Re: mixing raw and commercial I've been feeling Lily 3 raw meals a day and leaving Orijen dry down in the day so she's mixing it pretty much constantly. Didn't even realise it was an issue! She certainly seems well enough on it but as it's only been 2 weeks that probably doesn't mean much

Whatever about feeding grain-free wet food and raw within a certain time-period, personally I wouldn't mix raw and dry under any circumstances.
Here's a link I hope you find informative about why I stopped giving any kibble or 'doom nuggets' to my kits:
The Truth About Dry Cat Food from Blakkatz
and here are some of the vile realities of dry food processing:
Toxic Pet Food

I looked into the Lily's kitchen brand before, but wasnt impressed because it does actually contain grains and huge amount of veggies - both things that cat's don't need in their diet. It contains rice and also spelt (which is a type of wheat) -so I'm not surprised they were pooping several times a day previously!

You're right, ambercat. I didn't analyze the ingredients thoroughly. I was impressed with the meat content. My cats have lost some weight since the change to raw, but as long as they're eating, I need not worry about fatty liver disease, am I right?

There is lot's of information we are not told about isn't there, I read this quite a while ago, it's dreadfull, one of the reasons I give raw, Baloo still needs something extra mixed in for variety, I would prefere he ate only the raw diet, but as long as he is eating & thriving he can have the table spoon of applaws mixed in.
However even the applaws breast has rice in it, so I try to buy it with the pumpkin, When I can.
Some folk on the forum I think, forget that applaws is not a complete food.

Hi I read this some time ago, what they put in is appauling, I totaly agree not mixing dry.
I think also some folk on the forum don't realise that applaws is not a complete food.
I pop a teaspoon of applaws in with Baloo's raw as he needs some variety, the breast has rice in it, so I try to get chicken & pumpkin I would prefer if he ate total raw, but as long as he is thriving & eating he can have the teaspoon mixed in.
It's good to get others feed back on what food they give, & dosn't it show how much we all care.

i used to always give raw and have free flowing dried all the time (the dry was hardly touched), but a thread on the dog forums a while ago (i know i look like a noob but i'm not) had me investigating in depth into the ingredients... i did the same for the dry and now i dont feed dry.

I do give my cats the occasional wet food though, more because when i go away its easier for their temporary slaves to feed than raw is.

About the constipation... completely agree with spid on the pilchards in tomato sauce - works wonders!

As does salmon/crab/anchovies/tuna in olive oil!

beware if your using the olive oil one though it can be quite a clearout!


The only time my cats have suffered constipation is if ive overdone it on the raw bones... and a tin of pilchards between them soon sorts it out!


ooh meant to say too.... (for other people reading), remember without all the crap in the diet... the cats crap less, dont confuse that with real constipation!

You are definatly no noob, very helpfull, the more input we get, the more we learn, hopefully in a couple of years the manufacturers of pet food will get the message that we are done with feeding crud to our fur buddies.
I cannot feed Baloo fish though due to his Kidney prob.
I read that petroleum jelly mixed in to food was very a natural gentle laxative, But never tried it myself.

not petroleum jelly!!!!!!!! It can reduce or completely block food absorption for a few days as it can coat the small intestine... not something i would be wanting to try.

you can give liquid paraffin from a chemist though... you'll have to pretend its for your old nan. Mix with some wet food and spoon/syringe into the mouth (the food reduces the risk of any being aspirated). I believe the dosage is 1ml/kg twice a day for 48 hours.

The other one you can give is lactulose but as this is an osmotic laxative, its no good if the cat isnt a good drinker, is on dry food or is already showing signs of dehydration.

If a cat is showing signs of dehydration, or you are at all worried the cat should be seen by the vet.

If you cant give fish... you could just give a spoonfull of olive oil!

Cod liver oil works pretty well too, just a teaspoon over wet food or raw.

This is of great interest I think - it's about mixing raw and dry, and perceived different digestion rates. I found the following information while doing a bit of further research on the raw/commercial debate today.

1. Meat is NOT poison. (buzzards evolved to eat poison, i.e. spoiled meat, road kill...) Raw meat does not always carry bad bacteria. Meat that has gone bad, is stored improperly, is sick, etc. etc. can harbor "bad" bacteria, yes. But generally speaking, those suppliers who sell raw meat for consumption do NOT sell bad meat. (And most kitties are smart enough not to eat it.)

2. TRANSIT is not the point of digestion. ASSIMILATION -- that is, absorption of nutrients, followed by disposal of non-needed products -- that is the purpose of digestion. It is true that kitties have a digestive tract shorter than humans. (We might expect that, given our size difference.) And that short distance means a "bad" bacteria will be sent out before it has a chance to find a home inside kitty. However, TIME is not the key. BIO-AVAILABILITY is the key. The reason that kitties digest raw food well is that it's in a form that is more available to them, i.e. it's bio-available. Kibble is just not natural. Compare the french fry to the potato. Which do we digest better?

3. We people are smart enough not to try to deliver a full meal of both kibble & raw at the same time. Transition means trying a little here and there. So putting a 1/2 tsp or so on the plate with the kibble just isn't going to have a chance to do serious damage.

4. Our bodies, and all of nature, are much, much smarter than we assume. "Bad" bacteria will not be absorbed unless the environment of the kitty's body will support it. In other words, if the kitty is healthy, and they eat bad food, you can expect them: to vomit, have diarrhea, or just poop it out normally.

5. Lastly, some people apply principles from macrobiotics and ayurveda and other people-food rules to CATS. I'm not sure that is a fair comparison. We will get gas if we eat fruit after eating meat. But, given the physiological differences between humans and cats, can we say the same rule applies? My gut says "no."

So, it seems I was wrong to be concerned about different 'rates' of digestion. I have lots to learn about the subject!

Also, about fish, this: Little Big Cat