Transitioning Your Cat to Raw Food

BEFORE YOU START

Please note that the information below is only suggestions and ideas we share from our own personal experiences. Each cat parent needs to determine what is best for their own cat. Please see our full disclaimer at the end of this article.

Transitioning a cat to raw can be the hardest part of changing their diet. I've transitioned many cats over the years, and most have done it in their own unique way.

• Some transition easy and quick, while than others need a lot more time and patience.

• There's never been a cat I couldn't transition, no matter their age or likes. Some just took longer than others.

• The steps below are suggestions. You may not need all of them. Pick and choose what works best for your cat.

The most important thing to remember is that your cat sets the pace.

 

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE?

It varies for every cat. 

Some cats take to raw immediately. Even with those cats, its still suggested to do a short 5–7 day transition to give their digestive system time to adjust and prevent IG upset.

Other cats take quite a bit longer, especially if they don't like the new food immediately.

• Don't assume that because they don't like it today, they never will.

• Sometimes they simply need time to become familiar with the new smell, taste and texture.

• Its not unrealistic for a transition take  5 months or more.

• Its well worth the effort for most cats will experience improved health once they are finally transitioned.

   

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IMPORTANT RULES

1. Take it slow. Use small, consistent baby steps
Changing foods can be stressful for some cats.

2. Only move to the next step when your cat is ready — not when you're ready.

3. Every cat's journey is different.
What works for one may not work for another. Each cat may need their own method and their own pace.

4. Watch for digestive upset.
If you see runny bowels, vomiting or other digestive upset:

• Go back one step. Stay there until everything resolves.

• If the problem continues, go back another step.

• Don't continue pushing forward while your cat is having digestive problems.

5. Your cat should never go hungry during the transition.

• Don't allow them to miss meals trying to force them to eat the new food.

• Don't allow them to lose weight during the transition. Even if your kitty needs to lose weight, this isn't the time to focus on weight loss.

6. Never use starvation as motivation.
It's NEVER necessary when transitioning properly and can have negative consequences for your kitty's health and their relationship with food.

7. Don't expect the perfect diet during the transition.
The perfect meal is the goal you're working toward. You may go through several different types and combinations of meals before getting there.

8. Be patient and creative.

There are unlimited ideas to try. If one doesn't work, change it. Sometimes it's a combination of several little things that finally gets you there.

 

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THE TASK OF TRANSITIONING

There are basically two types of transitions:

• The quick transition — for cats who like raw immediately.

• The longer transition — for cats who aren't quite sure about this new food yet.

The longer transition is probably the more common of the two.

 

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QUICK TRANSITION

For the Cat Who Likes Raw Immediately... Lucky You!

Even if your cat loves raw at the first bite, It's recommended to do short transition of approximately 5–7 days to help prevent digestive upset.

An example might look something like:

• 25% raw / 75% old food

• Once doing well, move to 50% raw / 50% old food

• Then 75% raw / 25% old food

• Finally, 100% raw

Don't move forward simply because a certain number of days have passed.

Before increasing the raw make sure:

• Your cat is eating well.

• There's no vomiting.

• There's no digestive or bowel upset.

• Your cat is comfortable with the change.

If there is an upset, I go back one step and give them more time to adjust.

 

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THE LONGER TRANSITION

For the Kitty Who Needs More Time

Step 1 — Move Away From Free Feeding

If you are free feeding — meaning food is available all the time — start by moving toward timed meals using the food your kitty is already eating.

• Start with multiple timed meals throughout the day. They may need more frequency at first, then slowly cut the number of feeding.

• Gradually work toward having nothing available between meals.

• Don't rush this step, its a big change that can be stressful.

• Wait until your kitty is comfortable with the new feeding routine before making another change.

 

Step 2 — Transition From Dry to Wet Food

If your kitty currently eats dry food, the next step may be transitioning to a quality canned/wet food.

Dry food can be especially difficult for some cats to give up because of its taste, smell and flavor enhancers.

For some cats: **Dry → Wet → Raw **is much easier than Dry → Raw.

Some cats can skip this step entirely. Again, let your kitty help determine that.

 

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WHEN YOU'RE READY TO INTRODUCE RAW

Step 3 — Find the Meat Your Kitty Prefers

This can take some trial and error.

One easy way is to offer tiny pieces of plain raw muscle meat as a treat with no completer/premix included to see if your kitty has a preference.

• Try different proteins that are appropriate for your kitty.

• Use plain muscle meat without bone.

• Don't worry about making these tiny samples into a complete meal. You're simply trying to find out what your kitty likes.

What if they don't like any of it?

Try lightly cooking the plain meat. If cooking helps:

• Offer the lightly cooked meat as a treat.

• Gradually cook it less and less.

• Slowly work toward offering it raw.

IMPORTANT: Do NOT cook the premix/completer.

 

 

Step 4 — Introduce the Premix/Completer

Once your cat is comfortably eating the meat, you can begin slowly introducing the premix/completer, continuing as a treat or as part of the meal depending on how your cat responds.

Some cats love the premix/completer right away. Others do not.

• Start with a very small amount of premix/completer.

• Don't increase it until your cat accepts the current amount.

• Gradually add more.

• Continue until you're using the proper amount according to the product's directions.

If your cat readily accepts the meat with the premix/completer, you may be able to move through this step very quickly and go directly to Step 5.

Don't rush this process. Sometimes it isn't that they don't like the food. It's simply unfamiliar.

Cats are creatures of habit, and familiarity can give them a sense of security. Give them time to learn that this new food is safe and that it's now part of their normal routine.

 

 

Step 5 — Start Replacing the Old Diet With the Complete Raw Diet

Once your cat is eating the raw meat with the proper amount of premix/completer, it's time to start replacing their old diet with their new complete raw diet.

Again, take your time and let your cat set the pace. There is a list of tricks listed below to help you through each stage. For more tricks, do a simple online search. There are unlimited suggestions out there.

Mixed Together or Served Separately?

When I say to start with 25% raw and 75% of the old diet, that doesn't necessarily mean you have to mix the two foods together.

Every cat is different:

• Some cats do well with the raw and old food mixed together.

• Others prefer the two foods kept completely separate. Placing each in a separate bowl, served at the same time.

• A favorite topper, such as a little crushed dehydrated treat, can also be sprinkled over the raw to make it more appealing.

• Watch your cat's response and use whichever method works best for them.

Personally, I've had more success keeping the old and new foods separate rather than mixing them together. Some cats simply don't like having a new food mixed into something they already know and enjoy.

The percentages below are really about how much of the total diet is coming from each food, not whether the two foods have to be physically mixed together.

Start with:

• 25% new raw diet / 75% old diet

• Once your cat is eating that comfortably with no digestive upset, move to 50% raw / 50% old diet

• Once they're comfortable with that, move to 75% raw / 25% old diet

• Finally, move to 100% raw

Don't move to the next percentage just because a certain amount of time has passed. Your kitty should be comfortably eating the current amounts and having no digestive issues before you increase the raw.

If you see vomiting, runny stools or other digestive upset, go back to the previous step and give your kitty more time.

What If Your Kitty Refuses the Raw at This Point?

Some kitties may happily eat the raw as a treat but become resistant once you start trying to make it part of their regular meal.

If that happens, don't force it and don't let your kitty go hungry.

• Go back to feeding their regular meal.

• Continue offering the raw as a treat if they'll eat it that way.

• At each regular meal, place a very small amount of the complete raw food — about a teaspoon or even less — in a separate little bowl beside their regular food.

• Don't worry if they don't eat it at first.

• Continue putting it there consistently so they can see it, smell it and become familiar with it. Once the smell and appearance are no longer new, curiosity may eventually take over.

• Once they begin investigating or eating it, you can slowly start moving forward again.

Sometimes it's not really a matter of your kitty disliking the raw food. It's simply new and unfamiliar.

Cats are creatures of habit. Sometimes seeing and smelling that little bit of raw beside their regular meal every day is enough to make it familiar. Eventually curiosity may take over and they decide to check it out on their own.

Be sure to see the Tricks That May Help section below for more ideas you can use during each stage of this process.

 

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TRICKS THAT MAY HELP

Here are some things I've found helpful over the years:

• Offer a tiny piece of plain raw meat as a treat.

• Top the new food with a favorite food or topper.

• Sprinkle crushed/dehydrated treats over the top.

• Put a small amount of raw food in a separate little bowl beside their regular food.

• Continue putting that little bowl beside their meal even if they don't eat it at first.

• Let them smell it, investigate it and become familiar with it.

• Try lightly cooking plain meat and gradually cooking it less and less.

• Try introducing a new step first thing in the morning when they're naturally hungry.

• When you're getting close to the final transition, try the raw meal in the morning before offering anything else.

More tricks and suggestions can be found with a simple online search.

 

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COMMON BEHAVIOR: "I LOVED IT YESTERDAY!"

Don't be surprised if your cat starts eating the new food beautifully and then suddenly decides **"Nope. I don't eat that anymore." **I've heard this from cat parents feeding raw, canned and even dry foods. If it happens with raw:

• Don't panic.

• Don't force the issue.

• Take a step backward.

• Go back to whatever tricks helped during the transition.

• Add a favorite topper or some treat crumbles.

• Make the change smaller.

• Then slowly start moving forward again.

   

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TWO STEPS FORWARD, ONE STEP BACK

Transitioning can be a very trying process with some cats. One day your kitty may love the meal and the next day decide it's definitely not for them. That's okay.

• Don't get discouraged.

• Don't get frustrated with your kitty.

• Take smaller steps if needed.

• Try something different.

• Be creative.

• Give them time.

Don't give up. Be patient.

I've been able to transition every kitty I've worked with. Some were easy and some required a lot more creativity, but eventually we found the path that worked for that particular cat.

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RESOURCES

Do your research. It can give you additional ideas when you hit a roadblock.

There is a lot of information available from:

• TCfeline.com

• FoodFurLife.com

• Feline-Nutrition.org

• CatInfo.org

The more ideas you have available, the easier it can be to find that one little trick that works for your kitty.

 

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DISCLAIMER

Each cat is different and has different individual needs. It is the cat parent's/guardian's responsibility to determine what is best for their own cat.

All information we share is based on our own personal experiences and is provided only as ideas and suggestions. These ideas may not work for every kitty and may not be appropriate for every cat or every situation.

We are not veterinarians or veterinary nutritionists. Nothing we share is intended to replace, substitute, or be construed as veterinary, nutritional or other professional advice or recommendations.

The information provided should not replace consultation with a veterinarian or other qualified professional, or the pet guardian's own research and best judgment.

Ultimately, it is the pet's parent/guardian who is responsible for researching the options and determining what is appropriate for their companion.