Transitioning Your Cat To A Raw Diet
To Grind or Not To Grind?
If you are transitioning a kitten to a raw diet, then chances are that this will be extremely easy. Usually, the younger the cat, the quicker they will adapt, and they seem to instinctively know what their body needs.
However, when it comes to adult cats, this can be slightly trickier
If your cat is currently eating kibble, you have a couple of options. Kibble is like junk food to cats, so the majority do not easily switch straight over to raw.
Instead, you can either move him over from kibble to a canned food, and then begin swapping parts of this out for a ground up raw food.
Alternatively, you can start mixing his kibble in with the ground up raw food, gradually reducing the amount of kibble that you include, until you can completely cut it out.
While it may be tempting to practice tough love, and simply not feed your cat anything else until he eats the raw food, this is something that you should never do. Cats have a unique predisposition to contracting hepatic lipidosis, which is a form of liver failure that can occur if the cat does not eat for 24 hours.
This means that you must make the transition to raw at your cats own pace, rather than trying to rush him through it.
Here are a few other tips that you can try out to encourage your cat to eat the raw food:
The 7 Best Cat Foods For Maine Coons
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Not only is it the official state cat of Maine, but the Maine Coon is also one of the biggest cat breeds around. These beautiful felines have thick coats with a big ruff around the neck, tufted feet, bushy tails, and pointed ears.
They are one of the most unique cat breeds in American and likely the oldest native breed as well. The Maine Coon is an absolute treasure and should be treated as such with a healthy, high-quality diet formulated to meet its nutritional needs.
How Are Food Intolerances In Cats Treated
There is no cure for food intolerance, but there are several things you can do to manage your cats symptoms.
The first step is to identify the allergen and remove it from your cats diet. This can be done through diet trials or allergy testing.
Once the allergen has been identified, you will need to find a food that does not contain it. Many specialty diets are available for cats with food intolerance, including grain-free, prescription hydrolyzed protein, and limited ingredient diets.
You may also manage food intolerance by getting higher quality food for your cat, which is food with less or no preservatives, artificial coloring, or flavoring.
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Royal Canin Feline Breed Nutrition Maine Coon Thin Slices In Gravy
If you are looking for wet food that is specially formulated for pedigreed Maine Coon Cats over 15 months old, then Royal Canin Feline Breed Nutrition is the one you are looking for. Its made using the nutritional expertise of Royal Canin, and the first-hand experience of breeders.
The recipe is crafted with ingredients to target the major concerns in purebred Maine Coon Cats: feline obesity, bone, and joint health issues, and shedding problems.
As the tallest and largest domestic cats, Maine Coons need extra bone and joint support. On top of that, they are also playful and full of energy, so they can easily suffer from injuries if they are not eating a nutrient-dense diet.
Hence, this premium cat food is enriched with omega fatty acids, glucosamine, and chondroitin to promote stronger bones and joints.
It also contains L-carnitine to help burn fats and promote good metabolism for healthier body weight. Maine Coons are also known for their thick and long coat, especially during winter.
So, to keep their skin and coat healthy all the time, this cat food formula is also fortified with vitamins, and omega-3 and 6 fatty acids.
Brief History Of Maine Coon Cats
Maine Coon Cats originally came from Maine and the general New England area.
There are a lot of different theories about how this majestic cat came to be.
Some believe the Maine Coon Cat was originally a crossbreed between a domesticated cat and a raccoon or a bobcat, though most people today view this to be an old wives tale.
If you are interested in learning more about this theory, take a look at my article: Is A Maine Coon Part Raccoon?.
Other theories on this pedigree cat breed claim the Maine Coon is a descendant of European ship cats, who bred with North American feral or wild cats. Click here for my full article on this cats origins.
Whilst there are no definite dates relating to when the Maine Coon cat became domesticated, the earliest records of these cats as pets have been identified in the mid to late 1800s, and early 1900s.
No matter how they came about, Maine Coon Cats have always been excellent hunters.
Their superb hunting skills allowed these previously wildcats to survive in the wild before eventually becoming domesticated.
It is this fact that leads many owners to conclude that the Maine Coon raw food diet is, therefore, the best, and most natural diet choice for these impressive cats.
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Royal Canin Maine Coon Food
If your particular brand of Maine Coon Food does not include all of the necessary healthy ingredients, talk to your vet about supplements that can be given in addition to dry food. One of the most popular dry foods specially formulated for Coon cats is Royal Canin Maine Coon 31. Its also the only breed specific food Ive been able to find on the market. It is safe and offers high-quality supplements necessary for optimal health.
Your cat depends on you for food, water, shelter, and love. One of the most important areas of Maine Coon health is diet. Youll want to look for food with high-quality supplements. It is especially important to pay attention to supplements that can reduce inflammation and increase joint support. This may be particularly important for pedigree Coon cats because of risks related to specific genetic health conditions, like hip dysplasia or heart enlargement, called Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy .
