Sandra
Piper's new Mommy

A lot of us are feeding raw. I would keep her on that.

I would say most of the members here do not feed raw. If your breeder has fed raw and you want to continue, that is probably best for your kitten. Your breeder needs to show you how to prepare the food. It's not just buying a raw chicken and feeding it. Most need to be prepared as your baby will need taurine (from the organs) and calcium (from the bones). However, if you do not want to continue to feed raw, that's fine, too. It's a personal choice. Your breeder should send you home with some food -- or you can even purchase additional food from her and freeze it. There are also online sources for raw food.

I've never transitioned a cat from raw so I am not sure if you simply mix in the other food or try the new food at a different meal.

I do know the members here who are feeding raw say it is the best way to go. However, it's not a perfect solution for everyone. So, it is up to you.

I would like to add that any type of commercially manufactured canned food be of the highest quality. (check ingredients and buy nothing with any meat byproducts in them. Byproducts are making the pets sick and have killed many.) Chewy.com is a great source for manufactured food and the ingredients are listed.

Just know, too, that it can take a while to find a type of canned food that your kitten will eat. Cats are finicky, you know.

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The little monsters 3

Hello! I just got two new kittens as well and have been debating on raw food diet instead of the high quality organic I am buying now. They both eat a 1/2 wet 1/2 dry diet. During my research, I’ve found that, IF DONE PROPERLY...the raw food diet is way more beneficial in many aspects including behavior, health and life span. Also...after they are accustomed to it, their poop apparently doesn’t smell nearly as much...id say that’s a huge positive!!
You also never need to worry about over feeding them as the raw food has everything their bodies need and they will feel full when they are. Apparently they will also sometimes eat more or less depending on the day so trust your cats and learn to know what they need.
As the others have commented though, this is risky to ensure the exact proportions of muscle tissue, soft organ and bone. I’ve found multiple sites that will deliver right to your door but you need to grind the meat yourself and still ensure the proportions. Others deliver pre made, but I haven’t found one to deliver to my address yet. Still looking!

I live in Ontario Canada and actually found that all Global pet foods should carry a pre-made raw food in many different kinds(ie. chicken, beef, lamb ect.) that already have the specific proportions of what your fur baby needs. I have also read that as much as the kitties enjoy the beef liver, it’s best to feed them only meats they would naturally find in the wild such as chicken, rabbits Ect.

I will be transitioning my kittens to their new raw food diet over the next few weeks. Taking it slow as to not upset their little tummy’s much.

Good luck in finding what you need! I hope the raw food diet works out for you :)

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The little monsters 3

Great comments here. I wouldn't begin to know how to prepare a raw diet for my bengal, but there is a ton of info on this forum and online, plus the fact that you can purchase the raw diet in many meaty flavors is a great thing.

Thank you for all the great responses. My Vet was adamant that I transition her over to regular canned and dry food. The Breeder told me to feed her Blue Wilderness kitten food so I am doing that. She had a little diarrhea yesterday but is still eating well and is quite active. Poor little things when they are rehomed. Must be stressful for them although Piper seems very well adjusted. She is sleeping here above my keyboard right now. I have a lot of faith in my Vet who says I would probably not be able to make her raw diet with all the proper nutrients over the long haul. So Blue Wilderness it is for her. I wish I were a gourmet cook and knew how to make the raw food to be 100% healthy for her. I am sure many of you are able to do it with ease.

Sandra

There are commercially available raw diets.

Neither of my cats will touch Blue Wilderness. It's just important that you feed your kitty the food they like and will eat. I've tossed so much food it isn't funny and I have a cabinet full of food my cats won't eat that I need to give to a friend who has multiple cats.

One of my kitties came from a breeder who feeds raw, but my particular kitten did not tolerate raw at all (upset tummy/loose stools). I know it makes little sense but she just didn't, maybe higher bacterial content paired with a sensitive tummy? I tried dozens of food until I found something that worked for her which was a high quality canned food.

I personally do not feel guilty about feeding high quality canned. Making and feeding raw actually would have been cheaper for me and was my plan but it didn't work out for my kitty.