Raw feeding - meat supplier

[Kay and Penny]

it's me really Gillian

I'm a vegetarian so all that meat was a bit too much for me - I did put down a little of each pack but no joy - although it wasn't their usual meal time so it probably wasn't a fair test

for £10 though it looked to be very good value for money

[Gillian Harvey]

I was phoned back and told as long as it was still cold I could refreeze it

doesn't really matter now as they won't eat it raw or cooked, and even Tosker took the one mouthful just to be obliging

I've dumped the lot in a field for the foxes - high time I learned that experiments with food are a waste of money

Have you tried them with all the varieties in the taster pack? surely you havent dumped the lot just because they didnt take to one variety immediately? Don't forget, its a new food, cats are often suspicious when you put new stuff in front of them, some will take to it straight away, but others need a bit more time. With those cats, I just put a tiny amount alongside their normal food, gradually increasing the amounts.

The thawing, its happens with the small packs (like the taster pack) but its fine to re-freeze. The larger packs stay frozen longer though.

[Kay and Penny]

I was phoned back and told as long as it was still cold I could refreeze it

doesn't really matter now as they won't eat it raw or cooked, and even Tosker took the one mouthful just to be obliging

I've dumped the lot in a field for the foxes - high time I learned that experiments with food are a waste of money

[Gill (sneakiefeline)]

I would definately write to that company cos they are contraveningg the health standards of food if they are doing that.

I was told not to feed dry and raw together as they digest at different speeds.


Cats dont need to snack all day, did see an interesting paper on if this contributes to diabetes, will have a look for it

Quite agree, there is no need for cats to have food available all day - this is not how they would eat in the wild, they do not 'graze' as some people seem to think - cows graze, horses graze - cats do not. In the wild they may eat several small meals (depending on how much they've caught), but some days will be better hunting days than others - there isnt a constant supply 'on tap'. OK our cats are not in the wild now - BUT they still have the same digestive systems they've always had.

Sorry but my cats graze  I just wish I could get Ducha to bloomin eat something else than biscuits, none of them will eat raw food.

[Kay and Penny]

I have just received the £10 taster pack from Back to Nature, and everything is 80% thawed

I imagine it is not safe to refreeze, and can only get an answer phone from the company to check

so I will have to cook it all and hope they eat it - it's a shame because Tosker enjoyed a bit of the raw rabbit mince

[Kay and Penny]

I put dry food down at night, and because Tiff is very greedy, and all the time she lived next door in a porch she had her food only at night, I measure out one and a half cat's daily ration, so that she won't get more than a day's ration, as the other two do eat some of it  - anything left in the morning I chuck away

then I slip Trigger and Tosker extra during the day if they ask

I don't know how else to arrange it - Trigger is a thin cat, and Tiffany is a fat cat, and Tosker is a timid cat, and I find juggling their different needs rather difficult

[Gillian Harvey]

I was told not to feed dry and raw together as they digest at different speeds.


Cats dont need to snack all day, did see an interesting paper on if this contributes to diabetes, will have a look for it

Quite agree, there is no need for cats to have food available all day - this is not how they would eat in the wild, they do not 'graze' as some people seem to think - cows graze, horses graze - cats do not. In the wild they may eat several small meals (depending on how much they've caught), but some days will be better hunting days than others - there isnt a constant supply 'on tap'. OK our cats are not in the wild now - BUT they still have the same digestive systems they've always had.

[Millys Mum]

Human digestive systems are poor compared to that of a cat which is designed to eat raw meat, they have a shorter digestive tract and stronger stomach juices so less of a problem to them. You also have to consider freshness, a mousey caught and eaten wont have time to grow bacteria so handling of raw meats by us needs to be efficient.
I dont feed pork, there is a cyst that can be a problem in the meat but mainly i avoid because its fatty, rich and hard to find it produced to high welfare standards

[Kay and Penny]

as expected Tiff didn't even appear to realise that a lump of raw turkey meat was food - Tosker ate it with relish though - Trigger has yet to rise from my bed to be tested

what about the risks from salmonella in uncooked meat though? we are always warned to cook poultry and pork thoroughly - why is this not the same for animal consumption?

[Millys Mum]

I was told not to feed dry and raw together as they digest at different speeds.
I also wonder if you make the effort to feed a good percent of the diet raw if you then give a reasonable amount of dry does it make it more null and void 

and in any case dry is the only food which can be left down for any length of time

Flies crawl over dry food as well 
Cats dont need to snack all day, did see an interesting paper on if this contributes to diabetes, will have a look for it

[Kay and Penny]

last question promise!  if they eat a good dry as well you don't need to worry about adding taurine or anything is that right?

that's why I would prefer to go half and half - and in any case dry is the only food which can be left down for any length of time

[kellyn1201]

last question promise!  if they eat a good dry as well you don't need to worry about adding taurine or anything is that right?

As far as I know Dawn the meat from Back to Nature is "complete" anyway - it contains meat, organs and bone in the correct quantities

[Dawn F]

last question promise!  if they eat a good dry as well you don't need to worry about adding taurine or anything is that right?

[kellyn1201]

you could be right - here she is - like a coiled spring ready to pounce at any minute

Hmm, I'm afraid to say you definitely have a wild cat there

Seriously though, I'd love to know how she gets on - and Tosker - I'm fascinated by the difference in the monsters since we started the raw diet! 

