inner carnivore.

This whole process is so much easier for younger cats. We got 2 kittens in January this year and that was round about the time that I decided it was time to get them all eating what cats are supposed to eat. I'd read that kittens were the easiest to transition and it was absolutely true. They took to it like ducks to water and they LOVE their raw meat and bones.

A diet of chicken hearts, necks and stomachs with a
bit of liver is JUST what we love!

It's as if they instinctively knew what to do with it and they were ripping and tearing into it from the get go. You may think, "Ewwww!" But honestly, it's the cutest thing watching kittens behaving like carnivores;) I was so proud!

Cool carnivores;)

Our next oldest cat, Baileigh, was 3 at the time and, while she also fought against the canned food, she took to it fast. One day, when I threw a chicken heart on the floor, she pounced on it and ripped it to pieces and then cried for more. After that she simply refused to TOUCH canned food and she only eats completely raw meat and bones. She hates anything cooked or processed.

The trickiest have been our three oldest cats. It makes sense. As cats get older, they get more set in their ways. (Like some humans I know;)) So I was left with my little chubby one, Blue...

Lying in mom's guitar case;)
Look at that tummy!

... and my two 13 year olds, Sebastian and Gypsy. Sebastian had lost so much weight I could feel every bump of his spine along his back and he was so light when I picked him up he felt no heavier than the kittens. I began to really despair when suddenly, one day, he finished ALL the food in his bowl. It was like something just clicked in his mind. From that day on he became addicted to canned food! One battle won, another just starting;)

Before you start wondering, I'd tried giving him raw meat but he just wasn't biting (Scuse the pun!) At first he'd just walk away from the food if there was raw meat in it, but then he started lifting it out with his teeth and dropping it next to his bowl so that he could eat his canned food;) Often, though, he'd just dodge it and I'd find the bowl licked clean with a lone little piece of raw meat sitting in the middle of it.

As for Blue, she was another stubborn one. I find it quite ironic because she lived on the street for a good few years before we adopted her and she would've had to live on whatever was available so I didn't expect her to be so fussy. She gained so much weight when she came to live with us and I think it was mostly because she was so scared of starving again that she would eat whenever she found food. Because of that, she got really used to her kibbles and she didn't want to know canned food. I spent a lot of feeding time standing over her stroking her and talking to her to make her eat. It makes it more complicated that she has a paw missing and the other cats bully her so she feels vulnerable when she's eating and exposed. Me being there seemed to settle her mind a bit and she would eat.

This all continued for about 3 months. Me coaxing, the cats fighting, keeping us up all night crying for food and causing general mayhem and we were both ready to tear our hair out. I thought many times of giving up, I won't lie! But gradually things started to change until, all of a sudden, they were eating the canned food as if it had always been their food.

Feeding time at the crazy cat lady's house

Baileigh was totally on a raw diet as were the kittens and, out of the blue, and completely unexpectedly, my Gypsy started to eat raw! She's my oldest cat with a few extra weeks on Sebastian so I REALLY didn't expect it but she loves her chicken hearts and necks! Blue has started eating chicken necks but isn't interested in anything else. That's fine though. I'm just so proud of her for trying!

It was probably about 5 months after all of this started that I realised they were actually completely into their canned food and that there was no reason that I couldn't transition them to real food. I'd been putting it off because the last few months had been so hard for all of us and I just didn't know if I could handle putting us all through that again! But I bought a punnet of beef mince and cooked it up for them and nervously held my breath while I watched them walk to their bowls. They sniffed it... AND ATE IT! I guess the canned food prepared them. They loved it;)

Since that day the three older cats have been on a diet of different types of mince, Gypsy always gets her hearts and necks as well as a little mince and Blue gets her necks as well. Sebastian still refuses pieces of raw meat. He thinks he's won but he doesn't realise that I only par-cook the mince now so it's mostly raw and then I chop up TEENY TINY pieces of raw hearts and liver and mix them in with his mince and he eats it all without knowing;)