What is a healthy diet?
In 2007, pet owners were distraught when over 10, 000 animals became sick or died due to tainted food products. Over 2,500 cats died because of the substance, melamine, which was found in imported wheat gluten, rice gluten, and corn gluten. To be aware of pet food recalls and find out the latest in safe foods you can visit the FDA website: fda.gov. For basic guidelines in choosing a pet food, check the labels for the following:
Raw Diets Vs Cooked Diets
While cooked diets can be better than commercial diets, raw diets still tend to surpass cooked diets.
One reason for this is that the process of cooking transforms the nutrients found in meat, altering their composition and making them less bio-available to your cat.
Cooking also degrades the nutrients, meaning that you lose out on so many amino acids, vitamins and minerals, which would have otherwise been present in the meat in its raw form.
In order to compensate for the deficiencies of a cooked diet, you would need to add in a number of different supplements, and this then becomes really difficult to properly balance out.
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What Do Maine Coons And Norwegian Forest Cats Have In Common
As you can see, the Maine Coons and the Norwegians bear some resemblance even in their history. These breeds likely have the same ancestors and this fact explains why they are so similar to one another. Moreover, both cats are long-haired, large-sized and rustic, intelligent and trainable. The two social and friendly, but it doesnt really matter how similar these cats are, they are still two different cat breeds.
Final Thoughts: The Right Food For Your Maine Coon
It is often a daunting task to find the perfect food for your beautiful furry beast. First because each cat has specific needs or tastes and second because it is super hard to identify clearly what are the ingredients listed on the package of your cats kibble. We hope this article will help you find the perfect match for your kitty ! If you need extra explanations, do not hesitate to leave us a little comment or send us a question. If you have other suggestions, please feel free to share with the Fluffy Kitty community! Thanks a bunch and see you guys soon.
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Tuna Ball Cat Food Recipe
There is a name for cats who simply cannot get enough tuna Tunaholics! This hearty cat food recipe is one to keep on hand as your cat is sure to hang around the kitchen and meow at your feet to request for more. These ingredients are likely ones we always keep in our pantry which makes this a simple and easy go-to recipe!
How Many Times A Day Should You Feed Your Maine Coon
Many Maine Coon cats do well with a free-feeding situation in which you simply keep the food bowl full and allow the cat to eat when its hungry. In this type of situation, a Maine Coon cat might eat up to 20 small meals a day with each meal consisting of a few bites.
If your cat has trouble moderating its own intake, you might switch to a different strategy where you feed the cat twice a day.
If you cant decide which option is best, start with two meals a day and give your cat some treats in between if its hungry.
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Shampoo & Grooming Products
Being long-haired cats, the Norwegians and the Main Coons require grooming at least twice a week with a well-made slicker brush. However, if you want to reduce the risk of hairballs and vomiting, you should groom your four-legged companion every day.
Dont forget about bathing. For both the Wegies and the Coons, occasional bathing is a very important part of care. Fortunately, a laid-back character of the Maine Coons will help you easily train this breed for the bath. Since the Norwegians fluffy fur coat can be washed without troubles, it wont be difficult to train the Wegie for shampooing, too. Just be careful when choosing the shampoo for your feline. Remember to select only cat-friendly products!
What Type Of Food Does My Kitten Need Wet Or Dry
Its important that very young kittens have at least some canned food to eat as part of their diet. Very small kittens have very small teeth and cant chew dry food well. Without some canned food, they wont get enough nutrition to grow properly. If you are feeding your kitten both dry and canned foods, then twice a day canned feedings are sufficient. If theyre only eating canned food, they should be fed four times daily.
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Maine Coon Raw Food Diet Advice To Keep Your Cat Healthy
Maine Coons, with their typical size and build, need the best nutrition to stay sleek, active, and healthy.
With fully-grown adults tipping the scales at up to 11 kg, Maine Coons have to stay slim and trim by balancing calorie intake with activity levels. Too many calories and too little movement can quickly cause a serious weight problem, with all the potential health issues that this may entail.
Is raw food the way to go, though? Of all the food typesdry, semi-moist, wet, B.A.R.F., or homemadeuncooked nutrition for cats demands the most care, attention to detail, and precautions to ensure safety.
Is all the work worth it, or are there better options for yourMaine Coon? Raw food diet pros and cons are all discussed hereread on and get the full picture!
About The Maine Coon Cat Breed
Native to Maine, this cat breeds history can be traced back to the early 19th century. Little is known about the breeds exact origins, but the Maine Coon is thought to be descendant from the longhaired cats owned by Marie Antoinette and sent to America ahead of her arrival. Another theory suggests that the early specimens of the breed were brought by Vikings to North America, long before it was discovered by Christopher Columbus. Regardless its exact origins, this breed came to be known as a talented mouser and all-around farm cat.
