# RAW and cats



## MotherOfChickens (13 January 2017)

I have a freezer full of frozen minces from DAF pet foods. The dog gets some but isn't on full RAW (yet). Can the cats have some (they are on Whiskas/Felix-I don't hold with dry food for cats, one is a prolific hunter and eats his kills, the other is 4 months old)-there's a mix of e.g. rabbit, beef and chicken, white fish, lamb and tripe and game-all 10% bone, 20% offal and the rest muscle meat. 
These are primarily outside cats-they don't live in the main house. I am aware of the risks of bacterial shedding-more interested in whether these are suitable cat food or not. TIA


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## C1airey (13 January 2017)

My cats are fed the same as the dogs.  The only thing they won't touch is tripe.  It did take a while to bring them round, and strangely, it was the prolific hunter who was the hardest sell - the elderly, mostly indoor cat wolfed it down from the off. 

Both cats look fabulous on it.  The hunter looks a bit too fabulous and would probably struggle to catch anything very fast-moving now, but the elderly one has had a new lease of life.


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## Equi (13 January 2017)

I went to a cat show once, and the countries top winning maine coon was fed steak lol cats and dogs differ in that dogs can be omnivorous but cats are through and through carnivorous.


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## MotherOfChickens (13 January 2017)

thanks-I thought that having offal and bone would be a good thing. The older one has had duck necks and chicken wings before and goes crazy for the mince, I just wanted to check. He's currently winter weight  and welded to his radiator bed. I will see if they eat the tripe mixes-dont really blame them if they don't though.


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## missmatch (13 January 2017)

Just ensure they are fed adequate amounts of taurine, beef heart is an excellent source and chicken wings at least once a week to keep their teeth clean. 
They need a good variety of proteins for overall health and it's better in chunks rather than mince but mince is fine. Those sharp pointy teeth are just made to tear flesh hence the chunks. I have one that would eat you alive for liver and another one that thinks lamb breast is food for the Gods!!! 
Like us they have likes and dislikes.


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## C1airey (13 January 2017)

equi said:



			cats are through and through carnivorous.
		
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I have tried pointing this out to cat #2, especially after his Ordeal by Potato Masher when he tried to steal our dinner and got himself stuck in the offending utensil...








He remains unconvinced.


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## MotherOfChickens (13 January 2017)

missmatch said:



			Just ensure they are fed adequate amounts of taurine, beef heart is an excellent source and chicken wings at least once a week to keep their teeth clean. 
They need a good variety of proteins for overall health and it's better in chunks rather than mince but mince is fine. Those sharp pointy teeth are just made to tear flesh hence the chunks. I have one that would eat you alive for liver and another one that thinks lamb breast is food for the Gods!!! 
Like us they have likes and dislikes.
		
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thank you-I have to say, I've yet to own a picky cat but stick to male DSH farm cats  I have some beef heart chunks too but use the mince for the dogs (as well as other stuff) as find it convenient.


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## MotherOfChickens (13 January 2017)

C1airey said:



			I have tried pointing this out to cat #2, especially after his Ordeal by Potato Masher when he tried to steal our dinner and got himself stuck in the offending utensil...








He remains unconvinced.
		
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awesome-my cats will eat anything, live or dead, fresh or not, meant for human or cat or dog. My first cat loved oven chips-even if they were frozen and dropped on the floor.


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## Equi (13 January 2017)

C1airey said:



			I have tried pointing this out to cat #2, especially after his Ordeal by Potato Masher when he tried to steal our dinner and got himself stuck in the offending utensil...








He remains unconvinced.
		
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hahahaha!!!!!


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## tallyho! (14 January 2017)

Interesting thread.  I sometimes feed mine fresh meat while chopping. I have to say though, some cats eat anything lol!! Had one that loved tomatoes, and the one now eats leftover cheerios.


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## Blanche (15 January 2017)

When I had a lot more cats I used the frozen blocks of meat and they loved it. Their favourite was the tripe, least favourite was the fish. They were a good weight on it.


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## MotherOfChickens (15 January 2017)

Blanche said:



			When I had a lot more cats I used the frozen blocks of meat and they loved it. Their favourite was the tripe, least favourite was the fish. They were a good weight on it.
		
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yeah, the fish one is not popular with anyone! but they are loving all the rest so far


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## MagicMelon (15 January 2017)

I very occasionally drop meat on the floor for mine if Im cooking. Mainly though their thing is tuna, they will come running if they hear a tin opening (how the hell they know when its tuna I have no idea!) and prawns, they go crazy for those. Only reason I dont give them fresh food very often is due to one of my cats (Bengals) having a very sensitive tummy. She will throw up if she eats too much or too quickly. So mainly they have to live on (very expensive!) dry biscuits which I leave out for them at all times to pick at, so she doesnt wolf them down. She'll even throw up if given half a sachet of wet food - just eats too quick, she's clearly a grazer! 

But yeah I wouldnt have any fear of giving them anything raw (as long as no chicken bones obviously)


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## Antw23uk (15 January 2017)

Both my cats and the dog are on a RAW/ BARF diet. Best thing I ever did, they are thriving


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## millhouse (17 January 2017)

Read the thread with interest.  However, we nearly killed one of our very healthy cats by feeding raw meat.


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## MotherOfChickens (17 January 2017)

millhouse said:



			Read the thread with interest.  However, we nearly killed one of our very healthy cats by feeding raw meat.
		
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I'm sorry to hear that-could you elaborate please?


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## Antw23uk (18 January 2017)

millhouse said:



			Read the thread with interest.  However, we nearly killed one of our very healthy cats by feeding raw meat.
		
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Yeah unfortunately that comment doesnt get much respect without backing it up!


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