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Dietary
objectives·
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Moist
is better than dry
-
Maximum
high-quality protein, (high biological value)
-
Minimum
carbohydrates &
minimum ‘derivatives/meat and bone meal’
Considerations:
1. A
raw meaty bone diet satisfies all nutritional and dental requirements,
but is not for everyone
2. Some
foods are not ‘complete’ in that they do not provide every nutrient
a cat needs in the right amounts. For example, minced meat without bones
and organ meat (heart, liver, kidney) is NOT a complete food. It can be
added to the diet to increase the meat content, but should not be fed
exclusively.
3. Freezing
damages some nutrients, including Taurine. Frozen meat is
best supplemented with fresh ox heart once or twice a week.
4. The
overall balance of a diet does not have to be fed daily i.e feed liver
once a week
5. Over-feeding
liver is very dangerous! (if you were to feed it on a daily basis!)
6. You
can mix food from different categories e.g. minced meat with kibble (dry
food)
7. Fresh
meats are best fed raw, though they can be cooked if you wish.
8. Fresh
ground/minced meats spoil quickly once defrozen—treat such meat as if
it were for your own consumption. You will find that some cats will only
eat frozen meats when freshly defrosted - which fits with their natural
habitat of only eating fresh prey - they are not scavengers.
9. I
recommend adding Salmon oil to every cat’s diet to ensure good intake
of Omega 3 fatty acids, and no other supplements should be needed (not
Cod Liver Oil, as this is too high in Vitamins A & D).
Making
the change
Some
cats are very resistant to a change in diet – processed foods are
often sprayed with flavour enhancers designed to appeal to your puss.
Start by feeding at set meal times, rather than having food down all
day. Make changes gradually – there is no race, and you must never
starve your cat into submission. If it takes 3 months to make the
change, so be it. For extensive advice on making the change, visit www.catinfo.org.
and the ukrmb
site. The UKRMB group disapprove of long-term ground meats -
my own view is that I agree that RMB is better than minced/ground, but I
also believe that ground is infinitely better than wet processed. I know
that many people find the concept of raw meaty bones difficult to
accept, but if you get your pets on minced 'prey' successfully,
there is always the option of adding in (or swapping to) rmb
subsequently.
Monitoring
Why note take a photo of your pet
before you change foods, so that you can see the difference in a few
months time?
Weigh
your cat monthly – if he/she wont keep still, weigh yourself holding
her, and then without her, and work out the difference.
If you have any
concerns or problems, then pick up
the phone and let us know.
DON’T
WORRY ABOUT THE ODD SOFT MOTION
We
are so used to seeing hard, bulky stools from corn-fed cats that we
think a soft motion is wrong—it isn't a problem.
‘Complete’
foods
The
bluehouse definition of ‘complete’ is very different from the food
industry’s definition, and is based on biology rather than ‘what is
the minimum we can get away with’.
Please
note that if you choose the ‘raw meaty bone’ diet, it is your
responsibility to educate yourself about this feeding technique.
Our
recommendations are made in good faith, on the basis of our research and
understanding.
As
new information becomes available, we may change our ‘best’ advice
accordingly.
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