We got our cat from a shelter (Celia Hammond) and in the first few months we were back there for his checks and we had a long chat about the food - classic conversation 'he is getting fat, what is he eating?!' (years later, still get this chat)
The vet: 'so every meal is different food?'
Us: yeah, we really aren't sure what he likes [we know now, he will literally eat anything!] and sometimes he wants more, we tried different things, make it interesting, some days this, some days that...
The vet: he is a cat. You control the food! He can eat chicken every meal for the rest of his life and he will be very healthy and happy. Measure it, feed him. He is a cat
We also now on untamed, buy the full variety of flavours, but honestly, he doesn't care, so long as it's regular. It's pretty minging when he leaves debris of dead mice, but that also makes me feel good that he's 'working' out there. I don't know how I will feel if it's a bird :/
The main issue for me with 'mainstream' wet foods was the smell, even the cat doesn't like it, I don't know is the smell artificial to make sure humans do not eat it?
My dog eats raw food with an 80:20 balance meat to vegetables, but I see this more as an extension of my own diet of eating unprocessed whole foods as much as possible. And whilst not Paleo, that argument, eating simply and naturally makes sense to me both for humans and animals.
As a south Londoner, she does also enjoy the odd discarded jollof rice too.
Our two working cocker spaniels are fed human grade meat, the scraps from trimming of beef and lamb. Our butcher minces these up and freezes straight away, I also buy chicken this way, all the carcasses minced up and frozen immediately. I occasionally (like once every 2 or 3 months when I think of it) get them bullock hearts. They get fresh butcher bones every week. They get cod liver oil tablets when my husband remembers (not very often). We have done this for 20 + years, and since I started, all our dogs lived 2 or 3 more years and their teeth improved.
Our cat, Providence, arrived via a friend who thought I really ought not be catless a moment longer. (I had promised Bill I wouldn’t go looking for a kitten, but if providence saw fit…) so, a 4 week old black kitten, found in a field, duly arrived. She was fed ad lib goats milk, unfortunately heat treated as I no longer have the privilege of my own goats, but the goat is known as the universal foster mother, there are very few young animals that can’t be raised on it. I can go into this at some depth but I will resist. Goats rock. Providence grew up on the same meats as the dogs, plus untamed, but she won’t eat any of their animal ones, only the fish. She is fast and a very good provider. 1am this morning when I was out of bed (aged bladder), she presented me with a very small mouse which tried to leg it. I scruffed her and put her in the dining room. Poor Bill was roused (we both had a heavy day in the garden the day before) and 1am saw two stark naked geriatrics trying to catch this small person, then opening the front door for it to go. Providence doesn’t go out the front, too many cars and people for her.
We got our cat from a shelter (Celia Hammond) and in the first few months we were back there for his checks and we had a long chat about the food - classic conversation 'he is getting fat, what is he eating?!' (years later, still get this chat)
The vet: 'so every meal is different food?'
Us: yeah, we really aren't sure what he likes [we know now, he will literally eat anything!] and sometimes he wants more, we tried different things, make it interesting, some days this, some days that...
The vet: he is a cat. You control the food! He can eat chicken every meal for the rest of his life and he will be very healthy and happy. Measure it, feed him. He is a cat
We also now on untamed, buy the full variety of flavours, but honestly, he doesn't care, so long as it's regular. It's pretty minging when he leaves debris of dead mice, but that also makes me feel good that he's 'working' out there. I don't know how I will feel if it's a bird :/
The main issue for me with 'mainstream' wet foods was the smell, even the cat doesn't like it, I don't know is the smell artificial to make sure humans do not eat it?
My dog eats raw food with an 80:20 balance meat to vegetables, but I see this more as an extension of my own diet of eating unprocessed whole foods as much as possible. And whilst not Paleo, that argument, eating simply and naturally makes sense to me both for humans and animals.
As a south Londoner, she does also enjoy the odd discarded jollof rice too.
Absolutely fascinating! I don't have any pets but I love this kind of deep dive!
Our two working cocker spaniels are fed human grade meat, the scraps from trimming of beef and lamb. Our butcher minces these up and freezes straight away, I also buy chicken this way, all the carcasses minced up and frozen immediately. I occasionally (like once every 2 or 3 months when I think of it) get them bullock hearts. They get fresh butcher bones every week. They get cod liver oil tablets when my husband remembers (not very often). We have done this for 20 + years, and since I started, all our dogs lived 2 or 3 more years and their teeth improved.
Our cat, Providence, arrived via a friend who thought I really ought not be catless a moment longer. (I had promised Bill I wouldn’t go looking for a kitten, but if providence saw fit…) so, a 4 week old black kitten, found in a field, duly arrived. She was fed ad lib goats milk, unfortunately heat treated as I no longer have the privilege of my own goats, but the goat is known as the universal foster mother, there are very few young animals that can’t be raised on it. I can go into this at some depth but I will resist. Goats rock. Providence grew up on the same meats as the dogs, plus untamed, but she won’t eat any of their animal ones, only the fish. She is fast and a very good provider. 1am this morning when I was out of bed (aged bladder), she presented me with a very small mouse which tried to leg it. I scruffed her and put her in the dining room. Poor Bill was roused (we both had a heavy day in the garden the day before) and 1am saw two stark naked geriatrics trying to catch this small person, then opening the front door for it to go. Providence doesn’t go out the front, too many cars and people for her.
Animals!!