NATURAL FOOD DIET-- RECIPES FOR CATS
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GIVE YOUR CAT THE BEST DIET POSSIBLE
As a pet owner, you want to give your cat the best care possible. And caring for your cat means feeding him the best, most healthy, diet you can. Because you are interested enough in your cat's diet and health that you are even reading this, I applaud you.
You have probably done some reading and come to the conclusion that there IS NO PERFECT commercial food for your cat. Due to government standards, cat food goes through a heat process where most of the nutrients are cooked away, much like most human food which also is missing most of its essential nutrients due to processing.
WHEN CATS LIVE OFF THE LAND, THIS IS WHAT THEY EAT
Cats eat a varied diet in the wild which their physiology has become naturally attuned to through hundreds of years of evolution. A cat's natural wild diet would include organs, brains, meat and intestines of the wild things they catch and eat:
Mice and other rodents
Small mammals
Birds
Fish
Snakes and other reptiles
Insects
The majority of cat owners ARE NOT going to go through catching any of these things plus the thought of watching your cuddly, house-bound cat chow down on this menu would probably make you want to gag.
THE RAW OR BARF DIET--BOTH NATURAL HEALTHY DIETS
Enter the RAW FOOD DIET or BARF DIET, which most closely approximates the healthy diet of cats in the wild. The BARF diet has been around for awhile and was first popular among dog owners and breeders. It stands for "Biologically Appropriate Raw Food" diet. There are a number of variations on this diet but the basics remain the same:
1. Raw muscle meat, along with organ meat from the same source, examples are chicken, beef, liver, fish, turkey or lamb.
2. Raw bones (neck and back bones in poultry), either ground or whole.
3. Added supplements, including but not limited to cod liver oil, fatty acids, enzymes and taurine (similar to amino acids but is not a component of proteins, and is involved in various physiological functions such as bile acid conjugation and cell membrane stabilization).
4. Fresh raw vegetable, including but not limited to broccoli, carrots, peas, squash and potatoes. (NEVER feed your pet onions, this is like a poison to them.)
5. Raw fruits like apples, cranberries, melons and bananas.
6. Grain such as barley, oats and rice (brown or white, whole, ground or sprouted).
FEED YOUR KITTY RIGHT TO KEEP HIM HEALTHY
CATS INSTINCTUALLY KNOW WHAT FOODS ARE BEST FOR THEM
Because cats are color blind, they choose their foods by smell. They prefer fresh to aged flavors in meats but it's not good to feed them only their favorite foods. Remember that cats are fussy eaters and they will soon refuse to eat anything but their favorites instead of a balanced diet.
THE FINAL DECISION IS UP TO YOU
In dealing with cats, the bottom line is always that it's your own personal decision to do what you think is best for your cat. Form your own opinion after gathering as much information as you can and then do what you think will be best for his good health and a long, happy life.
After testing different foods and theories on the best way to feed my cat the healthest diet possible, I settled on a combination of the raw diet and a cooked diet. Basically, he eats what we do but with variations.
I feel that by feeding my cat this way it has made him healther overall, his coat is shiny and smooth, there is less shedding and he is more active and playful.
I have found a book of cat food recipes that I highly recommend. I use it for my kitty and we both love it!
It's called "REAL FOOD FOR CATS". I hope you give it a try!
REAL FOOD FOR CATS
Lots of people enjoy making or buying treats for their pets, but wouldn't it be wonderful to cook a real meal for the four-legged member of the household?
Quirky yet practical, this cookbook provides recipes that are nutritionally balanced and veterinarian-approved. It even includes sections on tandem recipes-recipes for humans that, with slight modifications, can also be served to pets. Includes recipes for special occasions and a special section on prescription diets for pets with special needs.
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marisue--sorry to hear your kitty isn't feeling so well. How wonderful she's been with you for 17 years--I wish you many more!
All I can do is tell you what I'd do if she were my cat. First I'd take her to the vet for a check-up and make sure there wasn't anything wrong like thyroid, kidneys, teeth or the like. The fact that she's eating but losing weight may not be good. If she checks out OK then it's probably the effects of old age.
Old age can affect the ability to smell correctly, what things taste like and digestion. Even if it's food she's been eating for a long time, it can "turn against her" just like some foods we eat start to bother us as we get older.
If she's an out-door cat, make sure she's not getting into something she shouldn't--in fact, do that even if she's an in-door cat. I know my Baby gets into stuff he's not supposed to sometimes and he's strictly an in-door cat. (Where and how they can FIND the stuff to get into is an on-going mystery!)