[Kay and Penny]

you could be right - here she is - like a coiled spring ready to pounce at any minute

[kellyn1201]

thanks - I'll try that - I'll have to chop everything up very finely though, as Tiff, for all her gargantuan girth, is a very dainty eater

  bless her, she might surprise you and turn into a wild beast like my three 

[Kay and Penny]

thanks - I'll try that - I'll have to chop everything up very finely though, as Tiff, for all her gargantuan girth, is a very dainty eater

[kellyn1201]

I've got some raw turkey in the freezer - I intended to eat it myself - but I'll try it on them

I have Tosker as well now, so he might be keener - Tiff is probably a lost cause, as she has only ever eaten dry and tuna

Trigger, try drizzling some tuna juice over the meat - I found the kittens didn't seem to be able to smell the meat at first so this may help 

[Mollyrock]

I've just paid using Paypal

Excellent, guess where i'm going 

[kellyn1201]

My three kittens have been on a raw diet (from Food4-Cats) for a few weeks now, and absolutely love it  the Whiskas used to get licked but never eaten, although just the jelly seemed to be enough to cause the most horrendous deposits in the litter trays 

Since they've been eating raw, the smell has all but vanished they purr all the way through their meals now, and growl at each other for coming too close

[Kay and Penny]

I've got some raw turkey in the freezer - I intended to eat it myself - but I'll try it on them

I have Tosker as well now, so he might be keener - Tiff is probably a lost cause, as she has only ever eaten dry and tuna

[Gillian Harvey]

Yes I think the paypal link was disabled for a while,  then it came back.

Have you tried raw turkey from the supermarket or butcher Trigger? its usually a winner! Morrisons do turkey thigh chunks which mine go mad for.  . 100g sounds about right for half a day's serving, depends on the cat really.

[Kay and Penny]

I've just paid using Paypal

[Mollyrock]

Did you try your cats with the Food 4 Cats taster pack Molly?

Nah, i wanted to use the paypal facility but it isn't up & running yet (or wasn't when i last tried) I am a bit cautious after being subject to online fraud 
I do wanna try it tho 

[Kay and Penny]

I have ordered a taster  pack - thanks for the link, Gillian

as I have failed to interest mine in raw beef mince for people, or raw chicken wings, I am not hopeful - but if they will eat some, and I feed a premium dry food too, can you advise me what amount of raw would constitute half the daily food ration? I am guessing around 100gms?

[Gillian Harvey]

Mine hated Prize Choice/Natures Menu frozen meats - I tried them when I first starting feeding raw about 4 yrs or so ago and they were a no go!

I  recommend the Food 4 Cats meats, the mince variets are so much more meaty and the chunks are a real winner, especially the pork tongue!

Did you try your cats with the Food 4 Cats taster pack Molly?

[Mollyrock]

I feed Prize Choice (from pets at home) beef mince. £3.99 for 2kg. It works out at 20p per 100g. Hope that helps hon 

[Dawn F]

so that seems to work out quite a bit cheaper than feeding pouches - my three that eat wet have two pouches each per day which is 200g each per day and that works our at roughly £2.40 per day  and £70 odd per month

[Gillian Harvey]

The different meats vary per kilo - here's the site with all the prices http://food4-cats.co.uk/ - for instance the chicken variety mince is £1.10 for approx 1 kilo (but is delivered in approx 400g ish packs). Havent really worked out per serving, some of mine will eat around 50g each meal (twice a day), others will eat about 100g, piggies will eat 150g  Its all very approximate because I don't weigh it out, just dollop according to each one's appetite!

[Dawn F]

sorry to bring this up yet again but I'm trying to get my head around the finances - how much does roughly work out per serving????

[Mollyrock]

Thanks for the link. I will be ordering the taster pk.  I have searching for a while for sellers who deliver in the Northwest.

[Millys Mum]

they like human mince much better

 

 

I found a bit of lead shot in a pigeon before, i squish the chunks before giving them just incase 

[Gillian Harvey]

Be careful with the Rabbit Gillian because I found lead pellets in it (I presume from when the Rabbit was shot  )

Do you know, that hadnt even occurred to me  too late now! Mind you, they've had Woldsway wild rabbit before and I didnt check that either, but they don't seem to have come to any harm!

[sheryl]

Be careful with the Rabbit Gillian because I found lead pellets in it (I presume from when the Rabbit was shot  )

[Gillian Harvey]

LOL! 

[Mark]

they like human mince much better

 

[Gillian Harvey]

This meat is so much - well...meatier!

I got a taster box for £10 (no p&p and refundable on first order)  which had a selection of every product, I think there were 8 varieties in all - 450g or so each. So far we've tried the ox cheek, rabbit, chicken minces and the wild rabbit chunks (bone in) and they've all liked every flavour! Gonna try the lamb tomorrow, reckon that'll go down well too. 

[Millys Mum]

Thanks Gillian, i had the same probs with anglian minces, they like human mince much better

[Dawn F]

I've tried the anglian mince and thought the same - might give this a go

[Gillian Harvey]

Yeoman's Meats have supplied pet meat to raw feeders since the 70s I think, but the company was sold last year and is now known as Back to Nature. Still supplying the same pet meats, but also planning to widen the range apparently. I'd never actually tried mine with Yeoman's, but I know a lot of breeders use the products. I think when I first started feeding raw I tried some frozen minces (from Anglian Meat Products/Natures Menu) and my lot didnt take to them at all. The minces, once thawed, seemed a really sloppy texture and quite watery - not really meaty enough, so I think that put me off trying frozen meats again.

Anyway I thought I'd give the Yeoman's products a try - and they have gone down a treat! They do a range of products, and each mix contains everything needed for raw diet, that is, the bones, organs plus the muscle meat of course.

http://www.back-2-nature.co.uk/