Feeding a Raw Diet to Your Cat

How to get started with feeding raw to your cat:

Some people do a gradual transition from Kibble or Commercial Food to a Raw Food Diet over the course of 2 weeks. Others choose to switch more dramatically or “cold turkey”. To gradually transition: you start off feeding the morning meal of regular kibble and the evening meal you can feed raw. You gradually decrease the kibble in the morning and increase the raw in the evening meal. If you cat is leaving it’s morning meal of kibble, it is ready to transition fully, just start to feed raw two times a day

This is an example of a gradual transition:

Day 1-5: 75% of present food in AM and 25% of raw food in PM

Day 6-10: 50% of present food in AM and 50% of raw food in PM

Day 10-14: 25% of present food in AM and 75% of raw food in PM

Day 14 on: Feed according to age and % of Body weight

Raw Food and Kibble should not be fed with in 5 hours of each other.

You might want to start off feeding Rabbit which seams to be very appealing to them, and it is a great source of taurine. Taurine is crucial to the cat’s system.

You can try other meats either ground or whole such as Chicken necks, Chicken liver, Chicken hearts, ground Turkey necks, Turkey hearts, Turkey organ, Ostrich, Pheasant, Beef, Beef Organ, etc. Each cat is an individual so you will have to try different things. You also want to find out what their preferences are. Keeping in mind that the Key to a raw Diet is variety, Variety, and VARIETY!!! You can feed fish in moderation as some cats have allergies to fish or develop them.

You can add a chicken neck for a natural dental floss, to help keep their teeth clean, and prevent gingivitis. We suggest, once fully transitioned, to feed them at least once a week.

In Some circumstances Cats are finicky; a trick that has worked in the past is top dressing the Raw Food with Freeze Dried. If you are currently feeding kibble it will be a familiar texture to what your cat is already used to. You want to start with a small portion of raw food with freeze dried crumbled on top. Gradually you want to decrease the freeze dried and increase the raw food, until the cat is totally consuming the raw. It is ok To mix the Freeze dried with the Raw because it is the same thing, it just goes through a freeze drying process.

If a cat refuses to eat what you are putting down initially; don’t be afraid to pick it up and NOT feed anything else. They will not starve. Put the same thing down again the next day. Make sure that it is not too cold; most cats like to eat their food at room temperature.

Free Feeding is not appropriate in any circumstances. And therefore you don’t want to leave raw food down all day.

We Suggest Never to Feed Kibble (bound with Wheat, Corn, Soy, and Grain) with or in conjunction with any raw foods as they digest at different rates. If you are feeding a grain free kibble, they have generally been made to be consumed with some meat added to them i.e.; ground beef, ground turkey, tripe etc. They should just be mixed with meat, NOT meat with bone.

Don’t be alarmed if your cat is consuming less water. Raw food is approximately 70% Moisture so your pet will be naturally hydrated and drink less than normal.

DO NOT COOK the raw food that contains bones, as this will cause the bones to become brittle which can cause major problems. Raw bones are malleable or flexible and great for the cats system. Even cooking meat products that have no bone will strip it of nutrients and enzymes present that help digest it.

Salmonella and E Coli are generally not a problem for healthy cats. This is due to two important facts: 1) They have a much shorter digestive system than we do. Therefore, the food is processed quickly, long before harmful bacteria have a chance to multiply and cause problems. 2) Their digestive system has a very high level of acidity, which allows them to process the nutrients in the raw food diet. This high acidity also inhibits the growth of pathogenic bacteria.

Cats are carnivores, hence they don’t need vegetables as their systems can’t break them down and they are unnecessary carbohydrates. They exist very well on an all meat and organ diet.

FEEDING

On the Oma’s Pride Product listing ideal feline items are marked with cat ears!!

Feed your cat product that is close to room temperature. If it is too cold they might vomit. Try to avoid microwaving as the bones may become brittle. Adding heat may cause food born bacteria. We suggest to partially thawing the package at room temperature or in tepid water, so that the center is still frozen. Portion out your meal sizes into smaller containers or zip lock bags and put them back in the freezer.

Kittens you can feed 1-2 oz. 3-4 times a Day. Feed them as much as they will eat, they will usually monitor their weight.

Depending on the breed the differentiation from the Kitten and Adult, Up to 11 months-1year or in some cases when they are spayed/neutered.

Adult Cats will eat 3-4 ounces 2 times a day.

It might be good to buy a Food Scale if you are unsure of how to measure the ounces.

Divide a 2 lb. Tube into 8 portions if this a regular size cat (10-12#)

For cats the size of a Maine Coon or Pixie- Bobs cats (22-25#) etc,  Divide a 2 lb. tube in 5 portions

We suggest that the Shelf life of the raw food is 3-4 days fully defrosted, and 6 months in the freezer, as there are no additives or preservatives in OMA’S Products.

Treats are also important; you like treats don’t you? We have a substantial selection of Freeze Dried Treats such as Beef Hearts, Chicken Chunks, Chicken Livers, Turkey Hearts, Turkey Liver, Trachea, Chicken Hearts, and Lake Chubs. We also have a great line of treats By Dr. Harvey’s called Whiskers Smackers. You can also use our Freeze Dried foods and Treats for traveling with you cat.

Supplementing:

You might add some salmon oil to their food for their coat. Although not too much and make sure that it is not too thick of an oil as fish oils have potential to clog pores.

You can add probiotics to help aid the digestive system; it doesn’t allow the formation of hair balls. Believe it or not most cats eating raw food diets have no issue with hair balls.

Taurine is crucial to cats. It can be found naturally in Turkey and Rabbit. Some nutritionist and vets may suggest additional Taurine supplementing.

If your animal has cancer please do not feed any form of grain to your cat. We also have a supplement called Ellagic Acid to help combat cancer.

LINKS/Other info

Announcement: This is the first Great Natural Feeding book for Cats. "Your Cat: Simple Secrets to a Longer Stronger Life" By Dr. Hodgkins, it can be ordered on Amazon.com.

If you want to learn more about feeding your Cat a raw diet, Please call our office, 800-678-OMAS, we can help with any questions you may have. Keep in mind that these are our opinions formed by practical experience along with many professionals in the cat world. Please be advised that you should use your own judgment as each cat is different and has different needs.

You have the Choice in the care and nutrition of your cat -
Your Cat doesn’t. Please be a responsible guardian!!

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