Dear readers,
Cat owners can usually relate to this: as soon as you find a type or flavor of food that your cat likes, they suddenly reject it again. Or they only eat their usual food and refuse to be persuaded otherwise. Few cats equally enjoy wet food, dry food, treats, milk, table scraps, etc. Most cats settle on one type of food and stick to it. The imprinting during the kitten and juvenile phase has a fundamental influence on this.
The type of food determines the duration of the transition
In addition to the smell, which must appeal to the cat, the taste and especially the texture of the food are important. Cats can use their tongues to feel exactly what is in their mouths. If they have been used to hard and square dry food for many years, they will initially reject anything soft or liquid.
Some cats tend to gulp down their food, others nibble small bites several times a day, and still, others are satisfied with two meals a day, which they eat quickly. Cats that are accustomed to wet food are generally easier to transition to BARF than cats that eat only dry food. Cats that already occasionally eat raw meat or are outdoor cats that catch mice have the best conditions for a quick transition.
The transition to raw feeding with Fix-BARF® takes varying amounts of time. It can take anywhere from a few days to three months or longer – anything is possible. It should also be noted that there are cats that permanently refuse raw feeding. However, this is extremely rare and mostly occurs in cats that have been exclusively fed dry food from a young age.
Getting cats used to raw meat
It has proven helpful to get the cat used to raw meat before the actual transition. Since preferences vary, it may take some time to find a type or variety of meat that the cat accepts. Consider chicken, beef, lamb, goat, horse meat, and others. You can also try offal such as stomachs, hearts, or liver. Up to 20% of the daily food requirement can be replaced with raw meat without supplements. Continuing to feed the usual cat food ensures sufficient nutrient supply.
For cats that have only been used to dry food, the transition may take a bit longer. The animal must first get used to the moist texture. Start by adding a little more water to the dry food with each meal. Once the cat eats the moist food, you can switch to a high-quality wet food with a high meat content. Again, patience is key – add a spoonful of the new food per meal gradually. It can also help to finely crush the familiar dry food and sprinkle it over the new food, so the cat recognizes the familiar smell.
Side effects during the transition
Occasionally, digestive disturbances such as diarrhea or vomiting occur during the transition – this is sometimes unavoidable. In such cases, administering natural probiotics in powder form has proven helpful. The digestive system has often been accustomed to a specific diet for many years. It takes time for the body to adapt to the new diet and for the stomach and intestinal environment to adjust. The pancreas, which may have been underutilized for years due to a carbohydrate-heavy diet, also needs time to adjust to the higher fat content in BARF meals. Give your cat this time, and if necessary, slow down the transition process.
Tips and tricks for transitioning food
Meat as a toy
Cats often play with their prey for a long time after catching it. Imitate this game by tying a piece of meat to a string and letting the cat catch it. Meat can also be used as a reward or a new treat – cats respond quickly to this.
Psychological tricks
Use the cat's curiosity by pretending to "accidentally" drop the meat. Alternatively, place a small plate with meat near your cat's feeding area and consistently forbid the cat from going near it. If you're lucky, the cat will fight to get to this food in no time. This works even better if there are two cats in the household – one is allowed to eat it while the other, who is being transitioned, is not.
Additional tips and tricks
- Serve the meat differently: coat the meat pieces with crushed treats or dry food, or sprinkle powder over the food.
- Pour boiling water over the meat briefly. You can also lightly steam the entire raw meat meal initially. This increases acceptance, as cooking releases more flavor and aroma. Gradually reduce the cooking time until the cat eats completely raw meat.
- When taking thawed meat out of the fridge, add some warm water (max. 60°C) to bring the meal to room temperature – this can also increase acceptance.
- Mix tiny pieces of raw meat (or minced meat) into the usual food – sometimes even "homeopathic" amounts are necessary. Increase the raw meat proportion with each meal until the food consists entirely of raw meat or Fix-BARF.
- Mix the sliced or minced meat with desirable ingredients like cheese, egg yolk, yogurt, curd, or butter – even meat with a dollop of cream is allowed.
Patience is key for a successful transition
Especially with very picky cats, the most important requirement for successfully transitioning to raw feeding is patience. If you encounter strong resistance, take a step or two back and start again at the point where feeding was already going well. Stay patient and persistent! Cats are creatures of habit and quickly notice when you give in.
Often, only one meal per day is switched to the new diet at first, while the other meal remains the usual food. Sometimes it’s unavoidable to mix dry food with wet or raw food during the transition. Limit this period as much as possible. Ideally, the different types of food should only be combined temporarily. If you alternate between the old food and the raw meal, ensure there are 4–6 hours between meals to allow the digestive tract to adjust.
Not all cats can be transitioned to raw feeding
Despite all efforts, it may not always be possible to transition a cat to a BARF diet. This is often due to ingrained eating habits that cannot be changed or because the cat reacts with aggression or completely refuses the food. Both are reasons to stop trying. It is not worth forcing an animal to adapt to a new diet.
A prolonged refusal to eat for more than 24–48 hours, especially in overweight cats, can lead to liver damage. Alternatively, you can offer Fix-BAF®, which consists of gently cooked basic Fix-BARF® menus in cans.
In most cases, 95% of cats are successfully transitioned to raw feeding. Some cats even take to the new food immediately, as if they’ve never eaten anything else.
One last tip: If you cannot regularly dedicate enough time to preparing BARF meals, you should reconsider the decision. Alternatively, you can rely on my Fix-BARF menus. These are raw meat meals that are as good as homemade and provide your cat with all the nutrients needed for a healthy life. As a complete food, these menus can be fed permanently. For a balanced diet, I recommend rotating between two or three menus.
Good luck with the transition, and I wish your cat a hearty appetite with the new BARF meals.
Yours, Petra von Quillfeldt
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