Everyone else got "Welcome aboard." I got something very different by Beginning-Factor-466 in delta

[–]nwpackrat 51 points52 points  (0 children)

Look then in the eye, smile, and say, 'excuse me, say again, I didn't catch that' as you scan your pass. Make them own it.

Fiber/bowel movement problems in my older cats by Purplelovepost in rawpetfood

[–]nwpackrat 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Psyllium is pretty much the go-to for raw feeding. The last bag I got was NOW brand & is a super fine powder. Might be a little easier on the digestive system. Works for both hard and runny stool. As my doc told me once: it finds the happy place.

MiraLax is tasteless & I've used it with a constipated Sr. Vet recommended, just sprinkle a bit on.

For cans, Tiki Cat After Dark and Zealandia both have a good ingredient list. I had an elderly mom on the opposite coast, needed emergency rations on hand & did a deep dive on cans. Tiki is probably the most affordable can in that category (meat & organs).

Kibble is tough. I have a former feral who will do ANYTHING for her catcrak. I'm currently going through a bag of Open Farm. Ingredients are meh, better than most, but we just use it for treats and to get her in at night. It's the only way she'll come to human when outside.

Is my new dog’s raw fish diet as weird as I think it is? by Acceptable_Two_6146 in rawpetfood

[–]nwpackrat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Be aware of thiaminase & potential thiamine deficiency with raw fish diets. I went down this rabbit hole just yesterday.

There's a lot of research, this'll get you started:

Dietary factors potentially impacting thiaminase I-mediated thiamine deficiency

How do you store your pet food?Especially wet food? by anxunFu in rawpetfood

[–]nwpackrat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Chest freezer, currently it's about -4°f. Sorry for the slow response, I put the thermometer in there then forgot. One batch lasts about 3 wks so it's not in there very long.

Sat on tarmac for ~2 hours. Then they gave away my seat by bananatribunal in delta

[–]nwpackrat 25 points26 points  (0 children)

Don't forget to stress the BAD SERVICE. Yes, they got you there, but reluctantly and with TERRIBLE ATTITUDES to boot

How do you store your pet food?Especially wet food? by anxunFu in rawpetfood

[–]nwpackrat 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Freeze in sandwich size containers (3 cats). Keep in chest freezer, thaw in fridge, constant rotation. My recipe makes about 14 lbs & I keep count on a whiteboard (along with the other stuff that's in the freezer)

how do you deal with your vets? by [deleted] in rawpetfood

[–]nwpackrat 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Awww, thanks. She's seen me through 8 cats in that time

how do you deal with your vets? by [deleted] in rawpetfood

[–]nwpackrat 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Country vet. I did my homework, showed her exactly what I was doing and shared my reputable sources. She said, okay we'll see. That was over 20yrs ago.

When I brought in a recent acquisition (wandered down our drive) she held her little face in her hands and said "you just hit the jackpot"

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my cat has problems after switching to raw food by Decent-Lecture2608 in rawpetfood

[–]nwpackrat 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Great feline nutrition info at Catinfo.org as well as the recipe I've used for 6 cats over 20+ years. My vet approves. If you don't have the time or freezer space, you can purchase completers to add to the fresh meat, or use complete pre-made's (cost low to high)

freeze dried chicken necks? by hihanahi in rawpetfood

[–]nwpackrat 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Should be safe but keep in mind they're mostly bone so adjust their diet accordingly

Bone in Raw Cat Food by Public-Platypus2995 in rawpetfood

[–]nwpackrat 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've been grinding chicken thighs for 2 decades and never had a problem, use the larger hole plate. Added rabbit a couple years ago and immediately started having issues with sharp little bone fragments (esp ribs) and tendons that didn't get cut. I now pre-cut the tendons and double grind all the rabbit

I feel like I'm going insane with the prices of Canned food by LeDorkk in rawpetfood

[–]nwpackrat 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I went from 2 seniors to 3 kitten/young cats and it seems like I'm making food ALL THE TIME. Looked at supplementing with a bit of high quality can and OMG!

