A. In my opinion, after dealing with King Ramses' acne since he was one year old…the pores to their chin can get clogged from foods and natural oils. This is the one spot that cats cannot get to with their sandpaper tongue. Also, other cats rarely if ever clean each other's chin, thus, leaving pores to clog and become infected. White chinned cats seem to be more prone to getting acne than other cats.

Our old vet back home in Key West, Florida told us to keep Ramses chin clean by washing with mild soap and water. Be very careful when you wash and rub their chins because they have very thin skin which can easily tear. If there is an open wound try to keep the infected area open to allow the sores to heal from the inside out by gently cleaning the chin twice a day, every day, until the chin is healed. Once the chin was healed we brushed Ramses' chin often with a regular soft bristle brush. Keep a watch for returning acne, squeeze any blackheads you may see, and wash as I mention above if the acne returns. Ramses only get occasional small bouts of acne because we keep close care of his chin.

What finnaly got rid of Ramses acne was Aloe juice and homeopathy. I ued the also jouse as a cleanser on his chin just like when we washed it carefully with mild soap and water. Dr Levy gave Ramses a remedy that was suited for him called Graphites. This may not be the remedy that will work for your cat so please contact a Classic Homeopathy for the right one.

Q. What is FUS (Feline Urological Syndrome) ?

A. FUS (Feline Urological Syndrome) poses a threat to cats where crystals form in the urine and irritate the urinary tract.  There has never been a report of a cat developing FUS as a result of being on a raw diet.  Part of the reason for this is due to the well known fact that raw meat diets result in acid urine output and grain-based diets result in alkaline urine production.  Acid urine is not a favorable medium for struvite crystals to form, so even if a particular cat may be predisposed to FUS, if the urine is kept acidic, the probability of crystals forming is low.  Plus, the natural juices and water content of the raw meat diet insures some natural fluid intake, unlike dry cereal-based cat foods which dehydrate the cats, thus making the cat drink water all the time.

The dry foods take the water away from the cats' system causing them to drink even more water. Over time, this back and forth dehydrating and drinking of water will put a strain on their kidneys. This long term off and on again dehydration is a possible cause of chronic renal failure in cats.

It is my belief, that feeding an alkaline diet of processed/cooked foods creates an imbalance in your pets' pH, and it's this imbalance which substantially contributes to urinary and kidney problems. Raw meat diets will naturally keep their systems acidic, healthy and strong, while helping to prevent illnesses.

 Q.  Can I make my cat or dogs raw diet myself from Scratch?  

A.   Yes you can. However, if it's not done with the proper balance of nutrition, you could do more harm than good.  Feline Instincts™ has experience feeding raw meat diets to cats.  Besides, by the time you accumulate all the proper ingredients, you'll learn that Feline Instincts ™ have done all the work for you at a very reasonable cost.   

 Q.    Why is a raw diet best for a cat and dog?   

  A.    They are carnivores! Cats and dogs (larger exotic cats and wolves too) are designed with short and acidic digestive systems so they can process raw meat. They need the undamaged enzymes and amino acids that a raw meat diet contains; these are their protein building blocks. These enzymes are essential biological catalysts that enhance the quality and quantity of nutrient assimilation that allows your carnivorous pet to conserve its own enzyme energy for more important life health benefits such as longevity.

Many of the important amino acids and all digestive enzymes are destroyed when raw meats are cooked. All processed pet foods are cooked!  Animals that eat processed foods often become nutritionally compromised and manifest dry and itchy skin, dull coats, weight problems, lethargy, and many illnesses.

It is my belief from all the years of experience in natural raw diets for cats and dog foods, that feeding an alkaline pH diet of processed/cooked foods creates an imbalance in your pets' acidic pH, and it's this imbalance which substantially contributes to urinary and kidney problems, along with many other health issue caused by processed pet foods. Raw meat diets do naturally keep their systems acidic, healthy and strong, while helping to prevent illnesses.

After 12 years of feeding Feline Instincts' balanced raw diet to cats & dogs, It has been our experience that they literally THRIVE on raw food...while they only survive for a much lesser number of years on commercially food processed foods and sadly end up with many health issues that lead to premature deaths.

Have you read the Pottenger report on cats? http://www.ppnf.org/catalog/ppnf/Articles/PottsCats.htm

This is an excellent study done by Dr Pottenger with cats. He feed half of them raw and the other half cooked foods. All the cats on raw thrived and had very healthy litters of kittens, while the cats that ate cooked foods became ill frequently and had deformed and weak litters of kittens.

We donate all our products to an animal sanctuary in Ca www.brighthaven.org and they have reported many times that their cats are living into their 30's from raw diets and homeopathic care.

Benefits from a raw diet :

Benefits are a shiny coat, improved health, stronger immune system and more vitality. A nutritionally balanced raw meat diet has been proven to help clear up various illnesses such as diabetes, irritable bowel disease, FUS, crystals in urine, and in some cases has even helped put cancer in remission in combination with holistic veterinarian's recommended remedies.

