Raw feeding cats guide – premade raw, DIY raw, & whole prey diets

This raw feeding cats guide shows the 3 ways to raw feed your cat. You’ll figure out which raw feeding style is best for you and how to start!

There are 3 main ways to raw feed cats, and there are many options within these raw diets. Options are a good thing! But just keep in mind that options (especially when you’re a beginner) may seem overwhelming at first.

I’ve been feeding raw for 7 years now, and I’ve changed Jericho’s diet many times. It’s all about figuring out what works best for you and your cat.

Sometimes products are out of stock, maybe your daily routine changed and you don’t have as much time anymore, or something happens with your cat and you can’t feed “this ingredient” anymore.

quest cat food frozen raw nuggets jess caticles

I started Jericho with premade raw and was forced into DIY because our favorite raw brand went out of business. And there weren’t as many options back then! First I used a premix then a recipe that I formulated with raw meaty bones.

Then Jericho had tooth extractions so now I can’t feed chicken bones. That’s why whole prey works best for me. But I still feed premade raw and a little bit of DIY to help balance it out. This is what works best for me, our routine, and Jericho’s health needs.

My goal with this guide is to show you all of the raw feeding options, the pros and cons of each, what I recommend, and I’ve linked further guides to help you get started in the raw feeding style you choose.

Here are the 3 ways to raw feed your cat:

  1. Premade raw
  2. DIY raw
  3. Whole prey

Keep in mind that you don’t have to feed 100% of one of these. As I mentioned, I feed a combination of all 3! However, I would suggest starting with premade raw if you are a complete beginner. And especially if your cat is eating kibble and/or canned wet food. I explain why below.

ash eating viva raw cat food jess caticles

Premade raw

Premade raw means that a cat food company makes the product, and it’s complete and balanced as is. You do not have to add anything to it. It provides a complete meal on its own.

Similar to how you buy a bag of kibble or canned food. Except it’s raw (and much better quality).

Pros of feeding premade raw:

  • Complete and balanced as is
  • Easy to buy locally or online
  • Lots of protein options
  • Many high-quality brands
  • Easy for beginners

Cons of feeding premade raw:

  • More costly than DIY raw
  • No control over the ingredients and quality
  • No mental stimulation or teeth cleaning benefits from chewing

The pros definitely outweigh the cons especially if you have more budget to spend compared to time to spend. DIY raw does cost less, but it requires more time for ingredient shopping and meal prep.

I mention the con “no control over the ingredients and quality” because with DIY raw you do have control over the ingredients and quality. But if we’re comparing to commercial processed food, you don’t have control over those things either. And there’s way more risk (in my opinion) with processed food.

I highly recommend starting with premade raw if your cat is currently eating kibble and/or canned food. Even if your end goal is to feed DIY raw and/or whole prey.

charlie cat eating raw food jess caticles

Switching to premade raw first will make everything much easier. I’m sure you’ve dealt with a cautious (not picky!) cat… So now imagine the frustration you’ll feel after finding a recipe, buying ingredients and supplies, making the food, and then your cat doesn’t eat it.

All cats are cautious (not picky!) about new food. This is a survival instinct. On top of that, kibble and most canned foods are high in carbs.

Carbs are not part of the cat’s natural diet so companies add flavor enhancers to make the food more enticing. Unfortunately, cats get addicted to carbs and these flavor enhancers. So it makes switching food even more difficult.

That’s why switching to an already complete and balanced raw food will make going to DIY raw and whole prey easier for you. You don’t have to do the work of putting the recipe together. All you have to do is switch your cat’s food.

raw cat food

Ditch the carbs and get some fresh food in your cat’s diet before attempting DIY raw and/or whole prey.

Plus, feeding raw does require learning and new routines. It’s easy once you have a good routine. But it’s a lot different than feeding kibble and canned food. It shouldn’t be different because we should practice proper hygiene and clean up after feeding any type of food.

But most people just “top off the bowl” when it gets low and do not clean dishes after each meal. We should be cleaning dishes after every meal regardless of what we feed. But it’s a learning curve because it’s a new food and a new routine. So that’s why I say it’s different.

I also want to talk about the lack of teeth cleaning benefits in premade raw. I’ve seen many raw brands say that your cat will have cleaner teeth since the food is natural.

