# Other sources of pet food than commercial sources



## prepperware (Jul 28, 2012)

If a reason would come up, that we can not get commercial food for our pets, we need to think of alternatives. Whether due to man made or natural disasters, or even if it is losing a job, or high inflation etc... it is a good idea to have thought through how you will address this situation.

I ran across an article on how to make your own cat food.
http://www.catinfo.org/?link=makingcatfood#Grinder:
I'm in the beginning stages of the process and will report how it's going with my two cats. You can make your own for less that the cost of premium cat foods, after an investment if a grinder and a few other nutritional supplements. We all know that what goes into pet foods is not something you'd eat let alone pick up if it was still in one piece. This article will explain the pros and cons of doing this.

I encourage pet owners, to consider learning about this and going the next step and trying it. You will end up with the knowledge, skills and tools to do this for your pets, if regular commercial foods are not available.

Plus, you will have a meat grinder for YOUR use if that needs arises. I"m actually looking forward to buying my own chuck roasts and grinding my own hamburger. Then I'll know what I really getting. So it is, in a way, a win-win situation.

I literally started today. I got my grinder on Ebay used. Buyer beware and read the reviews on the type you are looking at. Mine is a hand crank from Porkert - A Chezch made grinder which is no longer imported but was a well made- cast iron . They are actually a precision tool, so if you don't just want squished meat stuff and want a consistently cut meat, you will have to do your research. Unfortunately from what I've seen, the Chinese grinders are not well rated. Maybe some of you have positive experiences and can recommend some?

I ground one chicken thigh tonight to familiarize my cats with a new food and myself with the grinder. The article above will elaborate on the process. I'm just at the stage of seeing if they prefer raw or partially cooked. I already feel better knowing that, if they take to this type of food, or the turkey or rabbit, they will be getting a very good quality food. It may cost me a bit more, but they tend to waste what they have now. I don't think this will be a problem with this food. I may be wrong. As cat owners know, we are at their mercy 

If anyone else has dabbled in making their own foods, please add to the topic of conversation.. I'll let you know how this unfolds..


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## cnsper (Sep 20, 2012)

My cat catches her own food!


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

prepperware said:


> If a reason would come up, that we can not get commercial food for our pets, we need to think of alternatives. Whether due to man made or natural disasters, or even if it is losing a job, or high inflation etc... it is a good idea to have thought through how you will address this situation.
> 
> I ran across an article on how to make your own cat food.
> http://www.catinfo.org/?link=makingcatfood#Grinder:
> ...


I am familiar with that article and recipe. It is not currently affordable for us to make our cats' food as the rabbit would have to be ordered. Once we have our warren and it has an established breeding schedule/program I'll give it a try.

I do give them a rabbit based kibble. And sometimes I'll get frozen rabbit nuggets for them when it is on sale.

I do make my own dog food and feed dry kibble 50% of the time for convenience only.


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## BillS (May 30, 2011)

You could hunt small game and feed it to the cats as they need it. Our black cat LOVES raw meat. The black and white cat would want it cooked.


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## BillS (May 30, 2011)

I don't see a need to grind up the meat unless that's the only way the cat will eat it. You could cut it into small chunks for them if they have good teeth.


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## PrepN4Good (Dec 23, 2011)

I've made my own dog food (during the Chinese-poisoning scandal) but not cat food. I read somewhere it was more difficult b/c of needing to add taurine...? I just buy a 48 can box of 9 Lives whenever I go to BJs...but it would definitely be helpful to know how to do it myself.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

PrepN4Good said:


> I've made my own dog food (during the Chinese-poisoning scandal) but not cat food. I read somewhere it was more difficult b/c of needing to add taurine...? I just buy a 48 can box of 9 Lives whenever I go to BJs...but it would definitely be helpful to know how to do it myself.


The linked article and recipe were developed by a vet who makes her own cat food. Rabbit meat is one of the protein sources the recipe calls for because of the natural taurine levels.


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## alwaysready (May 16, 2012)

When it comes to dogs its simple feed leftovers with the kibble. Drastic changes in their diet can cause an upset stomach and diarrhea. When I feed raw I just give them chicken quarters. One benefit of raw is no tarter build up on the teeth. Never feed cooked bones they can splinter and puncture the intestine. From time my dogs will kill and eat a rabbit, bird,squirrel or raccoon as a safe guard I worm them regularly.


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## eddy_dvyvan (May 8, 2012)

All my dogs have always been fed raw.

Currant routine is 1 rabbit every 2 days and a few eggs each week. Trying to stick to the prey diet as much as possible. I feed the rabbits frozen and the dog doesnt seem to be interested in the live rabbits running around him. Wether thats just him or being only fed frozen rabbit he doesnt realise that those cute critters he lays next to are dinner.

I dont bother with any butchering. Just kill the rabbit with blunt force to the back of the head and pop it in the freezer then feed whole. Initially i had to slice the belly to show him it was food but now i dont need to.

The vet originally told me it would kill the dog lol. 6 years on and hes healthy and happy with plenty of energy.


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## prepperware (Jul 28, 2012)

Regarding cats and eating rabbit... you have to add fat too since rabbits are such lean animals... This might be why your vet said your dogs could not survive on rabbit. 

My one cat is totally blind. The other has poor vision but could probably survive on her own if it came to that. The blind one will always be dependent on me. That is one reason I'm thinking about making my own food for them.. It will not be cheaper than the cheapest caned food but is much better quality.


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

I have 3 Rottweilers, I intend to feed them the pets that people abandon when they cannot feed them anymore. 

Two are also pretty skilled at finding their own dinner as determined by the number of squirrels, rabbits, etc. that I find dead in the yard. The largest one would not hurt any small animal unless she was truly starving, but I am pretty sure she could take down a deer or a cow.


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## eddy_dvyvan (May 8, 2012)

prepperware said:


> Regarding cats and eating rabbit... you have to add fat too since rabbits are such lean animals... This might be why your vet said your dogs could not survive on rabbit.
> 
> My one cat is totally blind. The other has poor vision but could probably survive on her own if it came to that. The blind one will always be dependent on me. That is one reason I'm thinking about making my own food for them.. It will not be cheaper than the cheapest caned food but is much better quality.


G'day,

Possible or it could have something to do with the fact the vet sells expensive "science diet" pet food.:laugh:


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## valannb22 (Jan 6, 2012)

Good info to have. My cat will NOT eat raw food at all. I'd have to cook it and cut it into small bites for him. I've never tried it with the kitten, so it might work.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

prepperware said:


> Regarding cats and eating rabbit... you have to add fat too since rabbits are such lean animals... This might be why your vet said your dogs could not survive on rabbit.
> 
> My one cat is totally blind. The other has poor vision but could probably survive on her own if it came to that. The blind one will always be dependent on me. That is one reason I'm thinking about making my own food for them.. It will not be cheaper than the cheapest caned food but is much better quality.


As for the added fat that might be why the recipe in the article calls for chicken or turkey as the second protein source.


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## Tank_Girl (Dec 26, 2011)

Fresh road kill.

Might be a bit bruised but, hey, throw it in the back of the ute and you've got a lot of fresh meat.

Here there are always lots of dead kangaroos and wallabies on the road of a morning.
I always stop and check the pouches of dead females for live young and give them a wildlife carer to raise.


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## prepperware (Jul 28, 2012)

G'day Tank Girl!
We get many deer in this area(USA), that are road kills. Its always a shame to see them on the sides of the road, and just left there. The fresh road kill is a good idea.. but I wonder, if things get really bad, if people will not be out there claiming these for their own and not for their pets.. 


Update on making my own cat food... 

Using a hand meat grinder - cut up the meat in small pieces.. it feeds much easier. I have a #8 grinder. Not a huge throat but it took a good 5 minutes to grind up 5 lbs of chicken ( including the bones)... 

Cats are still mixed on whether they like it. My on male cat is ok with it.. The female.. I can't tell.. she is in a picky mood.. might be the very HOT days we are having? I still leave dry food out so they are eating that too. I leave smaller portions of the fresh food than I did the canned. As you cat owners know.. cats do not adjust to changes in food quickly.


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## LincTex (Apr 1, 2011)

My wife wants to do this. I told her "Hell No".

We buy cat food at a under a dollar a pound. I feed them enough to keep from starving an THAT'S IT. If they want more than that, they have to go hunt for it....and they do.


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## 8thDayStranger (Jan 30, 2013)

My dogs will eat anything you put in front of them. Feeding them won't be an issue. The cat.....it better learn to hunt. I couldn't care less what happens to it one way or the other. We have an established relationship. I don't care about it, it ignores me.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Another option for cat food is feeder mice. Once in a while I'll get a few from the pet store and toss one in the empty bathtub for the cats to hunt. All but one will make the kill and eat the mice. That one is K's spoiled former bottle feeder, Alice.


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## BillS (May 30, 2011)

LincTex said:


> My wife wants to do this. I told her "Hell No".
> 
> We buy cat food at a under a dollar a pound. I feed them enough to keep from starving an THAT'S IT. If they want more than that, they have to go hunt for it....and they do.


I guess it depends on whether or not you consider them pets. Outdoor cats live an average of two or three years. Indoor cats will live an average of 10 to 15 years. Even here in Wisconsin I don't let our cats outside unsupervised. I want them to live a long time. And Texas has to be a much more dangerous environment for cats.


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## lilmissy0740 (Mar 7, 2011)

I was just thinking this. We are thinking about getting a new dog. Had to put ours down last year and just ready, we think. Anyways, I read where you can can dog food, but I cut remember where I read this. They said it was so much better for the dogs. It helps the dogs not to get hip problems cause puppy food has to many nutrients that makes them grow faster???? 
Has anyone canned their food for animals?


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

I have a whole mess of home canned dog food. To be honest if you want to feed a homemade diet stick with raw or mostly raw.


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## MetalPrepper (Nov 25, 2012)

I used to have my GSDs on all natrual food (rice and chicken, or chicken livers)....they didn't live any longer than 11 years....but anyway it is easy. When i cook a batch of canned meat (of any kind) I save the fatty scraps and can them with a hand full of long grain brown rice and water in each jar. I consider each pint to be equal to a can of dog food. I do it more to utilize the scraps than to be making them food, but still the outcome is the same.


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## webeable (Aug 29, 2012)

Use to make our own dog food, would add rice to broth that we boiled liver in, ground the liver and added back in. The dog loved it


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