Easy Transitioning Your Cat to a Raw Diet

Switching too quickly will result in digestive distress to your cats, A smooth transitioning process is one which goes slowly enough to allow your pet's gut bacteria to naturally rebalance.

General Transition Guideline 

DAY 1-3	25% Purebred Nutrition Raw Cat Food	75% Current Food
DAY 4-6	50 % Purebred Nutrition Raw Cat Food	50% Current Food
DAY 6-9	75% Purebred Nutrition Raw Cat Food	25% Current Food
DAY 10 and after	100%Purebred Nutrition Raw Cat Food	0% Current Food

 

Check out Feeding Calculator to find an amount of Raw Food you need to give to your cat. 

Kittens need no transition; they take to raw cat food.If you're getting a kitten(s), start them off right and you won't have to worry about transitioning them. Also, kittens should be introduced to raw meaty bones, so they learn to eat them when they are young.

 

However,  for Adolescent and Adult Cats we consider the 3 categories:

If your cat currently eats kibble only

1. First Start by offering your cat a small portion of raw Food as a treat in the morning and evening. 

2. Don't microwave it, you may end up accidentally cooking it, rather place it in a bag in a bowl of warm water
3. Check If your cat eats it, and then gradually start feeding raw food at meal times. 

4. Slowly, increase the amount of raw food and decrease the amount of dry food you feed each day. 

NOTE: If your cat won’t eat the raw food alone, start by mixing a small amount with their kibble and gradually increase the raw portion. Ideally, you don't want your cat to have too many meals with mixed kibble and raw food because kibble digests more slowly.

Another option is to transition to a commercial wet food, then transition to the raw diet from the canned food. Sometimes this makes it easier for cats to transition.

If your cat currently eats wet food only:

1. Start by placing small amounts of the raw diet next to the regular diet or mix with their current wet food. 

2. Gradually begin increasing the ratio of raw to canned until the transition is complete.

Here transition is easier.

1. Slowly adjust to a feeding schedule for the wet food twice per day and reduce the amount of kibble left out during the day for grazing. 

2. Start adding small amounts of the raw diet to the canned wet food or offer as a separate treat at meal time. 

3. Gradually begin offering kibble only during meals, and eventually not at all. 

NOTE:For cats that have trouble recognizing a raw diet as food and are completely ignoring it all together, here is something to try:

Place a tablespoon of raw food next to their regular food. This will let the cat begin to associate raw food with their meal time. It may be a slow process, with the cat only sniffing it at first, but gradually, they begin to decide this might also be food, will taste it, and eventually begin a transition.

Additional Tips:

How much raw meat and bone should you feed your cat?

1.Daily amount should be around 2% to 3% of the total body weight of your cat, spread over 2 meals, morning and evening.

2.Food portions will also depend on your cat’s appetite as one day they might ravish their bowl and the next day they will only eat half of their meal.

3. Kittens of 9 months can eat twice as much per gram of body weight as an adult cat, as they are growing.

4.When feeding your cat, set a routine whereby the food is given in the morning and in the evening, preferably at the same time each day. If a cat is eating the correct food, it does not need to ‘graze’ during the day.

5. Remove any uneaten food after 30/45 minutes, cover it and this can be stored in the fridge for later.

How To Serve Raw Frozen Diet? 

1. Keep frozen until ready to prepare for feeding.
2. For maximum food safety and freshness, defrost your cat’s daily portion by thawing it in the fridge.
3. The food can be left at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes before serving.
4. Do not microwave our products and its contents under any circumstances.

NOTE: When introducing new foods or supplements to your pet's diet, do not overfeed and divide the daily amount into several smaller meals. Excessive amounts of either may result in rejection of the food or cause gastrointestinal upset. Begin by simply introducing one of the Carnivora Whole Animal patties. Allow your pet to eat these patties for several days to ensure no digestive upsets and nice firm stools. Once these patties are accepted, you can begin to introduce other Whole Animal Patties, Carnivora plant foods, and supplements as desired.