is it ok to mix kible and meat

[tzari]

I spoke with the barf center and told I mixed kible with meat to my cats (3 cats on 6 years and one of 4 years that are just learning to eat meat).

They told me i must NEVER mix those 2 because kible makes the ph in the stomick go high and meat go low.

This sound totally crazy because the ferret/cats whatever would be DEAD if the PH is wrong in the stomick,because then it dont work

Am i totally wrong or isnt it "crazy talk" just to sell more "speciel barf" to the owners when they have their animals on vacation and to avoit them for just give ekstra meat but go all the way

Is there any reason why it would be wrong to mix it when you are turning over from kibble to meat,want to raise the meat level your fastidious animal or your animal are on vacation

[sherrylynne]

The concern is that because it digests at different rates, that if the animal already has kibble in it's stomach, it could slow the digestion of the raw, causing problems that way. Especially if the meat already has a higher bacterial count than normal.
Not sure exactly how accurate that is, but I have found it does cause some animals to have upset tummies, and so just avoid the whole issue by only giving the kibble a couple hours AFTER the animal has had the raw.

[Heather]

What sherrylynne is stating is correct but that being said, if you can get away with it during the switching and that's the only way then go for it. Try not to do it for long periods of time. Just be very careful that your meats are always fresh during this time. I think it's Jennifer but I'm not sure who fed her ferrets in this manner during the switch and they were ok with it. I had a couple of students who's ferrets had tummy upsets when they attempted this. Yuri a little furbrat that I'm working with right now, seems ok with this type of arrangement. He has been off kibble for 4 days now....fingers crossed...he's still not eating on his own (still hand feeding multiple times during the day) but he does recognize the raw as food and steals the food bowl now and stashes it
ciao

[tzari]

That makes much more sence that it should be the ph-level

Just strange while my cats go it mixed up it didnt smell when they were on the toilet...but when they got back on kible it smelled again

A little side question is there any place I can get help to make a cat barf program. Because my cats does not eat mice/rats and meat like that only meat in small pieces

Thanks so much for a more logical explanation

[Heather]

Basically, your cats will eat almost exactly the same as your ferrets would if they were on frankenprey. They're a true carnivore. So, if you're going to feed frankenprey, the only difference would be to add a small amount of veggie matter (I use squash or pumpkin, cooked) to their diet. No, they cannot make use of it in a nutritional manner, though there is some argument as to whether the gut bacteria can to a degree. It's to replicate the fur and other undigestibles that you're not feeding by not feeding prey. This helps get rid of hairballs, allowing you to get away from feeding large amounts of hairball remedies. My cats eat exactly what my ferrets eat....it's a really easy feed
ciao

[mustelidmusk]

I think the issue with feeding meat a nd kibble together or even for different meals must depend on the individual ferrets. I never had a problem with it. I've mentored quite a few people who feed both - I always give them the "warning" that some ferrets have trouble mixing kibble and raw. Most seem to be OK with it. As long as you keep a close watch on digestion, it's OK to try this out. If the ferret seems to have tummy troubles with the mix, then stop mixing the two tpes of foods...a better alternative is usingfresh raw and freeze-dried raw. It's very convenient if your ferrets like the freeze-dried raw for travel and leaving yyour ferret home alone or with a sitter.

-jennifer