I initially was feeding them 3 times a day, firstly because the kittens needed 3 meals a day, and secondly, because they weren't entirely used to the fact that the food was only down for a limited time and they HAD to eat enough to keep them going for 12 hours. They were eating too little in each sitting and then they'd be starving.  Eventually they actually started going off their 3rd meal by choice and now they are all on two meals a day. Sometimes Baileigh doesn't eat one of her meals because she is still full and that's absolutely fine. The point is, the food is there if they need it at dinner time but it is only available for about 20 minutes and then I pick it up and put it in the fridge so it stays fresh. Blue and Sebastian are the only ones who take longer to eat and I've resigned myself to the fact that that's how it is. Their food is down for about 45mins while their highnesses go back and forth taking their time eating;)

At food time, I feed the kittens first. Their food goes on a glass chopping board to prevent germs and they come skipping and running alongside me when I call them to the bathroom where they are locked in while they eat. The reason for this is because they eat the fastest and they WILL go and scavenge;) Blue eats in the other bathroom because everyone terrorises her, and the other three eat in the kitchen and leave each other alone. I find separating the trouble causers makes food time a lot smoother so it's something for you to consider as well.

It's not always possible to get them free range meat and I DO feel guilty about it but gizzards are VERY hard to find free range and they make up an important part of their diet. The most important thing is that the meat is human grade food and NOT pet grade. They need real meat. I always make sure they get good quality free range meat at least once or twice a week to be sure they get much needed antioxidants and I clean ALL the meat before they eat it. I also give them raw egg yolks a few times a week as it's really good for their fur and they LOVE it mixed in with their mince.

Their diet needs to consist of all different types of meat including, and especially, the fatty bits. It must include a small amount of bone. For example, about a centimetre or so of a chicken neck will do for a meal. The bones contain calcium which is very important. If they refuse to eat bone, collect a few egg shells, use a pestle and mortar to grind them to dust, and sprinkle a bit over each meal. They also need liver now and then but not a lot and be careful with that. Liver contains fat soluble vitamins which your body stores, unlike water soluble vitamins which you get rid of daily. Too much fat soluble vitamins can make you sick. Give it to them once or twice a week and then only a bit size piece.

Don't grind your cat's food if you can avoid it. The act of tearing up chunks of meat and bone is very good for them. It keeps their teeth clean and works their jaws. Use a sharp pair of scissors to cut up the meat and bone into chunks (you'd be amazed how easy it is to cut bone with scissors) and then let the cats do the rest of the work. Some cats love big pieces of meat and will work at it for ages. Others are lazy and prefer you to help them along. That's fine. Just don't grind the meat or they won't get any dental benefit. If you have an older cat who's teeth have already been ruined by pet food then you won't have a choice unfortunately. However, Gypsy's teeth aren't great and yet she still chews on her necks!

I dish up Baileigh's meat in a bowl but she uses her paw to scoop the pieces out one by one eats them that way. It's so cute to watch;) The kittens sometimes will pull a big piece of meat off the chopping board and carry it off to chew on it. Don't stress to much about it. They will eat where they are comfortable and that's ok, as long as it's not on your carpet or bed! Let the cats figure out how it works. I got a fright a couple of times when the kittens regurgitated a piece of meat and I thought she was choking but she just swallowed to fast and needed to start again so she brought it up and continued to chew on it. Gross to us, but to them it's normal!

As you can see, it wasn't easy transitioning them and you need to have a LOT of love and patience for your furry kids if you are going to be able to persevere with it and see it through. I promise you it is SO worth it. Your cat was born a carnivore. All you need to do is encourage them to look for their inner carnivore. Once they find it, you will find it VERY hard to feed them anything processed again!

P.S. If anyone has any questions about what, when, how and why, please feel free to post a comment and I will be happy to give my input!