Cats are notoriously picky and some take weeks, months, or even years to recognize whole prey or prey model as food, or accept the work inherent in eating them.

are all ground together, offering little to no chewing challenge to a cat and, due to the nutrient breakdown inherent in the process, requiring supplementation.( 2) However, this method most resembles the canned food many cats are already accustomed to eating and is often the easiest raw transition a cat can make. It is the farthest from a “natural” diet in that the meats, organs, bones, etc. Grinding is the most well-known and popular method. Birds have an even lower bone and organ content, so this modification from the original canine guideline (80/10/5/5) is necessary to match the rough average of the feline prey diet percentages.( 1) Rodents are roughly 5% bone and 4% liver, rabbits are slightly less than 10% bone and less than 4% liver. The first two are based on a general guideline that has been used by raw dog feeders for decades, modified for cat… the 83 / 07/ 5 / 5 rule – that’s 83% meat, fat, skin, sinew, connective tissue and heart, 7% edible bone, 5% liver, and 5% other secreting organ – while the third is as close to natural as your cat can get without catching dinner on its own. There are three primary methodologies for preparing a raw diet: grinding, prey model and whole prey. This article primarily discusses prey model raw, one of the later methods. Raw diets can be produced two ways – commercially or at home. from different animal sources to recreate the same nutrient balance as would be found in a whole prey animal. A prey-based diet seeks to mimic that menu by providing either whole prey animals or enough meats, organs, bones, etc. Cats are obligate carnivores and, in the wild, live on rodents, birds, reptiles and insects. Which is to say, a raw, prey-based or -modeled diet. If you’re reading this, you’ve probably already done some research and realize how important a species-appropriate diet is for your cat I won’t have to bore you with the kibble-is-bad lecture and can move right into giving you the scoop on what is good for your furry little friends. (Note: A condensed version of this information is available here A Prey Model Raw (PMR) Feeding Primer.) Written by Tracy Dion, November 2009, and updated February 2013.

Wings of prey walkthrough part 1