This page provides information about making wholesome homemade cat food — but for *mature* cats only. You will learn an easy, quick and simple method to feeding your cats that will help provide them with a more wholesome meal.

If you have a kitten, then please read the page that talks about how to make homemade kitten food.

For those who have both dogs and cats in the house, then you may want to read the page that talks about how to make homemade pet food. This page provides an easy method of feeding both mature dogs and cats at the same time.

Information about homemade dog food and homemade puppy food is also available.

Feeding cats a wholesome raw meat diet is ridiculously simple. In fact, feeding cats a wholesome homemade diet is, in many ways, even easier than feeding dogs. I say that because cats are highly carnivorous animals. As a result, cats need more meat in their diet than vegetables. In fact, in many situations, I don't even feed vegetables to cats. When no vegetables are fed to cats, it means less preparation time. So think about this for a moment — if you are feeding your cats only raw meat, then there is essentially nothing to do except put the meat on the plate and let them eat. Well, that's essentially how things work. Some cats do like their vegetables and so in some situations I feed cats a small amount of vegetables. Some cats will refuse to eat vegetables and so when a cat is like this, I don't worry about it. Cats require a higher percentage of meat in their diet than dogs do.

Many people believe that cats are more finnicky. In my experience, this is not the case. It's not the cat that is finicky, but rather it is the human's energy or mental vibration that either encourages this behaviour — or it's the human's perception of this situation.

Personally, I find switching cats to a wholesome raw meat diet is even easier than dogs — this is because cats are such strong carnivorous animals that as long as they get meat, they eat. Dogs, being slightly more of carnivorous scavenger, some dogs will be a more stubborn when it comes to switching them to a raw meat diet.

I often get emails from people who tell me that they believe their cats are finnicky — but this is a stereotypical view of cats. If your thought process is like this, then toss those thoughts out right now. When feeding our pets, you need to feed with the mindset that there is no problem, that everything is normal, that there will be no finnicky behaviour, etc. Your energy affects your pets, dogs included. If you are calm, your pets are calm.

Feeding a wholesome raw meat diet to cats is extremely easy. But if you are feeling overwhelmed with information — it's not uncommon. I have found that some people are tense or overwhelmed, not because this is difficult or anything like that, but because people are afraid to make errors. Thus they put extra pressure on themselves to get things perfect. The reality is, you will never create a perfect diet. All we can do is create a diet that is as close to perfect as purring is to humming!

Some of the information on the preceeding and following pages will overlap and repeat itself, but I am assuming that those with dogs will only read the page for dogs, those with cats will only read the page for cats and so on. But if you are curious and read all of the pages, then yes, there will be some overlapping. However, the repition will also reinforce the information.

This page talks about feeding ground meat as well as meat chunks. Personally, my preference is to feed meat chunks. You, however, can decide what's best for you and your cat.

The pros and cons of feeding ground meat instead of meat chunks and vice versa was discussed at the beginning of Part 2 and also on the page that talks about how to prepare meat.

How to prepare ground meat and vegetables has already been explained on the second and third pages of Part 3. Read them again if you have to.

Assuming you have prepared the ground meat and finely chopped some vegetables already, do the following when it is time to feed your cats:

• Remove the containers of ground meat and finely chopped vegetables from the fridge.
• The following is a guide for you to use and is presented in a ratio format. Therefore, increase or decrease the amount needed based on the ratio.
• Please remember, this is only a general guideline. If you think your cat will need more specific guides, consult a holistic veterinarian that is familiar with a fresh food program.
• Mix 3 parts ground meat to 1 part finely chopped vegetables.
• If your cat does not eat the food with vegetables in it, then either reduce the amount of vegetables being fed or eliminate the vegetables totally from the diet.
• Once you have the necessary amount of food in the bowl, add hot water until the food becomes the consistency of a thick stew.
• If you make the food too soupy, your cats probably won't eat it — thick is the consistency you want.
• The hot water takes the chill off the food, replaces the water naturally found in the prey, and volatizes the odour.
• Once you have added the hot water, then add other nutritional supplements.
• Add the supplements after you have added the hot water. This way the hot water is not poured directly onto the supplements.
• Although there are numerous beneficial pet supplements you can add to the food, the single most important supplement is a calcium supplement for pets.
• A guide to pet supplements can be found in Part 1.
• Mix and serve.
• It's really that simple!
• Your cat should decide when they have eaten enough and they should walk away with some food still left in the bowl. Read the page on how much to feed your cats for more information (found in Part 1).
• If you are feeding eggs, then the eggs replace the meat. Read how to prepare eggs for dogs and cats for more information on eggs.