The modern Maine Coon is a large cat weighing between 9 and 18 pounds, though males of the breed can sometimes grow to more than 20 pounds at maturity. Because these cats get so big, they often dont even reach their maximum size until they hit three to five years of age. These cats have very thick coats that tends to be shorter around the shoulders and longer on the stomach and legs they also have a ruff around the neck and a long, furry tail. Maine Coon cats have large, tufted ears that taper to a point and they come in a variety of colors and patterns, though the brown tabby pattern is the most common. Many people dont even know that this breed comes in solid colors like red, white, or black.
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Maine Coon Dry Cat Food
For Maine Coon cats over 15 months to 12 years of age.
Available in
- The benefits
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Emerald 10, a King Sized, tailor-made kibble adapted to the Maine Coons unique large “squared-shaped” jaw to encourage them to chew.
Contains nutrients such as taurine and EPA & DHA which help support the health and proper functioning of the heart.
The Maine Coon is the tallest and heaviest of pure breed cats. Their imposing stature can put a strain on joints. The MAINE COON exclusive formula helps maintain healthy bones and joints of this large breed cat. Formula enriched with Omega 3 fatty acids , glucosamine and chondroitin.
The Maine Coon has a dense coat with a fine undercoat. MAINE COON formula includes a combination of amino acids, vitamins and fatty acids which help maintain skin and coat health.
100% Complete and Balanced Nutrition
- Product description
- ROYAL CANIN® MAINE COON helps maintain a healthy heart, bones & joints through a combination of nutrients and antioxidants while an exclusive skin barrier complex keeps the coat in top condition and looking its best.
Making Cat Food: Homemade And Raw Cat Food Diets Explained
Homemade cat food used to scare me. I was afraid of nutrient imbalances, didnt know what equipment I needed, and wasnt ready to spend hours of every month preparing cat food.
The questions were endless.
Are there nutritionally balanced recipes out there or is everyone following the one that looks like it makes sense?
Is it okay to give your cat bacteria-infested raw food? Can people of modest financial resources afford to make homemade cat food?
To find the answers to these questions and more, Ive consulted research papers from sources like the British Journal of Nutrition, the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, and BMC Veterinary Research. Ive explored forum threads and personal accounts from cat food makers. Ive spent hours talking to experts in feline nutrition.
This resource is the result of that research. Its made for someone whos considering making their own cat food but doesnt want to kill their cat by feeding them an imbalanced diet. Maybe thats you. If so, keep reading to get some answers and maybe a little bit of cat food-making confidence.
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Cooking For Your Cat: How To Make A Balanced Homemade Diet
The subject of raw vs. cooked cat food is an often hotly debated topic, and recent position statements against raw feeding by several high profile organizations such as the American Veterinary Medical Assocation and the ASPCA have only added fuel to the fire. The amount of misinformation about the so-called dangers of raw feeding is staggering and defies common sense.
I dont think its necessary to take an all or nothing stand when it comes to feline nutrition. Raw feeding is not for everyone, and if it exceeds a cat guardians comfort level, its not the right choice for that cat and that family. However, I do believe that it is important to feed our cats a diet that is as minimally processed as possible.
If youre not comfortable feeding raw, but want to not only feed a minimally processed diet to your cats, but also be in control of exactly what goes into your cats food, you may want to consider making your own cat food. The following resources can help you make a balanced diet for your cat. Some of them will even help you formulate an appropriate diet for cats with health issues.
My favorite resource is Dr. Lisa Piersons site, Ctainfo.org. She shares her time tested recipes, along with step-by-step instructions, for raw and lightly cooked diets on her site, in her article titled Making Cat Food. She also shares her reasons for why she decided to make her own cat food.
Would you consider cooking for your cat?
Dry Or Wet Cat Foods: Which Is Better
Feeding your Maine Coon with high-quality dry food or kibbles is preferable over premium canned food. Dry cat food can provide the same nutrients as wet food, and it can be more helpful in promoting dental health.
Chewing kibbles can also serve as an exercise to strengthen your cats jaw, and to keep his teeth sharp and healthy. Also, you can free-feed your cat with dry food since it stays fresh longer than a Maine Coon wet food.
In contrast, the food debris from wet food can easily get caught in your cats teeth, which can only give way to plaque and tartar buildup, bad breath, and other more serious periodontal diseases, and dental health problems.
And of course, feeding your cat wet food all the time can be expensive, especially if you have a bunch of felines with you.
Nonetheless, its not bad to give your Maine Coon wet food occasionally as this can also add variation to his diet, which is good for his health and appetite.
Wet food is also great for cats who are not fond of drinking water since they contain more moisture than dry food. And as we know, cats need to be well-hydrated to keep their kidneys healthy.
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