BARF = Biologically Appropriate Raw Foods = Bones and Raw Flesh

debbie560 · 3rd January 2012, 02:18 PM

Lets get to grips with this... WHOLE BARF method......

AND why we now are a registered and recongnised BARF cattery.

In 2009, I had 3 ADULT male cats come down with crystals in their urine, one I sadly lost, I had my prize boy Marshall Mathers, loose all his fur, and my THEN vet,despite no real tests, (Maybe my fault too for not insisting) said Marshall had ringworm, so I did what I was told and Marshall had several doses of ringworm medicine at 70 euros a bottle. He told me I would have to give it to all my cats as well.... so being the person I am, I got the same medicine at a much cheaper price off the internet for the other cats, HOWEVER I did not use it... you will read why below.....

Did Marshall get better?? NO Nothing happened NOTHING!! Marshall got no better,and I was going paranoid totally.... every mark on a cat with no fur.... PANIC!!!!!!!!

So I sought a second opinion, and basically after tests it was the food, he had an allergy to the food and another supplement I was giving them.. The same supplement a rag doll breeder in Germany was giving her cats, she sent me photos of her cat and kittens, as she was worried, she had got a cat from the same person as the cat I had in quarantine here... I had someone and she was scared he too would loose his fur!!

ALL my cats were on Royal Canin, many varietys.. I thought I am giving them the best.. So Marshall went on a raw food diet and within a few months he was back to his old self...

BUT other than him I continued to feed Royal canin...

But I had a litter of kittens react badly to the food, they just stunk.... not runny poop, solid but OMG the smell, and they farted everytime they moved which made it worse...

I had tests nothing wrong with them no Guardia no other nasty bugs... The minute I took then off the food... and put them on Raw... BAM... sorted.

BARF, is not for everyone, but it works for me, and NOW some of my new owners have also started to feed this way after reading my blog.

Its not cheap I suppose, if you have a lot of cats, but for a person with a couple of cats then it is very reasonable.

I ONLY buy food fit for human consumtion, except for the Frozen Chicks... and who other than a cat would want to eat these!! lol

Since I started my blog and have shown photos of our cats, I have had many emails, and many questions, and I am more than happy to answer if need be...

BARF is in my opinion, for my cats the best way forward, I have healthy cats, and happy cats and this works for me..

I have attached a l couple of links for you to see some photos of my cats eating the raw food... well not the chicks lol, I think that just might be pushing it...lol

But the most important part of feeding cats is the waste that comes out of the other end, our bodies only dispel what we do not need... and previous to Barf this same bucket was filled to the top and then some...

https://picasaweb.google.com/1020816...hForBreakfast#
https://picasaweb.google.com/1020816...ickenIsServed#

This bucket is what I have taken out this morning, from over 20 plus cats... I did their litter trays yesterday at 10am, I fed them and this at 10am is what I have now taken today..

BARF = Biologically Appropriate Raw Foods = Bones and Raw Flesh-fish-breakfast-010.jpg

**Antonia** · 3rd January 2012, 05:30 PM

Again, way to go Debbie!

Question: what types of meat do you feed? And do you never grind at all? Always feed whole chunks of carcass?

debbie560 · 3rd January 2012, 06:03 PM

Originally Posted by Antonia

Again, way to go Debbie!

Question: what types of meat do you feed? And do you never grind at all? Always feed whole chunks of carcass?

I feed, one day Chicken, next day fish, next day Baby Chicks, next day Turkey, and back to chicken again, sometimes if my butcher has any off cuts.. I feed Rabbit and beef...but the ones listed are their staple diet, they also get Natural Yoghurt twice week and in this I mix extra taurine and L- Lycine...

I tried the ground up meat in the past, they liked it for a couple of days then just stopped eating it... so it used to lie there going smelly and discoloured, for some reasons my cannibals like the meat on the bone, and to be honest with you this I why they do not fight, they run at it when I put it out like they have never been fed in their lives growling and snarling as they go, but they grab their piece and just go off and eat it, it takes them a good 20 minutes to eat the chicken and the fish pieces, the chicks well they are gone in a matter of minutes, but I spread them in a large area rather than on a dish or bowl that way no one feels intimidated, so hence no fights!
On average the carcass, which contains the neck, some breast and ofal weighs about 100 to 150grams which is more than enough per cat of a weight of 4kg, but a lot of mine weigh more than that, so I usually allow 2- 3 carcasses per cat, I find also unlike with the dried food, were they will eat and eat and eat, until there is nothing left, they do not tend to over eat with this method, when they have had enough they go off and clean themselves, some might come back for a bit more but in most cases they are full and that’s it for the day.. Those that need more eat the rest..