The combination of food does not have to be accurate, just close. You can use a spoon, cup, or whatever you want to use for measuring based upon your requirements.

These are just guidelines.

Some cats may like, need or want more meat or vegetables — give the body what it needs and the body will do the rest. Watch your carnivore friend as they will provide clues to what they need. Also, if on one day you are short of vegetables then don't worry about it as meat is the most important part of the meal.

The method of above is a basic and simple concept that can be modified based on your preference for doing things, your likes and dislikes, etc.

The pros and cons of feeding ground meat instead of meat chunks and vice versa was discussed at the beginning of Part 2 and also on the previous page (how to prepare meat. But to quickly summarize, I've noticed that some cats eat ground meat too slowly. I've also noticed some cats don't eat as much as they should because each bite of ground meat is smaller than what they can swallow if they were eating meat chunks. This in turn can perpetuate a cat's free feeding habit. So, if you find your cat is not eating enough, eating too slow or having a difficult time eating ground meat, then definitely feed meat chunks as described below.

Ultimately, meat chunks are my preferred method of feeding.

This is my preferred method of feeding cats and my goodness, it's so simple you will wonder why on earth didn't In think of this? Although feeding cats a wholesome raw meat diet is amazingly simple, my book offers a lot more information to help you improve your cat's overall lifestyle along with numerous tips, suggestions and general information.

How to prepare meat chunks and vegetables has already been explained on the second and third pages of Part 3. Read them again if you have to.

Assuming you have the meat chunks already thawed in your fridge and some finely chopped vegetables (optional) ready to go, do the following when it is time to feed your cats:

• When I feed meat chunks to my cats, I don't add vegetables.
• If you want to feed your cats vegetables, then using ground meat is easier to mix in the vegetables. But some cats will eat the vegetables from their plate too.
• Remove the meat chunks from your fridge at least 1 hour before feeding.
• The amount of meat you remove from your fridge will depend on how many mouths you are feeding and ultimately, how much they will (or can) eat.
• Add the supplements to the meat chunks.
• Although there are numerous beneficial pet supplements you can add to the food, the single most important supplement is a calcium supplement for pets.
• A guide to pet supplements can be found in Part 1.
• Read the tips on the first page of Part 2 for some tips on mixing supplements in with the meat chunks.
• Let the food sit on the counter for at least 1 hour to remove the chill.
• If you don't have time to remove the meat from the fridge at least 1 hour before feeding, that's okay. The only reason why this is done is to help remove the chill. But if you are in a rush and must feed the food cold, it's okay. It's not the end of the world.
• Remember, when letting the food sit on the counter that cats have been known to eat the food before it's time to eat. So you might need to cover or somehow protect the food.
• One additional benefit of letting the food sit on the counter for about 1 hour before feeding is that your cats can smell the food. This gets many cats excited and so when it comes time to eat, they're ready to go.
• If your cat will tolerate vegetables and you put a small amount onto their plate, don't bother measuring. Just put a small amount onto the plate and your cat will eat what it wants. If your cat eats all of its vegetables and wants more, then put some more onto the plate. But the reality is that the chance of this happening is slim. Those cats that will eat vegetables separately, and there are some like this, then they will only eat what they want regardless of how much you put onto the plate.
• Cats have the ability to cut chunks of meat into a size that they can swallow. Cats will chew the meat chunks with their molars and literally cut the meat into the size they need to swallow. As a result, the size of the meat chunk you feed to a cat really doesn't matter. As long as the cat can get its mouth over the meat, the cat will begin to cut off a piece of meat. Although cats can cut their meat themselves quite well, feeding them reasonable size chunks of meat does help them eat more faster.
• Don't feed your cat as if it is an human infant. A cat doesn't need you to cut the meat up into super small sizes. Doing so will just waste your time. Cats can swallow, relatively speaking, large pieces of meat.

