Transitioning Your Cat to a Raw Diet
Transitioning cats to raw food can take a few days and up to a few weeks. Some cats and most kittens will transition quickly without any hesitation. Cats prefer their food room temperature so let it warm up first after removing it from the refrigerator.
Gradually transitioning will decrease the likelihood of digestive issues. Start slowly by replacing 10% of your cat’s current food for several meals, gradually increasing the amount of raw until it's all raw. As long as your cat has firm, solid stools, keep increasing the amount of raw.
There’s a reason cats appear to be finicky. It’s actually a manifestation of their natural instinct to fixate on a certain food, which helps kittens learn what food is and to recognize it later on. Cats that have been eating the same thing for a long time may not recognize fresh raw meat as food. Commercial pet foods are coated with flavor enhancers that become addictive to cats and it can take some patience on your part to transition your cat.
We've found cats have the most success transitioning when feeding our proteins in this order — Mystic Chicken, Magic Rabbit, Wonder Turkey.
In the beginning you may see stools that are loose, odd or not happening. This is completely normal and natural when switching to a raw diet. You may see some soft, badly formed, oddly textured and/or oddly colored stool, sometimes with mucus. Cats sometimes have trouble digesting raw food properly after being on highly processed commercial food and it takes a while for everything to start working properly. It is not unusual to have a day or two without a bowel movement. Once the digestive system has adapted, you will see stool that is firm, small, essentially odorless and quick to dry out and decompose.
If your cat is hesitant
There’s a reason cats appear to be finicky. It’s actually a manifestation of their natural instinct to fixate on a certain food, which helps kittens learn what food is and to recognize it later on. Cats that have been eating the same thing for a long time may not recognize fresh raw meat as food. Commercial pet foods are coated with flavor enhancers that become addictive to cats and it can take some patience on your part to transition your cat.
If your cat currently eats kibble:
If your cat is hesitant, you may need to switch to wet food first. Then you can mix the raw in with the wet and keep increasing the percentage of raw until it's all raw. Or, try placing small amounts of raw food next to the current food. Your cat will associate raw food with meal time. It may be a slow process, with your cat only sniffing it at first, but gradually your cat will realize this might also be food. Eventually your cat will taste it and begin eating it.
If your cat currently eats wet food:
If your cat won't eat any food if there's raw food mixed in with it, start by placing small amounts of raw food next to the current food. Your cat will associate raw food with meal time. It may be a slow process, with your cat only sniffing it at first, but gradually your cat will realize this might also be food. Eventually your cat will taste it and begin eating it.
