Time for an update. I've made the 3rd batch of cat food today. Melvin's energy level increased within a week or two of switching to the new food. His coat also became much softer feeling. He initially didn't want to eat the new food. After about 3 weeks of adding chopped cat treats to the food, he decided that the food is good and is now eating it without the treats added to it. The Lem meat grinder is working fine. It can be fully dismantled for a thorough cleaning. Sometimes it takes some strength to grind through the bones. If you are going to make larger batches you might want to buy a high quality electric grinder. I find that it takes close to two hours to make a batch of food. It takes more than a half a hour to thoroughly clean up.... I am dealing with raw meat and am very careful not to cross contaminate anything in the kitchen. The grinder has to be dried or it could rust. The black ice packs keep the food cool for about 8 hours.

Time for another update. I've found that if I cut the chicken thigh bones in half with a cleaver before grinding the meat, it is much easier and faster to grind up the ingredients. I am also running the fish oil capsules though the grinder during the last few pieces of meat. The pill casings tend to gum up the grinder a bit. I don't think I mentioned this, but if you were making large amounts of food you could buy the bottled fish oil. The reason for using the capsules is that fish oil in the bottle gets rancid quickly. It keeps longer in pill form. I've been storing the fish oil capsules in the fridge. If I was making food for more than one cat or Melvin was a young guy, I would shell out the $500-$600 for a Lem electric grinder. Melvin is indoor/outdoor and a few months ago he was raiding food that one of the neighbors was putting out for a stray cat. I knew right away Melvin was getting into dry food because he was thirsty and drinking out of the bathroom sink. He would bang the sink stopper around about two o'clock in the morning and wake me up. Agh! As soon as he got into that food, he wouldn't eat the food I was making for him. His energy level went down immediately. There is no doubt that this food is way better for him, though he is addicted to the commercial dry food. I wonder what they put in it to cause that? It took a while until I could figure out where he was getting the food. I made a deal with the neighbor. They now put the food out after Melvin's 10pm curfew. Of course Melvin hunted down more neighborhood food. I had to follow him around one Saturday morning to find out where he was getting it. Crazy! After I got that cut off he found more food. I tried to follow him again, but he got mad, hissed and growled at me, then just circled around the house. The word was out not to feed him, and the neighbors who were feeding him must have cut him off. Now that he is eating his food again, he is full of energy.

@MadgeGreen

Ай бұрын

I admire your persistence! You are a good momma :) I have 5 Ferrell outdoor cats that I am feeding and 3 indoor cats. We got all the outdoor cats neutered/spayed except the momma kitty. She is too smart to be tricked to go into the cage! She has had 3 litters of kittens since she came here, and the other 4 kitties are from her first litter. The 2nd litter were all socialized and adopted out, same with her 3rd litter, except she rejected 1 kitten because he became sick with an upper respiratory infection at 2 weeks old, and my daughter brought him to me and I got busy and nursed him back to health. He is now 10 weeks old, and he is beautiful and healthy! I love this little fella as if I had him myself! Lol! I am trying to learn to make homemade cat food for the kitten first, then hopefully, for all the cats when he gets old enough to eat adult food. That will give me time to save up for an electric grinder. I left you a message above with questions, I hope that I'm not overwhelming you! I get confused with the contradictory information while researching the do"s and the don't's of making homemade cat food!

@Diane_R

Ай бұрын

You are a gem for taking care of those feral kitties. I have been working with a neighbor to round up some of the strays in our neighborhood to be spayed/neutered and released. I would stick with Dr. Pierson's recipe. It's been a proven winner for Melvin. I know the good Lem electric grinders are around $500-$600. The Lem hand grinder I am using actually works pretty good. I found it works much easier and faster if you use a meat cleaver to cut the thigh bones in half. Cleaning up the grinder (about 45 minutes) takes as much time as making the food. It takes me 45 minutes to grind, mix and put in containers.