Here are some variations on how to do the above things:

• Instead of using hot water to warm the food, you can quickly pan fry the ground meat and vegetables. However, the word is quick. You don't want to cook the meat although some may darken due to the heat. Instead of using oil to heat the meat, use water. But whatever you do, don't use the microwave.
• You can prepare enough finely chopped vegetables in advance and freeze in plastic bags or a reusable container of some kind. This way, instead of chopping vegetables every few days, you can chop a large amount, freeze and then thaw as needed.
• Although some people mix the ground meat and vegetables together and freeze combined, I personally still prefer to keep the meat and vegetables separate. This way, if your cat no longer likes, wants or craves certain meats and/or vegetables, then at least not all is wasted. Believe me, it's not uncommon for our cats to change their likes and dislikes based on the needs of their body.

A mature cat is essentially any cat that is older than 1 year of age.

Mature cats only need 1 meal per day, but you can, feed two meals per day. But if you feed your cats properly and if they eat all that they want at each meal, you will find that although they may look for or ask for some food during the day (which is normal), that they will really only need 1 meal per day.

The reason why a cat may still look for or ask for some food during the day, even though they are not really that hungry, is because as a carnivore they naturally and instinctively worry that maybe their next meal will not be found. Of course, your cat does not have to worry because you are going to feed your cat again. But, in the mind of your cat, they worry about their next meal — it's just in their nature to be like this.

Feeding 1 meal per day allows and encourages your cat to eat a large meal. Then after eating their large meal, your cat may play for a little before sleeping. Then, during their period of rest, their body does all of its detoxification work.

Cats are not herbivores which are constant grazers. Cats need big meals, not small meals. Feeding your mature cats more than once per day is not really beneficial and in fact can be detrimental — leading to such problems as colitis.

Ultimately, when you feed your mature cat one meal per day, you will find that when their next meal is ready to be served, they will be hungry and ready to eat.

Feeding 1 meal per day to your mature cats makes life more convenient for us because we can leave, during the day or overnight, if necessary and not have to worry about our cats. Feeding one meal per day gives you some additional freedom and creates less work for you.

Some people don't feel comfortable feeding just one meal per day because they are thinking of their cat as if they were human — but your cat is not human, they are a carnivore. Never loose sight of this.

If you forget how much to feed your cats, please remember to read the page about how much to feed which can be found in Part 1.

When you feed your cats is a personal choice. Ultimately, it does not matter. But I would sugggest you feed when it's best for you.

If you are busy in the morning then I would suggest feeding your cats at night. Why? Because if you feed your cats at night then you will find that in the morning, your cats are not very hungry at all. Thus they won't be bothering you or, in some cases, waking you up at 5 AM wanting their food.

You can, of course, feed at noon, 4 PM, 8 AM, etc. It does not really matter. Find the time that's best for you.

Feeding a wholesome raw meat diet is so simple. Just keep reading to learn more.

• A Quick Introduction To Natural Homemade Pet Food
• How To Prepare Vegetables
• How To Prepare Meat
• How To Make Natural Homemade Pet Food
• How To Make Natural Homemade Dog Food
• How To Make Natural Homemade Cat Food
• How To Make Natural Homemade Puppy Food
• How To Make Natural Homemade Kitten Food
• How To Prepare Eggs
• Examples of Feeding Natural Homemade Pet Food
• A Quick Review of Homemade Pet Food
• More Thoughts On Feeding
• Distractions
• Encouragement
• Vomitting