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BIG Change

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I must have asked the right question for within one hour of that question answers began to rapidly come in. As I was feeding Rusty yesterday morning, who hasn’t been eating the brand of food I’ve been feeding our cats, in my mind the words went something like this, “Rusty is only 8 years old. He is too young to be having problems like this! Why isn’t he eating? What’s wrong? What type of food can I give him that he will eat?”

 

Suddenly, Hubby called for me to watch a video. There I saw this cat who was trained to point out from a menu what he wanted to eat. I know this sounds far-fetched to some of you, but believe me, cats are extremely intelligent. His menu was sardines, spaghetti, chicken, and eggs. One by one he chose one, each time a different one. For that meal he ate all four.

 

Then while the video was still playing, Sassy threw up and had diarrhea. That was the icing on the cake. No way no how will I feed our cats what I had believed to be top of the line cat food. I’m DONE with commercial cat food.

Hubby went to the grocery store to buy sweet potato, eggs, sardines, chicken,  and beef. Now I have to figure out first of all how to prepare all this food, then package it for storage, and then finally know what proportions of each to give each cat every day.

 

I have no proof but I am of the mind that it is the food that is disagreeing with our cats. Some of them are quite ill, like Cookie, and darn it, I will move heaven and earth to improve our cats’ food. I don’t care how much time this takes! What is important to me is that our cats begin to feel better.

 

I questioned why wild cats don’t have to supplement with Taurine. Our answer Hubby found on the internet. Taurine is naturally occurring in some foods. Therefore we have concluded, by feeding our cats organic whole foods containing taurine, their quality of life will improve 100%. Our cats are our family. Enough of them have died due to improper nutrition. I’m done SO done with commercial cat food and relying on someone who claims this that and the other. Hubby and I are taking matters into our own hands!

As a closing thought, as of this writing, we are on day 2 of this big change, and already we are seeing a difference. I have hope I can actually extend my time window for me by eliminating one meal. Why? Our cats are finally satisfied with what they are eating!

*As some of you probably have noticed, I am not answering some comments in a timely manner. Life has speeded up for me. I am doing my best so please be patient. Thank you!*
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Photography/ “BIG Change” /March©AmyRose Photography
http://www.herladypinkrose.wordpress.com
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80 thoughts on “BIG Change”

  2. It’s been a well known fact for a long time that pet food causes cancer and is filled with damaging crap. They don’t care as long as they make a profit….It’s a pain in the butt to prepare fresh food for them but boy they will blossom….Good for you. These pictures all have them looking quite well! Shiny coats and clear eyes…Gotta be doing something right AR….Enjoy the quiet emergence of spring! Hugs….VK ❤

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    1. VK, due to the volume I handle as in 8 cats, I attempted to buy what I deemed quality cat food. With Rusty not eating this food and then Sassy vomiting with diarrhea right after she was hand fed yesterday, plus the video, I just stood there and said “NO MORE!” I know some of our babies of past days were nutrition deprived (I did not connect the dots then due to me really believing the food I was feeding was top shelf.)
      These pictures are of them still eating the food I was giving them. They are gorgeous as is, yet I know so much more is possible.
      To see them eating this variety of organic food and knowing finally finally I got it right, puts such a glow into my heart. We’ve all been brainwashed that it is not possible to feed cats home cooked foods and /or raw foods that they like because they need taurine. BS! And that is all it is! Taurine is in ALL protein because it is an amino acid. Where my brains have been up to this point were probably all covered in fear that I MUST feed commercial food in order for our babies to be healthy. NO MORE!
      Spring for me is anything but quiet. It’s almost time for me to get into my gardens to open them up and I have NO idea how I’m going to do it along with everything else in my life. I really need help. I’m putting THAT out to the Universe. I REQUIRE help. Much love to you! xo

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      1. There are many sites I’ve heard on line that have home cooked or raw recipes for cats. I’m sure you’ll come up with something good! I fell prey to commercial cat food forever it seems. We get the best or so we think and then find out the opposite is true. I don’t listen to corporate America any longer nor the Government! They all lie. Life seems to go much more smoothly when I do the opposite of what they say. Like Salt is bad for you, the sun is bad for you. We need both of those for our health…I’m just glad you feel comfortable with the change over and I know all will be well…Good luck 🙂 Love ya….VK xxoo

