Home Made Cat Food

[Rowan]

Hi, I'm very interested in making my own home made cat food. I've started doing some research already. Can anyone give me some advise and/or resources they have found helpful? I have 5 young cats and...a 6th one may be added soon...

If I don't reply right away it's because I'll be away from the internet all weekend. :)

Thanks,
Rowan

[catmandu]

That would be something I would be onterested in too:cool::cool:Maybe if I could have made something for Juke Joint Joseph, he would have eaten at least a bit:love:

[lvpets2002]

:) Welcome to Pet Talk & enjoy.. Hey pics of your babies please.. We love pictures..

I dont make my own cat food.. However from what I have seen on Animal Planet TV show is you boil your chicken & then cook vegtables & rice in the chicken broth & then use a blender to blend.. But I would still do more research too.. Good Luck & when you find a good recipe let us know ok..

[Freedom]

Get this book and you will be all set:

The Whole Pet Diet by Andi Brown

I found it at my library; liked it so much I bought a copy from amazon.com

She has recipes, and explains what each ingredient does for health. Covers both cats and dogs.

[Rowan]

Thanks! I just looked the Whole Pet Diet up on Amazon and it looks pretty good. I went to Barnes and Noble Friday night and ordered a book. Turns out that the person helping me has a sister who just started making her own dog food.

I talked to my vet on Saturday and although she has no other clients who do it, she's very interested in it and has heard nothing but good things about it.

<sigh> Kitty #6 just started her life as part of my fur family on Friday. Her name is Artemisia. She's a stray I've been feeding for the past month or two. She had a miscarrage right in front of me Friday evening and then another one Friday night after I caught her and brought her in. We went to the vet Saturday. All the usual blood tests came back negative and she's doing well, under the circumstances. She's soooo tiny that she didn't even look pregnant. She goes back to the vet next Monday for a follow up and to schedule her Spay.

Oh, I'll send in pics soon.:p

[Russian Blue]

This is a great book to start your research. It will keep you up reading way into the night! :D

Dr. Pitcairn's New Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats (http://www.amazon.com/Pitcairns-Complete-Guide-Natural-Health/dp/157954973X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1281399380&sr=1-1-spell)

I, personally, wouldn't attempt a raw/home made diet without consulting (and monitoring) from a vet knowlegable in this regards. I know many who first transitioned their cats to a wet canned food diet and then to a raw/home made diet.

With all the recalls and poorly manufactured foods for cats many have turned to home made with great success. Good luck with your research!

[emily_the_spoiled]

I make a homemade diet for my guys and I use cooked boneless skinless chkicken breasts, raw chicken liver (for the taurine), baked sweet potatoes, chopped up apples, pumpkin, 2x Vit C 500mg, 3xLynsine 100mg, 4xprobiotics and a supplement from Sojo's (I order it on the internet). Everything is mixed is a food processor. Then when I feed them I add more water to make it more like a think porridge.

I have been doing this for about 4 years and it works just fine. None of my guys are over weight and they are all very active (with a limited number of furr balls).

The only reason the diet is so heavy in fiber is that one of my guys has IBS and needs the extra fiber. But it doesn't hurt the others, it basically makes the fur balls "pass out" the other end instead of hacking them up.

[Rowan]

Yeah, I'm a bit leary about the raw food idea. I know they can tolerate some "bugs" better than we can, but I don't want to take the chance. I did order some of Dr. Harvey's Veg-to-bowl to add to the food I make. It has taurene and other nutrients that you add just before serving the food. That should be waiting for me when I get home via UPS. The book I ordered is in, so I'll be getting that tonight. Yea!

Yeah, hearing about all the food recalls and remembering the big one from...what was it, 2 years ago...I think it will be a nice change to know what is going into their food.