Cat Health - Food Ideas

I have prepared this page to show some of what my own cats and kittens are fed. While the very best for our kitties is to feed them whole prey, that is not an option for me - nothing like that is available, so I try and get as close to the ideal as I can. Sometimes, coming from a world where we are used to just tipping kibble into a bowl or opening a can, it can be confusing to start feeding raw. Hopefully this page will give you some ideas. The main things are; plenty of variety, feed big chunks and bones requiring chewing often, and to try and follow the recommended Ratios below.

This page is only my personal "What" of Raw Feeding! The "Whys" and "Hows" are very well explained at this website: Raw Fed Cats, and this wonderful site will give you a good basic understanding of the principles. If you are more inclined to really get in to using minced meats, here are some websites with step by step instructions on how to prepare your own: Making Cat Food and Cat Nutrition - Pictorial

Raw Feeding Recommended ratios - these proportions are relatively the same in almost every prey animal that carnivores are designed to consume, and the percentages are, approximately:

80 – 85% meat, fat, skin, sinew, connective tissue etc.

10 – 15% edible bone

5 - 10% organs with half that amount being liver (if fed daily this would only equal about the size of a grape or two).

These percentages, although approximate, should serve as the basic guidelines for a cat’s (or dog's) diet. These exact proportions do not need to be fed at each and every meal, but rather should combine to comprise the overall diet over the course of time. In simple terms - this equates to; mostly meat, a little edible bone and a little organ.

Here is a 5 week old kitten really enjoying a chicken neck... start them young!

I recommend you set aside a contained place for Kitty to eat his meals. Cats tend to carry around their food and it is rather nasty to sit on a piece of raw liver on your couch! I use a large cage (actually a dog crate) which has a plastic floor for easy cleaning. I usually also put in a carpet sample mat for comfort as the cats definitely prefer a soft surface when chowing down. You could use a towel which is easily tossed in the washing machine. Some people use a large pet carrier to feed their raw bones in, and others simply put the cat in the bathroom or laundry to eat.

Pictured below is one of my "feeding places". This is a dog crate and is sometimes available at www.dealsdirect.com.au, and also at pet shops (a lot more expensive there). It folds away easily for storage.

If your cat is new to raw food, don't (for example) go out and buy a whole beef carcass, LOL as he might not like beef! Buy very small portions of lots of different meats and offer these. If you have trouble getting your cat to eat raw, I recommend you join a free internet discussion group: RawCats. There are many experienced and helpful people in this group who give up a huge amount of their time just to help newbies. You can ask questions and will get helpful, informed answers.

Here are some of the things my kitties eat...
to give you ideas

Pictured as bought

How I serve it

How "they" eat it

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Whole Chicken

I whack these up into cat-sized pieces as on the right. Smaller pieces for smaller kittens mouths and larger for the grown-ups.
Much better than just feeding wings or necks as a whole meal, as there is a better meat to bone ration.

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Chicken Wings & Necks

Good for jaws, but not a lot of meat - so don't feed these as a sole source of food too often. On older chickens the skin can be very tough, so you may need to remove some so kitty can get at the meat. For kittens I thump them a few times to flatten and make easier to get into their mouths.

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9 week old kitten

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Chicken Drumsticks

With a transitioning cat, you may have to whack the knobbly bits of bone to crush them a bit to release the smell of the marrow and get them started.

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I usually cut from bone out thru meat to enable cats/kittens to get their mouths around these.

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Chicken liver

Adored by my cats!

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Beef

Most cats love beef - I cut it up into chunks and strips.

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Beef Tongue

Really tough and good for a jaw workout - but this grosses me out so much-I have to get someone else to prepare it. Cut it up into chunks and strips.

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Lamb Heart

Rather tough meat, much loved by all my kitties. Treat it as both muscle meat and/or organ, I feed it twice a week or so as a whole meal. High in Taurine. Good or building jaw strength on transitioning cats.

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Lamb Off-cuts

Cut into strips to enable them to fit into little mouths.

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Lambs Fry (liver)

Important part of the diet to provide Vitamin A. Should make up around 5% of the overall diet. Over feeding of liver can cause runny poops, and also can cause Vitamin A toxicity.

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Lamb Kidney

Treat as the "organ" part of diet. I normally mix it in with my mince mix, some cats don't like it on its own.
When feeding organs for the first time, only use small portions until your cat's tummy gets used to it.

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Pork Roast
...don't chop it up Mum, we'll just eat it as is!

Most of the cats adore pork.
I chop it up into large hunks - if I get a chance!

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Pork Ribs & Rashers

Fed just as you see them.
Rashers - I cut lengthwise for little kittens as the skin is quite tough.
Ribs - The cats will strip almost all of the meat off, and some will chew through the bones as well.

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Raw Fish

Feed whole, or chop into cat sized pieces if it is a large fish.
Not a natural part of a cat's diet, so don't feed too often, as an occasional treat is plenty.

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Rabbit

Much loved by my cats but very expensive here in QLD where rabbits are illegal. If it is available to you, rabbit is an excellent all round meat for general feeding.

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