Part One: My Journey To Wellness…#Raw Paws Pet Food
HIYA! SAVANNAH HERE!!
I bet’cha most of you didn’t know that I had a wellness challenge, or four, over the past eighteen months. Some of you know part of the story, but most do not know the whole story. So just as I promised in on November 10, I am going to tell you why I was starting to feel more playful, had more energy and, well, I was just feeling more ‘cat’ like.
The reason for that, and many other changes in my wellness had to do with a dramatic change in my diet. I was slow to change at first, but when I found just the flavor and texture I liked, I went RAW!!!
Yes, I most certainly did. It wasn’t easy to do because I am such a picky particular eater. But we had excellent coaching and support all the way. My wellness challenges are both physiological and emotional. I have been stressed ever since TKS arrived. About six months later when she was finally allowed out and about, I started to vomit after eating a meal. The vomiting escalated over the next many months to sometimes three or four times a day. Sometimes every day, sometimes a few days passed with no problem. Then I became really constipated. And finally my energy level dropped and I just didn’t feel good.
We have done all the blood work, x-rays, ultrasound tests. We have learned I cannot tolerate certain canned foods with too many additives, grain fillers etc.; especially not beef. I am a pate girl all the way and so I am also not inclined to partake of pumpkin soup, goats milks (dry or liquid) and I won’t eat if my food has anti-acid meds in it. I do not have IBS nor pancreatitis. I seem to have something similar to human ‘acid reflux’. So Raw Paws Pet Food gave Mom L and Dad P and me hope.
It started when Mom L met representatives from Raw Paws Pet Food at the 2015 Blog Paws Conference.
The representatives asked if Mom L was interested in trying her cats on a raw diet and she said she would consider it. She must have signed up or something, because the Raw Paws people contacted her just before she and Dad P left on the bazillion years long trip this past Summer. The Raw Paws folks were so patient, they agreed it would be best to start me when there was as little stress in my life as possible. And what with Mom L and Dad P gone for 3 weeks, and then we would be moving immediately upon their return, we all decided to wait until early September.
We asked for one, five pound ‘chub’ (see photo above) of their complete chicken and two rolls, two and one half pounds each, of their complete poultry for cats. I bet you are wondering what “Complete” means? According to the Raw Paws website:
What does complete mean?
The term ‘Complete’ references a ratio of food that is equivalent to what a cat may eat in nature if it were a wild animal. This ratio is referred to as the 80/10/10 rule, meaning 80% meat, 10% bone and 10% organ. Our entire line of Raw Paws Complete and Balanced products meet the nutritional adequacy standards established by AAFCO. This means they are suitable for all life stages including: puppies, adults, seniors and pregnant or lactating females.
So, Mom L spoke with a representative, as well as exchanged email with both of the co-founders before the product arrived. We wanted to be sure we knew how to handle the raw product, how to store it, how long it can sit in the fridge and how long it can sit out waiting for me to eat it. You see, I am also a ‘grazer’…I like to nibble a bit, go away, come back for some more…about three times for one meal. (hover over photo to view captions)
Anyway, the product arrived. Packed really well with lots of dry ice. And every shipment contains a really nice Thank You card. We really feel like Raw Paws, being a small raw pet food company, goes the extra mile to give special attention to their customers.
It took a week to move me and The Kid Sage onto raw cat food. The first chub, Complete Poultry for Cats, had supplements, Mom L wanted to try it to make sure we would get sufficient taurine. Ingredients: Chicken Breast Meat, Chicken Necks, Turkey Heats, Turkey Gizzards, Turkey Liver, Colostrum, Dicalcium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Chloline Choride, Salt, Taurine, Iron Proteinate, Zinc Proteinate, Vitamine E, Selenium Yeast, Niacin, Vitamin C, Manganese Proteinate, Copper Proteinate, Thiamine Mononitrate, D-Calcium Panothenate, Riboflavin, Vitamin A, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Vitamin B12, Vitamin D3, Folic Acid, Calcium Iodate
TKS and I both rejected it completely. Even when Raw Paws had Mom L barely cook it in a little frying pan for like 3 minutes…still no deal.
Next we tried the Complete Chicken chub. It doesn’t have the supplements, so Mom L exchanged emails with the co-founders and the holistic DVM who collaborates with them to insure that this would give us sufficient taurine, vitamins and minerals etc. Ingredients:Chicken, Chicken Bone, Chicken Heart, Chicken Liver, Herring Oil, D-Alpha Tocopherol
For about a week we needed the food to be mixed with our canned cat food (all grain free BTW). But by the second week, we were both showing up and waiting for our meals, actually excited. Of course, TKS is ALWAYS excited about food, but even I was waiting for my delish raw chicken to show up on my plate.
