Switching your cat to raw is easy when you have the right plan in place. Cats are cautious (not picky!) about changes. Follow this guide that’s been tested and proven with hundreds of cats!
Cats are cautious, as I mentioned.
But also, cat food companies spray flavor enhancer palatants on food to entice cats to eat more of it. And then cats get addicted to the food.
This can make transitioning to new foods very difficult for most cat parents.
But I’ve fine-tuned a transition plan specifically formulated for cautious (not picky!) based on what your cat prefers and deserves (and actually works)!
My proper picky cat transition plan focuses on one change per month. And we transition cat food very gradually.
Here’s exactly how to switch your cat to raw:
- Prep before you start the switch
- Transition your cat to scheduled mealtimes
- Replace unhealthy cat treats with healthy treats
- Upgrade your cat’s meal with healthy food toppers
- Transition to better quality cat food slowly
Disclaimer: Transition cat food slowly or you will make your cat sick. No matter how good the new food is. Also, I earn a commission if you purchase through affiliate links below. No additional cost to you.
PS – If you’d like an ad-free guide, you can purchase my Switch to Raw Blueprint digital magazine. This digital magazine also comes with printables to help you stay organized and speed up your results.

Prep before you start the switch
It’s important to prepare and make a plan before you start anything. But especially with switching your cat to raw.
Chances are you’ve tried everything and nothing worked.
So let’s start with a proper plan.
A proper plan eliminates stress and overwhelm for you. And it helps you keep up with the transition when life gets in the way.
My original plan focused on one change per month. You could attempt one change per week. But I’ve found that most cat parents get overwhelmed and stressed trying to do too much too quickly.
Here’s the switch to raw plan:
- Feed your cat at scheduled mealtimes – no more leaving food out all day. That means you need to be home to feed your cat and clean up when your cat is done eating. Most cats do not eat up all of their dry food in one go. So you’ll need at least an hour for mealtimes in the beginning.
- Play with your cat and use puzzle feeders – this helps work up an appetite and makes mealtimes fun. Again, you need to be home for this.
- Upgrade your cat’s treats – you’ll have to slowly transition from dry, crunchy treats to healthy treats.
- Add healthy toppers to mealtimes – again, you need to be home for mealtimes so that your cat eats what you put down and that’s that. Most people cave and put down dry food and this just continues the cat’s addiction to kibble.
- Switch to wet, freeze-dried raw, or raw – I suggest 20 days for each meal during this transition. But you could shorten this up if your cat eagerly accepts healthy treats and toppers.

How much time do you have to dedicate to your cat’s meals each day? Each week?
I’d suggest keeping a journal so you can log how your cat reacts to certain foods, treats, etc. throughout the transition. This will help you do more of what works and not waste time on what doesn’t work.
You’ll also want to have a checkup with your vet before switching food to make sure your cat is healthy. Do a urinalysis, full GI (feces), and bloodwork. This will give you a good “before” of your cat’s health.
Transition your cat to scheduled mealtimes
Scheduled mealtimes are a crucial first step when you want to transition your cat to better food. These routine mealtimes teach your cat that what you put down is what he eats.

Most cat parents free-feed dry food. Then they try to offer wet or raw food, and their cat refuses. The cat refuses the new food because he knows you’ll cave and put down dry food for later.
The cat is used to having an all-access 24/7 buffet. So he isn’t going to eat the new food. He’d rather hold out for the crunchy cookie buffet.
Is it ok to leave dry food out all day?
No. It is not sanitary or good to leave dry food out all day. All types of food are at risk for growing mold, bacteria, and rancid fats. The longer the food sits out, the more stale and rancid it becomes.
Additionally, cats are not grazing cows. They do not need to munch on food all day. Munching on high-carb dry food all day only promotes hunger and weight gain. So now your cat is more likely to overeat and gain unnecessary weight.
Another reason scheduled mealtimes are more appropriate for cats!

But my cat acts like he’s starving!
Dry food is incredibly high in carbohydrates aka nutrition that your cat can’t use. So technically he is starved of the nutrients that he needs. This is your perfect motivation to transition cat food!
Dry food is the exact opposite of what cats eat in the wild. So we need to transition to better-quality food that matches a mouse. High moisture, high meat-based protein, moderate fat, and low (ideally no) carbs.
Your cat will not act like he’s starving once you’ve transitioned to better-quality food.
Scheduled mealtimes are an important first step. This will prevent your cat from holding out for his carb-heavy cookies.

