~ PRACTICAL GUIDE ~

Plenty of fresh, juicy raw muscle meat, combined with some edible bone and a bit of organ meat round out the prey model diet. The only other requirement, (to make up for the Omega 3 fatty acid deficiencies in grain fed meats) is the inclusion of some oily fleshed fish, and/or some pastured or grass fed meats, or some fish body oil, which are all rich in O 3’s.

Just remember to always refer back to and use the following approximate proportions of body parts as a basic guideline when assembling your cat’s diet:

As far as the amount of raw food to feed you cat, this will vary, depending on your cats age, weight, activity level, metabolism and overall appetite. A basic guideline to use when determining how much to feed your cat, is between 2 and 4% of your cat’s ideal adult weight. But remember, this is only a guide. Some cats will eat more than this, and some might need less. Ultimately you’ll need to let your cat be your guide when deciding how much to feed him. If he’s looking a bit pudgy, give him less food. If he’s getting a bit lean, increase the amount you feed him. Because every cat is different, there’s no exact standard formula.

Most adult cats only need be fed twice a day, but kittens, because their tummies can only hold so much at a one sitting, and because they’re generally so much more active than adults, need to be fed more often. Very young kittens grow very quickly during the first 3-4 months of their lives, and feeding them 4, or even more, small meals a day is not out of the question. Unless they’re getting too chunky, it’s generally fine to feed young kittens as much raw food as they want and can consume. As they get older and are less active, they’ll need fewer meals per day and you’ll need to adjust the amount you feed them accordingly.

Here are some hints and tips to keep in mind that may be useful when you’re first starting to offer your cat raw food:

A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO RAW FEEDING

HOW TO TRANSITION YOUR CAT TO A RAW PREY MODEL DIET

Before reading this section on how to feed your cat a prey model diet, please click here to get an overview of this diet, and to familiarize yourself with the basics of what it entails. If your cat has been eating a steady diet of commercial crud for his entire life, it’s important to realize up front that it’s possible that transitioning him to a raw diet may take some time as well as some persistence, perseverance, and above all, a good bit of patience on your part. And then again, it might not. Each cat is different. Some will take to raw as if they’ve just been waiting their whole lives for their humans to figure out what they really should have been feeding them all along, and for these cats, the transition to raw is relatively simple, quick and easy. But other cats may be more set in their ways, and many of these may even have become addicted to the carbohydrates in low quality kibble or canned catfood. These cats are the ones that will require a bit more determination and effort on your part to help them make the switch to raw. If you’re reading this website, hopefully you’ve gotten to the point where you realize how important it is to feed your beloved pet a species appropriate raw diet, and you’re ready and willing to do what it takes to help your cat make the change to a more healthy and natural way of eating. Those with kittens will most likely find that these little ones make the transition to raw almost immediately, with little or no hesitation whatsoever. Sometimes the younger the cat, the more quickly and easily the transition to raw will happen. Very young cats know instinctively what their bodies need, and most often will take to eating a raw diet like a fish to water. One of the most important things to keep in mind when transitioning your cats to an all raw diet, (and one of the reasons it can take time to do so) is that *you must never starve a cat* into eating raw food. This cannot be overemphasized. Tough love is simply not an option when switching cats to a raw diet, because it’s possible that cats who are forced to go without eating anything for more than a day or so may become susceptible to a very serious and potentially fatal liver disease called hepatic lipidosis. This means that when you start making the switch to raw, if your cat doesn’t eat enough of the raw food you’re offering her each day, you must continue to feed her enough of whatever she will eat to sustain her, every day.
When you’re just starting out, the first thing to do is to get some kind of fresh meat in the house. Better yet, get several kinds. Boneless chicken, turkey, pork or beef are fine to begin with and are readily available. Having more than one kind of meat to offer in the beginning is beneficial for several very good reasons:
a) your cat might like one kind of meat better than another, b) cats sometimes latch onto, or imprint upon one kind of food if that’s all they’re given, to the point where they’re unwilling to try another, and c) offering your cat as much variety in a raw diet as possible is important in order to provide adequate nutrition. As soon as possible after you bring the meat home, cut it up and portion it into small baggies, and freeze whatever you’re not going to use for that day. Cats generally prefer their raw meat to be fresh, so if you get in the habit of freezing their food in small portions, and only thawing out what’s needed for a day or two’s worth of meals, this will help to prevent waste. Many people have concerns when they’re first starting to feed a raw diet to their pets, about safe food handling techniques. Although raw meat does contain some bacteria, it’s important to keep in mind that our world is full of many different kinds of bacteria, which we’re all exposed to every single day. The fact is that as long as we use common sense and practice basic good hygiene when handling raw meat, the chances are virtually nil that anyone will suffer any ill effects from being exposed the bacteria it contains. Simply washing all surfaces and utensils with warm soapy water, and/or spraying them with a solution of 50% water and 50% white vinegar, (a natural, nontoxic disinfectant) is all that’s necessary to keep things sanitary when handling and feeding your cat raw food.
	Once you’ve purchased your raw meat, start by chopping it into little bite sized pieces, and put just a few of them (so as to not overwhelm your kitty at first) on a flat plate or surface, rather than in a bowl. Since this food is unfamiliar to her, putting it on something flat where it’s perfectly visible, as opposed to in a bowl where it’s not quite so easy to see, makes this new food more approachable, and is less threatening to your cat.
You can also feed your cat on an old towel which is easily tossed into the washer, or on something else, like a plastic place mat that’s easy to wipe clean, if you prefer. You can also feed your cat in a crate if that works for you, but generally speaking, it’s best to have a particular designated place where you always feed your cat. If your cat eats these first few little bits of raw meat, you’re on you way. But if not, don’t despair. There are plenty of ways to help her learn to like it. Eventually, your goal should be to help your cat reach a point where she’s able to handle good sized hunks of meat that are at least as large as a mouse, and ultimately she needs to have the ability to consume some edible bones as well. But cats who’ve been fed commercial dreck their whole lives often lack both the gnawing skills and the jaw strength that it takes to successfully tackle whole raw meaty bones. Rather than overwhelming your cat initially with a large, intimidating hunk of bone-in meat, it’s best to start out small in the beginning, by offering little bits of boneless meat, employing your knife to do the slicing until your cat is able to do it for herself with her own teeth. As your cat becomes more familiar with her new diet, as her jaws get stronger and as she gets more practice gnawing, she’ll become more adept at handling larger chunks of raw meat. As this happens, you can slowly begin to increase the size of the hunks you feed her. Once she’s able to position larger hunks of meat in her mouth in such a way as to effectively rip off swallow-able sized pieces, she’ll be ready to be introduced to some bone-in meats with small edible bones. This is the ultimate aim of feeding a raw prey model diet. Once your cat can handle RMB’s (raw meaty bones) she’ll be able to tackle most anything you offer her.
Small, whole prey critters with small, edible bones, such as mice, rats, quail, rabbits, chicks, small fish and game hens are consumed in their entirety by most experienced raw fed cats. Many cats are also able to strip the meat off of some of the bigger, inedible bones of other larger critters, like chickens, turkeys, ducklings, lamb or pork. Both crunching the smaller bones, as well as stripping the meat and connective tissue off larger ones, are key to promoting the good oral health of your cat, which is one of the greatest benefits of feeding a prey model diet.
Plenty of fresh, juicy raw muscle meat, combined with some edible bone and a bit of organ meat round out the prey model diet. The only other requirement, (to make up for the Omega 3 fatty acid deficiencies in grain fed meats) is the inclusion of some oily fleshed fish, and/or some pastured or grass fed meats, or some fish body oil, which are all rich in O 3’s. Just remember to always refer back to and use the following approximate proportions of body parts as a basic guideline when assembling your cat’s diet: 5-10% ~ organ meat, with half that amount being liver 10-15% ~ edible bone 80% + ~ muscle meat, fat, skin, connective tissue, etc. As far as the amount of raw food to feed you cat, this will vary, depending on your cats age, weight, activity level, metabolism and overall appetite. A basic guideline to use when determining how much to feed your cat, is between 2 and 4% of your cat’s ideal adult weight. But remember, this is only a guide. Some cats will eat more than this, and some might need less. Ultimately you’ll need to let your cat be your guide when deciding how much to feed him. If he’s looking a bit pudgy, give him less food. If he’s getting a bit lean, increase the amount you feed him. Because every cat is different, there’s no exact standard formula. Most adult cats only need be fed twice a day, but kittens, because their tummies