@MadgeGreen

Ай бұрын

​@@Diane_RThank you, and so are you! I wish you and your neighbors success in trapping the stray kitties! And, yes, your meat grinder looks like it does a great job! I was thinking about trying an all stainless steel meat grinder attachment since I own a 6 quart professional KitchenAide mixer that I rarely use anymore. I know it could only do small batches, but at least it would give me a way to grind the bones until I could purchase a nice grinder. I made catfood today and I had to add bone meal because I didn't have a way to grind the bones. I don't think my spine would let me grind by hand, or I would love to have one like yours!( I have DDD, and have had multiple spinal fusions, anterior and posterior.) Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, and you have helped me to focus on the direction I need to go with this, which has given me peace of mind after feeling pulled in every direction. The proof is in the pudding, and in this case, Melvin is the proof! Much love to you and for what you do for us kitty mommas, and kitties alike!❤

@Diane_R

Ай бұрын

I like to hear from people who watch the videos and try to answer questions. Sorry to hear you are limited by back issues. A friend just went through a major back surgery, I get it that you can't be cranking away on a hand grinder. For sure, Melvin is proof that this is a good recipe. He was at the vet yesterday for is annual visit and got an A. He does have some tartar on his teeth, which is the only downside to not eating dry kibble. I always try to find expert advice on topics that I don't know much about. The blog is disorganized, but it is full of information. I made the video for people who don't have the time to organize the info. Best wishes for you and the kitties.

Thank you for this, its very much appreciated 🙏

@Diane_R

Ай бұрын

You are welcome.

Thank you 🙏

@Diane_R

5 ай бұрын

You are welcome.

Thanks for this!!

@Diane_R

9 ай бұрын

You are welcome! It's been a little of a challenge to convince Melvin this is great food. Initially, he ate the first bowls and then got picky with it. He would look at the food and turn away. I crushed up cat treats and mixed them in for a week or two. He was happy to eat that. I weaned him off of the cat treats and he was OK with the food. Then he got into some dry food that was being fed to some neighborhood stray cats. He refused the food again. I worked with the neighbor to keep the dry food away from Melvin. Again I had to add cat treats to the food. I weaned the treats away again. He was good for a while, then started to snub the food. I am now adding about a 1/4 can of the Tiny Tiger food to the home made food and he loves it. Cats! For sure he has way more energy and his coat is much softer and silky.

@petefrislid7219

8 ай бұрын

@@Diane_R I hope it continues to go well for you. After giving this exact recipe to my cat I can see his bowl movements are much better! No throwing up or diarrhea after being diagnosed with Colitis

Just watched your video and doing my research on making homemade wet cat food as I get one of the healthier canned cat foods out there (can only find them at pet stores) that contains quality ingredients but my cat, who was a stray and "adopted" my family by arriving and coming in and never leaving. I started out with 9LIves dry cat food and Friskies canned cat food while I went through the steps to search for possible owners but it has been 2 months and no one has come forward or possible leads failed as the cats they were looking for looked similar but had noticeable difference and my cat hissed at them so the shelter told me I could bring him to them and they would do what was needed to adopt him out since it was well past the 30 day mark or if I wanted to keep him legally I could. So he already fit right in with our family and made himself at home so I started researching the cat foods and nutrition as I know things with the cat foods have changed since my last cat passed away in 2011. I found the dry food to be mostly junk and the Friskies canned food garbage for him with fillers and additives. I searched and found the ACANA cat foods both wet and dry to be really good and had quality ingredients with no fillers. Yes I do still give him dry food as he will refuse to eat without getting any but luckily he is a grazer on the dry food and doesn't eat much of it he mainly eats the wet cat food and I keep him on a feeding schedule. He fills up mostly on the wet food and just grazes on the dry food and I only add dry food to the bowl if he is out or about out. But like I said I'm researching on making my own homemade cat food and when I saw your video and saw you put in your ingredients that salmon oil is not recommended I was curious as to why you say that? I found a Vets blog that to use your fave. fish or salmon oil but just to make sure it is wild sourced. So was just wondering why you said salmon oil wasn't recommended. Like I said I'm in my research phase right now as I have noticed that my cat has been starting to not be enthusiastic about his canned food (and yes he liked the friskies more but I won't feed that to him as it isn't good for him)

