Easy Raw Feeding for the Busy Person

There are now many easy raw-feeding choices for the person on-the-go. In stores and on the internet, you can purchase frozen complete diets, frozen ground meat/bone/organ mixes and pre-mixed supplements that you just add to raw meat. There are a few national brands, and many smaller, regionally available products that make it easy to feed raw. It's as simple as thawing and serving.

 

We discuss some specific products here, but there are many others, with more being added all the time as demand for easy-to-feed raw foods increases. Feeding complete foods is probably the most convenient, but it can be more expensive and it gives you the least control over what ingredients are used.

 

Finding a producer whose product you trust, and who uses quality ingredients is very important. Remember, your cat will eat less when on a raw diet, so that is a consideration when looking at cost. Look for foods that are grain-free, and are low carbohydrate if they contain vegetables or fruits. Try to use products that contain meat from quality sources, and that use whole animals if possible. Most of these foods are available online in addition to being sold at retail outlets such as natural pet stores, natural grocery stores and some veterinary offices. Check the maker's websites to find out where their product is sold.

 

 

These are diets that are complete as is. You don't need to add additional supplements. It is still a good idea to include variety in your cat's diet, so varying the type of meat fed is recommended.

 

Feline's Pride: A very good, grain and vegetable free complete diet. Antibiotic and preservative free. Available in chicken, turkey, Cornish hen and duck. They will ship direct to you or you can purchase from one of their distributors. My cats love this stuff! Their recipe is very close to the Feline Nutrition homemade recipe.

 

Nature's Variety: Grain free complete foods for cats and dogs, hormone and antibiotic free. Be aware that their formulations do contain some fruits and vegetables, with a carbohydrate content of about 3%. Available in nuggets, patties, and chubs in chicken, beef, lamb, venison, rabbit and organic chicken. Sold at retail outlets. They also have a line of freeze dried complete foods.

 

Aunt Jeni's: Complete foods for cats and dogs. They use free-range meats, that are hormone and antibiotic free. Available in chicken, turkey, beef and rabbit. Please note that this product does contain some fruits, vegetables and seeds, and the carbohydrate content is around 3-4%. Available at retail outlets, or they will ship frozen if you are not in an area where it's available.

 

Primal: Offers formulas that are complete foods in chicken and salmon, beef and salmon, turkey, pheasant, quail and venison. The product comes in nuggets. Their complete formulas do contain some fruits, vegetables and seeds, but carb content is low at 1%. They use human-grade meat that is hormone, antibiotic and steroid free. Available at retail outlets.

 

Bravo: Offers complete foods in turkey, chicken and beef patties. Poultry is hormone and antibiotic free, and the beef is grass fed. Be aware that they do add some vegetables to their complete foods. Carbohydrate content is about 3%. Available at retail stores. They have a handy "How Much to Feed" Calculator on their site.

 

Rad Cat Raw Diet: All natural, free-range or pasture raised meats are used, hormone and antibiotic free. No grains or vegetables are used. Available in turkey, chicken or lamb. They also sell chicken neck and turkey gizzard treats. Mostly available on the west coast.

 

 

Buying pre-ground meat/bone/organ mixes and adding your own supplements can substantially lower your costs. It's also very easy. This is a good option for people who would like to prepare their own cat food, but don't want to grind their own meat. Also useful for those who want to use meats that are either unavailable or too expensive to purchase whole, or meats with bones that a home grinder can't handle. Many suppliers sell in packages ranging from one pound to bulk packages of 30 pounds, so it is very easy to purchase the amount that fits your needs.

 

Please note: buying ground meat from the grocery store is not recommended. Meat from a grocery store has been ground and then refrigerated and displayed for who knows how long, giving bacteria ample time to multiply. Meat needs to be frozen immediately after grinding. Also, it is best to grind the bone with the meat, and grocery store meat doesn't include the bone. In some places it is illegal for stores to grind the bone on machines used for meat meant for human consumption. Meat ground for raw pet food is always immediately frozen to reduce bacterial proliferation. If you do decide to purchase ground meat from a grocery store, make sure it was ground within the previous 24 hours.

 

 

Hare Today: They offer a wide range of ground, whole and parts products, including rabbit, chicken, duck, turkey, pheasant, quail, salmon, beef, pork, mutton, goat and mice. Quality is excellent. They ship it frozen direct to you via UPS or FedEx, from Pennsylvania. Products shipped 2-day air will arrive still frozen. Tip: place the tube of ground meat in a plastic bag or a large tray in the fridge; the tubes will leak liquid as they thaw. They also sell dehydrated items. My cats recommend the dehydrated rabbit ears.