In earlier articles, we mentioned the Prey Model Raw diet—a preferred option to steadiness a uncooked food plan—and its flaws because it’s not sufficient to supply a balanced food plan. I additionally introduced an improved option to feed a Prey Mannequin Uncooked food plan: the PMR+ which is just a Prey Mannequin food plan tailored to raised match the dietary necessities of cats as outlined by the NRC.
On this article, you’ll discover my take, as a feline nutritionist, on PMR+ in addition to a calculator that will help you get began with uncooked feeding.
The elements
Meat
Muscle meat is the principle a part of the food plan, accounting for 64% of it. It’s best to differ between at the least 3 completely different meat varieties and feed round half of the meat as pink meat.
For extra particulars on which meat could be fed uncooked or not, check with this article on muscle meat.
Be aware of the fats content material of the meat you might be feeding, as a high-fat food plan might not present sufficient protein to your cat. It’s best to goal for 30% to 40-45% of the energy as fats, which signifies that you must feed meat containing round 5% to 10% fats as fed.
Coronary heart
Whereas it isn’t obligatory, as a part of the meat it’s extremely really helpful to feed as much as 20% of heart and other taurine-rich organs similar to tongue, lung, and gizzards.
Uncooked Meaty Bones
Raw meaty bones ought to account for 20% of the food plan. Uncooked meaty bones are important as a supply of calcium within the food plan. Equally to the meat, you must differ between 2-3 sources of bones to your cat. You’ll find extra particulars on which sort of uncooked meaty bones you may feed in this article.
Usually, in a PMR food plan, you will notice the advice of 6% to 10% of edible bones. On this calculator, for the sake of simplicity, I think about each the bone and the meat round it and never solely the edible bone half.
Liver
Liver ought to be round 1% to three% of the food plan. Feed the decrease proportion for ruminants (like beef, lamb, veal) and duck liver as they’re richer in vitamin A and copper than different liver.
It’s best to differ between 2-3 several types of liver. Nevertheless, you may’t feed completely hen and pork liver as they don’t present sufficient copper.
The normal advice of feeding 5% liver in a Prey Mannequin food plan is just too excessive and can present pointless excessive ranges of vitamin A and copper. The Prey Mannequin food plan is supposedly based mostly on the recreation of prey. Nevertheless, anatomically the liver represents solely 2% to three% of the physique weight of omnivores and 1% to 1.5% of the physique weight of herbivores. [1]
Different organs
Other organs similar to kidney, spleen, mind… ought to be round 7% to 9% of the food plan. As for the opposite elements, you must differ between organ varieties in addition to animals.
Fish
Fish ought to be round 6% of the food plan. Whereas fish is just not initially within the Prey Mannequin uncooked food plan, it’s troublesome to meet the vitamin D necessities in addition to omega-3 with out it. I like to recommend feeding small oily fish as they’re wealthy in vitamin D and omega-3 whereas being decrease in heavy metals than different fish. Uncooked fish ought to be frozen for at the least every week earlier than feeding it.
Dietary supplements
Some dietary supplements are virtually at all times wanted and you’ll learn extra about them in my articles on manganese, iodine, fiber, vitamin E, and dietary yeast.
Another dietary supplements might not at all times be crucial relying on the meat you might be feeding: iron, zinc, and taurine. One can find extra particulars on when they’re crucial in these articles. Here’s a fast abstract:
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Iron: Should you don’t feed spleen commonly, there is a danger of iron deficiency.
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Zinc: Should you don’t feed lean beef commonly, there is a danger of zinc deficiency.
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Taurine: It’s higher so as to add taurine whenever you feed floor meat, or giant portions of rabbit and poultry breast.
Lastly, I added within the calculator a calcium carbonate complement to enhance the ratio calcium:phosphorus. The “ultimate” calcium:phosphorus ratio is between 1 and 1.5. Nevertheless, with uncooked meaty bones, the ratio is mostly between 0.6 to 0.9. Whereas the NRC considers {that a} ratio between 0.5 to 1.5 is suitable, in order for you an “ultimate” food plan I might suggest including calcium carbonate to enhance the ratio.
It’s essential to notice that this quantity of calcium can not substitute uncooked meaty bones should you can’t feed them.
Word on dietary supplements
You should utilize different manufacturers or dosages of dietary supplements than those within the calculator, because it’s not an exhaustive listing.
Should you get a advice similar to feeding 0.1 capsules a day (3 capsules a month), don’t feed one capsule each 10 days. I might quite recommend making a supplement mix to simply divide capsules for a number of days.
Disclaimer
The advice and the calculator on this article are based mostly on my expertise as a feline nutritionist formulating balanced diets based on the NRC standard. Nevertheless, this calculator doesn’t assure that you will feed a balanced diet: it may be used as a place to begin to then tailor a food plan to your cat’s particular wants.
I extremely recommend that you just use it as a base and that you just continue to learn about feline nutrition. You too can audit your cat’s food plan utilizing spreadsheets such because the one from Raw Fed and Nerdy or Paws of Prey.
This calculator is made for wholesome grownup cats solely. It’s not tailored for kittens, older cats, lactating or pregnant queens, or cats with illnesses.
Listed below are different circumstances through which the calculator received’t be tailored:
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Your cat can’t eat bones.
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You may’t discover a wide selection of meat or organs.
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Your cat could be very chubby or underweight.
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Your cat has notably excessive or low energy requirements (for instance hairless cats).
In case you are in any of those circumstances and need assistance feeding your cat a uncooked food plan, you’ll find my recipe formulation services here.