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      2. We have something good now, VK. If things don’t seem to be working out, I’ll listen to my guidance as how best to change the foods so that it does work. I know there are a lot of recipes on line. Now, however, it seems Spirit is asking me to fly solo with my Inner Guidance alone. Funny how I’m not even scared. I’m just so confident I am being strongly led on how to feed my babies right. Much love back at you! xo

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    1. Erika, our cats are our family. It’s horrifying what ingredients are in pet food, yes even the top-shelf ones. So many of our cats had “absorption” problems when now I know it was the food. I’m doing my best to keep who I have as healthy as possible. I am blessed. Our cats have given us so much love! Have a great day, dear friend! xo

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      1. It is sad to see what is put in food in general. We really do have to take a closer look. It is wonderful how much love you are giving them back. Much love to you too, dear Amy 💖

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  7. You and your husband are doing a marvelous job by taking care of these beautiful cats, Amy and yes they surely face problems of eating at times. I too have a golden retriever and I know what our poor dog has problems with eating sometimes. Your photos were awesome, Amy.

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    1. Thank you, Kamal. Both Hubby and I are doing our very best with our babies. Figuring out this food for them has tested me, believe me. I am praying that what I am presently giving them is 100% OK! Another thank you on my pictures. Be blessed!! xo

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    1. Oh yes, Emma, if that wasn’t a SHOUT from God I don’t know what was. It was like falling dominos! I’m so relieved not only that our cats eating but Sassy who has an extremely sensitive stomach is keeping the food down. Thank God!! Many blessings to you! xo

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  11. I hope it all works out well for you and your cats. You never know with animals what the real problem is. When we first got Puppy Cody, she suffered from diarrhea, and the vet put her on the rice-and-boiled chicken diet. The diarrhea got worse. I also realized that I had been giving her chicken-stuffed cow bones as a treat for when we were away. Eventually, we discovered that Cody cannot process raw protein (chicken, beef, turkey), and we put her on a prescription diet. She still gets protein in some form through that diet, but it’s not like eating boiled chicken. Anyway, she’s been fine ever since then, and she just turned 6.

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    1. CM, it is working out for us! Thank you! The signs we received are the biggest I’ve ever seen. It was a great SHOUT! We’ve gone through so much heartache listening to the “experts”. The time has arrived to trust my Inner Guidance and act upon it. I’m observing very carefully who is eating what. I believe variety is the best way to feed animals …. just like in the wild. If I note these foods are not the best choice for our cats, I’ll try something else.
      I’m glad for you that Cody is OK. Whatever works do it, that is what I say. I’m on the page I do not trust the pet food industry at all anymore. But that is me. Hope you’re enjoying this gorgeous day. I’m going out in a bit to capture Crocuses that have opened. Much love to you! xo

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  12. I LOVE this AmyRose! We have had issues with our dog not wanting to eat commercially made food and have been feeding her a lot more homecooked meals that are ok for dogs to eat. Your fur babies are the luckiest in the land!

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    1. Wendi, sounds to me you are doing the very same for your dog. When you love someone you love! I finally walked away from my own fear that I couldn’t do this on my own. The nail in the commercial cat food coffin came as a question …. “Why don’t wild cats have to supplement with taurine?” My eyes were instantly opened! They don’t due to the taurine in the “kill” they eat. Thank YOU so much for the encouragement! This was a huge step for us and believe me I am overwhelmed trying to figure out the simplest of systems to do all this. We have 8 cats so yes this does get complicated. We actually made out a list for me to write down my observations on which cat prefers which foods. I deliberately have a variety of foods they can select from. That is the best way, IMO, to feed animals. Bless you for this comment!! xo

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  14. Brilliant post! It’s funny you’re writing about this, as I just did an extensive guide on Cat Care Solutions about people food that cats can actually safely eat!

    The most important key is, just as you both have done, finding the foods that do provide the most nutritional benefit. Cats do have very specific nutrient needs, as you are very well aware. Without key vitamins, minerals, trace minerals, amino acids (etc), they can get very sick. You and your hubby do your research though so my confidence in your ability to do what’s right for your kitties is a no brainer.