can only hold so much at a one sitting, and because they’re generally so much more active than adults, need to be fed more often. Very young kittens grow very quickly during the first 3-4 months of their lives, and feeding them 4, or even more, small meals a day is not out of the question. Unless they’re getting too chunky, it’s generally fine to feed young kittens as much raw food as they want and can consume. As they get older and are less active, they’ll need fewer meals per day and you’ll need to adjust the amount you feed them accordingly. Here are some hints and tips to keep in mind that may be useful when you’re first starting to offer your cat raw food: Compared to crunchy kibbles or cooked canned catfood, which are both relatively quite stinky, fresh raw meat has a very faint odor and quite a different texture. As a result, some cats simply won’t recognize raw meat as actually being food when they’re first exposed to it. For this reason, it’s sometimes necessary to disguise the raw food and stink it up a bit with another more pungent smell or flavor. It’s also important to keep on offering raw food to your cat even if he turns his nose up at it at first. Some cats need time to get used to this new raw stuff, so repeated exposure can be key. You can use whatever favorite food you know your cat likes as a ‘bribe’ food to encourage him to eat the raw. The juice from a can of water packed tuna, a smear of canned catfood, a little bit of grated parmesan cheese, or a sprinkle of crushed kibble (or whatever else you know your cat loves) spread onto raw meat will often help encourage a reluctant kitty to take the raw plunge. If you don’t have success feeding one kind of meat, try another. Cats, just like people, have their preferences, and it’s very possible they’ll favor some things over others. Also, cats have been known to change their minds about things, so if at first you don’t succeed with one type of meat, rather than giving up on it entirely, just refreeze it and try feeding it again another time. Your cat might very well surprise you by suddenly taking a shine to something she’s previously snubbed. And sometimes, it just takes that one particular kind of meat to act as a kind of gateway food for that little carnivorous light bulb to go on in a cat’s head, and then suddenly she gets it. Besides the nutritional aspect, feeding a variety of as many different kinds of raw meats as you can is important for any number of reasons. Some cats don’t take well to raw food that’s cold, straight from the refrigerator, but instead prefer it to be closer to ‘mouse body temperature.’ This is easily done by simply putting the meat in a plastic baggie, and either running it under a warm faucet, or soaking it in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes. Never microwave raw food to warm it, as microwaving changes the molecular structure of food, thereby altering its nutritional value, and can also turn raw bones into cooked bones, which should never be fed to your cat. If you’re free feeding kibble by leaving some down for your cat 24 hours a day, you need to stop doing this. If kibble is all he’ll eat, then start offering it to him only a couple of times a day for a reasonable amount of time, and then pick it up and don’t offer it again until the next mealtime. Freely grazing on kibble makes for a cat that never develops a real appetite. And although you don’t want him to go completely hungry for any length of time, closing down the all day kibble buffet will help to put a bit of an edge on his appetite, and that will work to your advantage when helping him make the switch to raw. Since kibble is so different in taste, texture and smell from fresh raw meat, if dry is all that your cat is used to eating, and she’s not showing any interest in raw food, it may be necessary to transition her off the kibble, and onto canned catfood first. The wet texture of the canned stuff is closer to the texture of raw meat, and it can be easier to make the transition to raw from wet food than it is from dry. If you’ve stopped free feeding your cat kibble, switched her to eating canned, tried disguising the raw with her favorite bribe foods, served it to her nice and warm, and she’s still refusing to eat any raw food at all, you may have a cat on your hands who will require some very small steps, and some real patience and perseverance on your part to transition. Start over by mixing the tiniest bit raw meat into her canned food which is cut into such little itty bitty pieces, that she doesn’t even know it’s there. Mix so few of these tiny bits of raw meat in with her other food so that she’s not even aware of them, and then over time, ever so slowly and imperceptibly, increase their size and amount. Another alternative is to place a tiny morsel or two of raw meat on a dish right next to her regular food every time she eats, in order for her to see and smell it, and so that she’ll begin to make the association between the sight and smell of raw and her mealtimes. Another little trick to try with especially stubborn cats is to “accidentally” drop a little morsel of raw meat on the floor, as if it were a precious and delectable treat that landed there by mistake instead of in your mouth. If your kitty’s crafty and thinks he’s getting away with stealing a bit of treasure, he might decide it’s worth eating even more so than if it was just part of his regular fare. Just remember, that like the race between the tortoise and the hare, when it comes to transitioning stubborn cats to eating a wholesome raw diet, slow and steady is what ultimately wins in the end. Once your cat starts getting the hang of eating little pieces of raw boneless meat, and you’ve increased their size until he’s able to shear off pieces by using his teeth and jaws, it’s time to feed him some raw meaty bones. Set him up for success right off the bat by starting small, and making sure the bones are attached to plenty of meat. Ribs are some of the smallest, softest and most flexible of bones, and those from critters like Cornish game hens, rabbits, quail or small fish are perfect for newbie raw eating kitties. If at first you have qualms about your cat crunching on raw bones, remember that your cat was designed by Nature to eat them, and that millions of cats have been doing so for millennia. Many of us have trepidations about feeding our cats bones because we’ve been so conditioned into thinking that all bones are dangerous for them to eat, when it’s only cooked bones that pose the most real danger. The little raw bones that are small enough to be eaten by cats are actually quite pliable, and very soft in comparison to cooked bones, which are brittle and apt to splinter due to the changes they undergo when they’re heated. If you’ve ever had or known of a cat who was a mouser, and who ate the mice she caught, just remember that cat if you ever find yourself being fearful of your cat’s ability to consume small RMB’s. And rest assured in the knowledge the cat is one of the planet’s premier carnivores, which has been preying upon and consuming whole small critters - including their edible little bones - for generation upon generation. When your cat is just beginning to learn to eat raw meaty bones, you may notice her trying to swallow pieces of meat or bone that are somewhat too large for her to get down, and you might even see her gagging a bit and perhaps regurgitating them so that she can gnaw on them some more until they’re small enough for her to swallow. Just be aware that this is a normal reflex, and something that shouldn’t cause you any undo concern. Another thing that sometimes happens is that a piece of meat or bone can get impaled on a canine tooth, and become stuck there for a bit. With practice, your cat will learn to manipulate her food with increasing skill, perhaps even using her paws to help her position it properly. You may find yourself very interested to watch your cat while he’s eating when you feed him a prey model diet. There’s something very compelling about seeing cats eating the kind of food they were born to eat, especially since so many of us have rarely witnessed such a thing. Not only can it be fascinating to watch, but it’s also very satisfying to feel that you’re really doing the right thing by your pet. In a world full of crappy petfoods, knowing that you’re providing your beloved furry friend with the most natural and healthy diet you can, is truly a gratifying feeling. And once you help your cat make the transition to a raw diet, no doubt you’ll never look back.



