I frequently receive emails from readers asking for recommendations for websites like mine that discuss optimal canine nutrition. However, this is not within my comfort zone due to the risk of broken teeth, or swallowing sharp bone fragments. None of us know exactly which nutrients and in what amounts are destroyed/damaged with the cooking process. Sign up for special offers, product updates, and news. Unfortunately, many of these cats had their constipation worsen because their compromised colon could not handle the bulky stool. As mentioned above, I also add in some chicken/turkey meat with skin/fat to the rabbit meat and bones since the rabbits are skinned prior to processing and because rabbits are very low in fat. I don’t have a problem with this since I prefer to wash them by hand anyway. 2) Chicken/turkey thighs:  The second way that I make food is to: When I say “chunks” I mean pieces of meat about the size of a die (~1/2 inch cubes) or a bit smaller at first and then larger (size of your thumb) once your cat gets the hang of chewing on them. At the very least, dry food should be kept in the refrigerator but it is better to just refrain from feeding this type of food. I love using turkey thighs but if you are using a Tasin grinder versus a Weston (discussed above in the Cost section) there is a good chance that a these large bones will kill your Tasin. Therefore, I use poultry thighs, which have a lot of meat relative to the bone. The surviving animals will have permanent liver damage. Information on this site is for general informational purposes only and is provided without warranty or guarantee of any kind. Cats that have been on high residue commercial food with a colon used to a bulky stool may benefit from a small amount of fiber in their diet. If using tablets, dissolve them in the water after crushing in a baggie with a hammer or using a mortar and pestle to expedite the dissolution. Please see Feeding Your Cat:  Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition for reasons why dry food is not a healthy diet for any cat. If your cat is thin and needs the extra calories, leave all of the skin on the meat. You can feed your cats well – either with a homemade diet or canned food – or you can pay the veterinarian later. You can use a variety of meats, and their organs with this next meal. A cat with a blocked urethra – which blocks urination – is in a tremendous amount of pain and their bladder can rupture, resulting in death within 24 hours. A commonly asked question:  “What do I do with the bones left behind in the grinder?”, I use the following ingredients – in amounts listed – per, 3 pounds of poultry thigh meat/bones/skin. Generally speaking, all constipated cats will benefit from an increase in fecal water content but the main question is:  Do we want to increase fecal bulk (increase in diameter) with a soluble fiber? It lasts forever (it is not perishable) and most cats readily eat it when mixed into their food. When I find the time, I will write a Dental Health webpage which will address this issue in more detail. Cooking Turkey Giblets for Stock A basic gravy, as well as some traditional stuffings, starts with the giblet stock. He is owned by three felines: Wheely, KitzKitz, and Nugget (all rescues) who bring all the laughter and mischievousness one can expect from the feline master race. Kitten Food vs Cat Food: What’s the Difference. The chicken or turkey cat food that I make usually ends up being ~25 – 50% cooked and ~50 – 75% raw but you should aim for at least a 10-20% surface cook. I never expected it to last as long at it did given the amount of food that I grind. Preheat oven to 350F Using a cheese grater, shred the squash. Much to my surprise, several of my cats actually immediately preferred what I made for them over the commercial canned food that they were eating. Sign … Salmon Cat Food Recipe. This requires buying a grinder. Copyright 2016 CatInfo.org - All Rights Reserved - Sitemap. I don’t have a problem with this if that is what it takes to get them to eat a predominantly homemade diet. Soluble fiber (versus insoluble fiber) may also play a beneficial role in intestinal health since it is fermented to short chain fatty acids which nourish the cells of the colon and also promote healthy bacteria. There were many human cases of salmonella infection possibly linked to this food. As stated above, we all must work within our comfort zone. Note that when I use chicken thighs, I remove ~30% of the bones. He is 19.5 years old so….we compromise. Also, pumpkin is good! Add in the giblet, liver, heart and pumpkin and continue to simmer for 10 15 minutes or until the organ meats are cooked through and the pumpkin is soft and mashable. As noted above, I feed meat from two different sources: I buy free-range (whatever that really means given that this issue is poorly regulated), antibiotic-free (as required by law) chicken or turkey thighs (with skin and bone). I also purchase chicken livers at WFM or another local grocery store. In most cases, we don’t want to do that – at least not significantly. Your cat will be more than happy to see the turkey giblets in their dish at dinner time! Unfortunately, humans just don’t recognize these illogical and unsafe diets as the cause of the pet’s illness. If you are firmly opposed to feeding any part of the diet in a raw form – even after reading the Safety section below – you can contact me to set up an appointment for a phone consultation to discuss formulating and preparing a diet that uses cooked ingredients. Always remember that calcium is not an optional ‘supplement’ but a very critical component of the diet. Cook it slowly until the bacon is dry and crispy. So I now purchase pre-ground rabbit instead of whole rabbit. This partial baking makes the diet much safer than dry food. It is also the ultimate surf and turf dish sure to please all cats alike. Note that the ground rabbit from wholefoods4pets.com comes with a lot of blood included (and the thyroid gland) which is why I use less Lite salt when making rabbit + chicken recipe. However, after witnessing constipation in many raw-fed cats, as well as life-threatening urethral obstructions (see Anne’s Sidney Beans’ story here and Opie’s story here), and watching lions strip the meat from the bones – leaving most of the bones behind – I am not comfortable feeding as much bone as that found in whole chickens, turkeys, or rabbits. However, these arguments do not  take into account the fact that this vegetable matter is pre-digested by the prey’s own enzymes – enzymes that are lacking in the cat. Cats with kidney problems like chronic kidney disease need to maintain a special diet to stay healthy and manage their symptoms. If using ground rabbit, I would assume that the thyroid gland is included. Remove some of the raw meat from the bone for chunking. Rabbit is a very low-fat meat. Then the other side is back to front, back to front, back to front…. FortiFlora is a probiotic that I use to entice cats to eat. Some people feed a bit of canned mixed with the homemade for the rest of the cat’s life. These nutrient-rich organs are an excellent choice for your feline’s diet. When I was first starting to feed a homemade diet, I used baby food jars so there would be no waste during the transition. I often get asked about acceptable bone size. The first ingredient is turkey. What a truly impressive workhorse it was! Dr. King is a fabulous writer and her book is a very enjoyable and easy-to-read essay discussing how she feeds her own beloved dog and why.). Multi-glandular supplement – I initially added this item but when Mad Cow disease surfaced, I discontinued using it. General CKD medical management to prolong the length and quality of life, in addition to appropriate dietary issues, is discussed during the consultation. (See Urinary Tract Diseases – Opie’s Story.). :>). How long to cook a turkey. 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