Replace unhealthy cat treats with healthy treats
I’m sure you’ve wondered what is in cat treats that they love so much.
Most cat treats are just as bad as dry food. They are full of carbohydrates, low-quality meat ingredients, and flavor enhancers.
Healthy cat treats are made with one ingredient: meat.
Freeze-dried raw and dehydrated muscle meats and organs are excellent cat treat options.
We need to get rid of the carb-rich treats to help our cat get used to eating better-quality ingredients.
This is an easy and more affordable step than jumping straight into 10 pounds of raw food.
I highly recommend using a complete freeze-dried raw food in this step and the next step. That way, when you get to switching to raw, you can just continue using the freeze-dried raw instead of buying different products for each step.
Freeze-dried raw recommendations:
- Quest Cat Food – get 25% off with code JESSCATICLES
- Feline Natural – Chewy, Amazon
- New Zealand Natural – Chewy, Amazon
If your cat is super particular, however, single-ingredient meat treats will work very well. Go for the same protein that your cat currently eats and enjoys.
Healthy treat recommendations on Chewy:
Shop healthy treats on Amazon US, CA, UK.
In this step, you’ll gradually decrease the amount of dry, crunchy treats that you feed and gradually increase healthy treats.
Treats and toppers shouldn’t make up more than 10% of your cat’s total food intake. And make sure you remove equal parts of your cat’s current food so that you do not overfeed your cat.
Make sure you play with your cat and use food puzzle toys to make this fun for both of you!
Replacing your cat’s treats with healthy alternatives will help your cat get used to eating better-quality ingredients. This makes the transition to new food much easier.

Upgrade your cat’s meal with healthy food toppers
Food toppers are a great next step to help our cats get used to eating better-quality food. It helps your cat get used to having fresh, healthy food with meals gradually.
This is another affordable and easy option before you commit to transitioning to your cat’s new food.
Healthy food toppers can also offer a boost of nutrients that your cat isn’t currently getting from his dry food.
You can use canned sardines or salmon (canned in water, no salt added), a fresh cooked piece of meat (no seasonings), or rehydrate your cat’s freeze-dried treats or food as a topper.
Sardines and salmon are great because most cats like the strong, fishy smell. Or you can use the same protein that your cat already enjoys.
Shop best cat food toppers on Amazon: US, CA, UK.
Put a very small amount of the topper (like 1/16 of a teaspoon) next to your cat’s meals at first so your cat still eats the main meals. This will help your cat associate healthy food with meals. But it won’t deter your cat from eating.
Gradually move the topper closer and closer and then mix it in with your cat’s meals. Once your cat accepts the topper, gradually increase the topper.
Treats and toppers shouldn’t make up more than 10% of your cat’s total food intake. And make sure you remove equal parts of your cat’s current food so that you do not overfeed your cat.
Upgrading your cat’s meal with healthy food toppers offers nutrition and helps your cat get used to eating better-quality ingredients.

Transition to better quality cat food slowly
Now that your cat is eating at scheduled mealtimes, is no longer eating crunchy carb cookie treats, and has a fresh food boost in his meals it’s time to transition to raw slowly.
Most websites and guidelines suggest a week or so. But my cat transition plan is about 20 days for each meal.
Gradually reduce your cat’s current food by 5% each day and gradually increase the new food by 5% each day. For example:
- 95% current food, 5% new food on day 1
- 90% current food, 10% new food on day 2
- 85% current food, 15% new food on day 3
And so on. Start with one meal. And don’t move on to the next meal until meal 1 is 100% new food. Each step will take 20 days.
What are the best cat food brands?
I use and recommend the following raw cat food brands:
- Viva Raw – get 20% off with code JESSCATICLES
- Quest Cat Food – get 25% off with code JESSCATICLES. They have freeze-dried and frozen raw.
- Darwin’s – use that link, tell them about your cat, and you’ll get 10 pounds of food for just $14.95.
I highly recommend that you learn how to read cat food labels properly. That way, you don’t have to rely on anyone else (including me!) to tell you what to feed your cat.

FAQ
What happens if you switch cat food too fast?
The cat’s digestive system is very sensitive to food changes. So your cat could get sick and develop GI issues if you switch cat food too fast. No matter how good the new food is.
How long does it take for a cat to adjust to new food?
Some cats take longer than others to adjust to new food. Especially if those cats are eating dry food. However, every cat should transition to new foods slowly to avoid picky eating and GI issues.
Can you switch cat food cold turkey?
No. You should not switch cat food cold turkey. Switching cat food cold turkey can shock your cat’s digestive system. This can cause GI issues like vomiting and diarrhea. Switch cat food slowly to avoid these issues.
Final thoughts on how to switch your cat to raw
How to switch cat food properly comes down to patience and gradual upgrades in your cat’s mealtimes.
Cats are sensitive to food changes, and they are also picky cautious about new foods.
But we can see success switching from dry or wet to raw when we follow a proven cat transition plan. Like this one!