Questions for those who feed RAW

I may be getting two civies soon (I hope) dancing_cat Their current owner is feeding them NV frozen raw and (dry) The Honest Kitchen's Prowl. No canned or dry food. I don't think their current owner feeds any plain raw meat or organs.

Have a bunch of newbie RAW questions to ask :smile:

Is NV raw a good brand? Or is there another brand that is "better" or more "preferred"? The current owner mentioned that she occasionally feeds Bravo frozen raw.

Is Prowl ok to feed dry? I'm thinking that's not much different from feeding water depleted dry kibble :?: Prowl is supposed to be mixed with warm water before serving but the current owner says she has no problems free feeding it dry.

How long can a RAW nugget/medallion sit at room temperature? And yes, frozen nuggets/medallions be placed in a timed feeder to slowly thaw out for a later meal?

Can I give variety in the diet by rotating between, say, semi-homemade RAW (ie, using a pre-mix) on some days and commerical RAW on other days? Or would that upset the tummy?

Would it be ok to get the civies at least familiar with canned food so they know that it is food? I'm concerned if they ever need to be hospitalized, the vet hospital will not feed them RAW. The vet hospital is pretty accomodating for patients' needs but they just don't have the storage space or a dedicated fridge for RAW. And there's the concern of bacteria from handling RAW and potentially spreading it around to people and patients.

Are there any good friendly boards or groups to discuss RAW pet food on? I joined one group and posted an intro thread. Got two responses back that basically ripped my head off for what the civies are currently eating (I have no control over what their current owner is feeding them) and for even considering feeding commerical RAW (the group pushes homemade RAW/ "frankenprey" model) :roll: :-Q Maybe one day I'll do homemade RAW but right now commerical RAW is the easiest for me.

 

I've used the NV brand and it's hit or miss with my girls, depending on the flavor I got. It needs to be broken (mushed) up in order to entice. I let it thaw in the fridge and then put out. I left it out all day (but since it's been hot) I put a freezer pack under it to keep it cool throughout the day.

I still have some in the freezer, but since I'm now making homemade raw, I'm only using the NV for the times when I run out and haven't made more.

I can't comment on the other brands as I haven't used them or know anything about them.

Like any kind of food, changing flavors, types, brands could affect the tummy. You will need to experiment to see if it affects yours.

Good luck and can't wait to see pics!

 

Great questions. I want to know the same stuff! :lol:

Merlin has had poop issues since I've gotten him (2 months) I thought I'd try RAW. I am in the process of trying to switch him to only RAW. I feed NV chicken mixed with Wellness chicken. I put a few nuggets in a covered container in the fridge so they are ready when I need them. I mix it with my regular wet and some very hot water. He doesn't love it. He used to eat all his food pretty quickly but since I started the RAW he's become much more picky. I don't leave it out all day. It takes a lot of "add ons" to get him to eat the food...it's a pain. Not sure what to do here. I kind of feel bad that I'm making him eat somethng he doesn't like. I'm thinking of throwing in the towel and trying all grain-free food and see how that goes. If he's still sick maybe I'll try the NV again. I've never tried any other brand and nothing other than chicken. I can't switch the food - that makes him sick too. Good luck!!!!

 

I feed NV raw in addition to FF. I find that my civie doesn't like it all by itself, but if I mix in a dollop of FF she chows down like there is no tomorrow. I tend to thaw 6 medallions at a time in the fridge and mush it up once thawed so it is easier to eat. I have heard of people letting it thaw in the dish and kitty eats it just fine and it is perfectly safe to do. You don't want to let it sit there already thawed for hours on end though.

 

I feed NV raw and both my boys love the organic chicken and the rabbit. They aren't enticed by any of the other flavours though. I give raw as their main meals and some Wellness canned as snacks. The difference in their health and their coats has been amazing since I started on the raw. I'll be honest, some days they'll turn their noses up at it to see if I bring out the canned food but I found if I put some chicken dust or even better some tuna water on it they eat it up like it's candy.

In the heat of the summer I take the raw food thats been uneaten and put it in the fridge right away but in the fall and winter I leave it out all day with no problems. I defrost the medallions I need for the day in the fridge overnight but you can leave it to defrost in the automat.

I've tried other raw but they seem to like NV best but each cat has its own tastes I suppose. Good luck

 

Thanks for the replies :smile: The civies in question have never eaten canned or dry food before. They have always eaten commerical RAW. I think I will give a little bit of canned on the side, just so they know that it's food. A small amount as a treat shouldn't upset their tummies, right?

 

Bump up. Responses from other RAW users (commerical or homemade) much appreciated :smile:

Any thoughts on adding raw meat to Prowl for a more complete meal?

 

If you have time, you may want to peak at feline-nutrition.org. It's pretty much devoted to raw only.

http://feline-nutrition.org/

I use NV for Mr. Darcy, we thaw the medallion in water, takes about 10 minutes, he takes his time and snacks on it most of the day. His main diet is canned. I did try making my own raw for a bit, but my cats didn't care for my creation :roll:

 

Thanks for the link :smile:

If I do get the civies, I'll keep them on NV and Prowl for awhile. Kind of worried about upset tummies from the stress of moving to a new home and everything. Then I'll look into other brands of RAW and even other commerical options: pre-mxes and buying frozen meat/organs from Hare-Today or other places and adding in my own supplements. Holing up in my tiny kitchen grinding meat and measuring out supplements and portioning out the food which may not all fit into my freezer does not appeal to me :-|