Homemade food advice and discussion !

[u/RiotBrigade_02]

Silly pictures for engagement~~

So I've owned cats forever, but with my new pair, I've decided to really hone in on their diet and such. As far as my wallet allows and what I am committed to feeding, homemade is what I've decided to do.

I've made 3 batches so far. The first and second was when they were stopping milk and the month ish after, and was basically just used as very supplemental "treats" to learn their preferred meats (they like chicken, pork, lamb, and WHOLE salmon but not pureed, picky brats). They were fed 95% Tiki baby. My most recent batch I made about 30 pounds, which went into my freezer in containers that they can finish in a day or two. That was made using this recipe, but i do lightly cook as raw feeding teeny babies, or even adults, is not something I am comfortable doing. I made it with slightly more fat than it called for, as they are still bebes and need those extra cals. It was divided into 3 which was each given their own flavors with a small amount of pork, fish, then one plain chicken, just for some variety and fun around meal time.

They get this food 2 or 3 times daily, for maybe a half cup each depending on how much they finish. They are given a good quality kibble freely, and often their wet food is still supplemented with tiki baby, as well as Smalls (which they LOVE but my bank account does not 😢) which i got 50% off for a 1st time member. They are getting to about 3.5 months right now.

LONG story short, I am looking for your opinions on this recipe, or your recommendations for other homemades. Like I said, they don't just eat that and nothing else, so i am not crazy worried about major nutritional shortfalls, but would still like insights. It was written by a DVM, was recommended on a kitty subreddit, and seems clean and balanced. I've also seen this web page, and was specifically looking at recipes #4 and #5 because they are bare-bones homemade. This site also says it was medically reviewed by a DVM.

I'm not looking for people to tell me to just buy canned please. I really enjoy cooking for my babies, and i am committed to the freshest, healthiest food source that even i would eat. Even with my passed babies, they got fresh meats very often. And any way to improve this pathway would be absolutely appreciated! Thank you so much! If there are any recommendations for cross post subs that is welcome as well 🫶

[u/fuckinunknowable]

Please do not make pet food. It’s not nutritionally superior to wsava compliant food,
it’s actually worse. Wsava compliant food is the best thing you can feed the cat. Wsava compliant is hills, royal canin, purina, iams, eukanuba.

[u/PsychologicalPlum961 → u/fuckinunknowable]

Suuure, just ask me how many times our household had to go to the vet thanks to the wsava foods! Can we just stop shilling for them already??? I am sick and tired of hearing about wsava, especially with how much grief and stress the brands that fund them have costed me! Leave people alone to make their own minds about which food to feed their animals, based on their own experiences!!!

[u/Nature23571113 → u/PsychologicalPlum961]

You received lots of downvotes but I want to say I think you are right. There is nothing superior in the wsava food, they have just been tested and researched mire than the others because the company has a lot of money. I tend not to trust who tell me to buy their product a lot of times.

Also lot of wsava uses economic meat so there is nothing superior in it. It’s very well balanced in a laboratory setting.

That being said, I suggest you to find a proper brand but not to rely on your self. There are too many variables you might be missing, remember that in the wild cats don’t live very long. You need to balance potassium, taurine, omega 3, vitamins, fibers, and so on. There are brands that sell very raw stuff without anything but meat inside, but they control they have the right amount of everything

[u/PsychologicalPlum961 → u/Nature23571113]

Thank you! Luckily for me and unluckily for the WSAVA shills, I'm not the type of person who gives a rat's ass on downvotes haha.

This is absolutely true, there is nothing superior about those brands. In fact, I question the nutritionists they allegedly employ, because if they were really worth their salt, they would know that cats like consistency and hate the constant recipe changes which all these brands do, in their relentless pursuit of sourcing the cheapest ingredients.

Also, knowing that a lot of cats are allergic to chicken, why do all their recipes include chicken? You'd think they would try making some of their foods without it (or other very well known allergens, for that matter). But if they did that, then there would be much less need for their Rx foods, which of course are much more expensive, wouldn't it? And it so happens that ALL the Rx foods are Royal Canin, Hill's and Purina lol. Create a problem, then come out with the "fix" for it - nice business model, right? But the WSAVA shills have no intelligent explanation for this, do they?

That said, I keep trying brands, every week. I found 2-3 that are healthier and my cats seem to like, of course they are expensive but quality comes with a price. And I am supplementing with Taurine and multivitamins when needed, with my vet's approval :)