The articles on this website contain research, opinions and personal reflection that may be of use to you in learning more about how and why to feed your pet a species appropriate raw diet, and are provided for informational purposes only. This information is educational in nature, and is not intended to replace professional veterinary medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. All the information found on this site is to be used at your own risk. The author cannot be held responsible for any unfavorable results that may arise from the use or misuse of any of the content presented herein.

You can use whatever favorite food you know your cat likes as a ‘bribe’ food to encourage him to eat the raw. The juice from a can of water packed tuna, a smear of canned catfood, a little bit of grated parmesan cheese, or a sprinkle of crushed kibble (or whatever else you know your cat loves) spread onto raw meat will often help encourage a reluctant kitty to take the raw plunge.

If you don’t have success feeding one kind of meat, try another. Cats, just like people, have their preferences, and it’s very possible they’ll favor some things over others. Also, cats have been known to change their minds about things, so if at first you don’t succeed with one type of meat, rather than giving up on it entirely, just refreeze it and try feeding it again another time. Your cat might very well surprise you by suddenly taking a shine to something she’s previously snubbed. And sometimes, it just takes that one particular kind of meat to act as a kind of gateway food for that little carnivorous light bulb to go on in a cat’s head, and then suddenly she *gets* it. Besides the nutritional aspect, feeding a variety of as many different kinds of raw meats as you can is important for any number of reasons.

Some cats don’t take well to raw food that’s cold, straight from the refrigerator, but instead prefer it to be closer to ‘mouse body temperature.’ This is easily done by simply putting the meat in a plastic baggie, and either running it under a warm faucet, or soaking it in a bowl of warm water for a few minutes. Never microwave raw food to warm it, as microwaving changes the molecular structure of food, thereby altering its nutritional value, and can also turn raw bones into cooked bones, which should never be fed to your cat.

