Raw meats or other fresh foods

[emroul]

I (thankfully) have been getting more and more involved in learning EXACTLY what I am feeding my kitty. It's very interesting seeing everyones opinions and what works best for them. I have heard the Innova and CA Natural are up there with the best of them, so I am amped to find where I can get those in my area ASAP. For the time being, I switched from Purina kitten chow to Nutra Natural Choice, as a couple of weeks ago, I heard this was a much better food then what I was feeding before (and then I still didn't really know why, but I switched anyway due to recommendations and what not). Now Fez doesn't seem to like it very much, but he eats it cuz it's there. Whenever he looks at his bowl it's almost like he's saying "why don't you just give me the good food and be done with it" LOL..Anyway, I hope I made the right decision with that switch.

Now, I have also been hearing about feeding beef hearts, liver and lots of other things to them to fill out their carnivorous cravings, as well as carrots, fruits (apples at least) etc. Is this recommended? Should I try this and see if he digs it? If so, what should I feed him? Sorry my questions are kind of random and weird, but I don't know where to start! Hopefully I would like to be able to feed him something that doesn't come out of a bag or a can once in awhile. :rolleyes:

Thanks for reading, I'm a talker all right lol!

Jennifer

[Abymummy]

Hi! Do you guys get Royal Canin (RC) (it's french) over there? It's a bit pricey but it's good! They make specific foods for specific needs. My domestics are on RC Fit 32 and my pedigrees are on RC Sensible - its for fussy eaters for the Abys/RC Persian for the Persian.

I only feed fresh/semi cooked food to my cats once a week. Very little liver and heart. Be warned that some cats only eat chicken, some only fish, some only beef, well you get my drift. My cats are chicken cats.

I can't give you a recipe coz I don't dare!!!

Good luck!

[emroul]

Oh thanks. :) I'm not sure if I get Royal Canin around here, I've never heard of it. Also, you said semi cooked, how much is that? Do ou boil it, bake, (sounding dumb) microwave it, and for how long?

Thanks!

[Abymummy]

Semi cooked? Take it this way, boil a pot of water, when its really boiling, throw in the chicken+vege and turn the heat off. Let it cool to room temp b4chopping up the chicken to bite size pieces. That's it!

Royal Canin is a 'super' premium food...

[phillydogs]

You can get a lot of the foods online. I had to order online when I couldn't find the Chicken Soup canned kitten food at my local pet store so I ordered from petfooddirect.com, it got here fast and was fairly cheap too, $17.49 for a case of 24 5.5oz cans, and $6.99 shipping/handling.

You can usually go to the manufacturer's website and find local vendors there. Usually the small local pet shops carry the good stuff, and if they don't, they may be able to order it for you.

[blueberrybun]

The Petsmarts here in GA sell Royal Canin so they probably sell it in Arizona as well. :)

[emroul]

Wow, thanks guys! And, I went to PetCo today (spent like an hour in the cat food section doing some homework lol) and they do carry Royal Canin. I will pick some up next time I'm in there probably, I just don't want too many changes in his diet at once, he'll kill me (or vice versa, who knows). :eek:

I will also sometime start trying some semi-cooked meats. Should I just try regular chicken breasts, and for fish should I buy the fish that are whole or the fillets?

[Abymummy]

Regular de-boned chicken breasts (if you want to try my recipe, add broccoli, just a LITTLE bit). If you buy fish, fillets will be better. Just dry fry for about 20 seconds on each side. Don't give both at the same time!!!:) Don't buy a lot in the beginning, twill be a waste of money. I've never tried fruits for my cats.

If you do want to try RC, buy the taster pack (it comes in 400g pack). Like I said, it is a bit pricey, but if your cat does like it you'll end up spending less on cat food over time. Also, try not to start with the RC fussy eater foods (Sensible or Exigent) - unless you really want to spoil your cat.

[emroul]

Thanks for the recipe. :D Does it matter what type of fish, I am not a seafood eater so honestly I have no idea what's even offered out there. LOL..I will definately give that taster pack a try, and I really don't mind the price, I'm spending enough money on vet bills already without having to take Fez to the vet for MY mistakes!

Thanks for the tips. :D
Jennifer

[Abymummy]

Hi Jennifer,

Any fish but I prefer giving my cats fish that are high in Omega 3/6 like salmon, tuna. If you want to give em beef, fillet is good, just dry fry like the fish. If you do start giving Fez raw/semi cooked food on a regular basis, make sure you get him dewormed at least every 3 months.

[emroul]

Will do. Thanks very much for the tips, you've been so helpful! :)

Jennifer