dancing cloud Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 My lovely Tozi was diagnosed as diabetic about a year ago and is not on insulin as this was not appropriate for him. The vet recommended a high-protein "Atkins-for-cats" diet and Tozi's been doing well on Grau cat food, but is now bored with it and quite often won't eat it unless it's flavoured with Whiskas or Felix . After a bit of research, I'd like to try him and the others on a balanced raw food diet. Tozi wolfs down any bits of raw meat that "accidentally" drop on the floor when he's around, so I think he'll like it. I've ordered a variety of DAF minces and chunks that will arrive next week and I'm sure the other three will do well on raw food, but was wondering if anyone had any experience of feeding a raw-food diet to a diabetic cat? At this rate, the furry foursome will be better fed than I am ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Space Chick Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 There is a lot of debate on the health benefits of raw food... Any changes to diet should be done slowly, but lots of people have had success. This site provides useful information. I don't feed my cats a raw diet, but they are supplemented with raw. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancing cloud Posted January 5, 2012 Author Share Posted January 5, 2012 Thanks for that Space Chick, it's a really good article. I've found a couple of forums that give a balanced view on the pluses and minuses of raw feeding, and the need to get a proper mix to get the right nutrients (which is why I'm going for something pre-mixed in the right proportions). I'll probably give them Grau or Bozita for some meals as well, especially if I've forgotten to thaw out the raw food! Tozi seems to like raw food, Pud and Cleo will eat it when there's nothing else, but Loki's a picky-paws and won't touch it unless it's very well hidden in ordinary cat food. Mind you, he has to have a different flavour of food at every meal or he won't eat it, and he doesn't like fish Good job he's gorgeous and looks at me like I'm the centre of his universe ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lillybettybabs Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Let us know how he gets on, Foggy will be going onto raw when he is older as our dogs are BARF fed so we have a good supply of human grade meat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 5, 2012 Share Posted January 5, 2012 Both my dogs eat raw, and i get their meat and bones from my free range, local butcher; they mince up all the off-cuts, offal, heart etc and bag it up for me. I also get lots of red bones and chicken carcasses, all of this is frozen until I'm ready to use it. The cats also have raw mince mixed in with their fish only kibble, and they are rather partial to raw chicken wings as well. Both lots of carnivores are really healthy, and produce very small, non-smelly poos which is a sign of healthy digestion. I don't know much about diabetic cats, but I don't see why yours wouldn't do well on it - just find a friendly butcher and stock up - it's really cheap too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chucky Mama Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 Does your cat really need this Grau cat food rather than a standard food? From what I can see it appears to be an expensive cat food and little else. What was the reason for him not being put on insulin? How was his diabetes diagnosed and has his blood sugar been checked since his diagnosis? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dancing cloud Posted January 6, 2012 Author Share Posted January 6, 2012 Thanks everyone I posted nearly a year ago when Tozi was diagnosed and you all gave me really good advice then - link here http://club.omlet.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=74030 Since then he's been doing well and maintaining his weight, though his back legs have become weaker (probably because he spends all day asleep on my bed!). Grau contains lots of protein and not so much rubbish as usual cat food, and Whiskas/Felix etc gives him a very upset tummy - and I do mean very upset I bought him some Prize Choice raw mince from the local pet shop to try, but it's very much like a pate consistency and he seems to prefer something chunkier. Raw chicken chunks went down really well! The DAF mince is supposed to be co"Ooops, word censored!"r in texture and I've ordered chunks and wings as well, and I'm going to add Felini Complete to make sure he gets all the necessary nutrients. I don't spend this long sorting out my own food ! Thanks for the tip about butchers - not somewhere I ever go. Once I know they're going to be happy on raw food, I'll ask at work where the local friendly butchers are and go and make enquiries re offcuts and offal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 6, 2012 Share Posted January 6, 2012 Most butchers are happy to do it; they just mince and bag it up, then put it in the freezer until I need it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
