Jericho’s raw cat food and whole prey diet plan

I used to feed all of my cats dry food because that’s what I thought was cat food. But unfortunately, they suffered.

Diabetes, kidney disease, liver failure, cancer, obesity, and the list goes on.

Our last cat, Hemi, was only 3.5 years old when he was put down. Kidney failure.

I also worked as a cat sitter for 3 years with hundreds of cats. And I realized it wasn’t only my cats who suffered. What was the common theme? Kibble.

Our little Hemi was the push that I needed to become a Clinical Pet Nutritionist. And now I know that our cats need a high moisture, high protein, low carb diet to not only survive but thrive!

This diet matches our cat’s natural diet of whole prey. And the best way to mimic this indoors is to feed whole prey and/or a balanced raw diet.

I’ve fed all types raw diets, and I’ve adjusted based on Jericho’s needs and his preferences.

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Jericho’s whole prey & DIY diet plan

jerichos raw and whole prey diy diet plan dish jess caticles

About half of Jericho’s diet is whole prey and DIY. Jericho eats mice, day-old chicks, hamsters, and extra-small quail.

I love feeding whole prey because it’s what our cat’s feral counterparts eat. It’s the most natural cat food. But on top of that, the bones are small and soft enough to chew. So Jericho gets mental stimulation and teeth cleaning benefits from chewing.

I used to feed DIY raw meaty bones. But Jericho got a dental and had teeth extracted. So I don’t feel comfortable feeding chicken bones anymore.

But I will add adult quail to his diet next since those bones are a bit larger than mice and DOC but still small and soft enough to chew.

cat eating day old chick whole prey jess caticles

I buy whole prey from Cold Blooded Cafe because they have a lot of variety in prey species and age. And I use Paws of Prey Cat Meal Formulator to formulate this part of Jericho’s diet. I love her formulator because it’s beginner-friendly and includes whole prey.

Jericho’s superfood supplements are a healthy skin and coat topper recipe I put together. It includes oysters, sardines, coconut oil, collagen, and spirulina.

treat and topper mold homemade cat recipe jess caticles

I am making adjustments to this as I’m still finetuning how to balance whole prey. I use coconut oil for fat since whole prey is very lean. But I will probably move to animal fat instead.

Unfortunately, whole prey data is limited. So some nutrients appear low in the diet. But it’s because we don’t have data for those nutrients. I’m using these whole foods to make up for the data that we don’t have.

Another part of Jericho’s DIY diet is that I make my own cat treats. I just started with my salmon cat treat recipe, and Jericho absolutely loves these.

easy homemade salmon treats for cats jess caticles

I break them up into smaller pieces and hide them on glass jar lids for hunting around the apartment. This is one of Jericho’s favorite routines. It gets him active, and it’s a lot of fun.

Jericho’s premade raw diet

The other half of Jericho’s diet is premade raw. I stopped doing as much DIY raw because it’s just easier to meal prep whole prey with premade raw.

I also want to celebrate the fact that there are so many more excellent raw brands making cat food today! There weren’t as many options when I first started 7 years ago. So I want to support them and my local pet store.

I’m feeding Quest frozen raw nuggets both pork and beef. And SmallBatch raw duck sliders.

quest cat food frozen raw nuggets jess caticles

I like both of these companies because they use whole food ingredients to balance the recipe. SmallBatch has a lot of protein options for cats. Quest doesn’t have as many options, but they still have a good variety.

SmallBatch sliders are each one ounce. And the Quest nuggets are very small and easy to work with. I love this combination because whole prey vary in weight. So the smaller portions of raw make meal prep really easy.

I buy Quest and SmallBatch at a local pet food store. But you can buy Quest online if you can’t find it locally. Get 25% off your first order with this link or use my code JESSCATICLES.

You can buy SmallBatch freeze-dried raw food on Amazon and Chewy. That’s complete and balanced. But you’ll have to find their frozen raw or gently cooked food on their store locator.

I also buy SmallBatch freeze-dried blue mussels and pork liver treats from Chewy and my local pet food store.

smallbatch freeze dried raw cat treats jess caticles

Your raw cat food diet plan

Your cat’s raw diet plan should be based on what works for you and your cat.

I love feeding whole prey because of the mental stimulation and teeth cleaning benefits. But whole prey is the most costly option. And I have to order it online.

Premade raw is very easy and convenient. But it does cost more than DIY raw. DIY raw is the most cost-effective option. But it takes more time to buy ingredients and meal prep.

I’ve tested all types of raw feeding and have adjusted based on Jericho’s needs and preferences.

All options are very easy to do once you have a good plan in place. And you don’t have to feed 100% of any style. It’s all about finding what works best for you!

I have a free raw feeding cats guide to help you figure it out.

Or if you’d like a shortcut that includes my switch to raw plan, balanced raw recipes, and how I formulate all in one place, then my Raw Feline Foodie Course Bundle is for you.