Transitioning Cats
Cats are creatures of habit and will often resist changes made in their routine, whether it is made to their food, litter, bedding etc. Reviving a cat’s natural taste preferences can represent a real challenge for both the caregiver and the cat.
In a home setting, this means that any kitten that has been weaned and maintained on a commercial food will become fixated on this type of food within the first year of life and reluctantly accept any other foods offered. This inherent behavior in kittens insures that they will have learnt which foods are appropriate to eat before becoming independent.
When making the transition from kibble to raw, you should anticipate some reluctance on the part of your cat in accepting their new diet.
It is important that the caregiver be comfortable with the new diet and must enforce the change despite any protest. Cats are very sensitive and will often pick up on anxiety from their caregivers at mealtimes. It is essential to offer any new food with confidence, a positive attitude and body language.
The key to success in making the transition to raw is to do it slowly and with patience to preserve your cat's emotional and physical health. It is essential that your cat continues to eat something at all points throughout the transition due to the risk of developing Fatty Liver Disease. Overweight cats are at even higher risk.
Most young cats and kittens will take to the new raw food immediately; however, if your cat is older and has been eating kibble on a free-choice basis, they will probably need a little help in making the switch.
The first step is to establish a schedule of set mealtimes. Leave the food down for 30 minutes only. Once your cat is on a schedule you will notice that they will be more enthusiastic about their food.
The second step is to introduce a commercial canned food to your cat.
If they accept the canned food, then remove all kibble from their diet. You may now slowly introduce the raw food to be mixed in with the canned food. Start with as little as 1/4 tsp of raw. If it is tolerated, then after a few days the amount can be increased to 1/2 tsp. If the raw is not tolerated, then decrease the amount for a few more days before attempting an increase again. This amount can then be increased slowly over several weeks until the cat is completely on raw food.
If, however, they do not accept the canned food, then you may try crumbling their kibble on top of a small amount of raw food. If this is tolerated, then slowly increase the amount of raw into their diet until your cat has completely made the transition to raw.
Tips
- Freeze the raw food into small amounts during the transitioning stages. This allows for small amounts to be taken out for thawing and offered without too much waste. Ice cube trays work perfectly for this.
- If your cat doesn't seem to be hungry at the time you feed them, cover their saucer with plastic wrap and refrigerate until later.
- Cats prefer their food to be served at body temperature.