Oz Catz' Advice on Feeding your Cat/Kitten

As well as the following advice from Oz Catz, check out these other articles on feeding your Cat/Kitten

• RSPCA - Feeding your Cat
• RSPCA - Feeding your Kitten
• Fat is Important to That Diet!
  
  This is a good article that talks about fat in your cat's diet - why it's needed, what type, how often .....
• Nutrition of the Domestic Cat
  
  More advice on feeding your cat ......
• More about Cat Diets

If you want your kitten to reach his full potential without expensive vet visits, please, please feed him a natural diet - he is after all just a short step away from his carnivore ancestors - unlike dogs which have changed greatly with domesticity and which can more readily tolerate the commercial pet foods.

The cats and kittens that Grandmother owned never had the health problems that beset most of our current cats and kittens! Why? Because Grandmother didn't have the convenience of dishing out a handful of dry cat food or tinned food, but fed her cat raw meats and table scraps.

Many of today's cats suffer kidney disease, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, urinary tract problems, pancreatitus, liver disfunction, obesity, heart disease, hyperthyroidism, etc., etc. Almost none of these diseases were present in Grandmother's cats, but these days cats that are fed commercial cat foods tend to be at the vet for at least one or these problems before they reach 2 years of age with a much reduced life-expectancy.

At Oz Catz, we feel very strongly about the negative impact commercial cat foods have on cats and kittens, which is why we choose to feed a wide variety of raw meats and fish, raw bones, cheese and yoghurt.

Once your kitten leaves Oz Catz, if you change his diet to one of mostly dry commercial cat/kitten food, the chances are he will suffer loose bowel motions as a result. If this happens, take away the dry cat food completely and replace it with raw chicken and within 24 hours, all problems will be resolved. Then introduce other raw meats back into his diet to maintain a healthy growth pattern for your kitten.

Not only is a natural raw diet better for your kitten's health and development - it is cheaper for you!

Your cat's basic meal should consist of a combination of -

 Chopped or minced raw beef (no preservatives) (stir fry strips, casserole chunks, etc.)
 Minced chicken carcass (bones, fat, meat, no preservatives)
 Chopped or minced raw chicken meat

Add to this combinations of the following for each meal -

  

Fresh fish pieces	Chicken giblets
Chicken hearts	Chicken livers
Lamb hearts	Lamb livers
Beef hearts	Warm cooked chicken
Cooked table scraps of meats	Yoghurt - plain preferably
Lamb bones with meat attached	Any cooked meat except pork
Tinned tuna in brine or oil	Tinned sardines in oil
Cheese - tasty, cheddar, cottage(as long as your cat has no intolerance to milk products)
Additional liquid in the form of warm water, chicken stock, vegetable water, etc.

Plus daily, add - 

 

Nutrigel or similar cat supplement

 Tinned cat food (small portion of good quality) #
# just to add extra flavour, texture and water to his meal - tinned cat food is 70% water

And for kittens, about once each week, and for adults, every 2 or 3 days -

 Bones - always raw! - Chicken necks, wings, carcass, lamb bones  

  a fresh raw egg-yolk (or cooked if they prefer for a change) to their meal.

  Royal Canin Dry Kitten 36 

Meal 1 : Chopped raw beef (no preservatives) Minced chicken carcass(bones, fat, meat, no preservatives) Chopped fresh pilchards Shredded lite tasty cheese Home made chicken stock# Meal 2: Chopped raw beef (no preservatives) Fresh chicken pieces Tinned sardines in oil Tinned cat food Warm water or water from steamed vegetables Meal 3 : Chopped raw beef (no preservatives) Chopped lamb hearts & livers Cooked chicken pieces ½ Raw beaten egg Warm water or water from steamed vegetables Meal 4 : Chopped raw beef (no preservatives) Minced chicken carcass (bones, fat, meat, no preservatives) Chopped fresh squid (calamari) Cooked meat (lamb, beef, etc.) Home made chicken stock Meal 5 :   Minced chicken carcass (bones, fat, meat, no preservatives) Tinned fish for cats Fresh chicken pieces Chopped fresh pilchards Shredded lite tasty cheese   Warm water or water from steamed vegetables Meal 6 : Chopped raw beef (no preservatives) Tinned fish for cats Home made chicken stock Raw chicken necks cut into pieces Grated tasty cheese

# Home made chicken stock - bring necks, carcasses, chicken bones (beef bones also can be added) to boil in large pot of lightly salted water, simmer covered for several hours, adding grated carrots, celery in last hour (no onions). Cool stock, remove all bones, leave any meat & freeze in small containers (about 1 cup per container).


Some more tips -

  Do not feed your kitten only raw pet food - that is, pet food beef/meat from the supermarket or pet store - as preservatives in this meat destroys vitamins , especially iron and the B vitamins.

 Make sure you provide a balanced diet for your kitten to thrive.

  Your kitten’s food should be warmed before offering it to him or at the very least be at room temperature.

  He can also have any meat scraps from your plate, e.g. fat from lamp chops, steak, fish skins, etc.

  Gradually increase the size of the raw meat pieces to encourage good chewing and teeth cleaning.

  Raw bones in his diet : Make sure he has raw bones at least once each week (not every day) - so he cleans his teeth and breath. Raw chicken wings, necks, thighs, etc. are great as are beef bones, etc.