Maine Coons like all cats are obligate carnivores. This means that they rely on nutrients found only in animal products. Cats evolved as hunters that consume prey that contains high amounts of protein, moderate amounts of fat, and a minimal amount of carbohydrates, and their diet still requires these general proportions today. Cats also require more than a dozen other nutrients, including vitamins, minerals, fatty acids, and amino acids. Their systems are set up to metabolize a natural diet high in moisture, high in protein, and very low in carbohydrates.
What are we feeding?
Dry Food
Royal Canin Spayed & Neutered Kitten - Left out at all times (24/7).
Royal Canin Ragdoll Adult Cat Food - Left out at all times (24/7).
Daily Treat
We feed kittens a properly balanced raw diet once a day. Alternatively, if you dislike raw then we suggest 1 can of Friskies mixed with 1 cup of dry food. Providing a balanced raw diet is key otherwise raw is not a healthier option. Raw is the healthiest option for your cat. We buy prepackaged “Ground Chicken From HARE-TODAY”. This is a whole diet that you can serve, you can add Friskies canned for picky cats.
Immunity Support
Tomlyn Immune Support L-Lysine Powder Cat Supplement is a veterinarian-formulated supplement that supports your cat’s immune system, and respiratory and eye health. Taste tested and loved by cats and kittens, safe and effective for cats of all ages. Especially good for kittens going to a new home and dealing with the stress of relocation. Our vet turned us on to the supplement and we find it fantastic.
Raw Cat Food
We suggest feeding Maine Coons a properly balanced raw diet. Properly balanced raw is the healthiest option for your cat. Providing a ***balanced*** raw diet is key, otherwise raw is not the healthier option. Cats fed a balanced raw diet have a higher muscle mass (weighing more), a healthier coat, lower risk for certain diseases, and have a longer life expectancy. Providing a balanced raw diet is key otherwise raw is not a healthier option. Switching to raw should not upset your cat’s stomach. We buy prepackaged (Ground chicken bones & organs) from HARE TODAY (https://hare-today.com/)
Feeding a properly balanced raw diet is the best species-appropriate diet possible. Raw is the cheapest option per pound but requires the most planning. Kittens should be fed as much raw as they want twice a day till 1.5-2 years of age. Adults consume 3%-6% of their body weight in raw but can eat more (Some cats simply burn more energy). If you are concerned your cat is not eating the correct amount please consult your veterinarian, a veterinarian should be able to do a physical exam to assess body condition.
Feline Nutrition Foundation Quote
“A balanced raw diet includes flesh, organs, a bone or ground bone, and a small amount of vegetation. Most people try to feed meats that are close to what cats would naturally be eating, so meat such as beef, which can cause allergic reactions in some cats, lamb, and pork are used less often. Fish should be avoided except for occasional use for many reasons including heavy metal contamination, vitamin E depletion, and the fact that cats get addicted to it because of its strong taste. Raw cat food diets try to balance the meat to bone ratio to match that of a wild diet, usually mouse or rabbit. This balances the calcium to phosphorus ratio. Cats cannot live on meat alone. Their calcium source is ideally from bone, not a supplement, as bone provides other minerals such as copper and zinc, along with collagen. Rawbone is highly digestible and provides calcium, minerals, and enzymes. The marrow is nutrient-rich. It is only cooked bone that is dangerous.”
DIY Raw Cat Food
https://feline-nutrition.org/nutrition/making-raw-cat-food-for-do-it-yourselfers
The Feline Diet
What do cats really need?
Cats have no dietary need for carbohydrates, carbs are processed and stored as fat. A carb-heavy diet will stress the cat’s digestive system and reduce the efficiency of protein absorption. If the diet does not contain enough animal protein for their daily needs, or they are unable to process an adequate amount of that protein, cats will sabotage the muscles in their own bodies to obtain their daily needs. Additionally, feline satiety is signaled by the ingestion of sufficient amounts of animal protein in their food; lacking it, they will consistently overeat, resulting in yet more carbs being converted to fat.
Cats are unable to synthesize eleven different amino acids; arginine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, valine, and, taurine. Cats also can not synthesize vitamin A, vitamin D, and the fatty acid arachidonic. Cats can create niacin but insufficient to their needs so they must consume niacin daily.
