One of the biggest concerns pet owners have when switching to a raw diet is how difficult it’s going to be. Most people think of a big mess, the indelicacy of raw meat and excessive time and effort. But raw feeding can be just as simple as opening up the bag of kibble, while being much healthier for your cat in the long run. Here are some tips to keeping it easy.
#1 – Buy in Bulk
Most long-time raw feeders have a giant freezer dedicated to raw meat, regardless of how many cats they have. This is because buying meat in bulk is much cheaper than buying a few meals at a time. It also allows you to shop for sales and stock up when the price is right. With enough space, you can get a variety of different meats. A big freezer also separates the cat food from the people food, allowing for better organization.
#2 – Organize
Even if you buy in bulk, organizing is going to make your life a lot easier. This means that you can break down into meat types or individual meals. For example, if I buy 40 pounds each of chicken backs, beef liver, and pork muscle meat, I can either package individual meals in baggies or containers or I can package the meats in baggies or containers. Then every day I can pull out a packaged meal and feed as is, or I can pull out smaller containers of thawed meat and assemble at mealtime. Either way, it makes thawing and storage much easier.
#3 – Find a Supplier
One of the great benefits of raw feeding is that it cuts down cost, but this only happens when done craftily. If you’re going to a local, high-end grocery store you’re probably spending as much or more on food as you would quality kibble. But finding butchers or grocery stores that will order meat in bulk for you can save you great amounts of money. More often than not, you’d be surprised at how easy it is to find a place that will order 30-40 pound boxes of various types of meat. If you can find a supplier, you’ll be at an advantage. If you have friends that feed raw, you can try to place even bigger orders for a lower cost at the same time.
Raw feeding does not have to be complex science. It’s all about balancing nutrition over time and offering your cat the best possible food. Finding a supplier, buying in bulk and organizing the meat will make day to day raw feeding much easier in the long run. You’ll likely find your own unique ways to keep your daily routine simpler and we’d love for you to share them with us! With raw feeding becoming more and more popular, it’s only a matter of time before the majority of cat owners have space dedicated solely to their cat’s nutrition. The easier we make it on us humans, the healthier and happier our kitties will be too.