We contacted other bloggers whom we knew used and praised Raw Paws Pet Food before we agreed to do this product review. They are a small company with a big heart and building their customer base through attention to detail, thoughtfulness in their customer relations and by providing what we believe is a very high quality product. We have tried a raw product suggested by a VET, and TKS and I both tried to cover it up. How can raw cat food be ‘raw’ with pumpkin seeds, carrots, cranberries and about elebenty other ingredients, additives etc.??? We will be sticking with Raw Paws and hoping they bring on some Quail eventually.
Unfortunately for me, there has been a set back. I will talk more about that in my Friday’s post. You see, two things happened. First, Mom L didn’t realize how long it would take the new shipment to reach us as we live on the West Coast and Raw Paws is located in Indiana. So TKS and I had to go back to canned cat food for 5 days. TKS readily returned to the raw diet…I have not. We are starting over. And as I am eating canned cat food again, I have lost the incredible wellness the raw diet brought to me for almost a whole month.
While eating an almost total raw diet…I did not vomit; I was not constipated and pooped regularly without probiotic and both TKS and I had stools that were smaller and LESS SMELL!!! Woo Hoo. TKS is eating totally a raw diet at this time. She thriving on it. I hope I can get back to it as well. My over all wellness depends on it. More about that on Friday.
This is a product review. Disclaimer: We received the nine pounds of raw cat food for free when we agreed to do this review. That, in no way, influenced our opinion. Savannah’s Paw Tracks only shares product information that we feel is relevant to our readers.
Savannah's Paw Tracks 
Awww Savvy! I really hope you can get back on the raw food and it makes you a happy kitty! It’s horrible to be so stressed! Sending pawpats and smoochies xox
Oh you went raw? That’s fantastic! I have recently started feeding a brand new food to my huskies, which is a high quality kibble, but infused with freeze dried raw food. They are loving it! I hope raw continues to work out for you!
ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!
I am glad the raw paws makes you feel much better. My human gives me raw on occasion, but some days I will eat it and some days I will not.
So glad to hear you guys are on a raw diet. I say are because I know you’ll get back on it, Savannah. We’ve been eating raw for years and know how beneficial it is. Raw Paws sounds like a terrific company.
thanks guys. I so hope I can learn to like it once again. We are taking it very very slow this time
Echo took weeks to switch over so don’t give up!
I was on it almost 90%, then due to shipping delays, I had to eat canned and now am very reluctant to return to it. So we are taking it very slow…likely more than just weeks or a month or two. More about that on Friday
I hope you get back on your raw diet so you will feel better. That sounds like a great company and product.
They are a very helpful company; small and caring
The mom has been trying to get us to eat more raw. Ernie has no problem with it…loves it, in fact. I am a bit reluctant to give up my can food and kibble. And Zoey…well, when the mom mixed just the slightest bit of freeze dried raw food in with her canned food, Zoey project vomited it everywhere…and now the mom is nervous to give her raw food again. Cleaning up all that vomit wasn’t easy.
Savvy, we hope you go back to eating your raw food. Remember how good you felt when you ate it?? You can feel that way again! Give it a try!
~Wally
You Mom and Mom L need to talk, na’mean? And we have a little trick to getting us to eat almost anything which the Raw Paws folks coached us to use. On Friday, check back
Now THIS is a post that we all need to share a Lot. Not only have you done well as a particular eater you have gone on to thrive as a result. This is obviously closely tied in with the food being additive free. We have just taken delivery of a local batch of frozen ‘real prey’ food and will be re-reading your report with great care.
Silver,
We chose to not engage in the pro’s and con’s of raw cat diets; rather to help educate readers on what a fine and helpful company Raw Paws is. THey truly care about their customers’ companion animals and go the extra mile to assist with prompt communication in answering questions etc. They are a great provider of raw food for cats and dogs
Hi Really liked this first part and very keen to hear rest of your journey onto raw. Hoping to try something similar myself…purrs
Good for you!!! I also eat Raw Paws Pet Food and I love it. You are going to be so healthy and happy now!
Great to know one of my pals is Raw Paws advocate!!
