Make a Raw Cat Food Diet

Could raw food benefit your cat?

Have you been wondering how to make a raw cat food diet specifically for your pet? It isn't difficult if you follow a few simple rules, and many people feel this is a healthier way overall to feed a cat.

Superior Nutrition

When you make your own cat food your pet's nutrition is completely in your control. You don't have to worry about pet food recalls and what may or may not be in that can of food you just opened. By feeding your cat a raw food diet, you are allowing your pet to eat in a more natural way. This allows her to be at her healthiest, most energetic and happiest.

You also save money by making the food yourself. Homemade raw cat food costs just a fraction of what commercially prepared raw cat food does.

A Raw Cat Food Diet Is Natural

The main concern that most people have when considering a raw food diet is whether or not there is a risk to the health of their pet. This is a valid question, but consider that feeding a commercial diet is not entirely without risk either. By carefully choosing your ingredients you can minimize any potential risk to your pet.

When you create the meals for your pet, keep in mind how she would eat in the wild. She would chew on bones and meat, and would also ingest stomach contents of her prey. Raw cat food should mimic this combination. Chopping up some raw meat is only part of feeding your cat a species appropriate diet.

How to Make a Raw Cat Food Diet

Following the wild diet as an example, you will primarily use chicken as the protein source for your cat. Rabbit is another good choice. In fact, you can get whole rabbit already ground from Wholefoods 4 Pets. This saves you the trouble of having to have a grinder that is tough enough to handle bones.

You Will Need

  • A heavy duty grinder that can handle bones as well as meat
  • Containers for freezing
  • Antibiotic and hormone free meat of choice, organic is best
    • Rabbit
    • Chicken thighs
    • Game birds
  • Liver and heart from the animal
  • Egg yolks
  • Fresh salmon oil (available from health food stores)
  • Vitamin E
  • Vitamin B
  • Probiotic powder

Raw Cat Food Diet Recipe

Just grind the meat and the bones, as well as the organ meats. You can use a medium or a fine grind for this. Add the nutrients, including the probiotics, water and egg yolks. The amounts depend on how much you are making. For example:

  • 3 pounds raw meat with bone and skin attached
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 4 ounces liver
  • 400 IU vitamin E
  • 100 mg vitamin B complex
  • 2000 mg salmon oil
  • 2000 mg powdered taurine
  • 3/4 teaspoon Lite Salt that contains potassium, iodine and sodium

You will mix this together and pack it in the containers to freeze. This recipe should make about two weeks worth of meals for one cat.

More Raw Food Recipes for Cats

Cats do not need a lot of variety in their diets. Feeding the same foods on a daily basis is fine. However, you may find the following sites helpful if you would like to experiment with other recipes:

There are also a number of books available that have nutritional information as well as recipes for cat food.

Always check with your vet before changing your cat's diet. Your veterinarian is the best person to ask about your pet's individual needs. Follow his suggestions and go slowly. Changing your pet's diet should be done gradually over a two-week period of time.

While you are switching your cat to raw food keep a close eye on her for subtle changes that might mean she is constipated or otherwise not handling the new diet very well. Knowing how to make a raw cat food diet is a handy way to save money and protect the health of your cat.