How to pick a cat food brand?
Seek brands that have an AAFCO-approved nutritional guarantee and adherence to WSAVA guidelines. Avoid canned foods containing peas, lentils, other legume seeds, or potatoes as the main ingredients. Limited grain content is ok this includes corn and rice.
What is the WSAVA?
The World Small Animal Veterinary Association is an international group of over 200,000 veterinary professionals. Their mission is to “advance the health and welfare of companion animals worldwide through an educated, committed, and collaborative global community of veterinary peers.”
WSAVA Guidelines
Evidence of scientific formulation
Extensive testing
Quality control by manufacturing their own foods.
Research to meet long-term nutritional needs and subject this research to a peer-review process.
What to avoid in cat foods?
Avoid a “BEG” diet (Boutique brands, Exotic ingredients, Grain replaced with pulse).
Boutique brands - A boutique brand is one made by a pet food manufacturer who does not employ an appropriately qualified team of experts to study and formulate their diets. These companies often rely on marketing trends rather than testing and nutritional research.
Exotic ingredients- These are ingredients not classically found in pet foods and consist of animal proteins such as kangaroo, buffalo/bison, ostrich, alligator, duck, lamb, salmon, venison, and rabbit.
Grain replaced with pulse- Traditional grains have been replaced with pulse ingredients (legume seeds such as peas, lentils, various beans, and chickpeas) and it is these pulse ingredients that are currently thought to be a major contributor to the development of NM-DCM. *
Expert Advice
“A balanced raw diet includes flesh, organs, a bone or ground bone and a small amount of vegetation. Most people try to feed meats that are close to what cats would naturally be eating, so meat such as beef, which can cause allergic reactions in some cats, lamb, and pork are used less often. Fish should be avoided except for occasional use for many reasons including heavy metal contamination, vitamin E depletion and the fact that cats get addicted to it because of its strong taste. Raw cat food diets try to balance the meat to bone ratio to match that of a wild diet, usually mouse or rabbit. This balances the calcium to phosphorus ratio. Cats cannot live on meat alone. Their calcium source is ideally from bone, not a supplement, as bone provides other minerals such as copper and zinc, along with collagen. Raw bone is highly digestible and provides calcium, minerals and enzymes. The marrow is nutrient rich. It is only cooked bone that is dangerous.”
“Canned cat food has a moisture content of at least 75 percent, making it a good dietary source of water. Water is essential for chemical reactions in the body, temperature regulation and joint health and mobility. It makes up about 60 percent of your cat’s body, so it’s vital to maintain proper hydration through adequate water intake. Canned foods for cats are often higher in protein and lower in carbohydrate than most dry diets. Because of the water, they are also lower in calories per volume and the cans offer built-in portion control versus having a whole bag of dry food. Many of the newer canned cat foods are very high in moisture – some as high as 85%, and this can make these diets much more expensive to feed than dry diets or lower moisture diets, which may be a consideration for some cat owners.”
FDA WARNING (Stop Grain Free)
What is the FDA DCM Report?
June 2019, The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is alerting pet owners and veterinary professionals about reports of feline and canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM) eating certain pet foods containing peas, lentils, other legume seeds, or potatoes as main ingredients. DCM is occurring in breeds not genetically prone to the disease. Animals with DCM respond to medication and supplementation regimens. DCM can lead to congestive heart failure.
What is causing DCM?
Nutritional DCM is thought to be caused by a deficiency or malabsorption earlier in the amino acid pathway, where the cat/dog should be accessing the cysteine and methionine in the foods, or it's a leaching/binding of the taurine in the cat or dog's body by the fiber in legumes and pulses, or both. All pet food companies have had low levels of DCM cases, it is the surge in DCM cases that has raised alarm. For example; Diamond is significantly smaller than Hills and Diamond has 117 cases confirmed by the FDA. Hills has 3 cases confirmed limited only to their grain-free diets. Plant protein in legumes (non-grain) is much higher than grains so, it is difficult to know amount of meat protein vs. plant protein in a food. Lower total meat protein alongside the higher FIBER content of the non-grain ingredients could be an interesting area to investigate.