@Diane_R

4 ай бұрын

I got that information from Dr. Pierson's blog. I don't recall if she gives a reason. The blog has a lot of good information, though it is disorganized. I don't recall where in her blog I saw that she says no salmon oil or if she gives a reason. A google search says some cats could be sensitive or allergic, but I didn't see a source for that claim. A VCA (chain vet) webpage is saying it is OK, though they mention specific brands, so maybe they sell it and have a conflict of interest? I see dry kibble being sold at many vet offices. I too did a lot of research and decided that Dr. Pierson had been feeding her own cats this recipe (with some minor changes over a period of many years) which was sourced from someone who was a professional in pet diets. I also liked her logic about what cat's in the wild would be eating. Melvin catches, bunnies, birds and small rodents which he brings in the house through the cat door and releases for us the catch. For sure, I am not an expert in a cat's diet. I do think that the combo of a vet and a professional in pet diet combo is a good choice. Neither one of them is selling a product, so no conflict of interest. Within a few weeks of eating this food Melvin's coat felt much silkier and his energy level was up. That was proof to me this was a good diet for him. He is 15 now and still races around.

Your video is so much clearer to watch vs Dr Pierson's one! Thank u for this. Was wondering, can we fully cook the chicken thighs instead since everything else like eggs and liver is fully cooked? Thank you.

@Diane_R

4 ай бұрын

If you fully cook the chicken, the bones will splinter when they are ground up. For sure that won't be good for cats to eat. Somewhere in Dr Person's blog she says that the recipe was developed by someone trained/educated in making cat food. My thought is the combo of a veterinarian who loves her cats and another expert who has come up with a diet for cats is good advice. I don't have the expertise in either of those fields to advice changing the recipe. I watched a few of your videos. They are very elegant. Your cats are beautiful!

@lebooshdiaries

4 ай бұрын

@@Diane_R oh thank u! I have no experience either and I am surprised the bone will splinter when cooked vs uncooked. I thought it will splinter anyway. But thank u for telling me! Maybe I could sub the bones for bone meal but I know, Dr Pierson mentioned the actual bones are better. Something I need to think about. Thank u Diane, I am shy to know u actually watched some videos, thank u for your time! Pls give Melvin a chin scratch for me, he is a darling.

@Diane_R

4 ай бұрын

Melvin does capture some creatures. It's always mice, voles, rabbits, chipmonks and birds. He brings them inside through the cat door and releases them in the house, causing chaos. Usually I can just open a door or window and they run or fly outside, though sometimes we are chasing them around the house while Melvin watches with delight! I don't know why he hasn't figured out that he should be eating what he catches. If that is what he is catching, then I think that is what he should be eating. The cat food recipe in the video would be close to what he is catching and what I think he should be eating. You should not be shy about the videos. They are very beautiful. You are talented.

@lebooshdiaries

4 ай бұрын

@@Diane_R Oh that is so funny! My Shamu does that too, catches birds and brings it to his room but he will eat them. The head, the beak, etc and leave all the feather mess for me to clean up. He loves to eat mice too. But the thing is, he does throw up sometimes and it's utterly gross. I guess Melvin's just not used to eating birds and other creatures but his instinct to hunt is still there, it's always there. Just that he doesn't know what to do with it once he catches it! Like most of my other cats!

