Feeding a better diet to our cats

I'm curious as to how many people on this board are more conscious nowadays about feeding there pets. Do you feed a natural diet or do you buy the cheap grocery store feeds? Also, how many of you feed a combination of dry and wet? Or do you feed one over the other?

Here is what I feed. I only feed my cats wet food as cats are carnivores and are not meant to eat dry food. Dry food can cause all sorts of problems later in life especially with male cats. If I could figure out how to feed a balanced raw diet and it isn't to expensive I would, but have yet to find that happy medium. I do however feed the better feeds out there that have no grains, fillers, or by products.

 

You're right about the dangers of dry food. I feed my cat all raw but quality canned is good too. Just be sure to avoid any fillers (grains or vegetables of any sort) and find one with a texture and smell your cat will eat. Some good brands are Evo and Weruva (Weruva has a fantastic texture, like real meat). The benefit of canned meat is that it's cooked (usually) and is a little more convenient to handle as far as humans go.

You can supplement even a canned diet with some raw bits here and there, such as steak or chicken on special, organ meat (chicken or turkey hearts and gizzards), sardines in water (less salt if possible), etc. Even bones are ok as your cat becomes an experienced raw-food eater and has developed jaw muscles. The first time I gave my cat small chicken bones he crunched through them like nobody's business and was able to eat them too (as cats do in the wild).

What I use is commercial raw (Primal) formula (complete diet) supplemented with various meats to my little guy can exercise his jaw muscles and have fun biting something as hard has he likes. He's just 'happier' eating raw food, and really never took to canned food.

I would avoid all dry food. It's just really bad for cats overall—even the 'good' stuff. Canned supplemented with raw might be your happy medium until you can go full raw.

 

I feed a grain free dry food, but my cats are all still kittens and need free feeding for now. I'm going to switch to wet food later this year, but for now it won't work because we don't have a car and buying 2 weeks worth of canned food at a time isn't really feasible right now. About 50% of their diet is the stuff they catch and raw chicken and venison. Just tonight they all got big portions of raw venison meat, tendons and organs.

 

It's great that your cats get a chance to hunt and have access to raw food. You can also consider mail ordering food. Primal, RadCat and other commercial raw foods are also available through mail-order as well as whole prey 'pinkies' (newborn mice) for the kittens. Just throwing out ideas.