At Benton’s Road Veterinary Clinic we are advocates for wholesome nutrition for your pets. Unfortunately, our feline companions are often limited in commercial nutrition options compared to the range that is available for dogs. Furthermore, home prepared raw feeding for cats can become overwhelming with the preparation and necessary calculations to appropriately balance a nutrition plan. We all know that correct calcium and phosphorous levels are essential, and don’t forget that all important taurine! We are proud to present a new option for clients who wish to feed their cats and kittens a more natural diet, but in a convenient way.
Raw Meow is an Australian company based in Perth specialising in producing high quality feline nutrition products. The creators at Raw Meow use only the best quality ingredients and have worked alongside nutrition professionals to ensure their products are appropriately balanced for our feline companions. You can rest assured knowing you are feeding a high quality, balanced product. We will be stocking the following Raw Meow products:
Raw Meow Mix – Formulated based on the prey model of feeding, Raw Meow Mix is a meal completer which can be added to muscle meat of your choice to provide a balanced meal. We recommend using human grade muscle meat to make your cats meals. Raw Meow Mix is also available in a formulation appropriate for growing kittens.
Raw Meow Freeze Dried Meals – This is a complete meal, just freeze dried! Simple store in the pantry and re-hydrate your portions with water before feeding.
Raw Meow Freeze Dried Chicken Breast – Human grade single protein treat option. We think about getting dog treats all the time for our canine companions, why not felines too? Freeze dried chicken breast is a dry product which many cats adore. Especially the reformed biscuit eaters who miss that crunch! Freeze dried chicken breast can also be utilised as a meal topper to help you transition your cat onto raw food. Raw Meow does have a larger range of freeze-dried treats available, if you would like something that we don’t have on shelf, please let us know! The full range can be viewed via their website at https://rawmeow.com.au/
There are many reasons that feeding more wholesome food is important for your cats’ well-being and health and we can hear you thinking about how tasty all these fresh, high quality ingredients sound. But is it affordable? We have broken down the costs of feeding an average, adult, 4kg cat below with a range of different products.
| Food type | Cost per day |
| Premium air dried food | $4.46 |
| Premium tinned wet food | $4.85 |
| Average quality tinned wet food | $4.20 |
| Raw Meow freeze dried meals | $2.55 |
| Raw Meow Mix prepared with meat @ $10/kg | $2.27 |
| Poor quality tinned wet food | $1.32 |
The above calculations were made based on current market prices (May 2019) and were calculated to feed an adult cat of average activity levels based on feeding 3% body weight for Raw Meow products and the manufacturers feeding guidelines for other products.
Now that you know all about the “why” and the options available, let’s talk about the “how”!
Transitioning cats onto a raw or fresher diet can be a challenging task. Although we know that biscuits and poorer quality wet food products are not ideal nutrition sources for our felines, they certainly do taste great. Just like our children who often prefer some chicken nuggets and hot chips to a plate of fresh vegetables, sometimes we need to make the best choices for those in our care. If your cat is already eating some wet food, you may find the transition easier than those who are solely fed dry food. Here are some tips to help you out during the transition:
- Cease ad-lib biscuit feeding and start meal feeding. This means removing any constant sources of food such as a bowl of biscuits and moving to feeding your cat 2 or 3 times during the day.
- Start by adding a small amount of your desired meal (such as some reconstituted Raw Meow freeze dried meal) into or beside your pre-existing meal options. This helps your cat recognise that the raw option is actually a food item.
- Be persistent, and be patient. Your cat may choose not to eat their new food item for some time, this is common! Remember, you are trying to get your cat to eat the proverbial broccoli instead of the chicken nuggets, this takes time.
- Never remove all food options. If your cat refuses your new food, don’t take away all sources of food. Cats can become ill very quickly if they do not eat. Cats should be eating every 12 hours at the least, more frequently is better!
- Try adding tasty meal toppers to your raw. Adding some crumbled freeze dried chicken breast to the top of your raw meal may help entice your cat to try some. It is also ok if your cat needs some biscuits mixed in with their meals, it’s all about balance and any progress toward a more nutritious plan is good progress.
We welcome any feedback on the products that we stock so please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions or comments on our range. Click for more information on the fundamentals of pet nutrition.