**Antonia** · 3rd January 2012, 07:48 PM

Originally Posted by debbie560

I find also unlike with the dried food, were they will eat and eat and eat, until there is nothing left, they do not tend to over eat with this method, when they have had enough they go off and clean themselves

Yes... the lovely sight of contented cats licking their paws after a good meal.

A while ago I'd forgotten to defrost their dinner so I gave them a can of Cosma from the emergency supply. Although Cosma is a good quality, it obviously did not make them feel sated and they kept crying hungrily for more.

Mine still like the ground meat – fortunately. It contains meat, bone and offal from beef, chicken, duck and rabbit, plus a small amount of mackerel. They get some for breakfast each day. Because I work from home I have the time to feed them 3 meals a day. The other two meals consist of things that are not in the ground mix. Such as turkey breast meat, chicken and rabbit organs, whole quail, and some more rabbit and duck bone-in meat. For extra taurine I add some chicken hearts or prawns once or twice a week.

Dairy products they sometimes get as a snack. For example Greek or Turkish yoghurt, or cottage cheese with an egg yolk mixed in.

A funny thing: these past few weeks I haven’t been able to get my hands on rabbit carcass… it was sold out everywhere! I suspect they were all processed into ‘game ragout’ for people's Christmas dinners, lol.

One more question: what do you do for treats? I bought a food drier so I can make them myself. It’s kind of fun to make your own cat treats… I will soon start a new thread on this.

debbie560 · 3rd January 2012, 10:52 PM

Originally Posted by Antonia

Yes... the lovely sight of contented cats licking their paws after a good meal.

A while ago I'd forgotten to defrost their dinner so I gave them a can of Cosma from the emergency supply. Although Cosma is a good quality, it obviously did not make them feel sated and they kept crying hungrily for more.

Mine still like the ground meat – fortunately. It contains meat, bone and offal from beef, chicken, duck and rabbit, plus a small amount of mackerel. They get some for breakfast each day. Because I work from home I have the time to feed them 3 meals a day. The other two meals consist of things that are not in the ground mix. Such as turkey breast meat, chicken and rabbit organs, whole quail, and some more rabbit and duck bone-in meat. For extra taurine I add some chicken hearts or prawns once or twice a week.

Dairy products they sometimes get as a snack. For example Greek or Turkish yoghurt, or cottage cheese with an egg yolk mixed in.

A funny thing: these past few weeks I haven’t been able to get my hands on rabbit carcass… it was sold out everywhere! I suspect they were all processed into ‘game ragout’ for people's Christmas dinners, lol.

One more question: what do you do for treats? I bought a food drier so I can make them myself. It’s kind of fun to make your own cat treats… I will soon start a new thread on this.

I also now and again feed Chicken hearts as a treat and they do get prawns but most of them don't like them, so they can tend to be a waste, I actually meat a guy at the store in Almelo where I buy my chicken the other day he makes these dried BARF feeder snacks, I had his buisness card in my pocket, then I washed my coat lol... so I no longer have it..

I do give them pigs ears they like them... but I did not know there was such a thing as a food drier I would be very interested to read about this... please...

**Antonia** · 4th January 2012, 07:57 PM

Originally Posted by Antonia

Yes... the lovely sight of contented cats licking their paws after a good meal.

Seems a bit silly to quote one's own post, but I just had to share this one of Tatja after this evening's quail dinner .

BARF = Biologically Appropriate Raw Foods = Bones and Raw Flesh-tatzpootjewassen.jpg

debbie560 · 4th January 2012, 10:00 PM

Originally Posted by Antonia

Seems a bit silly to quote one's own post, but I just had to share this one of Tatja after this evening's quail dinner .

Click image for larger version.

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Nom Nom.... Mum x

debbie560 · 22nd January 2012, 02:15 PM

BLOG added!!

BY popular demand lol

Since people have not only seen the photos of my cats they have been to my house and taken one of my kittens and or just come for a visit... They now are looking for and asking for advice on BARF feeding...

So here is the blog!! I would like to add links... SO maybe Antonia you would also like to contribute with your dried snacks..

BARF food for Cats & Dogs: INTRODUCTION

**Antonia** · 22nd January 2012, 04:22 PM

Blog looks promising, Debbie.
I emailed you my contribution - hope that's OK.

**Howlinbob** · 22nd January 2012, 04:26 PM

For some reason I missed this thread, but now I'm here, thanks for posting, Debbie!

It's always interesting to read about a transition to raw.
My cats had no specific health problems pre-raw but I can really see the improvement in them, especially in my OAP, who has a new lease of life.

Blog is a great idea! x