@jacqueline6640

Ай бұрын

Hi, thank you for posting this. Where did you get your taurine? Im in UK x

Hi, I love your video and your sweet precious Melvin. What kind of toy is that that he's playing with? Theo is so sick of all his toys and I can't find anything to interest him. Thanks and God bless you Jude, from Kentucky ✝️🐴🌱🇺🇸

@Diane_R

3 ай бұрын

Hi Jude. There has only every been two toys that have interested Melvin. The Cat's Meow, which he likes to lay beside and hear it run and the floppy fish he is playing with at the end of the video. He beats that fish up every day. One of my brother's cats was scared of it and the other one had no interest. There are a lot of counterfeit fish and some of them don't work very well. Melvin has worn out 2 of them in the past 2 years. I think this is the real one, it comes with a little fishing pole. www.amazon.com/Ontel-Flippity-Wiggles-Fishing-Catnip/dp/B089FB7TZT/ref=sr_1_2?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.FGGtRA7exWfjQPvl_sVr_MF9maIlLOkz29Hx5ffssGpthdjZzmuuvzhTd6h2qtxHRmPvwZXtlwUvfbPLMjrMSUs1EZxcWHL398vUjvh14J9rnyqH8ZfY9FEwdWbOl0RGg2Mfj6F00Nu9wHcJMCdtmCcO5JubbB5DXZsjUjMxYsL33DFPVSSnWsIgw9CPtgtquDFx134d-QAGlfnVNw3jgnfrGfTDKthuJuJS5bUcmqvLd-zOMifsRStCcVn96y68zKbHiL7omoH7aZlOEzw30Xuyt9yUSPlzjmjgGJ5MoGU.I0dGCHw1vaHYtPPWqNCKFDP_c7dlVrSU2EyD6KFJiMY&dib_tag=se&hvadid=452981418238&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9007449&hvnetw=g&hvqmt=e&hvrand=8158958382949363532&hvtargid=kwd-935398054988&hydadcr=13805_11390742&keywords=flippity%2Bfish%2Bcat%2Btoy%2Bas%2Bseen%2Bon%2Btv&qid=1714301332&sr=8-2&th=1

Thankyou for the informative video. Do you have any information on the calcium supplement and amount we need to add if we are choosing to remove the bones from the recipe. I dont have a grinder and it will be hard to get one currently. Thankyou so much

@Diane_R

3 ай бұрын

I do not have a calcium substitute for the bones. There may be something in the Dr. Pierson's blog. The hand meat grinder is not super expensive and it is holding up. I've found that if I use a cleaver to cut the thigh bone in half it makes the grinding faster and easier. www.homedepot.com/p/LEM-10-Stainless-Steel-Clamp-on-Hand-Grinder-821/301362018

@lainetainton8661

Ай бұрын

Hi, I am a cat cat mum looking to make my own cat food as well. I saw somewhere (I've watched so many videos about this I forget where) that if you dry the eggshell in the oven and grind it into powder, it's a great sort of easily absorbed calcium, two egg shells per kilo, (I'm in Australia) or one per pound. But only do this if you're not using bones.

I think I’ll replace the handle of the grinder with a driller. It will be easier for me to grind them up. Can I add pumpkin in it? I heard it’s good for their digestion? I see some videos the owner soak up kibbles and blend them up after soften up and then mix with some homemade or commercial wet food. What is your opinion about it?

@Diane_R

5 ай бұрын

Interesting idea to attach a drill to the grinder handle. I'd like to know how it works out for you. If I remember correctly, the recipe for the food made in the the was developed by a nutritionist for animals. I don't have any training or education about the proper nutrition for cats, that's why I used the recipe from the veterinarian. Melvin is indoor/outdoor, and I have a compost pile. He has never taken any interest in eating the pumpkin scraps I put on the pile. He does capture birds, chipmunks, voles, bunnies, and mice which he brings into the house though his cat door and releases in the house so we can chase the creatures around or shoo them out doors and windows while Melvin watches with delight. IMHO cats eat what they catch (not sure why Melvin doesn't kill & eat these creatures as many cats do). Melvin's coat has become amazingly soft and shiny since he has been eating this food. His energy level is up too.

