Triple Grand Champion Chloe Renaissance, the kids and I were in Calgary for the cat show on the weekend. The talk everywhere was what to feed our cats. Fanciers who had never before considered using raw or homemade diets were talking about how they felt they had been left with no choice, given the questionable safety of even "the best" prepared foods on the market.  

I have tried to locate a local supplier for the grain-free and fish-free foods I found previously.  Nature's Variety Prairie is available only in small cans, each adult would need 3/4 of a can daily, and it is $2.48 per can.  That's $11.25 per day, plus whatever any kittens we have would need. Ouch. Natural Balance is $2.30 for a large can, so roughly half the cost of the Nature's Variety, however it is made by a company that is recalling some of its dry food. Do we trust it? Wysong is not available to me in local stores.  I may still try the Nature's Variety, but it cannot be our main food; the cost of it would force the price of our kittens to go up to a point that may be prohibitive.

A peer on the Fanciers' Health List suggested Merrick foods such as Grammy's Pot Pie, Thanksgiving,  and Turducken. Gosh, reading the ingredients my mouth started to water. Cats might enjoy veggies, but they offer no nutritional benefit. And spices?! Grrrr... this seems like marketing, not good nutrition, to me. 

http://www.merrickpetcare.com/store/canned_cat_food.php

Of course I could make the time to cook for my cats, but could I do it well? Would the diet be balanced and complete? What about the families who adopt my kittens? Would they want to continue cooking for their pets? I figure it is worth me investigating and trying, even if a homemade diet becomes part of what I offer.

Some recipes and information to look at:

http://showcatsonline.com/x/home-cookin.htm

http://www.catnutrition.org/

In the meantime, I continue to feed prepared foods that are "safe" and fish-free.

...Pam