As half of the Two Crazy Cat Ladies, cat food is truly one of my favorite topics. People ask us every day what we feed our cats – so it’s time share all the info!
First – a little history. Jae and I met more than 20 years ago – and when it comes to cat food, I feel like we’ve (almost) done it all.
We fed kibble for the first 10 years as cat parents. The bigger the bag the better. More bang for the buck, right?
When we started working in pet nutrition in 2005, we upgraded to the best quality kibble we could find. We were pretty surprised to start to learning what goes into kibble cat food. And pretty grossed out too.
A few years later, we realized how important moisture is for our cats. Because cats evolved as desert animals, they are designed to get the majority of hydration they need from their food. Not the water bowl. So, we started adding wet food ‘treats’ into our cats routine.
We know that food is foundational for our health. Why were we just beginning to learn the same was so true for our cats?
Cats are obligate carnivores. They are made to get their nourishment from other animal meats – not plants. They literally have no nutritional or biological requirement for carbs. So why were we feeding them kibble containing 30-80% carbohydrates?
And it’s this journey into cat food perhaps most responsible for us being the Two Crazy Cat Ladies.
What Do Two Crazy Cat Ladies Feed Their Cats?
For the past 5 years, all of our cats are fed a species appropriate, balanced raw food diet. I know raw meat freaks our a lot of people. I’ve been scared of it my whole life. Honestly, the first time we fed our cats raw meat, I made Jae do it. Even though I understood cats are intended to eat raw meat – and have seen my share of small rodents and birds consumed by cats – I was still too scared.
That said – I would never go back to kibble. Ever. Watching our cats begin to thrive is powerful.
So how do we feed raw?
We purchase pre-made, balance raw food from a trusted manufacturer. Another option is to make it yourself, using a recipe balanced for cats. Fresh Food Consultants is a great resource for healthy, DIY recipes.
Pre-made raw foods come frozen. We make sure our freezer has room for our cat’s food and we thaw portioned amounts in the fridge. Then we take meal portions and place in a stainless steal bowl. We place this bowl in warm water to bring the food to ‘mouse temperature’. We then add certain supplements to enhance the meal and serve it to our cats with their favorite food toppers.
Yes. This way of feeding our cats takes more time, effort (and money) than letting them free-graze kibble. And our cats let us know everyday, it’s worth it.
Product We Add To Our Cats’ Food Daily
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