[Cookieandme]

I have had a very trying week, both at work and with madam

She hasn't had very much of her raw food this week, mostly picked and walked away, definitely not her usual inhale the lot in about 30 seconds. She has been eating but a lot less, I have done some white fish which she scoffed, she has had some Waitrose shredded chicken and duck, also had some of my roast chicken breast and a piece of raw chicken so I don't think it is her teeth.

I even got some of the original Honey's mince out of the freezer the other night - probably a different texture, she eat it but not this morning - so I resorted to some Bozita I had saved just in case which certainly feels like a failure. So despite having 3kg of rabbit/venison mix in the freezer I should be making up another batch later using the premix powder.

This really has been a trying week

 

[carly87]

Sounds like she's bored, although with your variety, I don't know why. Could you get a tin of Hills AD and smear the smallest amount on her raw to encourage her to eat it again? If she remains picky, then I'd whip her off for a check just to be sure.

 

[hobbs2004]

Hmmm, did you make those batches up slightly differently? Do you have some other of your homemade food in the freezer that isn't venison or rabbit that you could try?

 

[spid]

I bet she's picking up on the fact you've had a bad week. Treat her to some cooked chicken and broth for two or three days (enough to get her bored of it) and then try again and be tough (as you can be)

 

[catcoonz]

boring chicken, poor cat. give some raw scollops that will do the trick but watch your fingers as they love it.

 

[spid]

lol - that was idea - different but boring enough to make the raw seem nice again - but scallops is a good idea too! Can't stand the things personally - as Im allergic and they make me very poorly!

 

[catcoonz]

go and find a fresh pheasant, that will perk them up.
none of my cats will eat chicken, very strange cats i have.

 

[Paddypaws]

boring chicken, poor cat. give some raw scollops that will do the trick but watch your fingers as they love it.

Now I will admit to buying fillet steak and Jumbo King prawns just for the cats (elderly or poorly ) but even I have never gone as far as scallops!

Maybe for Christmas dinner

 

[Space Chick]

Oh no! They are fussy so and so's aren't they.

Hope she will come to her senses

 

[Cookieandme]

Hopefully she is just being a minx, I don't think I made it any differently I don't want to continue with the Bozita but she has had some but not alot this morning.

I bought from more hearts and kidney yesterday and she had some of the heart at lunch time, I'll make up some more today and see how it goes. Fingers crossed as I am running out of ideas. Sometimes my inexperience as an owner upsets me as I am probably not picking up on potential problems quickly enough.

 

[hobbs2004]

Hopefully she is just being a minx, I don't think I made it any differently I don't want to continue with the Bozita but she has had some but not alot this morning.

I bought from more hearts and kidney yesterday and she had some of the heart at lunch time, I'll make up some more today and see how it goes. Fingers crossed as I am running out of ideas. Sometimes my inexperience as an owner upsets me as I am probably not picking up on potential problems quickly enough.

Given that she seems to be eating other stuff - just not the latest batch of your mix - it is more likely that the food is the issue rather than there being something wrong with her.

If it were me, I would get some meat and feed that today. If she eats that without fuss then I would just bite the bullet and make up some different batches.

 

[nightkitten]

The kittens loved rabbit the first time I made a batch of it. The second time they didn't seem to be that bothered. The third batch they like again.

Similar with venison. The first time they weren't that fond of it but they love the second batch.

They always like chicken and beef though.

I am like that too though. I go through phases where I like a certain food and then go off it for a while.

 

[Cookieandme]

Before I bought the rabbit from Woldsway, I bought whole rabbit and she was fine.

Just made a couple of small batches, one with beef and the other turkey both with the premix powder I started her on, so I'll see how she goes. Interestingly I put a little cut up beef and some kidney on a plate and she ate the kidney not the beef so she can have the turkey one later and see if that works.

All other departments are functioning normally

 

[catcoonz]

Hopefully she is just being a minx, I don't think I made it any differently I don't want to continue with the Bozita but she has had some but not alot this morning.

I bought from more hearts and kidney yesterday and she had some of the heart at lunch time, I'll make up some more today and see how it goes. Fingers crossed as I am running out of ideas. Sometimes my inexperience as an owner upsets me as I am probably not picking up on potential problems quickly enough.

bless you, dont get upset all cats are fussy at some point in their lives, and as for being inexperienced everybody has to start at the beginning and learn, im still learning about raw feeding and ive already made mistakes.
the main one being raw hearts on the kitchen floor, going for a bath and forgetting to shut the door....result blood from hearts all over my cream carpet.....but hey we all learn from our own mistakes.

 

[Cookieandme]

oh my lordy CC

 

[cookiemom]

I got some beef heart from a different supplier last week and no one would touch it, looks absolutely fine to me they will eat it eventually if proferred something else first but they are reluctant, so definately something with it that I can't see as all of the cats were the same with it. Have had the same with with other meats, who knows whether its the meat, what it was fed, the way its been packaged or whether it is just that little bit old

Also wonder if her age might be a factor, mine all varied between 18months to 2 years with dropping nearer to adult sized meals and will have days where they eat much less and days when they just want to scoff til they are stuffed. I don't really worry as long as they eat something and are bright and happy in themselves, hope she likes the new batches.

 

[chillminx]

My cats are the same with raw. For example they will tuck in with gusto to a batch of raw wild rabbit mince from one company, but refuse meat from batches bought from 2 different companies.

I found the rabbit smelt different, the meat they were refusing smelt slightly metallic is as near as I can describe it. I assumed perhaps this meant the meat they liked was fresher than the other two batches.

So I phoned the companies to ask them their opinion. One company said
that rabbit meat will differ in smell/flavour according to what diet the animal ate, which will depend on what part of the country it lived in, and what herbs and plants were available to it.

The same applies to other meats such as lamb and beef, i.e. flavour will depend on whether the animal was grass-fed or not.

I suppose this sounds like a plausible explanation as to why my cats might refuse rabbit meat from some sources, but I am not entirely convinced. But other than my thoughts about *freshness* being a factor, I can't think of anything.

My previous 2 cats were the same with the raw beef chunks I used to feed them every week for the sake of their teeth. They would go mad for beef I bought from one supermarket, but sometimes refuse the same cut of beef bought at other supermarkets (from different suppliers). Very annoying, as all the beef smelt and looked fresh to me!

The other company I spoke to about the rabbit said if the cats won't eat a batch I should sear each portion of meat in a frying pan, for a couple of minutes before serving, so it is not cooked just the surface bacteria is killed, and the cats might eat it then.. So the company seems to be implying the cats are refusing it because it is not as fresh as it might be.

Anyway I haven't tried it yet, but will do so the next time I have a batch of raw refused, and will be interested to see if searing the meat makes it more attractive to my cats. .

 

[Cookieandme]

I have no idea what she wants.

At lunch time she had a little boiled chicken, but she had quite a bit of the chicken water, so I was happy about that. I cut up a couple of big prawns, which she originally left but did eat at some point.

Tonight I put down a small portion - 30grms of the raw turkey made with the premix which she ate, so I put a bit more down and she walked away. But at least she is eating something, just not with her usual appetite.