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Post by goingpostal on Feb 24, 2011 15:31:38 GMT -5
So my goal was to switch both the ferrets and my cat over to raw, naturally the ferrets take the switch like pros and eat anything, and my food crazy cat takes the high road. She LOVES mice, tried a weanling rat, completely ignored. She won't touch any other whole prey I've tried the rats, quail (various sizes), guinea pig, day old chicks. Beef, venison, pork are out, she either won't touch or throws back up. Loves sardines, cgh, turkey and chicken, eats liver no problem. I have some rabbit and duck pieces coming from hare today, I figure since she likes meat better without fur or feathers on it, we will try these. Mixing raw in with her canned is out, she pukes it so I have to get her to eat it on her own. I guess since the ferrets were a breeze, my cat is being the hard case. I'd really like to get her on more proteins, mice and the poultry just isn't enough variety for me.
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Post by Heather on Feb 24, 2011 16:14:39 GMT -5
I think you're doing very well considering that you can't mix her raw with her cooked meats. Have you thought of letting her think she's stealing the food? I know that sounds really stupid but that's how I switched Merlyn. I would be cutting up meat and would slip him a piece (let it fall on the floor). He would sneak in snap it up and run out of the kitchen. Having a cat that doesn't tolerate anything with hooves isn't that uncommon. Samurai couldn't. He did tolerate turkey, chicken, quail and rabbit. Not the variety I would like but he lived healthily on it for almost 9 yrs. ciao
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Post by goingpostal on Feb 24, 2011 19:32:40 GMT -5
I've tried dropping it in the kitchen, no go, she won't even pay attention, she'll often stare at the ferrets food so I've tried taking their food and offering it to her, she used to sneak their kibble and any raw she likes if I leave it outside their door but either she wants it or she doesn't. I've covered food in fish oil or kitty lax to get her to eat it and that works sometimes. I need to cull some mice tomorrow so I thought maybe if I scent the frozen rats with mice I can get her eating them? I have weanling rats which look very similar to adult mice. If I could get her eating at least two more proteins, preferably whole prey I'd be happy. Although if we end up staying half raw half canned I guess that's better than no raw and it's all wet so that's important.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 24, 2011 19:47:04 GMT -5
I think you're doing great! From what I hear, cats are really tricky to switch. It sounds like you have at least four proteins (mice, cgh, chicken, turkey) already so that is awesome. Maybe you could try chopping up the mice and rats together and pouring some oil over it all.
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Post by Sherry on Feb 24, 2011 22:11:36 GMT -5
Wow! Wish I'd been able to get mine that far Watson will eat almost anything, if he thinks it's either a "treat", or if I've put it out for the ferrets ;D Ligeia will eat it if she HAS to. Mr. Stubbs could only handle pork and beef, everything else triggered violent vomiting(and once it started, he'd vomit no matter WHAT it was), so he's just canned now. Herne is my kibble head holdout. He's eating about 1 tsp- 1 tbsp. FF 3X a day, as long as his kibble is sitting right there, so he can go back and forth between the two If the kibble's NOT there, he won't touch the wet.
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Post by goingpostal on Feb 24, 2011 22:52:50 GMT -5
Suprisingly, I didn't have to start with small chunks with the poultry, she caught the idea of chewing right off the bat, the mice she only eats because I breed them, it took her almost a year to figure out they were food and now she is nuts over them, but when I had live gerbils she would catch them, and then look at me all disgusted. With the ferrets, they seemed to grasp that fur or feather meant meat underneath really quick, the cat doesn't seem to get that, or is just way fussier. She loves canned though, even after over a decade on kibble only she took right to it.
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Post by goingpostal on Mar 28, 2011 18:32:45 GMT -5
As an update, I have for the last week been feeding only raw, rather than some raw, some canned mix. She still will not eat another whole prey, but will eat the rabbit and duck chunks from hare today. I gave her half a skinned rabbit head today and while she was clearly confused and not too sure about it, she ate it! She also will eat hearts and liver on her own, but not the beef kidney. But she's picky with organs, she likes turkey hearts, but not chicken. And liver from chicken or turkey, but not pork anymore, even though she previously ate it. Whenever I can afford it I'll need to order more duck and rabbit, I had only got 3 pounds each since it was mainly an organ order. I am going to get some dressed quail as well as I'm fairly sure she'll eat it plucked, she hasn't refused a poultry item yet.
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Post by Sherry on Mar 28, 2011 21:50:27 GMT -5
That is EXCELLENT!!! I'm so happy for you(and your kitty)
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Post by Deleted on Mar 28, 2011 22:33:15 GMT -5
Yayy! Congrats!
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Post by Heather on Mar 28, 2011 22:37:57 GMT -5
This is fantastic. ciao
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Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2011 8:04:29 GMT -5
Nice work! I'm jealous... I convinced my cats to eat ground raw and that seems to be as far as they're willing to work with me
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Post by goingpostal on Mar 29, 2011 11:10:25 GMT -5
Well it's mostly been her willingness, the rabbit and duck I've had to scent with chicken blood or fish oil to get her to realize it was food, but once she grasped that, good to know and she'll eat whatever bones she can on her own, no problems crunching. Definitely one of those cats blessed with good teeth.
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