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Post by sherrylynne on Sept 6, 2008 21:56:00 GMT -5
OK, guys, I want to get my youngest cat at least on a raw diet. He's already shown A LOT of interest in what the ferts are eating(trying a fair bit himself). Ideas??? The others really have no interest. They just "bury" it!
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Post by Forum Administrator on Sept 6, 2008 23:31:21 GMT -5
Will your kitty touch the pre-made ground raw that you give your ferret? Does your cat currently eat dry food or wet food?
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Post by sherrylynne on Sept 6, 2008 23:39:08 GMT -5
No interest in the frozen raw. Just in the fresh meat. And all of them are on Medi-cal, due to a problem with crystals with our older cat. He's also an exceedingly picky eater(would rather starve than try something new!).
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Post by Forum Administrator on Sept 6, 2008 23:52:48 GMT -5
Okey Dokey........I assume that all your kitties eat a dry food? What if I told you that simply by switching to a canned food or a raw food diet that your kitties urine crystals could disappear? That their risk of diabetes, obesity, allergies, IBD, chronic renal failure, and urinary issues would be SIGNIFICANTLY lowered. Would you be willing to put them all onto a raw diet (no matter how resistant they are) or at the very least, onto a canned food diet instead of a dry kibble diet? That book I mentioned to you in the email I sent you (did you get my email?) "Your Cat: Simple New Secrets To a Longer, Stronger Life" by Elizabeth Hodgkins DVM, Esq. is an AMAZING book that explains how a dry diet for cats (and you could apply this to ferrets as well) is HORRENDOUS. Dr. Hodgkins found that by simply switching to a canned food diet where the carb percentage was less then 2% that the mass majority of feline diet-related diseases completely dissappeared. I H-I-G-H-L-Y reccomend this book. Normally I don't "force" people to get a book, but this one seriously is a MUST have. It can explain better then I ever could EXACTLY why its crucial that all cats AT THE VERY LEAST eat a canned food diet (the ideal diet being a whole prey diet, the next best thing being a raw diet based on the whole prey diet). You can get the book for only $11 or so dollars by ordering through amazon.com (I paid $30 for my copy at Borders) www.amazon.com/Your-Cat-Simple-Secrets-Stronger/dp/0312358016At the very least, swing by your local bookstore (if they have the book) and read it there. Once you understand exactly WHY its important to get your kitties onto raw, it will be easier to stick with the switch (even if one or all of your kitties give you a hell of a time over it). I am 110% willing to help you every step of the way, just like I did for your ferts. Also, just like with a natural diet for ferrets, a natural diet for cats is not only cheaper to feed day-to-day then fancy kibbles, BUT it saves you Sh*t loads of money in the long run....trust me. Let me know if you are up for the challenge of switching the puddy-tats. We can wait until after you ferrets are munching on bone, if you prefer. In fact I think that might be best so you can focus on them each as individuals. Let me know.......
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Post by sherrylynne on Sept 7, 2008 10:16:58 GMT -5
We have tried the canned food for them. Two enjoy it from time to time, one will only lick at it for a short while, the one with the crystals problem absolutely refuses to touch it. We had to force feed him for a week when he was really ill after being treated for them, and he has flatly refused to touch the canned food since! I will pick up the book you suggested. I don't know if I'll have hubby's support on the three older cats, but Watson is mine(the youngest cat), and he's the one who shows the most interest. If I can get him switched to start, that would be great! Then I can focus on the others!
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Post by Forum Administrator on Sept 7, 2008 13:45:52 GMT -5
The canned food will really help with the crystals. I feel like it is a sin that pet food companies even make kibble for cats. Getting the stubborn kibble addicts onto canned atleast would really go a long way to helping their health. Even if you dont go full raw it would make a pretty impressive difference. There are ways to get him to eat canned. Just like there are ways to get the most stubborn ferret to eat raw. Honestly, in my opinion and experience its FERRETS that put up a harder fight then cats (and we all know how d**n picky some cats can be).
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Post by sherrylynne on Sept 13, 2008 8:31:08 GMT -5
Well, I've started Watson on the raw frozen balanced diet in the am. That's when he's the most hungry(when fuzzies are eating, of course ). He's done well with it until this morning. It was llama. I think it was too rich for his tummie, because he threw it all up again in about 5 minutes! Poor boy . The rest of the day, his(and the other cats)kibble is out for free feeding. We have noticed he is eating a good deal less of the kibble than he used to. I guess he's filling up on a better quality food !
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Post by Forum Administrator on Sept 14, 2008 21:52:29 GMT -5
Im happy to hear that watson is getting started on raw. That is excellent. It might take him some time to adjust to the raw. I generally recommend finding a protein source and sticking with it for the first week or two before adding in something new, just so their tummies can adjust. Good luck and keep me posted
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Post by sherrylynne on Sept 21, 2008 14:54:35 GMT -5
Just to let you know, I'm going to start 2 meals per day of pre-made raw for Watson tomorrow morning! I'll let you know how it goes.
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Post by Forum Administrator on Sept 21, 2008 19:33:02 GMT -5
Excellent. Keep me posted.
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Post by sherrylynne on Sept 22, 2008 7:36:09 GMT -5
I gave him the pre-made raw again, the beef. He threw it all up within 5 minutes again. I'm not sure if I should even continue with this, or try a different approach. And ideas would be appreciated.
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Post by Forum Administrator on Sept 22, 2008 16:51:50 GMT -5
Its possible that:
a.) He just needs to get used to the raw b.) If you are offering different flavors of pre-made raw each time that can cause stomach irritation c.) Eating kibble and raw is upsetting his stomach.
I wouldnt call it quits just yet. Dogs and cats sometimes go through an adjustment period where they might have runny/smelly poop and they might vomit a few times. This is called a "detox" phase.
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Post by sherrylynne on Sept 22, 2008 20:41:58 GMT -5
Thanks, Guili. I'll try it with him again in the morning. He never eats much in the evening. Just a few nibblies.
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Post by Forum Administrator on Sept 22, 2008 22:11:04 GMT -5
If he continues vomitting after 1-2 weeks on DAILY raw, then its possible he can't tolerate raw AND kibble. Stick with the same protein (ie all chicken or all beef) for the first 2 weeks and then well see what we get.
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Post by sherrylynne on Sept 23, 2008 7:40:34 GMT -5
Well, I'll have to try something else! He took one sniff of the raw this morning, and wouldn't touch the stuff! I think I'll try to pick up a good quality canned, see if he can tolerate that for a week or two before I try the raw again. Or should I take a different approach? And no, I'm not giving up. Just taking a step back
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