Can I supplement taurine?
Supplementing taurine to a grain free diet will not work because something in the diet is prevent absorption. Taurine is prevalent in hard-working muscle meats like thigh and shoulder meat, tongue and especially heart as well as whole prey and sardines. All powdered taurine is artificial and made in a laboratory. Most taurine is also sourced from China who is not only the number one exporter but also owns 40 manufacturers of taurine. Considering only 1-3% of imported items are inspected by the US and China has a history of contaminated product. We STRONGLY advise giving fresh (not frozen) raw hard working muscle meats once a week.
Quote: Jean Dodds, DVM Hemopet / NutriScan
“What we suggest you do, if you are concerned, is to have your veterinarian take a blood sample to measure the methionine, cysteine and taurine levels in both whole blood and plasma, and send it to a diagnostic laboratory experienced with the appropriate reference ranges for circulating taurine. If the levels are lower than normal for dogs, please discuss the appropriate next steps with your veterinarian. As well, please send the information on your dog, including the food you are feeding, breed, health regarding CHD and retinal degradation, age and weight to the FDA no matter what the results are. You and your dog would potentially be helping millions of other dogs. We are advocates for home-prepared food. However, we agree that the recipes used may not meet the minimum AAFCO nutrient requirements. If you do choose to go that route, please work with a veterinary or animal nutritionist who has a degree and experience in animal nutrition. As more research is completed, AAFCO may need to adjust their minimum nutrient requirements and add more optimal requirements so that foods can be more appropriately formulated for breed type, size and age. In our view, neither a balanced raw nor cooked diet is inherently “better” than the other. We work with many dogs that thrive on raw food diets, and others that do less well on raw foods but thrive on freshly prepared cooked foods. As we keep coming back to, every dog is an individual, and we believe that individual needs should outweigh a devotion to any one way of feeding.”
Quote: Lisa M. Freeman, DVM, PhD, DACVN
“The apparent link between BEG diets and DCM may be due to ingredients used to replace grains in grain-free diets, such as lentils or chickpeas, but also may be due to other common ingredients commonly found in BEG diets, such as exotic meats, vegetables, and fruits. In addition, not all pet food manufacturers have the same level of nutritional expertise and quality control, and this variability could introduce potential issues with some products. In our hospital, we currently measure taurine in all dogs with DCM, but more than 90% of our patients with DCM in which taurine has been measured have normal levels (and the majority are eating BEG diets). Yet some of these dogs with DCM and normal taurine levels improve when their diets are changed. This suggests that there’s something else playing a role in most cases – either a deficiency of a different nutrient or even toxicity that may be associated with BEG diets. Giving taurine is unlikely to prevent DCM unless your dog has taurine deficiency.”
2020 DCM UPDATE
Evidence is showing that if caught soon enough animals can be treated with medication and supplementation. Some cases have reported with evidence a partial or full recovery in under a year.
DCM Resource Links
Dr. Jean Dodds Responds To FDA Statement
It’s Not Just Grain-Free: An Update on Diet-Associated Dilated Cardiomyopathy
FDA Notice: Potential Link Between Certain Diets and Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy (DCM)
https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/news-events/fda-investigation-potential-link-between-certain-diets-and-canine-dilated-cardiomyopathy?fbclid=IwAR3uCOveCBfW5uF-uPSs16HOPLOBDxGQAblneCrMaSGsaydsitiDzA7jdxU#vet-LIRN
Q/A on FDA Possible Connection Between Diet and DCM
https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/animal-health-literacy/questions-answers-fda-center-veterinary-medicines-investigation-possible-connection-between-diet-and
References
Links
https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/why-aafco-guidelines-are-useless-for-raw-dog-food/
https://www.mazuri.com/exotic-mammals/exotic-feline
Raw Feeding Links
https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/why-aafco-guidelines-are-useless-for-raw-dog-food/
https://www.mazuri.com/exotic-mammals/exotic-feline
PRO TIP: Overly hungry cats eat too fast throwing up, they can lose weight and more. If feeding only canned cat food be cautious. Leaving out some dry food can help prevent being overly hungry. Raw diets are much more fulfilling and should be considered.