Switching Your Pet to a Raw Diet

Now that we’ve covered two aspects of raw feeding- why to feed pets a raw biologically appropriate diet and exactly what to feed them- I’ll talk about switching them to the new diet. Switching to a new diet can be a challenging process, depending on the species and its age, or it can be very simple and quick.

Dogs tend to adapt relatively quickly to a raw diet, even if they were fed kibble prior to switching.  They usually are pretty adventurous eaters and usually have no problem chowing down on a ¼ chicken dumped on the floor in front of them, despite it being a ‘foreign’ object in the past.  The temperature of the meat usually doesn’t faze them either.  Typically switching a dog to a raw meat and bone diet does simply involve giving it the appropriate sized portion and letting it have at it.

Cats, on the other hand, are notoriously picky eaters with a seemingly superpower ability to vomit at will or with any passing breeze.  Their pickiness is a survival instinct, ensuring that they only consume meat that is safe for them to eat.  So much of the time switching to a totally different diet and method of eating really requires some problem-solving. 

If the cat to be switched to raw is a kitten there will likely be no real difficulty.  Most kittens still have their instincts intact and will be more than happy with four meals of chopped meat a day.  The size of the pieces can be gradually increased as the kitten develops the strength and skill to manipulate the meat and crack the bones. 

Cats that have been fed a commercial diet usually are quite a challenge to switch.  It generally is easier the younger the cat.  If the cats turn their noses up at even finely chopped meat with no bones the first step should be to convert them from kibble to a canned wet diet.  It doesn’t matter the brand, as none of them provide the necessary nutrition and dental health, but will be one step closer to a raw meat diet. If the cats are used to having unlimited access to kibble all day they should be adjusted to having meals at set intervals.

Once the cat has been transitioned to a wet diet at set meal times it can be introduced to raw meaty bones and organs.  Finely chopping just the muscle and organs and mixing it with the wet food helps.  The ratio of meat to canned food can increase until the cat is eating just meat.  Crushed bones (put the bones in a plastic bag and use a hammer on them) can be added after that.  The next step is simply reducing how much the meat is chopped until the portions are completely whole, with the bone in. It is extremely important to NEVER attempt to starve a cat into trying a new food.  Many will hold out for their preferred food and overweight commercially-fed cats are at a very real risk of developing  anorexia and a fatal condition called hepatic lipidosis. A cat should never go more than twenty-four hours without being fed.  If the cat is refusing to even transition to canned wet food it should be given kibble, if only to keep the calories coming in. Just try introducing the transitional food or raw meat again the next day.

There are a few other things that can help transition a picky cat to a raw meaty bone and organ diet.  Some cats become so addicted to kibble that having any of it in the house can prevent them from transitioning to canned food and eventually raw food.  Just the smell of the bag can stand in their way.  Make sure to warm the meat to body temperature to make it more palatable and to prevent vomiting. Some owners have had success with dribbling a little water from a can of tuna over the new food to entice a cat. Sometimes switching the type of animal that the cat is being fed can help as well.  Even cats have their preferences as to where their raw meaty bones come from.

Switching to a biologically appropriate diet for your carnivorous pet can definitely be a challenge and sometimes a lengthy process.  It’s easy to get frustrated after a cat has snubbed the food for the umpteenth time.  But it is very much worth sticking to it!  Even an older pet benefits from getting off of a damaging commercial diet- and perhaps could live an extended life with improved health from switching.