Thank you for the recipe. Can you tell me how much of the prepared food you give your cat per day?

@Diane_R

2 ай бұрын

Melvin is high energy and large, he usually weighs around 13lb and is not overweight. He used to eat 3 5.5 ounce cans of cat food a day (The vet would give me a crazy look when I told her how much he eats). I'd say that he likely eats that much of the home made food. Because he is so active and not overweight, I've never restricted his food. I just fill the dish when it's empty.

so i have been giving my cat salt for years now and it has been in moderation like i read and hear, i just found out my cat has kidney failure due to salt in his food.... and i am sure other stuff but that was the main thing that the vet said.

I can't afford a grinder can I just purchase organic bone broth?

So interesting. You know we have cats too. Did you peel the eggs or put them in shell and all?

@Diane_R

11 ай бұрын

Thanks for asking, peel the eggs. I'll update the recipe in the box below the video.

I was reading Dr Pierson's recipe on her blog and it didn't mention how many pieces of Vit B, Vit E and Taurine but you stated it clearly in your video. Where do we get this information from Dr Pierson's website to know how many pieces? Thank u so much!

@Diane_R

4 ай бұрын

The blog is kind of disorganized, but informative. I don't recall where I found the recipe in her blog. I know I had to hunt for it for some time. If you click on "more" on the box below the video, you will find the recipe.

@lebooshdiaries

4 ай бұрын

@@Diane_R Yes, her blog is very long, too detailed but a good read. I almost couldn't finish it tho! But the recipe part was horrendously all over the place. I prefer yours. Thank u again for making it so easy.

@Diane_R

4 ай бұрын

I spent hours reading and rereading the blog, then organizing and condensing it into the recipe and video. I did learn a lot from the blog.

@lebooshdiaries

4 ай бұрын

@@Diane_R U did great!!

What about if we choose ro forego bones and use egg shells?

@Diane_R

6 ай бұрын

It is my understanding the bones are critical in a cat's diet. If I remember correctly, you might be able to buy an "additive" to substitute for the bones. If Melvin wasn't 15 years old or I had more than one cat to feed, I would have sucked it up and bought an electric grinder recommended for bones. They are over $500. The hand crank grinder is OK, but it's a little slow and Lem says it's not for bones. So far, I haven't damaged the grinder. I did a review on the hand crank grinder if you are interested in watching it. kzread.info/dash/bejne/a4yMlcZqmpbPl9Y.htmlsi=3JH8y1Ii6ecQkRq8

Yeah but what are the cat treats made out of?

@Diane_R

11 ай бұрын

It is my understanding the "cat crack" in them is a flavoring called animal digest. I'll put a link to one website's opinion on it. I'm sure there are others. I used ground up cat treats to get Melvin off of dry food many years ago. He flat out would not eat canned food. He would just turn away from his food dish and would not eat it. After 2-3 weeks of mixing in the chopped up cat treats, he decided the food was OK and I didn't need to add it anymore. I have had to do the same thing to get Melvin to eat the home made food. IMHO, a few weeks of cat treats, even if they are harmful are worth using if it gets your cat to eat healthy food. Melvin's energy level and coat have improved since he is eating the homemade cat food. I wish I didn't have to spend the time making it/learning to make it, but I sure beats spending time sitting in the vet's waiting room and then paying a large bill. Not to mention the worry over a sick cat. www.petfinder.com/dogs-and-puppies/feeding/food-and-treats/what-is-animal-digest-in-pet-food/

I am feeding a 10 week old kitten. I am too scared to feed him raw chicken or ground chicken bones yet. A recipe that I found online called for salmon oil, so I bought that instead of fish oil capsules. Is it okay to use it? I also bought bone meal to replace the ground bone. I have been adding probiotics, ground flax seed, carrots, and peas to the recipe, though it doesn't call for it. Do you think that is alright? I am brand new to this, as you can tell. I blend everything in a food processor instead of grinding it. I would appreciate any advice that you could give me. Thank you!