Is she throwing up her food or froth and spit? If it's food, how digested is it? If it's "in and then out again" type of throw-up, I'd say it's the food and her ability to digest properly. It's just making her sick to her tummy right now. The other thing it could be is she's just really hungry and eats to fast. That's almost always going to result in an up-chuck. I would be concerned about the weight loss if it doesn't slow down.
My daughter's first cat was 17 when she passed and had been sick for the last couple years of her life. About all we could get her to eat was little pieces of boiled chicken, white meat only--usually hand-fed and then baby food meat and veggies for about the last 6 months..
The baby food was the starter food kind--no salt or preservatives. We used the chicken mostly but you can also use the beef, lamb or turkey. Just mix it with change-ups of carrots, green beans, peas, sweet potatoes (sometimes "human" mashed potatoes with no salt) and squash. You can also add some baby rice cereal for more carbohydrates. If kitty will eat cooked rice mixed with the meat, that's OK too. Just whatever you can get your kitty to eat.
Don't feed for too long a period of time because it doesn't have all the calories that she needs for long-term. This is more if she's sick or refuses to eat.
If she'll eat from a bowl, great. You may have to "finger-feed" her at first to get her used to it. This is gentler on her tummy than dry food.
Another thing we used was a product called Nutrical--available at pet stores and through your vet. (At least in my area.) It provides extra calories, sugars, minerals, and proteins to cats who need extra nutrition because of vomiting or not eating enough.
The boiled chicken breast can be mixed with cooked rice for added nutrition and any mashed or pureed "real" veggies you can get her to eat. Again this is only to be used for a few days to a week and then you'll have to find other ways to add more calories. We used to puree the chicken breast with a good quality canned cat food that worked for a while.
We used all of these things in a rotation to keep her eating and her strength up for as long as we could. At the end we used the Nutrical alone or the Nutrical mixed with baby food meat and a feeding tube. It's a hard thing to keep doing but the Vet said it probably added 6 months or more to her life. And when you grow to love them so much, you'll do most anything you can to keep them with you as long as possible.
Hope this helped some and your baby gets better.
Thank you so much!! I will get the nutrical for sure. She has a good appetite...I'm wondering if maybe she has worms? She eliminates fine, almost too much as it seems to just go through her. (It comes out solid tho) She is hungry, loves chicken, tuna, broth, drinks a lot of water, seems to not have the cold nose as much as she used to.
Her energy level is good, she plays and is loving, eyes are clear. I'll just take her to the vet Monday -- it could be simply worms. However, I think maybe a bit anorexia? I've read cats can exhibit those symptoms? She's the sweetest smartest little girl. She looks like your siamese in your pictures. My little companion -- she's"addicted" to me. hahaha thanks so much for all your tips...
You're quite welcome. Hope your baby gets better soon!
I love your photos!
Cats are true omnivores and in the wild they only consume VERY tiny amounts of grains or veggies that might be in the abdomen of their prey. Fruits and veggies are not suggested for use in cat foods. You will see this in many commercial foods. These are usually there for our benefit and NOT the cat. We see things that are healthy for us but they aren't needed for the cat and can possibly harm them.
Eating plant matter alters the body chemistry and causes urine pH to be alkaline. Naturally occurring minerals in the urine form solids when the urine’s pH is above neutral, which can cause urinary crystals. This can cause the cat great pain and can lead to death. Cats PH should be acidic.
Plant matter can putrefy in the cat’s digestive tract due to the cat’s inability to efficiently break down food matter of plant origin. This can cause vomiting, gas, and/or diarrhea.
Leslie--thank you for the compliment. I love to search for different photos of cats--there's so many to choose from on the Internet.
Excellent information--thank you for adding!
Stop by anytime!
This is great info. I have a site on natural care for pets. I will put a link to this hub.
This is great info. I have a site on natural care for pets. I will put a link to this hub.
looking for advice...
my cat is older (not sure how old but >10). she recently had a bad urinary tract infection, pylonephritis, etc. became resistant, lasted a long time, and while i think she now is cleared of the bacteria, she is left in chronic renal failure. she was already underweight and has lost more throughout this process. Unfortunatly she is not fond of the renal diets availble so we are having trouble keeping her intake high enough to maintain her (already decreaesed) weight. she runs for the dog food if she sees it, so has an appetite, just not for the renal diet. we have been looking for alternatives but are having trouble finding something low protein and low salt that she might like. any suggestions you have would be greatly appreciated.
thanks so much!
OPEN UP AND TAKE A BIG BITE!
HERE COME DA MOUSIE RIGHT
INTO DA MOUSIEHOLE!
marisuewrites says:
2 years ago
I loved these pictures....i feel like falling asleep in my food sometimes too. haha
My cat is 17 years old and getting skinny. She eats and drinks...but throws up sometimes. what should i feed her?? thanks...