If you’re free feeding kibble by leaving some down for your cat 24 hours a day, you need to stop doing this. If kibble is all he’ll eat, then start offering it to him only a couple of times a day for a reasonable amount of time, and then pick it up and don’t offer it again until the next mealtime. Freely grazing on kibble makes for a cat that never develops a real appetite. And although you don’t want him to go completely hungry for any length of time, closing down the all day kibble buffet will help to put a bit of an edge on his appetite, and that will work to your advantage when helping him make the switch to raw.

Since kibble is so different in taste, texture and smell from fresh raw meat, if dry is all that your cat is used to eating, and she’s not showing any interest in raw food, it may be necessary to transition her off the kibble, and onto canned catfood first. The wet texture of the canned stuff is closer to the texture of raw meat, and it can be easier to make the transition to raw from wet food than it is from dry.

If you’ve stopped free feeding your cat kibble, switched her to eating canned, tried disguising the raw with her favorite bribe foods, served it to her nice and warm, and she’s still refusing to eat any raw food at all, you may have a cat on your hands who will require some very small steps, and some real patience and perseverance on your part to transition. Start over by mixing the tiniest bit raw meat into her canned food which is cut into such little itty bitty pieces, that she doesn’t even know it’s there. Mix so few of these tiny bits of raw meat in with her other food so that she’s not even aware of them, and then over time, ever so slowly and imperceptibly, increase their size and amount. Another alternative is to place a tiny morsel or two of raw meat on a dish right next to her regular food every time she eats, in order for her to see and smell it, and so that she’ll begin to make the association between the sight and smell of raw and her mealtimes.

Another little trick to try with especially stubborn cats is to “accidentally” drop a little morsel of raw meat on the floor, as if it were a precious and delectable treat that landed there by mistake instead of in your mouth. If your kitty’s crafty and thinks he’s getting away with stealing a bit of treasure, he might decide it’s worth eating even more so than if it was just part of his regular fare.

Just remember, that like the race between the tortoise and the hare, when it comes to transitioning stubborn cats to eating a wholesome raw diet, slow and steady is what ultimately wins in the end.

Once your cat starts getting the hang of eating little pieces of raw boneless meat, and you’ve increased their size until he’s able to shear off pieces by using his teeth and jaws, it’s time to feed him some raw meaty bones. Set him up for success right off the bat by starting small, and making sure the bones are attached to plenty of meat. Ribs are some of the smallest, softest and most flexible of bones, and those from critters like Cornish game hens, rabbits, quail or small fish are perfect for newbie raw eating kitties.

If at first you have qualms about your cat crunching on raw bones, remember that your cat was designed by Nature to eat them, and that millions of cats have been doing so for millennia. Many of us have trepidations about feeding our cats bones because we’ve been so conditioned into thinking that all bones are dangerous for them to eat, when it’s only cooked bones that pose the most real danger. The little raw bones that are small enough to be eaten by cats are actually quite pliable, and very soft in comparison to cooked bones, which are brittle and apt to splinter due to the changes they undergo when they’re heated. If you’ve ever had or known of a cat who was a mouser, and who ate the mice she caught, just remember that cat if you ever find yourself being fearful of your cat’s ability to consume small RMB’s. And rest assured in the knowledge the cat is one of the planet’s premier carnivores, which has been preying upon and consuming whole small critters - including their edible little bones - for generation upon generation.

When your cat is just beginning to learn to eat raw meaty bones, you may notice her trying to swallow pieces of meat or bone that are somewhat too large for her to get down, and you might even see her gagging a bit and perhaps regurgitating them so that she can gnaw on them some more until they’re small enough for her to swallow. Just be aware that this is a normal reflex, and something that shouldn’t cause you any undo concern. Another thing that sometimes happens is that a piece of meat or bone can get impaled on a canine tooth, and become stuck there for a bit. With practice, your cat will learn to manipulate her food with increasing skill, perhaps even using her paws to help her position it properly.

You may find yourself very interested to watch your cat while he’s eating when you feed him a prey model diet. There’s something very compelling about seeing cats eating the kind of food they were born to eat, especially since so many of us have rarely witnessed such a thing. Not only can it be fascinating to watch, but it’s also very satisfying to feel that you’re really doing the right thing by your pet. In a world full of crappy petfoods, knowing that you’re providing your beloved furry friend with the most natural and healthy diet you can, is truly a gratifying feeling. And once you help your cat make the transition to a raw diet, no doubt you’ll never look back.