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Getting back the chunky value

12/30/2012

5 Comments

 
I love what feeding a balanced, raw diet does for cats.  But everything we do that isn't exactly what Mother Nature intended has consequences.  Like, for instance, the act of grinding the food.  I don't see a way around that - in order to feed a nice balance of meat, organs, and bones, we have to grind those bones up so they're of a safe size.  

But in grinding it all, our cats lose the benefit they'd get from shearing at large chunks of muscle meat.  Benefits to their teeth and their gums.  But since we're usually feeding animals that have bones that are much larger than what a cat would eat as her natural prey, we're left to grind up the bones and the meat along with it.

If your cat is game and has a healthy mouth?  Then you might consider feeding some meals now and again of big chunks of just muscle meat.  I like to cut up chicken thighs (minus the bone) into sizable pieces - a couple of inches for each piece - and feed those.  

Not every cat is up to the task.  My previous cats couldn't be bribed, cajoled, or begged into eating chunks.  But the two boy-cats I live with now are game, and they do a pretty good job.  Even Wilson, who's missing more than a few teeth, does an admirable job if the chunks aren't too big - though he takes longer than he would if he had all his premolars.  

Sidney-Beans, on the other hand (knock wood) has all his chompers in place and tears through big chunks of muscle meat like a pro.  We're so proud. 

Have a look at the video - Sidney-Beans shows how it's done.  
Throw in some regular checkups to assess and take care of your cat's dental health - and add in some tooth-brushing?  You've done a lot to help ensure your cat has the best shot at good dental health.  
5 Comments
Connie link
3/27/2013 02:30:35 am

My older cats, raised on kibble, are less likely to chew raw chunked meat. One won't - period end of story - she'll starve first thankyouverymuch.. the younger ones, raised on raw, will eat everything bone and all.. it's awesome.

Reply
Kathrine link
4/22/2013 09:03:16 pm

Hi there. I am from Malaysia with 3 cats at home. Feeding them have always been a real concern for me. The cats love canned food and some dry kibbles. For a long time, I always felt canned stuff cant be that good even though they like it. I was looking around for the right recipe and tks to you, found this site. I am excited to get a grinder soon and try out the recipe. We do feed them raw and they have no problem eating. I am always concern about bacteria too and stopped buying ground meat as I find them not so fresh. Tks for sharing this wonderful recipe. I would love to feed those kitties the right nutrition, definitely saving money on those canned food. Blessings always, meow :)

Reply
Missy
2/5/2014 10:12:13 pm

Thank you so much for the treasure trove of information. You have made the process of making my cats' food so much easier with your video and directions. I have ordered whole ground rabbit from Harr Today and will regrind it with my Tasin to make sure the grind is fine due to the bones. My question is do I still need to add the extra hearts and livers to the recipe ? I know that the whole ground rabbit still has the internal organs.

Reply
Anne link
2/5/2014 10:18:10 pm

I'm so glad you found the website helpful, Missy.

You will NOT need to add liver to the Hare Today whole ground rabbit, as the liver is already there. I think it's still a good idea to add extra hearts to the recipe - for two reasons: 1) it gives a nice Taurine boost to the food so that the nutrient profile is more like that of a Taurine-rich mouse, a cat's natural food; 2) It adds more muscle meat to get to a ratio of meat-to-bone that more closely approximates the ideal ratio, particularly since rabbit tends to be pretty lean meat with quite a bit of bone. Also, the bonus is that having chicken hearts on hand is great to feed as an occasional treat to the cat!

All best,

Anne

Reply
Fiona
7/25/2014 12:14:28 pm

I always mix big chunks of turkey thigh into my raw food. Usually my boys end up with 3 or 4 per meal and they LOVE them! In fact I suspect Mr Milo would gladly eat only chunks for every meal. I also give them raw chicken wings as a treat. The sound of the bones being crunched is fairly grim but I just hide in another room till they're finished, L0L!

It's cat food making day tomorrow so I'll be up to my elbows in gore for a few hours. The things we do for love... ;D


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