Mee deerest Savannah mee did not know just how sick you had become an mee an ladyMum are sorry all this happened to you!
Hurrah fur RAW PAWSS; they sound like a furabuluss company an mee an LadyMum are thrilled you did switch to thee raw die-et an Sage all so. Hopefullee you can switch back soon…..
Mee iss endin you POTP anall mee ❤ luv ❤ mee furend!
You meenss thee werld to mee….
***paw kissesss*** Dharth henry an ((hugs)) LadyMum xxxxx
And you and Lady Mum mean a whole huge world to us too. And yes, if I can get back to raw, I may , just may, solve some problems which might affect me negatively in the future
Mee understandss Savannah…when mee had to switch frum mee Fancey Feest an Performatrim kibbullss mee thott it wood not bee good….
Thee G-I kibbull iss reel taste an mee not miss mee other kibbull now…..
An thee new G-I wet fod iss so-o good!! Iss like Dee-signer food! An mee all so can eat Blue Wilderness Tuna MMMMMMMM an even a it of Chick-hen…..
Anyfing to keep mee bowelss quiet 😉
mee iss sendin POTP an good wishes to you mee furend.
***nose kissesss*** Dhartha Henry xxxxxxx
Brave for you and Mom L! I’m glad you were feeling so much better on that diet. TW is innerested in raw but scared for so many reasons. Number 1 is that I bite them and draw blood. She doesn’t want any bacteria from raw getting into their bloodstream. Then, of course, she’s worried about sterilizing everything the food touches. She won’t even store the Wild Pursuit on the counter cos of the raw pieces. MOL.
hmmm…yeah, well that’s gonna be a problem CK, for sure. Mom L doesn’t freak out about ‘raw’. Heck she has been dealing with human ‘raw’ meat for decades. She and Dad P mostly grill. She has lysol handy wipes or clorox around to always wipe everywhere she thinks it touches and splashed, and then just get on with life.
That’s great that your humans found a diet that makes you feel so much better, Savannah! Binga does better on raw too. We eat a combo of raw and canned food, and my human is thinking of switching her over to all raw – she can’t do it for all of us because it is too expensive!
Yes, it is not ‘cheap’. For sure, especially the way we have to buy with only two cats and it comes from IN. ugh! But, Sage thrives on the raw, loves it. And if I can get back to it, we hope I will have less digestive problems
It’s a shame you had to start over, we wouldn’t do it. That is one of the reasons we haven’t tried it. Things just don’t show up when they are supposed to, for a variety of reasons. We have a similar problem with Rx food from the Vet, you get used to it and they are out when you need it. Good luck sweetie.
Spot on Brian. That is what happened with the second order. Mom L ordered after 5PM on a Monday, thinking it would process the next day, or Wednesday latest which would mean 3 days and delivered on Friday. Not so. That second order did not show up for TEN days. We now understand the issues and can accommodate, but it is not optimal for sure
Miss Savannah, I am so happy that the Raw Paws food is helping you, and that both you and TKS like it! Best wishes for health and happiness!
This is furry interesting my dear, we did not know kittehs had raw diets -we know several puppys that eat raw. I eat anything I can get BOL BOL!! We hope woo get adjusted back Savy, give wooos peeps our best wishes too,
Nukie & Family
Actually, it is even more important to kittehs to eat quality raw as we are obligate carnivores; woofies are not. But the dilemma is finding a raw food for kittehs that is really actually ‘raw’…without berries and such
I am glad the Raw Paws helped you feel so much better. I hope you soon start to eat it again.
Well I’ve heard that switching to raw can be quite an adjustment and a journey but it sounds like it was really GOOD for both of you girls – I’m sure in time you can get back on track with it too Savvy. I’m glad you were feeling better eating it though…..good luck!
Love, Sammy
that sounds good! and I will follow your advice to mix it with the common food for a while, maybe then I will like it too :o) (I was picky as we tried it and I only started to eat as my dad pretended it is his food… but he said he can’t always eat dog food just to entertain the pup lol)
Reading that it was DOG food had me a little worried – dogs have other needs as cats. But since your health thrived on it, all is well.
They have two types of raw, one for dogs one for cats. Not sure where you saw I said it was for dogs *worried*
Found it
Oh, good, I checked again and did not find it anymore, I thought – hey, I was not drunk that early in the morning (I am not even drunk now, after visiting the Christmas market, I only had a hot chocolate there), have I really misread dog for cat??? Good to know it WAS there *phew*