    I’d be very curious how things go. What a blessing it will be if your sweeties all respond well and return to proper health.

    I’m sending all of my love, healing purrs and best wishes. Such cute pictures. ♥

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    1. Holly, if you could leave the link to the post you are speaking of here, I would really appreciate it. I’m still experimenting. I know I have the right foods yet I question how much of each. My guide is wild cats. Knowing what they eat gives me a lot of clues as to what to feed my cats. I did have five separate containers of the foods I listed in this post, but found out quickly two things. One, some of our cats ate certain food while leaving other food. Two, this was very time consuming. So I got out my meat grinder and put all ingredients together putting that in containers stored in fridge. The icing will be warmed up home-made bone broth Hubby makes that I pour over each serving.
      So far Sassy has kept all food down. I have to be very careful with her and not to have her vomit or have diarrhea is very encouraging. Flying with my Inner Guidance is both liberating and scary. I am keeping careful observations with our cats noting anything that is not the norm.
      I will try to keep all here updated how this transpires. I’ve gone through so many “quality” food sources and every single one turned out wrong for our cats. The last company I ordered from was from Canada not finding ONE from the USA that I felt made quality food. That is seriously upsetting!!
      Sending all my love right back at you!! xo

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      1. Hi Amy, here is that link you requested: https://catcaresolutions.com/10-human-foods-cats-can-eat-safely/

        It may not be what you were looking for. It’s more or less a guide of ‘human foods’ cats can eat safely. It might help you somehow though? I sincerely hope so! I’ll be curious to hear your thoughts. 🙂

        The meat grinder is a really good idea. Feeding a homemade diet is definitely time consuming with so many little details to consider. Not only what’s safe but how much, etc. Thankfully, if you ever do figure out the right combination for your kitties and how to prepare it, the time involved will be less. There’s certainly a learning curve though!

        I am saddened to hear that none of the foods you’ve purchased have worked for your kiddos. It is very upsetting. What we feed them matters, there’s no doubt about it. Our health is greatly affected by our diet and so is theirs.

        How are things coming along now? Are you still seeing some improvements? Sending each of you my love. I do hope the article I wrote helps you, even if in some small way. 🤗

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      2. We are still seeing improvements, Holly. A few of our cats have constipation problems and I’m hoping that in time what I am giving them for it can be eliminated. Hubby who usually gets up before me of late, said that this morning, instead of our cats begging for food, they all were sleeping until they heard me. So that tells me they are satisfied and getting the nutrition they require. I’ve noticed the water dish has hardly been touched versus on commercial food huge qualities of water were being drunk. Right before our eyes one of our cats whose coat looked terrible is getting thicker and almost blue it is so black! Yes cats react much quicker then humans do.
        I am adding chicken bones to the recipe using the meat grinder. I’ve done it before and my cats LOVE the little bits of bone. It is an excellent source for calcium and phosphorous. I am not adding any supplements …. only food is going into their dishes. Sweet potato for example is loaded with Vitamins especially A&D.
        Thank you for your link. I bookmarked your page to refer to. I was thinking of adding blueberries because Meaghan almost every day drinks water from our blueberries that are soaking in water in the morning. I am taking my cues from wild cats and my own cats. I am confident that this is the very VERY best I can do for our babies. Oh what joy!! xo

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  15. Very well done, Amy 😀
    I suppose, that you can buy lots of quality ingredients for what you used to buy for in this luxury catfood, as you bought before.
    I have thought to make this many times, while my cats were still alive, but I worried about the vitamins and minerals, as we know the cats depend on to stay healthy too.
    For my dog, I have given him some bought food and then lots of homemade food beside. He needs so much food, as he is a big dog, that I couldn’t find the abundance to do this daily for full time.
    And now he has cancer, even if I don’t know, why he got it, but of course, I do think…
    Your beautiful cats are living a great life with you and Hubby ❤

