just a few questions dispie research i need help with please

**deeshell08** · 1st February 2010, 01:06 PM

hi guys and gals

just a few little qs i have re my new coonie woo cant wait im getting her next week yay

1) i didnt know untill i was reading a thread here that cats can eat raw meat? what raw meat is allowed and is safest with most nutriional value to give them?
currently my coon kitten is on Royal Canin Kitten 36 biscuits and i think that is it, is that enough? my current domestic kitty just has iams kitten food and some wet wiskas pouches or i cook her fish rice chicken pork mince or beef 2-3 times a week depending whats in the fridge? what other supliments or anything should they get? im not used to spoiling my kittys as in my view they eat worse things in the wild and i hope i dont sound irrisponcible but i would like to know what is best for them both without doing 2 seperate diets,

2) how often should maine coons be bathed my breeder said she doesnt really bath them but puts talc or dry shampoo on them to brighten their coats when needed as a freshen up, personally i wouldnt like to put any thing on a cat thats for humans but each to their own, at the min i bath my kitty once every 6 weeks or so depending on how smelly hse gets as she does like to cover herself in fish when she gets it lol with kitten flea shampoo and cut her claws every 3-4 weeks and brush her once a week she loves it as she at the min has no problems in grooming herself and her coat is immaculate she has got used to this routine now also what would you recommend for a maine coon?

**Tomiam** · 1st February 2010, 07:55 PM

Im definately not best placed to give an experts view point as Ive only had our two coonies for just over a week, but what I have learned is:-

a) We feed ours raw chicken wings. We take the meat off the bones, except for the biggest bone which we give them to chew the meat off. We take a wing out (per cat) from the freezer 24hrs before we need it to let it defrost in the fridge.

b) If you cook the chicken before giving it to the coonies - then you must make sure you cook it without any bones as the bones go hard when cooked (found that out on this forum). This is bad, as the bones can puncture the inside of your cat and kill it :(
source: http://www.maine-coon-forum.info/die...-eating-2.html

I dont plan on bathing ours any more than 5 times a year. Unless they do something which neccessitates a bath.

**Karol** · 1st February 2010, 08:25 PM

About the meat: you can give everything raw; except for pork. Never give raw pork meat to your cats, it might contain the Aujeszki virus (a variant of rabiës). I prefer not giving pork under any circumstances (nor raw nor cooked). There are enough different kinds of meat for your cats to eat apart from that.

**RiaBoo** · 1st February 2010, 08:58 PM

I have to agree with Tomiam, Im not an expert yet when it comes to MC. Going by personal experience, I can let you know what we do with Hank's feeding:

- He likes raw lamb mince, not too keen on beef. He also like it mixed with his biscuits. I was a little worried about this, as I thought that he also HAS to have the pre-packed kitten food, but when I rang the breeder, she said mince meat is fine especially if he has it with his biscuits coz at least he's getting other nutrients from that.

- Felini Complete is good supplement, specially if like Hank he JUST like mince rather than pre-packed. Cats also need Taurine with their diet so getting a supplement like Felini Taurine would be advisable.

- There is also a topic in this forum on How to make raw cat food. So check that link out, it's quite useful

- Today, I cooked him some chicken with gravy and he loved that. I guess that can substitute to the 'pre-packed' ones, and it doesnt have much additives.

- We're thinking about introducing him to a bath sometime this week, just to see how he is with it and so that he can get used to it IF we decide to show him, then life would be easier! But we do not want to bathe him too much,as Tomiam said maybe 5 times a year.

**IrishKitty** · 1st February 2010, 09:09 PM

Shelly: Another newbie here so have not really delved into the "raw meat world" yet. The only thing I have give him is some pieces of raw chicken breast so far which went down a treat

Like you I have also been feeding him Royal Canin dry food. Our breeder said it was perfectly fine to give him tinned tuna as long as it was in "spring water" so he gets some tuna for his main meal during the week.

As for bathing him, well I havn't tried that yet. Our breeder also recommended the talc on his coat.
You may also be interested in picking up some of these ByoFresh wips which can be used to rub your cat down and leaves him with a nice fresh smelling coat.

ByoFresh Limited | Cat Products

**Scrapdragon** · 2nd February 2010, 12:27 AM

In australia we can get packets of mince designed for pets.... mainly lamb and kangaroo. I'm thinking of getting these.

**deeshell08** · 2nd February 2010, 10:48 AM

thanks very much the links posted were very informative thank you didnt know that about pork so wont be giving them that from now on infact its put me off eating it lol
great advice im still getting over the shock of cats eating raw meat i really never knew that was ok i suppose my thinking is i wouldnt really give them anything that i wouldnt eat,
from eating say raw chicken could they spread the bacteria around the house? like you see on the dettol adds? lol

**IrishKitty** · 2nd February 2010, 10:54 AM

Shelly: I remember years ago my Mum leaving a chicken on the kitchen table to defrost. Sometime later we heard a sound in the kitchen and we discovered that our moggie had come in the back door, jumped up on the kitchen table and was happily,milling throught the raw chicken

**RiaBoo** · 2nd February 2010, 11:02 AM

Originally Posted by deeshell08

thanks very much the links posted were very informative thank you didnt know that about pork so wont be giving them that from now on infact its put me off eating it lol

LOL I was thinking the same Shelly when I read it.... actually I had pork last night so I was a bit eughhhh after seeing the post ahaha!