@Diane_R

Ай бұрын

I chose the recipe for the cat food in the video because it came from a veterinarian who consulted with someone who is educated in nutrition for cats to design that recipe. Melvin has been thriving on this food. Almost immediately after consistently eating this food, his energy levels went way up and his coat became super soft and silky. A few months ago Melvin was getting into some food that neighbors were putting out for strays. He was eating only that food and refusing to eat at home. I could see an immediate drop in his energy levels and coat quality. After working with the neighbors to keep the food away from Melvin and getting him back on the food I make for him, I saw the same improvement in his energy level and coat. I am not a vet nor cat nutrition expert, so I can't advise about other diets that people are recommending. I do know that this recipe has been wonderful for Melvin. If you read Dr. Pierson's blog, you will find some of the answers to your questions. For sure she does not recommend feeding vegetables to cats. They are carnivores. I have a link to the blog in the box below the video.

@MadgeGreen

Ай бұрын

​@Diane_R I appreciate you getting back to me, and I will read Dr.Pierson's blog. Thank you so very much!

@Diane_R

Ай бұрын

You are welcome. There is a lot of information in the blog. IMHO, it's a good source for information on this topic.

Why not salmon oil?

@Diane_R

3 ай бұрын

I got the information not to use salmon oil from Dr. Pierson's blog. I don't recall if she gives a reason. The blog has a lot of good information, though it is disorganized. I don't remember where in her blog I saw that she says no salmon oil or if she gives a reason. A google search says some cats could be sensitive or allergic, but I didn't see a source for that claim. A VCA (chain vet) webpage is saying it is OK, though they mention specific brands, so maybe they sell it and have a conflict of interest?

Sorry to bother you again Diane. Just thinking how to go about this and wanted to ask u - how do you serve the homemade food to Melvin? Do you serve straight out from the fridge cold or do you heat up to room temperature before serving? I don't suppose it can be heated up right, as meat then will be cooked and fish oil may degrade with heat. Thanks a lot!

@Diane_R

4 ай бұрын

I feed it to him cold out of the fridge, he nibbles all day, that's why I keep a cold pack under it. I have to transfer a container from the freezer to the fridge about a day before I need to use it. Melvin doesn't care about the temperature, though some cats might not want to eat it cold. They all have their own personalities!

@lebooshdiaries

4 ай бұрын

@@Diane_R Oh Melvin is such a darling then. Yea my cats don't really like cold food and i am thinking how to go about it because warming it up could spoil the fish oil and all the other added minerals. I will have to think about it. Plus it's really hot here because it's a tropical country so ice pack will melt pretty fast. But thank u for your reply.

@Diane_R

4 ай бұрын

I have to change the pack out about 3 times a day. I would just feed him 2 times a day, however, he gets angry if his dish is not filled and will bite us if it is empty. He is a sweet cat, however, if something is wrong with his food, he can't get out of the house when he wants to (later than his 10pm curfew) or I open the door and there is snow on the ground, he gets angry and bites us. I've never been able to figure out how to stop him from biting us when something is not right. For sure he is training us and we are not training him.

@lebooshdiaries

4 ай бұрын

@@Diane_R oh gosh! I remember Shamu being angry once with husband but could not bite him, came to me and bite my thigh! Definitely we are the servants.

@sisterseeker1

3 ай бұрын

If you pinch the ear of a cat and say no bite they will learn not to bite . My husband trains all our cats to not bite and not use their claws on us to get our attention.

So essentially this is raw, since the chicken only cooked 10 minutes

@Diane_R

2 ай бұрын

I think the intent is to kill off some of the bacteria. If I remember from reading Dr. Pierson's blog that cats are more tolerant of bacteria than people.

@paisteplayer1040

2 ай бұрын

@@Diane_R Thanks for the clarification