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    1. So far so good with my cats, Irene. I do know about how prevalent cancer is in today’s pets and I do believe a lot of it is caused by vaccines and food. Believe me, we’ve had our share of heartache from food disasters. I have to live with that. I honestly was brainwashed, too “scared” to take the leap and feed them myself. That video yesterday was a God send! And when I questioned why cats in the wild don’t supplement with taurine, the answer that had always been in front of me, sank in for real. The only thing that is missing in this batch of food is bones. Next batch those will be included. Much observation and thought and research are going into this. Praying that problems gradually dissipate. Much love to you!! xo

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      2. I have a meat grinder, Irene, that grinds bones into tiny pieces. Cats can handle that. I have no doubt that all will be find when I do use bones which are an excellent source of Calcium and Phosphorous. xo

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  16. Such pretty babies you have! I agree, most commercial cat food now has sources in China, that have horrible practices in what they sell as animal food (believe me, you don’t want to know and hello, Covid-19 came out of a wildfood market, say no more).
    Making your own makes good sense.

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    1. I do know we have gorgeous babies, Eliza. (smile) Let me just suffice to say, I don’t trust any commercial pet food company any more. I used to make my own raw cat food years ago but my source of chicken got really bad. Back I went to commercial. NO MORE. I’ve finally arrived where I have the confidence in myself and our combined brains (hubby and me) to feed our cats the best of the very best. So far so good! Not only that, we already are seeing positive changes.

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      2. Eliza, once I get this recipe (s) down pat, I think that is an excellent idea. Before I suggest anything, I have to be absolutely sure that I know what I am doing. Hubby and I are still reading and researching. We believe we have our bases covered, but it never hurts to keep an open mind. In the reading I realized I did not put any chicken bones in this recipe. So next recipe I will using my meat grinder. So far so good with this batch of food. Our cats LOVE this food!!! xo

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    1. Aw, Mark! Bless you! Then signs could not have been any clearer …. it was like a SHOUT from the heavens.
      FYI …. I tried to see if Karma wanted salt and she does not. So the licking is just an idiosyncrasy of hers. That and chewing wood. She is so lonely being in that barn all by herself. I fill in as best as I can. xo

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      1. I’m glad your babies are happier dear lady. As you know, there is nothing worse than seeing them suffering in any way.
        As for Karma that chewing wood is usually a sign they are missing something. Unusual. Oh well, it might be she just loves you to bits and its her way of showing affection. You won’t even need a bath at that rate 😂

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      2. Oh, Mark! You hit the nail on the head about there is nothing worse then seeing my babies suffer. I just spoke with Hubby today telling him how exhausted I am taking care of three girls who for the most part have stopped eating for the past year. Physically it is demanding to hand feed each cat three times a day, sometimes more. Emotionally it is so draining. To see all in this house today looking so much better brings tears to my eyes. I have a huge Mother’s heart!
        Karma is chewing wood because she is so alone. She is bored. She is anxious. She needs company that she does not have. My heart so goes out to her!

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      3. Whoohoo for the fur babies (and their mom 😀 ), and Karma will convert from that habit with all the love you have dripping off you. No wonder your being licked so much lol 😂 🤣

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  18. That’s great news Amy! I’m so happy for you and your kids. Makes a lot of sense. Lots of people don’t do it because of the time it takes. However – for your kids, nothing is a burden. Nice of you to spread the news about feeding animals and what good nutrition they deserve. Good for you!!! Much love, Donna

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    1. My reply to what you just said, Donna, IF it is important enough you MAKE time to do something. Too many are so self-centered and just don’t extend themselves to “sacrifice” their time for others. Our cats are our family. Hubby and I are still studying, still reading and will tweak this diet if we have to. I decided yesterday to get out my meat grinder to combine all five ingredients. With every feeding I then pour over each serving heated up home-made bone broth. All night last night I kept waking up praying they would like the combo I made versus the individual servings on a plate. They do! BIG success this morning! I’m so relieved! This way each one is getting a balanced meal. Some had been picking …. and leaving other food on the plate yesterday. All ingredients are required for a balanced diet. It takes a lot of courage to do this. That time for us has arrived to take into our hands the diet welfare of our beloved babies. Much love to you, Donna!! xo