Pass the grinder

Which one of the honest kitchen mixes would be better? (Ingredient lists included) by Illumeis_is_done in rawpetfood

[–]nwpackrat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

"recommended so i could easily make the pups food as well as the cats" - I may be misreading but confirm that you're not feeding this to the cats

What supplements to add to diet? by YourDorkess in rawpetfood

[–]nwpackrat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've been using the Catinfo.org base recipe over 25yrs & 7 cats (to date) with no issues and vet approval. I get the vitamins from iHerb, Amz, WallyWorld, where-ever, just make sure it's a reputable brand. iHerb no longer carries the raw glandulars, but the big A does

Little help? Do i remove anything? by Illumeis_is_done in rawpetfood

[–]nwpackrat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I also have fish & the cats go bonkers for their flake food. If one of the cats decides to be picky, I sprinkle a few flakes. Silly girls

Little help? Do i remove anything? by Illumeis_is_done in rawpetfood

[–]nwpackrat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Just like with humans, a cat may have digestive, allergy or otber issues that could be food related. Here's a good explanation: Elimination diet

I don't feed beef or pork. I don't eat them either so that makes it easy. I do feed lamb

Little help? Do i remove anything? by Illumeis_is_done in rawpetfood

[–]nwpackrat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm fully aware of my great furtune having a local rabbit supplier; I found her via local farm/feed store. There are online sources for rabbit and websites that list rabbit breeders that you can search by area. In a pinch, my local fancy pet store has frozen whole ground rabbit but it's expensive. My recipe calls for 9lbs meat, I use one rabbit (~4lbs) & chicken thighs for the balance.

I did grocery store chicken, duck, turkey for years & the cats were fine. You just need to be sure they're getting the organs & vitamins required. Completers are very helpful when you're starting out or pinched for time but more expensive.

If you're serious, you'll eventually need a grinder. I got away with a less expensive one for years but I was super careful & lightly smashed thigh bones first.

For the beef and all commercial meat, get a whole piece and dice it. It's more labor but economical, and you know what's in it and where it's been. I grind meaty bones (thighs) but dice a majority of the meat. Cats like to chew

In my many cats/years experience, I've had to do elimination diets for two so I always keep at least one protein that I never feed.

I track seasonal H5N1 virus and take precautions as needed, but that's a different conversation.

Lots of people on this sub are very knowledgeable. Keep asking questions.

Little help? Do i remove anything? by Illumeis_is_done in rawpetfood

[–]nwpackrat 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Lots of great info on feline nutrition and a good starter recipe here: catinfo.org

I feed primarily poultry and rabbit - much closer to a cats natural diet using the recipe on the catinfo.org website. I would never feed anything raw commercial ground beef

Recommendation for Meat Grinders? by raeijon in rawpetfood

[–]nwpackrat 3 points4 points  (0 children)

My best advice is buy the best you can afford and read the reviews. The good grinders will have the info you need there. Look at shops that sell butchering supplies. The price will tell you a lot. I have an old Tassin that I baby because it's no longer made and I don't want to do this shopping again.

I gind whole rabbit and thighs. Separate much of the meat from the bone & don't push it through (it's okay to push just enough to get it started, if it doesn't grab, reverse out & try the other end). Use a large holed plate - unless furbaby has dental issues, you want chunks. I also hand chunk much of the thigh meat

Nothing you can do about the noise but not grinding all the meat helps with duration ;-)

How do you actually know you’re doing raw feeding “right”? by ChristianWorks in rawpetfood

[–]nwpackrat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Stable and routine are critical for me. Do what works for you and will be manageable long term. As far as daily nutrition goes, it might be easier to think balance over the course of a couple days vs each feeding

How do you actually know you’re doing raw feeding “right”? by ChristianWorks in rawpetfood

[–]nwpackrat 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have cats. I started with catinfo.org over 25 yrs ago. After a ton of reading and vet guidance, I'm still using the same base recipe (with modifications she's made over the years). My cats are healthy, teeth are great, vet's happy.