I know this is a dog forum but was wondering if anyone had any insight. I feed my dog a mixture of raw and high quality dog food. But I was interested in feeding it to cats. I know they are carnivores also but do you go off of the 2-3% of their body weights for feeding. What kind of RMB are there for cats, because they can't eat the big bones of course like the dogs. I see all sorts of books for dogs but I don't see a whole lot of info for cats....

I found this:

http://rawfed.com/myths/cats.html

(I was looking for one that emphasized the absolute requirement of cats for taurine, and this does so.)

I've got a neutered male cat that eats about 2 oz of raw chicken daily. His breakfast is a high quality grain free kibble, and he eats the chicken for dinner. I cut up the bone with meat attached into chewable chunks about 3 inches long and he finishes it in about 15 minutes.

When selecting what parts to give him I usually give him the wings, trim the breast meat off the carcass and cut the chunks from the ribs with some breast scraps still attached, and leg bones. I don't like dark meat, so I'll cut what I want off the leg and thigh and give him the scraps. The ribs are the best part of the bird to start a cat on because they're super soft and easily chewed if he's not used to chewing. My cat doesn't care - he can go years without chewing and he'll still dig in on a thick leg bone.

Even with the balanced kibble, I'd still probably include a little organ meat there for the taurine.

Good evening, Lisa!

I have two cats, one of which is on a raw diet since I adopted him back in 2006. I am still working on the other, who is a kibble addict. I made a break-through with wet food, so it is just a matter of time.

Raw-fed cats are very different from dogs, and in a way, more hassle every time I prepare a batch of grind. I found these websites invaluable when I was getting started: http://www.catinfo.org/?link=makingcatfood and
http://www.catnutrition.org/pictorial.html

As Connie stressed, taurine is a very important supplement for cats. You can use chicken heart, but if you are unable to source it, you can find taurine at the store. I do not always use glandular supplement, and have never used psyllium. But I follow the rest of the recipe (cat nutrition) to a T, and love the results.

I used to give Kennedy a RMB for him to gnaw on twice a week, usually a chicken neck or a wing. But after a $$ trip to the ER once after he swallowed a chunk of neck (it was my fault, I hacked it into 3 pieces instead of leaving it whole like I normally did) I just let him work his jaws and teeth on the muscle meat chunks in his grind. Occasionally I let him have a duck wing or a neck, and instead of just supervising, I hold the meaty bone for him.. just in case.

Good luck!

~ Rei

I vote whole pet shop mice for cats on raw. Can't get a much better balanced diet then that.

Pet shop mice are probably the worst to feed. If you're going to feed whole prey go with a GOOD reptile food breeder. Their animals are kept more sanitary and aren't riddled with disease. Plus, you can buy in bulk and save money.