However, teeth need scraping and abrasion to keep them clean. You do not get this with premade raw because it’s ground. So yes, it is better overall because it is low-carb. But you will still have to brush your cat’s teeth daily to keep them clean.

clean cat teeth after eating raw meaty bones
Jericho’s left side stayed clean from chewing on raw meaty bones

Jericho ate ground raw for years and developed really nasty resorptive lesions due to lots of plaque and tarter on his teeth. So I want to mention this because I don’t want you to have false hope and think that just because you’re feeding raw, your cat’s teeth will stay clean.

Premade raw is still an excellent option if you do want to feed 100% premade raw. But just keep your cat’s teeth in mind.

If you’re a beginner, check out my how to switch to raw guide. This guide includes my exact transition plan that’s helped hundreds of “picky” cats switch to raw easily! I’ve included brands and supplies I use and recommend in this guide as well.

raw cat food recipes jess caticles

DIY raw

DIY raw means that you are making your cat’s raw food at home with ingredients that you buy locally or online. You can use a raw food premix or a recipe.

A premix is a supplement powder that usually only requires boneless meat. And a recipe requires meat, bones (or bone replacement supplement), organs, and a few whole foods to make the recipe complete.

Pros of feeding DIY raw:

  • More control over the ingredients and quality
  • Costs less than premade raw
  • Buy ingredients locally or online
  • Lots of protein options
  • Mental stimulation and teeth cleaning benefits (if you feed raw meaty bones)

Cons of feeding DIY raw:

  • Requires more time for shopping and meal prep
  • Not easy for beginners

The “no control over the ingredients and quality” con mentioned in the premade raw section is an important consideration because companies can have recalls, change ingredients or suppliers, or stop making cat food altogether.

But you don’t really have to worry about that when you feed DIY raw. You buy the ingredients wherever you want. And if you’re using a really good recipe, most of the ingredients are whole foods that you can buy locally and online.

cat grabbing rabbit raw meaty bone

You’ll get an extra pro if you’re feeding raw meaty bones. Raw meaty bones scrape against the teeth and gums and keep them clean.

Jericho’s teeth on his left side are “immaculate” – surgeon’s words – because he was eating chicken wings and necks. But unfortunately, some of his right side teeth had to be extracted so I can’t feed these bones anymore.

I do not recommend DIY raw for beginners as I mentioned in the premade raw section. I only recommend DIY raw for cat parents who are feeding 100% fresh, gently cooked wet food or premade raw.

If you’re ready to feed DIY raw, check out my how to make DIY raw guide. This guide includes a full plan, premix options, complete and balanced recipes, and meal prep instructions.

whole prey raw diet meal prep for cats jess caticles

Whole prey

Whole prey means that you are feeding the entire animal whole. This is more common for reptile owners. But cats are carnivores too and feral cats around the world eat whole prey! I mention reptiles because most places that sell whole prey market to snake parents.

Pros of feeding whole prey:

  • Easy to portion and serve
  • Buy online at breeding facilities
  • Lots of protein and size options
  • Natural diet for cats (all raw is but whole prey matches better)
  • Mental stimulation and teeth cleaning benefits

Cons of feeding whole prey:

  • Costs more than premade and DIY raw
  • Lack of full nutritional analysis on prey
  • Feeders are not raised in natural environments

These cons held me back from feeding whole prey for a while. But I got a big push after Jericho had teeth removed. I still want the mental stimulation and teeth cleaning benefits, but chicken bones are too big. Whole prey are the perfect size though!

cat eating day old chick whole prey feeding jess caticles

A lot of people believe that whole prey are complete and balanced. But that’s not true. Yes, feral cats around the world eat whole prey. But they also hunt multiple species, and that prey is raised in the natural environment. So the nutritional profile is different than those raised in captivity.

We don’t have a full nutritional analysis on whole prey so it’s a guessing game. That’s why I like to feed premade raw alongside whole prey. And I add some other whole foods to complete the whole prey portion. So I feed a little bit of all 3!

Just like DIY raw, I only recommend feeding whole prey for cat parents who are currently feeding raw. This will help your cat associate prey as food since raw is already part of his diet.

I don’t have a complete guide for whole prey yet. But it’s coming soon!

treat and topper mold homemade cat recipe jess caticles

Final thoughts on raw feeding cats

There are 3 main ways to raw feed cats, and you don’t have to do 100% of one of them.

I highly recommend starting with premade raw if you’re a beginner and currently feeding dry and/or wet canned food.

But once you get a good routine going you can upgrade fully to DIY raw and/or whole prey or add on small amounts of each.

It’s all about finding what works best for you and your cats. And you can always upgrade and change as you see fit.

More raw feeding guides: