Cato Continues Kaffe's Work

[bug]

I'm with you, Mandycat. I think it's the soaking in salt that's doing it. Soaking or washing chicken isn't necessary if it's going to be cooked. Water doesn't kill bacteria anyway, heat does (most, but not all bacteria).

[JustMe]

How are Cato and his Meowmie doing?  Sure missing you both.   

[lesliek]

Hopefully Cato is busy writing !

[NedF]

It's been a while since she's been on. Hopefully she'll check in soon. Storm got her first taste of baked chicken tonight. I gave her a thick chunk off the breast. She didn't know how to chew it! She just licked at it for about 5 minutes. I think she finally figured it out because when I checked back 5 minutes later, it was gone!

[bug]

Yes, Cato -- how is everything in your neck of the woods? We really like to know that everyone is OK periodically -- us worry warts.

[catwoods]

I've thought of Cato lately too. I hope she is just busy.

[tesla]

I've been thinking about Cato, too.  I PM'd her a couple months back just to make sure all is well.  She was just extraordinarily busy at the time.
We miss you Cato....

[bug]

Hope you and Cato are still doing well. The nutrition threads just aren't the same without you.

[JustMe]

Planning on trying some homemade again for my cats when time allows.  Seeing all the posts about urine pH and crystals and stones lately, do I have to worry about that when making homemade (cooked)?  Mine get mostly wet food, but 2 have had crystals in the past when they were on dry food.  Do I just add more liquid to the homemade?  It would be done to a pate consistency.  I really don't have a good understanding of the acidifiers that are added to commercial pet food.

[lesliek]

The easiest way to control the amount of liquid is to puree the finished food & slowly add more water or broth. Remember that freezing dries the food out slightly, so when making a large batch remove what will be used in 3-4 days & then add the extra liquid. If you need it more acid, don't use any vegetables & you can add blueberries or cranberries or use D-mannose [sp?].Cranberries are hard for some cats, but blueberries seem easier on them. Blueberries also make the stool dark, so don't panic if it looks tarry. As for the cats who had crystals on dry, if they are ok with canned they should be fine with homecooked. Get some test strips & test them before & after using the new diet.
ETA- If they are too acidic ,apple cider vinegar [organic,not from China] will work.

[petslave]

That's a good question.  I think it's the high carb amounts in dry foods, grainless or not, plus the lack of moisture.  They have to add carbs to hold the kibble together, and that's what drives the urine pH up.  If you're making mostly meat-based recipes and wet food, I wouldn't think it would be a problem.  But then again, I think some people's cats here have gotten crystals on canned foods too.

I have trouble getting my food batches down to pate texture.  The few that were really fine were also very gooey wet.  It might be a food processor issue, but I'm glad that my cats will eat it course.

[lesliek]

To conquer the gooeyness, try processing the ingredients separately & adding broth or baby food to wet it, instead of water. Stock is even better than broth because its thicker. The meat & any fruit or veggies will work without liquid, but rice & oats & other dry things will need some liquid in the processor.Potatos & sweet potatos I just drain & mash by hand while still warm. Canned or cooked fish & cooked liver or eggs are easy to chop small instead of needing to puree them too. If you have enough room in the fridge, the easiest way is to cook the meat, let it cool then process. Refridgerate overnight to prevent too much mushing while mixing & prepare the rest of the food & finish mixing it the next day.When grinding the meat that way it is like like a very fine,crumbly hamburger texture. Darker meats that have more fat tend to mush more.

[Cato]

Hi guys...  been away too long... but I'll try real hard to get back into the loop... somehow.  I feel very honored that you've kept the thread going - thank you ll so much.

Lesliek's post on acidifiers is an excellent one.  Thanks Lesleik!

[catbird]

Cato, it is awesome to see you again!

[catmom5]

Me, too - happy to have you "home"!