Would this diet work for my cats?

Question

with all the food recalls going on I'm scared giving them any comercial pet food, I know people breed mice for snakes, would it work for cats? I wouldn't feed them just mice, I'd give them fish occationally and supplement their food with multi-vitamins and offer grass for them to chew on. this might be a really stupid question but I was just wondering if it would work, what do you think?

Answer 1

Don't give kitty anything with bones. Bones can splinter and cause an obstruction.

How about this... (This is an answer that I gave to another cat food related question.)...

It's possible that he could be a breed that tends to be large. Maine Coons, for example, can get HUGE. But if he truly is fat then he should lose weight. What a lot of people don't realize is that, often times, the problem with "fat cats" is NOT how much the cat eats but rather WHAT the cat eats. Most commercial pet food (regardless of whether it's generic, grocery, or premium) is full of corn, which is of no nutritional value to cats and loaded with carbohydrates. Overloading a cat on carbs will fatten him/her up just as it will a human.

This is what I recommend:

25-50% of your kitty's diet should consist of meat. The bigger your kitty, the more meat he should eat. I suggest boiling boneless chicken until it's cooked medium (pink). Serve the broth to kitty as well. Many cats do well on raw meats, but don't switch kitty to raw immediately. If you do it, it should be done gradually. (Don't feed kitty tuna or liver. Tuna can cause steatitis (yellow fat disease), and liver can cause vitamin A toxicosis. And large amounts of fat can cause pancreatitis, so go easy on the fat.)

Commercial foods should consist of no more than 25% of kitty's diet. A superior diet doesn't include ANY commercial food, but we all know that sometimes we're in a pinch for time and sometimes need something quick to toss in kitty's bowl.
This is okay as long as commercial foods are kept to a minimum. When buying commercial foods, check the ingredients. Don't buy anything that lists corn as the first ingredient. This always means that corn is the primary ingredient. Look for foods that list meat or poultry as the first ingredient.

Leave grains out if at all possible, with the exception of white rice. White rice can help with digestive problems, but use it sparingly. Veggies should be routinely added to kitty's diet. Of the veggies, include broccoli, carrots, leafy greens, and peas. But be sure to shred/chop and cook.
It's not necessary to feed all of the above veggies every day. You can feed one or two one day, one or two the next, and so on.

I usually tell people to avoid dairy products since cats are lactose intollerant, but occasionally feeding yogurt and cottage cheese (very sparingly) won't hurt and can sometimes help with an upset tummy.

And, while it's best to avoid feeding too many carbohydrates, cooked and mashed sweet potato occasionally fed in small portions is okay if your kitty likes it.

Eggs are a great source of protein and can be fed cooked or raw, but try not to feed eggs more than twice per week (especially if fed raw).

But remember, sudden changes in diet can cause any number of problems. So "ween" kitty onto his new diet by mixing the ''new'' food with the food he is accustomed to and gradually increasing the amount of ''new'' food, and decreasing the amount of ''old'' food, with time as you notice positive changes.

Answer 2

Have you looked into the raw diet at all? There's a lot of controversy over it but most people who have done their homework know that it's safe. You just have to be very careful to not cross-contaminate anything - you're handling raw meat, you have the same risks when you're cutting up a chicken for your dinner.

I feed it (in combination with dry and canned) because it's more natural and more healthy for pets. If you just feed dry food, the moisture in your pet's body is used up more quickly and they must work harder (drink more water) to re-hydrate. Raw diet is a moist food source and therefore doesn't require your pet to go through the dehydrate/rehydrate cycle as much. It's easier on their kidneys which could help their longevity in old age.

There's quite a bit of information about raw diets out there. I know people who do their own, they buy meat from the butcher, grind it in their own kitchens and add in the suppliments necessary to keep cats healthy. I buy my cats' raw diet food from the pet store already pre-made and containing the necessary nutrients, but if you're worried about contaminates the best way to be at ease is to know exactly where your pet's food came from...your kitchen!

Answer 3

No, it wouldn't work.

Mice carry parasites, and fish are not part of any feline's natural diet. I know that there has been a long standing association between cats and fish, but it's not healthy for them to eat large amounts of it.

Fish contains little to no taurine, which is an essential amino acid for cats. They cannot synthesis it on their own and need it added to their diet. The Calcium to Phosphorus ratio in canned tuna is 1:14.8 - providing the cat with too little Calcium to balance Phosphorus, resulting in bone disease caused by a loss of Calcium in the bone due to a deficiency of this mineral in the diet. The proper calcium to phosphorus ratio for a cat is 1:1. It can also cause Steatitis or Yellow Fat Disease - an inflammation of the fat tissue in the body due to a deficiency of vitamin E.

Boiling up some chicken for a cat is not going to provide sufficient nutrition, either. If you're going to feed raw, than you need to grind up an entire whole carcass. Feeding just the meat will not provide essential minerals found in the bones of the animals they naturally eat. That's why raw feeding entails ground bone meal, as well. You just can't cook the bones, as that will cause them to become weak, break, and splinter.

I really do understand your concern, but there are still some safe foods. I feed my cats Innova and Wellness, both of which are still safe. They aren't available at grocery stores, or box chain pet stores, though. You need to go to a locally owned pet store, or to a feed and grain type supply store.

Answer 4

With all of the current concerns about pet food, I don't blame you for looking for alternatives. Honestly, though, I don't think cats really like the taste of mice all that much. My first apartment was a run-down place that was infested with mice (the only place I could afford that allowed pets). It wasn't infested for long - my cats made short work of the mouse problem. But although they ate a couple of the mice at first, they soon just started killing them and leaving the bodies - they preferred their cat food.

If you're thinking about home-prepared food, I'd suggest you look at these links about how to make nutritionally correct food for cats:
http://www.catinfo.org/makingcatfood.htm
http://www.catnutrition.org/

I don't know if you're in the US, but if you are, this link lists all of the foods that have been recalled:
http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/petfood.html

And this link lists which foods are currently thought to be safe, as well as indicating which foods have been recalled:
http://www.thepetfoodlist.com/

I hope that this helps.

Answer 5

Unfortunately cats really get fixated on the food they have when they are weaned so a raw mouse will not be recognised as "food" by most housecats. Fish really isn't all that good for cats either.

There is nothing wrong with raw bones - whoever saw a wild cat holding its newly captured mouse over an open flame to cook it! Bones are necessary for calcium and cats have been eating them raw for the millions of years of their evolution.

Answer 6

I think your cats would really enjoy this diet but I do not think it will be enough for them nutritionally. Keep in mind also that the poisoned pet food was canned and not dry. I still feed my cat dry food and she is fine. Another thing, commercial pet food (the good stuff like IAMS or Science Diet, is nutritionally balanced. A strictly fish and mice diet may do more harm than good.

Answer 7

i wouldn't worry so much. there is some food that are safe from stores. I'm not sure if it's wise to offer mice or fish oftenly as part of their diet. After the food recalls, the stores have removed the bad contaminated foods. there are some safe ones. I'm not kidding you.

Answer 8

Cats usually just play with mice..... or at least the ones i've had over the years. try giving your kitty tuna or and then go and get a multivitiamin from your vet. Also while your there I would ask the vet to see what is the best natural food for you kitty!

Answer 9

NO! Cats like to play with mice until they are dead and not fun anymore. You need to choose a pet food that is not on the recall list and that you feel comfortable with.