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  19. I grew up in my parents home with cats and all of them ate whatever we ate. They never had problems with there health and lived pretty long life. However, sometimes they experienced some sickness then they leave the house for some days and went to the wild to eat some grass and heal themselves. By nature they know what to eat to get rid of sickness.
    Unfortunately, nowadays everything is changed and we do not know exactly if we eat right and healthy food. The best tester for our food the cats. If they do not eat whatever we eat means we eat a junk. 🙂

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    1. Alexander, Hubby and I over the years have learned how to eat healthy. By looking to the wild cats and what they eat that is how we have formed what we are now feeding our cats. Everything is organic. I “think” I have the proportions right and so we continue to read books and research to make sure. So far so good. We never had cats when we were growing up, just dogs. And I believe our dogs were fed scraps from the table if I am not mistaken. Very similar to your experience. Thank you for taking the time to leave this comment. I so do appreciate your feedback. Blessings! xo

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    1. So far so good, Scott. We are still reading and doing research making sure the food our cats are getting is balanced. This batch of food I made I did not put bones in. Next time bones will be included. We are already seeing a positive difference in our babies. Thank you for your encouragement.

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  23. That is wonderful news Amy… And I know some pet foods are being recalled all the time for one thing or another that they have found wrong with them..
    I know from my own experience with my cats they often turned their noses up at the best branded names of Cat food…
    So we would often cook fresh meat and give fresh cooked fish etc… We couldn’t have been doing things too wrong as our Oldest Cat lived till she was 21…
    Love those images of your family of cats Amy.. those eyes you could melt into all of them.. ❤

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    1. All of our cats but one are doing wonderfully on this diet, Sue! I’m trying to figure out how to make enough food to last one week versus 4 days. This is quite a lot of work but I will do it ….. I love my babies!
      The scare tactics effected me about how cats MUST have certain nutrients or they will get very sick. I finally arrived on the page NO MORE. We are taking matters into our own hands and feed our cats with the best foods. We’ve done some research and those very nutrients are in the food itself that pet food companies claim must be added. The only supplement we are putting in is Vita E.
      Our babies as I’ve been told, do not look as old as they are. That is because they are well taken care of!! Much love to you this day! xo

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    1. Thank you, Pam!! The love our cats experience is well evidenced in these pictures. I’m still ironing out the food, with some cats preferring fish (albacore tuna or sardines) mixed in with the food I make. I refuse to make up separate batches (too much!) so I mix the fish in with the food right when I’m serving it. Then I have one girl who is at the end stage of her life whose stomach cannot tolerate raw food. Her diet consists of pureed cooked foods. It’s coming together but OH this was so not easy! Well worth it however! Much love to you! xo

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  25. I would love to have a recipe of what works for you. I have to but Kevin Bacon the Merrick limited ingredient cat food from Chewy or he loses the hair above his tail….It’s crazy! I use the Merrick because it works but if there is something I can make…..sign me up! I am happy for your success!!

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    1. Zia, there is more to it then just food. You have to have a meat grinder, and bone shears. It is a lot of work and I make huge quantities for my cats and then freeze most of it. I won’t go any further then this for now. If you can tell me you are still interested I will definitely tell you my recipe in the least amount I can. You will also need glass containers to put this food into that will last no more then 3 days in the fridge. I’m not sure how many cats you have but say you have one, that means a container that holds enough food for 3 days. I would say per cat, 1.25 cups of my food is eaten per day. Not sure of that. I’ll double check tomorrow when I feed my cats. I feed them 4 times a day. You also cannot leave this food out for a long time for it is RAW. Still interested?

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      1. I’m not scared…well maybe a little lol. I have a meat grinder attachment for my old kitchen aid mixer so that part doesn’t scare me. I am, however, a little intimidated by the bone shear part. I only use glass containers so that’s fine but I know nothing about a raw diet for cats. I only have the one cat and fingers crossed that the Merrick limited ingredient dry cat food that I get from Chewy ships before he runs out. Everything is Coronacrazy right now so who knows? I am interested but not right this second. Your fur babies are lucky to have you! The love you have for them shines through your words. Be safe my friend ❤

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      2. Let me know when you are ready. OK? I’m making a batch tomorrow and I will send you pictures via email (if I remember to). Crossing fingers about the food on your end. Everything is running behind. And yes I do love my babies, that is a fact!! You stay safe too!! (((HUGS)))!! xo

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