Q.   Why is there such a difference in my cats' stools when on a raw diet?  

A.   The high biological value of the protein in raw meat diets will result in a large reduction in the amount and frequency of stool elimination.  Simply put, there is less waste in a raw diet and your cat or dog will absorb more nutrition than when they ate a commercial food.   Most commercial pet foods are filled with indigestible (however palatable) ingredients that cause dogs and cats to overeat which creates the need to eliminate several times a day.  Animals on raw diets generally eliminate just once a day or even every other day.  In addition, this kind of digestibility greatly reduces stool odor and is a healthy and more natural occurrence, just as in the wild.  Simple test: stools from well-digested foods with very little waste, when placed in water will float, not sink.

Constipation? Not really. Read this page http://www.felineinstincts.com/tipstoswicthkittytoarawdiet.html

Q.   Is it harmful for me to cook the diet before feeding it to my dog or cat?   

A   Meat that is cooked above 120 degrees F loses its natural digestive enzymes as well as some of the important fragile amino acids such as Taurine.  The preventative health benefits of an uncooked, balanced, raw meat diet can be seen in the testimonials of our customers.  Meat eaters, from small pet ferrets through all sizes of domestic dogs and cats to the carnivore lions and tigers, build strong immune defense mechanisms on raw diets, thus, protecting them from infection and affording them the healthiest diet prescribed by Mother Nature….RAW MEAT!

Q. Why does my  Allopathic veterinarian tell me that a raw meat diet is unsafe?   

A.    Holistic vets wouldn't agree with your vet. Unfortunately, most veterinary schools provide inadequate education on basic canine and feline nutrition.  Nutrition may occupy as little as a one week long seminar in their many years of education to become veterinarians. For answers to nutrition they look to pet food manufacturers, which readily supply them with specialty, preventative diets for all life stages and ailments. Should you ever be confronted with the situation of arguing your decision of feeding a raw meat based diet to your cat with a veterinarian, stay polite. The veterinarian is simply voicing his/her true concern because they are not educated on nutrition. Remember, that you cannot convince someone who does not want to be convinced. For your vet to insist that only commercially prepared foods are the best for your cat would be like a family doctor recommending fast foods over fresh fruit and vegetables for you and your family. Find yourself an holistic veterinarian because they have studied nutrition, natural health care and their knowledge is a welcome source of educational help for you and your cat.

Q. How long can I leave the raw meals out for my pet ? 

A.   Any meals that are not completely eaten should be returned to the refrigerator after 20 minutes.

Q.   What is the proper way to feed the raw meat meals?  How do I thaw the raw meals before feeding?   

A.   Defrosting your raw meat meals can be done slowly in the refrigerator or quickly in a bowl of water then put back in the fridge until you are ready to serve the meals. Warm the baggy under hot tap water (careful not so hot that it will cook the foods) and then serve the meal warmed. Never use microwave to warm the meals because it can cook the nutrients in the foods. 

Q.   Do you use any chemicals or preservatives in your products?   

A.   No. Feline Instincts ® has no artificial colors or chemical preservatives added to our dry ingredients.  We use human grade and organic ingredients.

Q.  Are raw meat diets dangerous to feed because of the possible contaminants of Salmonella and E-coli?   

A.   Dogs and cats have a natural deterrent to ingested bacteria due to their short and highly acidic digestive systems. Their high acidic system also make it possible for cats and dogs be able to digest the bones from prey, such as birds and mice. Freezing raw meat diets greatly reduces the chances for bacterial contamination.

Cat need the enzymes that come from the meat when it is raw. When cooked you loose those enzymes that are highly nutritional and help build a strong immune system for your cat.

Q.   Aren't all complete and balanced commercial pet food diets equally nutritious?   

A   The words “complete and balanced” on packages of dog or cat food only speak of minimum nutritional adequacy.  To legally use this phrase, the foods need only meet minimum requirements to keep an average pet alive.  Most of us have more than average pets and want more than to just keep them alive. We want them to thrive and stay healthy as long as possible, not simply survive for a number years before illness strikes them, frequently from vaccines and/or commercial pet foods.

Q.   Why is a raw diet more natural for my cat or dog than the commercial pet foods which say they are natural?

Q. Is the concept of feeding raw meat to dogs and cats new?   

A. The concept of feeding dogs and cats on raw meat goes way back into history. More recently many caring pet owners have been forced into searching for alternative diets in hopes to correct various illnesses tin their pets that have been created by commercial diets and vaccines; thus, the raw diet in now becoming more popular. Unfortunately, the domestic pet market grew so rapidly in the past few decades, most pet food manufacturers opted to go with the convenient methods of manufacturing, transportation and storage.  Their emphasis was obviously more on satisfying their own interests and their customers' convenience and less on the nutritional needs of the animals.  Feline Instincts™ takes the opposite approach and commits to nutritional excellence, and accepts the challenge to manufacture and distribute our supplement all over the world.